Dodd's Blog
A-League Preview: Adelaide Vs Sydney Post by: Travis Dodd 14 October, 2009 - 5:37 PM
After four and a half years of playing with Adelaide United, I finally reached my 100-game milestone. It was a proud moment to go out and play last Friday night. To be the first Adelaide player to reach that 100-game mark and to do it for the one club and my hometown was very special to me. Unfortunately we just couldn’t get the desired result!
We played quite well last week, probably the best we have played in a little while. Sometimes it doesn’t come down to how well you play. It’s just a matter of getting the ball into the back of the bloody net!
When we played Central Coast, we had one shot on goal for the whole game. Result…won 1-0. North Queensland we hit the target twice. Result…won 2-0. Perth we had seven shots on target. Result…lost 1-0. I wonder sometimes if it is better to play bad and win or play well and not the best result. I’d have to take the points no matter what.
One highlight of the game was the return of Fabian Barbiero. After being out for so long and to come in and put in a performance as he did, is encouraging to the AUFC faithful. Hopefully this week he can go one better and get his name on the score sheet.
This week we come up against the former bling side, Sydney FC. They played against a shell-shocked Victory side, scoring all three goals in a devastating five-minute spell. Alex Brosque finally got himself off the mark for the year and I’m sure it will do his confidence a world of good for this week's game.
Daniel Mullen will be available for selection this week after his return from national duties, while Michael Marrone will have a run in the youth team after nearly five weeks off after with knee surgery.
It is so important for us to get a win this week - anything less just wont be good enough.We cannot afford to let Sydney and the other teams above us start pulling away.
Although we still have 17 games to go, we don’t want to be playing catch up at the end of the regular season as we have five out of our final seven games away from home.
It has been a good week at training. We know we are around the mark in how we are playing. There is always room for improvement and for us that needs to happen in front of goals. Without going on and on about it, because it seems that I say the same thing over and over, the goals will come!
Just as it seems we might have turned the corner one week scoring a couple, we then go and have a week like we did in Perth. We have to persist though eventually they have to start going in!
Some other positive news around the club is Jambo celebrating his 21st birthday on Tuesday. We are all praying that now he will start showing the maturity expected of a 21-year-old. Not that of an adolescent teenager that has been on display for the last year and a bit. I’m certainly not holding my breath for changes as he seems to be set in his ways already, so God help us all.
Eugene got his just deserts this week getting called into camp with the Australian team in preparation for the Asian Cup qualifier against Oman. Although he won't be part of the action, it’s great to see him mixing it with the best of the best. I’m sure that if he can continue his current form, he would be a shot at selection for the World Cup in June next year.
Unfortunately, I wont be out there playing this week. I have picked up another minor strain in my calf. The left one this time. So for me it is another week on the sidelines. I hope to return for the game the following week against Melbourne Victory.
In the meantime, I will be another supporter cheering and willing the team on to win the game and pick up three points. The boys can do it, but its not only a team effort. The support we get from you guys is as crucial as ever and we appreciate every bit of it we get.
See you at Hindmarsh - if only in the crowd this week!
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