Adelaide United FC
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For current news on this topic, see Adelaide United FC Season 2006-07 |
| Adelaide United FC | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Adelaide United Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | The Reds, United | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide |
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| Capacity | 16,500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman | Dario Fontanarosa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | Aurelio Vidmar (interim) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | A-League | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| A-League 2006-07 | 2nd (league) 2nd (play-offs) |
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Adelaide United FC is an A-League football (soccer) club based in Adelaide, South Australia. The club was founded in 2003, to fill the place vacated by Adelaide City Force in the former National Soccer League (NSL). They were premiers in the inaugural 2005-2006 A-League season, finishing 7 points clear of the rest of the competition. The Reds were also Grand Finalists in the 2006-2007 A-League season. They are the only A-League club to be present at the Asian Champions League more than once.
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[edit] History
[edit] National Soccer League
In August 2003, Adelaide City withdrew from the National Soccer League, leaving Adelaide with no NSL presence for the first time since the beginning of the league in 1977. In response, Adelaide United was created in September 2003, and a team was scraped together within a couple of weeks. In October, Adelaide United won its first NSL match, against the Brisbane Strikers 1-0 in front of a crowd in excess of 16,000 people. After an impressive home-and-away season, including a seven-match unbeaten streak during November and December 2003, Adelaide United reached the NSL preliminary final, losing to Perth Glory. The NSL came to an abrupt close at the end of the 2003-04 season.
[edit] A-League
Adelaide United were announced as one of eight teams to compete in the first season of the Hyundai A-League, and are, along with the Perth Glory, one of only two teams to survive from the National Soccer League's last season. United began preparation earlier than most of the other clubs and had announced two thirds of the 20 man squad before February 2005.
The club focused on bringing several Adelaide born players back to South Australia, such as Angelo Costanzo, Travis Dodd and Lucas Pantelis, who had previously played for Adelaide City SC in the NSL. Shengqing Qu was signed from Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua as the clubs "marquee" signing (a ruling allowing each club one player to be paid outside the salary cap) in March 2005.
Aurelio Vidmar announced his retirement before the A-League had even started. He was replaced before the fifth round by striker Fernando from Brazil, a former 'player of the year' in the old NSL. By moving to Adelaide, he reunites with former coach John Kosmina who introduced him to Australian audiences at the Brisbane Strikers.
Adelaide United have established links with American club Miami FC setting up a 'sister club' relationship.
The team also signed Brazilian legend Romario for a 4 game guest stint in November/December 2006.
Adelaide United advanced to the Grand Final at after winning 4-3 on penalties (1-1 AET) against Newcastle Jets. Adelaide United played Melbourne at the Telstra Dome in the 2006-2007 A-League Grand Final on Sunday 18 February 2007 losing 6-0 whilst playing most of the game with only 10 men after captain Ross Aloisi was sent off for his second bookable offense.
After a controversial post grand final interview, Captain Ross Aloisi was sacked as Captain of Adelaide United and replaced by Angelo Costanzo on 22/02/2007. At the same as this announcement was made, it was also announced that Coach John Kosmina would step down as Coach. It was widely speculated that Kosmina would have been sacked regardless of whether or not he would have quit. Assistant Coach Aurelio Vidmar was appointed interim coach.
For the upcoming 2007-08 season AUFC have recruited ex-Socceroo Paul Agostino, Ivorian Jonas Salley and current Olyroo Kristian Sarkies.
[edit] AFC Champions League
Adelaide United were selected, along with Sydney FC, as the first Australian representatives to play in the 2007 AFC Champions League. They received an Asian berth after being named 2005-06 premiers. This angered the Reds' great rivals Melbourne Victory as they were runaway league leaders at the time in the 2006-07 season, but were not selected for a place in the continental championship. Adelaide was drawn into Group G with Chinese champion Shandong Luneng, Korean champions Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma and Vietnamese champions Gạch Đồng Tâm Long An.
Adelaide United will also participate in the 2008 AFC Champions League finishing runner-up in the League and Finals Series after Melbourne Victory took out the first double Championship/Premiership double in A-League history. They registered their first victory with a win over Gach Dong Tam Long An with goals from Fernando and Travis Dodd.
[edit] Colours and badge
Adelaide United's kits are sponsored by Reebok, as are the rest of the A-League teams. Their home strip uses the South Australian state colours, and is all-red with gold and blue trim on the sleeves and sides. The away strip is all-white, with red sleeves and gold trim.
The badge also uses the state colours in a stylized swoosh, above what appears to be a soccer ball made with star patterns, as opposed to the traditional hexagons. The Adelaide United badge is a far cry from some other teams, such as Queensland Roar and New Zealand Knights, by taking the form of a traditional football badge.
[edit] Stadium
Adelaide United play their home matches at Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide. The stadium seating capacity is 15,500, although several times in the A-league this has been stretched and standing room has had to be used, increasing capacity by 1,000. The South Australian Government has said to Adelaide United that if crowds can be drawn to games constantly exceeding 14,000 and often reaching full capacity (16,500), plans will be made to adequately increase the size of the ground. Changes could include another video screen and scoreboard, filling the spaces around the corners of the ground with seating and increasing the size of the Eastern Stand to match the capacity of the current Main Stand (Western Stand). These changes would take the stadiums capacity to around 22,000. Changes such as these are proposed because even though the stadium is one of the best in the A-league to watch football from, it is also the smallest, and in the growing world of Australian football and the interest generated by the A-league, the stadium simply will not be big enough in the near future.
In the 2006-2007 season, Adelaide United's average crowd during home games was 12,101 (only 2,000 shy of the required 14,000 for an increase in capacity), with a high of 16,378 (Rd. 15 v Melbourne, 1/12/2006), and crowds have exceeded 14,000 4 times (plus 2 in 2005-06),excluding finals, so the additions to the ground may come very soon. Hindmarsh is the largest purpose-built football venue in Australia, although this may soon change if Melbourne Victory FC and Sydney FC are serious about their plans to build their own 40,000-seat stadiums, and FFA's desire to have a large purpose-built football stadium for QANTAS Socceroos games in either of these cities.
[edit] Supporters
There are four main supporters groups the 'Red Army', the 'Gate', 'M.S.E.' (Manton Street Elite). The Gate recently moved to the northern end of Hindmarsh Stadium. The 'Red Army' is with the 'Gate' in the northern end with 'M.S.E.' in the north-east part of the ground.
There are also regular trips to away matches called 'Get Mobile'. People from all groups participate in these away trips, usually attracting 50-100 people depending on how many buses are available.
Current squad
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[edit] Affiliated Clubs
[edit] Notable Former Players
Romário
Aurelio Vidmar- Greg Owens
Goran Lozanovski
[edit] Managers
- John Kosmina (2003-2007)
- Aurelio Vidmar (2007-present) (interim)
[edit] Honours
[edit] Club
A-League Premiership:
- Premiers (1): 2005-06
- Pre-Season Cup:
- Winners (1): 2006-07
- A-League Finalists:
- Finalists (2): 2005-06, 2006-07
AFC Champions League:
- Qualification(2): 2007, 2008
- NSL Finalists:
- Finalists (1): 2003-04
[edit] Individual
- FourFourTwo Young Player of the Season
- 2006/07: Nathan Burns
[edit] Records
- Record Victory: 5 - 1 vs Newcastle Jets, September 8, 2006
- Record Defeat: 0 - 6 vs Melbourne Victory, February 18, 2007 Grand Final
- Undefeated Streak: 9, November 13, 2005 – January 28, 2006
- Most Wins in a Row: 7, November 13, 2005 – January 12, 2006
- Record High Attendance (Home Ground): 16,378 vs Melbourne Victory, Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, December 1, 2006
- Record Low Attendance (Home Ground): 7,013 vs Central Coast Mariners, Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, September 25, 2005
- Highest Season Average Attendance: 12,187 - A-League 2006-07
- All-time Leading Goal Scorer: Fernando - 13 goals (as of February 14, 2007)
- Longest Period Without Conceding a Goal: 291 minutes, August 26, 2005 - September 17, 2005
[edit] League Membership
[edit] References
3. Adelaide coach quits after A-League final loss
[edit] External links
- http://www.adelaideunited.com.au/ Official club website
- The Gate - United Supporters Group and Message Board
- United United - Weblog
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