PODCAST VIEW: KEEPUP’s Sacha Pisani and Nick D’Urbano joined host Daniel Garb on The Official Isuzu UTE A-League Podcast to review an enthralling first week of Finals Series action. Listen below.
Adelaide United were without a clean sheet in 13 games and three months heading into the 2022-23 Isuzu UTE A-League Finals Series – but that streak has come to an end at the most crucial of times.
The Reds recorded a 2-0 win over Wellington Phoenix in the knockouts on Friday night. Their attacking quality is clear for all to see – but defensive resolve, or lack thereof, is what threatened to be their Achilles heel before the post-season began.
Adelaide now head toward a two-legged Semi Final against Central Coast, the team who over two regular-season fixtures scored eight goals against Adelaide’s leaky backline. Friday night’s shutout was a promising sign heading into the final four.
It was a key point raised on this week’s episode of The Official Isuzu UTE A-League Podcast, with KEEPUP’s Sacha Pisani and Nick D’Urbano joining host Daniel Garb to praise the Reds for keeping the Phoenix at bay in Friday’s elimination.
“The focus is on Adelaide’s attack… but I think the defence is a big talking point from that game,” said Pisani.
“We haven’t seen many clean sheets from Adelaide. They kept their first since January 20, ending a run of 13 games without a clean sheet. They do ship a lot of goals, but that will give them a lot of confidence going into a Semi Final against a Mariners team which they did ship four goals to last time out.”
Adelaide have managed just four clean sheets in 2022-23; throughout the regular season, they shipped 46 goals in 26 games – more than any of the remaining four sides in the Semi Finals.
The clean sheet notched against Wellington was borne from a series of well-made saves by Socceroo Joe Gauci, combined with a defensive quartet that kept Wellington feeding off scraps for the majority of Friday night’s final.
But that effort did not come from Adelaide’s defence alone; their midfield three of Isaias, Louis D’Arrigo and Jay Barnett dominated the centre of the park, helping to starve service to Wellington’s front four.
Barnett was a surprise starting selection for the home side. The traditional number six was given more freedom than usual by Carl Veart to advance up and down the park and he seized the opportunity by putting together a near-complete performance, popping up whenever and wherever he was most needed.
The South Australian began his A-League Men career as a teen at Brisbane Roar, before joining Melbourne Victory on a scholarship deal in 2019. He made the mid-season switch to join Adelaide at the start of 2023, on a two-and-a-half year deal.
“Jay Barnett, I think he was absolutely fantastic,” Pisani said.
“I wonder if (Melbourne Victory head coach) Tony Popovic is sitting back at home thinking: ‘Should I have kept him around?’ They could have done with someone like him in midfield during the backend of the season.
“It’s crazy to think that June last year he was playing NPL3… and now he’s playing in a Semi Final with Adelaide. He was just everywhere on Friday night, he was absolutely fantastic. Whether it was in his own half, or in the opposition’s half, I think he was fantastic. He’s another really great player under Veart’s management.”
D’Urbano added: “Some players in these scenarios, when they have the opportunity to flourish in new environments, it gets the best out of them.
“Jay Barnett is a South Australian native, he’s worked with Carl Veart as a youngster, and maybe it was just the perfect environment for him to get that extended opportunity.
“He’d been at Victory through some tough times before that, under different coaches he’s worked with. He’s worked with Marko Kurz, Carlos Salvachua, Grant Brebner, Steve Keane, and all the way through to Tony Popovic. If I’m doing my maths correctly, that’s five different coaches in the space of about three or four seasons. It’s a lot of chopping and changing.
“He was playing as a left-back and left wing-back at times as well – but he’s come to Adelaide now where he’s got his spot, there’s a bit more certainty around his position, he was down the pecking order at Melbourne Victory as well, behind the likes of (Josh) Brillante, Rai Marchan, Leigh Broxham and Will Wilson.
“He’s come to Adelaide and made that position his.”
