Adelaide United stopper Nigel Boogaard insists the Reds have put the off-field controversy that rocked the club last week on the eve of their 1-0 win against Wellington Phoenix behind them.
Midfielder Paul Reid declared himself unavailable for the match after his request to be released in time to join Sydney FC for the Asian Champions League was denied.
Reid rejoined the group for training this week and Boogaard said it was business as usual for the Reds as they look to defeat Gold Coast United in the elimination final at Hindmarsh Stadium on Sunday.
“We’re obviously professionals,” he said.
“When you go out onto the park whether it be training or a game you don’t worry about what’s been said, whether it be in the media or changerooms.”
“You try and put that out of your mind and do your job. As professionals we all know how to do that so we just go about our business.”
Boogaard denied United will need any extra motivation ahead of the clash against GCU, with a spot in week three of the finals up for grabs.
The winner of the Adelaide-GCU match will meet the loser of the Brisbane Roar-Central Coast Mariners semi-final with Roar in the box seat to advance to the Grand Final after a 2-0 away win ahead of the second leg in Brisbane.
The Reds could even land an ACL spot if they were to meet Brisbane in the decider with the Roar already sealing their passage into the ACL by claiming the minor premiership.
“I think if you’re a player you realise the circumstances,” he said.
“The Champions League is a possibility if we can get to the Grand Final. You won’t see anyone pulling out of a challenge and the boys will be committed 100 percent.”
“It’s semi-final time. No one wants to play this many games and exit the competition this close to really achieving something.”
Boogaard has tipped former Reds strikers Bruce Djite and Shane Smeltz as the two most likely to cause problems for Adelaide on Sunday.
Smeltz played seven games for the Reds in the old National Soccer League and scored once, while Djite quickly became a fan favourite at Hindmarsh.
Djite made 35 appearances for United, finding the back of the net 13 times, before going on to win the A-League Young Player of the Year for the 2007-08 campaign.
This season, Smeltz has scored seven times in two stints for GCU after unsuccessful attempts abroad – first with Chinese club Shandong Luneng and then Turkish side Gençlerbirligi.
Ironically, Dijte joined GCU from Gençlerbirligi as a replacement for Smeltz and is Gold Coast’s leading marksman with nine.
“They’re the two that can probably change the game for them,” said Boogaard on Thursday.
“Smeltzy is quite dangerous all over the park and Brucey is quite a handful in the box as well so whoever is in at the back hopefully we can do the job and keep them scoreless.”
“But, you can’t worry about the opposition too much to be honest – you concentrate on your own gameplan.”
“If we play the way we know how to, defend the way we know how to, then as a squad we’re quite confident we can get over the line. We know we’ve always got goals in us, regardless of who we’re playing against.”
