Adelaide United’s National Youth League coach Joe Mullen insists his side’s grand final berth against Sydney FC is a ‘bonus’ in an already successful season.
After hovering around the middle of the NYL table earlier in the year, the young Reds finished their campaign with a wet sail, notching up four wins and two draws in their final six games.
United’s entertaining 3-3 result against Queensland Roar in Round 21 saw them maintain second spot and earn a place in the season decider.
Mullen was pleased his side had a chance to win the NYL title but felt plenty had been achieved already.
“For us it (the season) has been to develop the players so that they can get into an A-League squad and when they do get into an A-League squad the transition is as seamless as possible,” he said.
“Our objective has been fulfilled. We’ve had three or four players train with the A-League squad and they’ve done so in a good way.”
“For us a grand final is just a bonus in what has been a tremendous season.”
Mullen said it was also pleasing his side had rallied to become a more consistent unit.
“I just think being able to work with the players over a longer period of time and things tend to gel. The penny has dropped in certain areas and they’ve started to play some good football,” Mullen said.
“They’ve worked hard for each other …and they’ve been very competitive.”
“It doesn’t mean this last seven or eight weeks we’ve deserved to win every game, because there have been some good teams we’ve played, but we’ve done enough in this last couple of months to have the opportunity to play in the grand final.”
United’s Andrew Ciarla (corked muscle) is in doubt for the clash while the Reds are more than likely going to lose Michael Marrone to the club’s A-League side.
“That’s the objective of this whole youth league. We know we are going to lose players every now and then and it’s a good opportunity for Michael to play up but we lose him and more than likely he’ll be replaced by an A-League player coming down,” he said.
That player will be striker Robbie Younis.
“He (Younis) maybe part of the squad depending on whether Andrew Ciarla pulls through fitness test tomorrow,” Mullen said.
The first-year Reds player could prove a hand ally for the Francesco Monterosso – the competition’s leading scorer with 13 goals.
United’s National Youth League captain Alex Sunansky said the team would have to be both strong in mind and in body to overcome the more fancied Sky Blues.
“It will be a tough match, very physical, very demanding, they won’t give us too much time on the ball so we need to press them as well,” Sunansky said.
“Joe has said to us over the whole season about concentration. It only takes a second to score a goal.”
