Gary van Egmond’s troops are fighting to be in the top six and will likely bring an attacking mindset to Hindmarsh Stadium.
Date: Friday, March 15, 2013
Kick-off: 7pm (ACDT)
Venue: Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
Head-to-head:
Played 25: Wins: Adelaide United: 19, Newcastle Jets: 9, Draws: 11
Previous encounter:
Newcastle Jets 0-0 Adelaide United, January 5, 2013
Form:
Past five matches:
Adelaide United: WLWLD
Newcastle Jets: LLWDW
The Game
Friday night’s combatants enter the important fixture in contrasting form. The Reds last week won on the road for the first time since November after a first-half Dario Vidosic penalty and a stunning team goal finished by Iain Ramsay earned them three points against Melbourne Heart.
The win has allowed Adelaide to think about securing a home elimination final in the first weekend in April, with fifth-placed Sydney FC the only side that can catch the fourth-placed Reds. To do that, though, United need to lose all their remaining clashes while Sydney need to win all of theirs.
The sixth-placed Jets are still licking their wounds after a costly 2-1 defeat to Perth Glory and head to Adelaide with history against them. The Hunter Valley-based outfit are winless in their past four encounters at Hindmarsh Stadium.
The Big Issue
Adelaide United: The major challenge for the Reds will be performing consistently in the run-in to the finals now that their place in the top six is all but guaranteed. They cannot afford to flirt with their form by waiting for the finals to flick on the switch.
Newcastle Jets: Zeno Caravella has been a fantastic mid-season transfer from Adelaide and his inside knowledge of the South Australians will be a bonus. Caravella returns to the Jets line-up from a hamstring injury after missing the past two matches, where Newcastle have been soundly beaten.
He has some good memories from his time in the City of Churches and he made some good friends at the Reds there’s no doubt he will be extremely keen to get the three points for his new side. The bad news for the Jets is marquee man Emile Heskey is still sidelined for at least another week with a tear in his calf.
The Gamebreaker
Jeronimo Neumann: The diminutive Argentine attacker has scored seven goals for Adelaide this season and every one of them has been at Hindmarsh Stadium.
While Neumann has been in and out of Adelaide’s starting line-up throughout this campaign, the 26-year-old striker remains the Reds’ second-most prolific goal-scorer behind Dario Vidosic (nine goals). Neumann’s pace and trickery make him difficult to pin down and he links well with Adelaide’s twin playmakers, Vidosic and Marcelo Carrusca.
Prediction:Adelaide United 2 – Newcastle Jets 1
Van Egmond’s troops are fighting to be in the top six and will likely bring an attacking mindset to Hindmarsh Stadium. However, with leading scorer Heskey still sidelined with injury, it’s hard to see Newcastle posing a serious threat.
The hosts will be brimming with confidence after their impressive victory on Monday night and should set up a comfortable win over the Jets with a couple of first-half goals before the visitors snag a late consolation.
