Adelaide United have confirmed their squad tfor the knockout stage of the AFC Asian Champions League.
Adelaide United have confirmed their squad tfor the knockout stage of the AFC Asian Champions League.
Into the last eight of the ACL for the second time and the only Australian club still flying the flag in this year-s Asian club competition, the Reds submitted their squad list to the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), who have since approved the registrations.
Under the format and regulations of the AFC Champions League, once the Round of 16 matches have been played and decided, the eight clubs still vying for the title are permitted to submit a new squad list of up to 30 players.
Therefore, in its revised squad for the knockout stage, the Reds have included new signings Jake Barker-Daish and Daniel Bowles, as well as highly regarded Argentinean Marcelo Carrusca, who will take the vacant foreign spot made available after the departure of Francisco Usucar.
Young Adelaide defender Jordan Elsey and goalkeeper John Hall are the only players in the squad that are not part of the Reds- Hyundai A-League 2012/13 roster.
United Coach John Kosmina is pleased with the group he will take into the pointy end of the ACL, the Reds aiming to continue another remarkable Asian run that has seen them win six of eight games and concede just two goals since the play-off against Persipura last December.
“It-s a really good squad that I-m sure is capable of performing well and doing not only South Australia, but the country proud once the quarter-finals come around,” Kosmina said.
Notably, clubs are permitted to make a maximum of three changes to their squad up to seven days before the 1st leg of the quarter-finals.
Adelaide United FC will host current Uzbek league leaders Bunyodkor in the opening leg of the AFC Champions League quarter-finals at Hindmarsh Stadium on Wednesday 19 September, before the 2nd Leg takes place in Tashkent on October 3.
