Adelaide United winger Andy Slory wants fans to replicate the support they showed in last week’s win over Melbourne Victory for every game this season.
The Reds faced off against their bitter rivals in front of a near sell-out crowd at Hindmarsh Stadium last Friday night as they recorded a 1-0 victory.
Slory compared the interstate rivalry to the one enjoyed by Ajax and Feyenoord in his native Holland – a derby the 29-year-old former Feyenoord player was fortunate to be a part of.
“If you lose that game you can’t walk the streets in Holland for a week and that’s not exaggerating,” Slory said.
The Dutchman said the unprecedented support shown against Melbourne gave the team a boost and hopes it can be shown against all teams at home, starting with Sydney FC in the rivalry round clash on Saturday evening.
“Everybody knows how important it is when we play against Melbourne Victory … it’s a massive game,” Slory said.
“I want our supporters here to come every week and give us that same feeling that they gave us last week because they helped us a lot.”
“They gave us a massive boost and I love playing in that environment.”
Although Adelaide and Melbourne’s rivalry is seen as one of the more significant ones in the Hyundai A-League, the Reds and Sydney have shared a memorable history.
The two have been arguably the most consistent clubs in the Hyundai A-League, and have enjoyed a number of cracking encounters – the best of which coming in the semi-final legs of the inaugural 2005-06 season.
The Sky Blues trumped United 4-3 on aggregate before going on to be crowned champions.
Despite not experiencing the top-of-the-table clashes in the early seasons as an Adelaide United player, Slory acknowledged and understood the rivalry, suggesting it was on par with the Victory derby in terms of what it meant to win.
“I’ve heard some stories about Sydney, and how that Adelaide United and Sydney FC were the two best teams in the previous years,” Slory said.
“We’re going into it like we’re playing Melbourne Victory … I think it’s the same.”
“We want to win this game and we are hoping that everybody will be here again in the stadium, and be our 12th man.”
“We are positive and going for the win of course.”
After recording their first win of the season last week against Melbourne, Slory said it was crucial the Reds backed up their positive performance with another victory against the Sky Blues.
The former West Bromwich midfielder said a loss to Sydney would ensure the win over Melbourne counted for nothing.
“To be honest if we lose this game (against Sydney FC), then the Melbourne Victory win doesn’t mean a lot, because we will still only have three points,” Slory said.
“Adelaide United is a big club, so we have to live up to our standards and go for three points every game … that’s how it should be.”
