In the second season of Josep Gombau’s tenure at Adelaide United, midfielder Marcelo Carrusca reckons the Reds are strong enough to win a trophy.
Adelaide have qualified for the Westfield FFA Cup quarter-finals where they will face Sydney FC on October 21, while they are considered contenders in the Hyundai A-League for either the premiership or championship this season.
With Gombau’s tiki-taka philosophy becoming second nature for the Reds, Carrusca – himself in his third season in Adelaide – reckons it’s about time the South Australian outfit ended their trophy drought that stretches back to A-League season one.
“Yeah, I think we have to have this pressure to win something,” the playmaker told Goal at the Hyundai A-League season launch on Tuesday.
“This club deserves to win one trophy this year. We have to play good, work hard to win one of the trophies.”
Carrusca added: “I believe in this team, I believe in this style, I believe 100 per cent in the coach. So we have all the [ingredients].”
Adelaide’s only trophy since they were formed in 2003 for the final season of the National Soccer League was the Hyundai  A-League Premier’s Plate in 2005-06.
Like Carrusca, Gombau thinks his team can end the pain for Adelaide fans in 2014-15.
Throughout a mixed first season in charge of Adelaide, the 38-year-old Spanish coach regularly pleaded for patience, particularly when the Reds won just one of their first nine league matches.
But not anymore.
“I think that every single team wants to win, no? To be at the top and this has to be our goal,” Gombau told Goal.
Adelaide will begin their season on Sunday when they travel to reigning champions Brisbane Roar.
Gombau’s men won just three times on the road last term and both the coach and Carrusca know that must change if the Reds are to improve this campaign.
Adelaide do have a decent record at Suncorp Stadium though, with six wins from 14 visits throughout the history of the A-League, and Gombau thinks this weekend might be the perfect time to visit the Roar.
“In the end it’s just one more game, it has the same value, 27 rounds,” he said.
“For me it’s better to start the first week against Brisbane Roar, so maybe they don’t have the competitive games [to be ready] as they do in round 10.”
Adelaide United will take on Brisbane Roar on Sunday 12 October 2014, at Suncorp Stadium in Round 1 of the Hyundai A-League 2014/15 season. Kick-off is at 4:00pm AEST (4:30pm ACDT).
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