You could forgive Adelaide United fans if they were cautious in their celebrations following Dario Vidosic’s 3rd minute goal against Brisbane Roar – after all, it augured rather poorly for the Reds.
In the corresponding fixture last year – also contested on a balmy Sunday afternoon – the Adelaide number ten opened the scoring on five minutes from the very same blade of grass. His team were then summarily smashed 7-1 by a rampant Roar rearguard.
The performances in that game ultimately proved defining for the campaigns of both clubs.
For the defending champions it was more than their biggest win of the season – also a club record – but it neatly demonstrated their attacking style and unnerving ability to turn a match on its head in a matter of minutes.
For Adelaide, it set in motion a chain of events that by season’s end saw Rini Coolen unceremoniously sacked as manager and Andwele Slory conclude football was no longer his bag.
The match looked set to follow the same script this year before Brisbane completely fluffed their lines – the home side unable to find the back of the net despite dominated possession and creating many more chances than United.
Whether or not the match will prove as defining this time for the clubs remains to be seen. Although, early indications are that perhaps it just might.
United are a much more resolute unit this season under the guidance of former manager and renowned tough-nut John Kosmina. Their performance against Roar on Sunday was the kind of smash and grab manoeuvre that was beyond Adelaide’s reach twelve months ago.
As such, it seems increasingly unlikely the wheels will come off the wagon anytime soon in the South Australia capital – Kossie is likely to cling to first-place on the A-League ladder with a vice-like and choking grip.
As for Brisbane, they will be hoping their performance doesn’t define their season. While there are causes for concern for Rado Vidosic, his side still dominated Adelaide and it’s fair to believe the goals will come in the coming weeks.
The Roar manager’s challenge remains to achieve a balance in midfield – it remains far too tempting to tinker with the multitude of options at his disposal as results continue to elude.
Even if it doesn’t define the season for either club, at the very least Adelaide made amends for last year’s capitulation and the club’s supporters can celebrate an early goal without caution from here on in.
Oh, and the three points is probably quite nice too.
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