There would be no dramatic comeback from the Western Sydney Wanderers this time. It was a grand final that had it all – a sell-out crowd, a play off between the top two sides vying for their first A-League title and some late suspense. In the end, however, two first-half goals and a late strike from super-sub Pablo Sanchez was enough for Adelaide United.
The Reds won the game in the first half, going ahead on 22 minutes through Bruce Kamau and then again on 34 minutes after an inch-perfect free-kick by Isaias. It wasn’t a classic performance from the Reds but it was efficient – Marcelo Carrusca provided the creativity, Kamau the spark and Craig Goodwin a solid defensive performance at left-back.
Whether by bus, train, car or plane, a sea of red and black flooded Adelaide’s streets, but it was always going to be a huge effort for the Wanderers after last week, where they came back from three goals down to beat Brisbane Roar 5-4. For a moment a second-half comeback looked on the cards, but it wasn’t to be. Was last week their grand final performance?
Certainly for the first half they looked out of sorts, lacking rhythm going forward and struggling to gain control in the centre of the park. Their brightest spark was Brendan Santalab, their serial pest up front, who looked to pounce on the break and took a chunk out of Cirio’s leg in the opening minutes.
It was Santalab that brought life to the game on the 20 minute mark. His outrageous, frog-in-the-blender bicycle kick sailed over the bar, and in the very next move, Adelaide United got the opening goal.
It was Carrusca who found space down the left hand side, and with plenty of time swung a dangerous pass across goal. Poor defending from Wanderers left-back Scott Jamieson allowed Kamau to dart inside and side foot the ball into the back of the net. The majority of the 50,119 crowd went wild.
Brimming with confidence, just after the half-hour mark Kamau drew a foul just outside the penalty box. Adelaide midfielder Isaias picked his spot, and right in front of the Red and Black Bloc, placed an inch-perfect free-kick in the top left hand corner. The Spaniard was later named winner of the Joe Marston medal.
Running toward a bay of thousands of their own fans, the Wanderers came out much better in the second-half. Their hero from last week, Romeo Castelen, who was shut out for most of the first half by Goodwin, found room to cross the ball to Santalab. The striker’s back-heel found Scott Neville, who blasted the ball past keeper Eugene Galekovic. Game on.
But where everything went right for the Wanderers last week, this time their lines were crossed. Where they found space, a Reds defender would arrive to clear the danger. Attacks fizzled out or couldn’t be converted.
Much was made of the Spanish influence that permeates both sides, but it was the Reds armarda who had the better of this game. In the dying moments, as Adelaide fans prepared to celebrate, Sanchez buried a right foot strike past Andrew Redmayne to put the result beyond doubt. An inspired substitution from coach Guilleme Amor, and the perfect way to end a superb season.
This grand final, however, might be best remembered by the performance of Kamau and Goodwin, a pair of Adelaide youngsters who did their city proud.
For a club that was formed at the death of the National Soccer League to unite the city behind one set of colours, it was the dream ending. Premiers and champions, 21 games with just one loss, in front of a record crowd for a domestic game in South Australia. Adelaide United.
