Adelaide United
2008–09 season
ManagerAurelio Vidmar Chairman Mel Patzwald
A-League2nd
Pre-Season Cup2nd
AFC Champions LeagueRunners-up
Top goalscorerLeague: Cristiano (8)
All: Cristiano (10)
Highest home attendance23,002 (vs Sydney FC, 3 January 2009)
Lowest home attendance7,832 (vs Wellington Phoenix, 30 August 2008)
Average home league attendance12,500

The 2008–09 Adelaide United FC season was the club's fourth A-League season since the inception in the Australian football league since it first started in 2005. The club competed in the 2008–09 A-League, 2008 AFC Champions League and 2008 FIFA Club World Cup.

For the 2008–09 season, Adelaide United made some significant signings to strengthen the squad, most notably striker Cristiano from Willem II for two years on a free transfer. Another key signing to fill the vacancy left by the retirement of Richie Alagich was Alemão formerly of CA Juventus. Saša Ognenovski joined the club from Queensland Roar to help shore up the defence, midfielder Paul Reid joined from Brighton & Hove Albion F.C., while promising youngsters Scott Jamieson, Daniel Mullen, Mark Birighitti and Robert Younis also signed. Bobby Petta, Shaun Ontong, Milan Susak, Dez Giraldi and Robert Bajic were all released, Bruce Djite was sold for an A-League record of A$850,000 to Genclerbirligi, whilst Nathan Burns also transferred to pursue his European dreams, joining Greek first division outfit AEK Athens[1] for A$500,000.[2] Kristian Sarkies, Lucas Pantelis and Fabian Barbiero all had their contracts renewed.

This season, Adelaide United passed the one millionth spectator milestone of total crowds since the inception of the A-League. They reached this achievement when their 7,052nd fan passed through the gate, for the Round 3 match against Wellington. Adelaide United are only the third A-League club to do so thus far, the other two being Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC.[3]

The round 18 A-League match against Sydney FC at the Adelaide Oval saw $23,002 donated to the Starlight Foundation as $1 from every ticket sold for the match went to the charity.[4]

By the end of round 27, Adelaide had drawn level for first, equalling Melbourne's 38 points on the ladder, having needed to win 2–0 against the Central Coast Mariners away to win the premiership and only securing a 1–0 win. Adelaide was pushed down to second because of goal difference. The Reds, along with Melbourne, the Queensland Roar and Central Coast, proceeded to the finals where they lost 1–0 against Melbourne Victory in the grand final at Etihad Stadium, Melbourne.

An early highlight for the season was Adelaide's run to the final of the AFC Champions League against Gamba Osaka.[5][6] Because of this performance, Adelaide participated in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. They played in the play-off round against Waitakere United on 11 December, defeating them 2–1.[7][8] The Reds' next game was played against AFC Champions League rivals, Gamba Osaka, in the quarterfinal round on 14 December in Toyota, Japan. This match, despite Adelaide's grown skill since their first meeting with ACL champions, was won by Gamba Osaka 0–1.[9][10] Adelaide's last appearance in the Club World Cup was against Al Ahly, from Egypt, to determine the fifth-placed club. The match was played on 18 December, and Adelaide defeated Al-Ahly 0–1.[11][12]

This season also saw the introduction of the Adelaide United W-League team and the A-League National Youth League team. Former Adelaide player Richie Alagich, along with Michael Barnett and former Socceroos Tony Vidmar and Joe Mullen joined the coaching staff of these teams.

Players

Squad information

First Team roster

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Australia AUS Daniel Beltrame
2 DF Australia AUS Robert Cornthwaite
3 DF Brazil BRA Alemão
4 DF Australia AUS Angelo Costanzo
5 DF Australia AUS Michael Valkanis
6 DF Brazil BRA Cássio
7 MF Australia AUS Lucas Pantelis
8 MF Australia AUS Kristian Sarkies
9 FW Australia AUS Paul Agostino
10 FW Brazil BRA Cristiano
13 MF Australia AUS Travis Dodd (captain)
14 DF Australia AUS Scott Jamieson
No. Pos. Nation Player
15 MF Ivory Coast CIV Jonas Salley
16 DF Australia AUS Daniel Mullen
17 DF Australia AUS Isyan Erdoğan
18 MF Australia AUS Fabian Barbiero
19 DF Australia AUS Saša Ognenovski
20 GK Australia AUS Eugene Galeković
21 MF Australia AUS Jason Spagnuolo
22 MF Brazil BRA Diego
24 MF Australia AUS Paul Reid
25 FW Australia AUS Robert Younis
28 MF Australia AUS Rostyn Griffiths
30 GK Australia AUS Mark Birighitti

Youth Team roster

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Australia AUS Lucas Andreucci
— GK Australia AUS Luke Ostybe
— DF Australia AUS Michael Doyle
— DF Australia AUS Michael Marrone
— DF Australia AUS Alex Sunasky
— DF Australia AUS Scott Weidnebach
— MF Australia AUS Joel Allwright
— MF Australia AUS Travis Anderson
— MF Australia AUS Andrew Ciarla
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Australia AUS Joe Costa
— MF Australia AUS Osama Malik
— MF Australia AUS Matthew Mullen
— MF Australia AUS Ivan Pavlak
— FW Australia AUS Angelo Arambatsis
— FW Australia AUS Michael De Bono
— FW Australia AUS Francesco Monterosso
— FW Australia AUS Shane Tobias

Transfers

First Team

Youth Team

Technical staff

PositionName
Head coachAustralia Aurelio Vidmar
Assistant coachAustralia Phil Stubbins
Specialist coachAustralia Carl Veart
Goalkeeping coachAustralia Peter Blazincic
Youth Team CoachAustralia Joe Mullen
Youth Team Assistant CoachAustralia Tony Vidmar
Women's Team CoachAustralia Michael Barnett
Women's Team Assistant CoachAustralia Richie Alagich

Statistics

Squad statistics

No. Pos. Name A-League A-League
Finals		 Pre-Season Cup ACL CWC Total Discipline
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1GKAustralia Daniel Beltrame 00000000000000
2DFAustralia Robert Cornthwaite 17230301021303541100
3DFBrazil Alemão 1822030002025220
4DFAustralia Angelo Costanzo 12000301001026080
5DFAustralia Michael Valkanis 501020200010020
6DFBrazil Cássio 14420301001029461
7MFAustralia Lucas Pantelis 10240201110026320
8MFAustralia Kristian Sarkies 1011000702020110
9FWAustralia Paul Agostino 703010300013000
10FWBrazil Cristiano 21840326131361240
11MFAustralia Osama Malik** 00000000202000
13MFAustralia Travis Dodd 207403012321401160
14DFAustralia Scott Jamieson 2122030603036070
15MFAustralia Jonas Salley 1702030501027021
16DFAustralia Daniel Mullen 904020303120110
17DFAustralia Isyan Erdogan 00000000000000
18MFAustralia Fabian Barbiero 1514130612029360
19DFAustralia Saša Ognenovski 20340109020353120
20GKAustralia Eugene Galekovic 18040301103038020
21MFAustralia Jason Spagnuolo 1000030901023020
22MFBrazil Diego 8000101142022430
23DFAustralia Michael Marrone 10100000103000
24MFAustralia Paul Reid 1814000503029130
25FWAustralia Robert Younis 1200020003017010
26MFAustralia Matthew Mullen 10000000001000
28MFAustralia Rostyn Griffiths 00200000002010
30GKAustralia Mark Birighitti 30000010004010
——DFAustralia Richie Alagich* 00000061006110
——FWAustralia Bruce Djite* 00000031003100
——DFAustralia Milan Susak* 00000020002000
——FWAustralia Nathan Burns* 00000060006000
——FWAustralia Dez Giraldi* 00000050005000
——MFAustralia Shaun Ontong* 00000020002000

1 – does not include own goal(s)
* – player(s) who competed in the ACL but not in the 2008–09 A-League season or the CWC
** – player(s) who competed in the CWC but not in the 2008–09 A-League season or the ACL

Goal scorers

Total Player Goals per Round
 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718192021
8BrazilCristiano22121
7AustraliaTravis Dodd1111111
4BrazilCássio121
3AustraliaSaša Ognenovski111
2AustraliaRobert Cornthwaite11
2BrazilAlemão11
2AustraliaLucas Pantelis11
1AustraliaKristian Sarkies1
1AustraliaFabian Barbiero1
1AustraliaPaul Reid1
 A goal was scored from a penalty kick
 Two goals were scored from penalty kicks

Attendance at home games

RoundDateOpponentScore
AUFC – Away
AttendanceWeekday
117 August 2008Perth Glory1–010,510Sunday
330 August 2008Wellington Phoenix3–07,832Saturday
627 September 2008Newcastle Jets2–08,111Saturday
73 October 2008Central Coast Mariners3–39,074Friday
926 October 2008Perth Glory2–110,126Sunday
1031 October 2008Melbourne Victory2–313,191Friday
1222 November 2008Sydney FC2–09,509Saturday
145 December 2008Wellington Phoenix6–19,442Friday
1614 January 2009Queensland Roar0–014,450Wednesday
183 January 2009Sydney FC2–023,002Saturday
199 January 2009Newcastle Jets2–013,585Friday
SF17 February 2009Melbourne Victory0–214,119Saturday
PF21 February 2009Queensland Roar1–08,472Saturday

Competitions

Pre-season

RoundDateHome teamScoreAway teamAttendanceStadium
1 20 July 2008Melbourne Victory1–2
Cristiano 33', 90'		Adelaide United4,720Aurora Stadium
2 26 July 2008Newcastle Jets0–0Adelaide United2,756Baddeley Park
3 2 August 2008Adelaide United0–0Perth Glory3,000Vansittart Park

A-League

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Melbourne Victory (C) 21 12 2 7 39 27 +12 38 Qualification for 2010 AFC Champions League group stage and Finals series
2 Adelaide United 21 11 5 5 31 19 +12 38
3 Queensland Roar 21 10 6 5 36 25 +11 36 Qualification for Finals series
4 Central Coast Mariners 21 7 7 7 35 32 +3 28
5 Sydney FC 21 7 5 9 33 32 +1 26
6 Wellington Phoenix 21 7 5 9 23 31 −8 26
7 Perth Glory 21 6 4 11 31 44 −13 22
8 Newcastle Jets 21 4 6 11 21 39 −18 18
Source: ultimatealeague.com
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions

Matches

RoundDateHome teamScoreAway teamAttendanceStadium
1 17 August 2008Adelaide United1–0
Dodd 41'
Perth Glory10,510Hindmarsh Stadium
2 24 August 2008Queensland Roar1–1
Dodd 8' (pen)		Adelaide United12,761Suncorp Stadium
3 30 August 2008Adelaide United3 -0
Pantelis 15'
Cristiano 49', 60'		Wellington Phoenix7,832Hindmarsh Stadium
4 12 September 2008Melbourne Victory1–0Adelaide United24,812Telstra Dome
5 20 September 2008Sydney FC3–0Adelaide United12,462Sydney Football Stadium
6 27 September 2008Adelaide United2–0
Cristiano 72', 60'		Newcastle Jets8,111Hindmarsh Stadium
7 3 October 2008Adelaide United3–3
Dodd 7' (pen)
Cornthwaite 19'
Cristiano 50'		Central Coast Mariners9,074Hindmarsh Stadium
8 17 October 2008Queensland Roar0–1
Cornthwaite 60'		Adelaide United11,117Suncorp Stadium
9 26 October 2008Adelaide United2–1
Alemão 80'
Dodd 82' (pen)		Perth Glory10,126Hindmarsh Stadium
10 31 October 2008Adelaide United2–3
Dodd 28' (pen)
Cássio 67'		Melbourne Victory13,191Hindmarsh Stadium
11 15 November 2008Central Coast Mariners3–0Adelaide United7,865Bluetongue Stadium
12 22 November 2008Adelaide United2–0
Ognenovski 45+2'
Dodd 78'		Sydney FC9,509Hindmarsh Stadium
13 30 November 2008Newcastle Jets1–1
Ognenovski 90+4'		Adelaide United7,136Energy Australia Stadium
14 5 December 2008Adelaide United6–1
Ognenovski 21'
Cristiano 43', 74'
Cassio 47', 70'
Dodd 90+1'		Wellington Phoenix9,442Hindmarsh Stadium
15 6 January 2009[13]Melbourne Victory1–0Adelaide United27,196Telstra Dome
16 14 January 2009[13]Adelaide United0–0Queensland Roar14,450Hindmarsh Stadium
17 26 December 2008Perth Glory0–1
Sarkies 40'		Adelaide United12,581Members Equity Stadium
18 3 January 2009Adelaide United2–0
Cassio 45'
Alemão 82'		Sydney FC23,002Adelaide Oval
19 9 January 2009Adelaide United2–0
Barbiero 23'
Pantelis 74'		Newcastle Jets13,585Hindmarsh Stadium
20 18 January 2009Wellington Phoenix1–1
Reid 9'		Adelaide United8,241Westpac Stadium
21 25 January 2009Central Coast Mariners0–1
Cristiano 82'		Adelaide United12,351Bluetongue Stadium

Finals series

FinalDateHome teamScoreAway teamAttendanceStadium
Semi (1) 7 February 2009Adelaide United0–2Melbourne Victory14,119Hindmarsh Stadium
Semi (2) 14 February 2009Melbourne Victory4–0Adelaide United34,736Telstra Dome
Preliminary 21 February 2009Adelaide United1–0Queensland Roar8,472Hindmarsh Stadium
Grand 28 February 2009Melbourne Victory1–0Adelaide United53,273Telstra Dome

FIFA Club World Cup

FinalDateTeam 1ScoreTeam 2AttendanceStadium
Play-off 11 December 2008Adelaide United2–1
Mullen 39'
Dodd 83'		Waitakere United19,777National Stadium, Tokyo
Quarter 14 December 2008Adelaide United0–1Gamba Osaka38,141Toyota Stadium, Toyota
Fifth Place 18 December 2008Al Ahly0–1
Cristiano 7'		Adelaide United35,154International Stadium Yokohama

References

  1. ↑ Burns is Athens bound Archived 21 September 2012 at the Wayback MachineRetrieved on 11 June 2008
  2. ↑ "Rivaldo Inspires Burns", Adelaide Advertiser, Friday 13 June 2008, p118
  3. ↑ Adelaide United set to reach magic million Archived 28 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ "Adelaide regains top spot with win over Sydney FC". Adelaide United. 3 January 2009. Archived from the original on 14 April 2011. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
  5. ↑ "AFC Champions League 2008 Final (First Leg) Summary" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation. 5 November 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  6. ↑ "AFC Champions League 2008 Final (Second Leg) Summary" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation. 12 November 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 January 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  7. ↑ "Adelaide United – Waitakere United Match Report". FIFA. 11 December 2008. Archived from the original on 20 December 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  8. ↑ "Travis makes Adelaide sing". FIFA. 11 December 2008. Archived from the original on 14 December 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  9. ↑ "Adelaide United – Gamba Osaka Match Report". FIFA. 14 December 2008. Archived from the original on 30 January 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  10. ↑ "Endo the road for Adelaide". FIFA. 14 December 2008. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  11. ↑ "Al-Ahly – Adelaide United Match Report". FIFA. 18 December 2008. Archived from the original on 21 December 2008. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  12. ↑ "Adelaide's high five". FIFA. 18 December 2008. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved 14 January 2009.
  13. 1 2 Match re-scheduled due to Adelaide's participation in FIFA Club World Cup
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