2019–20 Adelaide United FC season explained

Club:	Adelaide United
Season:	2019–20
Manager:	Gertjan Verbeek (to 29 April 2020) Carl Veart (caretaker) (from 15 June 2020)
Chairman:	Piet van der Pol
Stadium:	Coopers Stadium
League:	A-League
League Result:	7th
Cup1:	A-League Finals
Cup2:	FFA Cup
Cup2 Result:	Winners
League Topscorer:	Riley McGree (10 goals)
Season Topscorer:	Riley McGree (13 goals)
Highest Attendance:	12,198 vs Melbourne Victory (23 November 2019)
Lowest Attendance:	4,286 vs Newcastle Jets (15 March 2020)
Average Attendance:	8,183
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Prevseason:	2018–19
Nextseason:	2020–21

The 2019–20 Adelaide United FC season was the club's 16th season since its establishment in 2003. The club participated in the A-League for the 15th time and participated in the FFA Cup for 6th time, winning the 2019 FFA Cup tournament.^[1]

On 24 March 2020, the FFA announced that the 2019–20 A-League season would be postponed until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia and New Zealand,^[2] and subsequently extended indefinitely. The season resumed on 17 July 2020.^[3]

Review

Pre-season

Before the 2019 A-League Grand Final, Adelaide United confirmed Apostolos Stamatelopoulos had left the club and joined new A-League club, Western United on 20 March.^[4]

On 15 May, Adelaide United updated their squad with Baba Diawara, Scott Galloway, and Jordy Thomassen departing Adelaide. It was announced that Galloway had then signed for his new club, Melbourne City ahead of this current season.^[5]

Three days later, it was announced that Isaías, who had recently become an Australian citizen, departed the club. Over a month later, he joined Qatari club Al-Wakrah.

In June, Adelaide United appointed former player Bruce Djite as the Director of Football.^[6] On 5 June, Vince Lia and Lachlan Brook re-signed with the club.

On 5 July, Riley McGree signed for Adelaide United and was assigned the "number 8" shirt. In mid-July, Reds signed Curaçao international, Michaël Maria from Charlotte Independence, whilst Craig Goodwin departed the club to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Wehda.

Adelaide United played their first pre-season friendly for the season on 16 July, against North Eastern MetroStars, which resulted in a 3–1 victory.^[7] A week later, the club played an intra-club friendly, with the senior squad beating the youth side 1–0, with Nathan Konstandopoulos scoring the only goal.^[8] A week later, they beat Adelaide Raiders 5–0.^[9]

At the end of July, Adelaide United signed Norwegian striker Kristian Opseth.

On 7 August, Adelaide United travelled to Melbourne for the 2019 FFA Cup round of 32. They beat Melbourne Knights 5–2 and advanced to the next round.^[10]

In mid-August, Adelaide United played a "behind-closed-doors" friendly against Melbourne City which ended in a 1–0 loss. Jamie Maclaren scored the only goal in the 15th minute.^[11]

Players

Squad information

Transfers

Transfers in

No.	Position	Name	From	Type/fee	Contract length	Date	Ref
8				>$250,000^[12]	3 years	5 July 2019	^[13]
5				Undisclosed	2 years	18 July 2019	^[14] ^[15]
11				Free transfer	1 year	31 July 2019	^[16]
10			Unattached	Free transfer	2 years	5 October 2019	^[17] ^[18]
28				Free transfer	1 year	15 October 2019	^[19] ^[20]
6			Brisbane Roar	Free transfer	2.5 years	30 January 2020	^[21]

Transfers out

No.	Position	Player	Transferred to	Type/fee	Date	Ref
33			Western United	Free transfer	20 March 2019
3			Melbourne City	Free transfer	3 May 2019	^[22]
9			Unattached	End of contract	15 May 2019	^[23]
19				Loan return	15 May 2019
10			Unattached	End of contract	18 May 2019	^[24]
8				Undisclosed	27 May 2019	^[25] ^[26]
11				Undisclosed	17 July 2019	^[27] ^[28]
32			Unattached	Mutual contract termination	12 December 2019	^[29]
1			Unattached	Mutual contract termination	13 January 2020	^[30]
6			Unattached	Mutual contract termination	18 January 2020	^[31]
5			Unattached	Mutual contract termination	18 June 2020	^[32]
30			Unattached	Mutual contract termination	6 July 2020	^[33]
31				End of contract	8 July 2020	^[34] ^[35]

Contract extensions

No.	Name	Position	Duration	Date	Notes
6		Central midfielder	1 year	5 June 2019	^[36]
18		Forward	2 years	5 June 2019
7		Winger	2 years	31 October 2019	^[37]
20		Goalkeeper	2 years	1 November 2019	^[38]
27		Midfielder	3 years	6 December 2019	^[39]
35		Striker	3 years	6 December 2019
2		Defender	1 year	15 January 2020	^[40]
26		Winger	2 years	4 March 2020	^[41]
16		Central midfielder	1 year	5 March 2020	^[42]
4		Right-back	2 years	10 March 2020	^[43]

Technical staff

Position	Staff
Head coach	Carl Veart (caretaker)^[44]
Assistant coach	Airton Andrioli^[45]
Goalkeeper coach	Eugene Galekovic^[46]
Director of football	Bruce Djite^[47]

Squad statistics

Appearances and goals

		Player	A-League		FFA Cup		Total
				Goals		Goals		Goals
2	DF	Michael Marrone<	--A-League-->	10+4	0	3	0	17	0
4	DF	Ryan Strain<	--A-League-->	27	0	3+2	0	24	0
6	MF	Stefan Mauk<	--A-League-->	9	0	0	0	9	0
7	DF	Ryan Kitto<	--A-League-->	11+11	0	5	0	27	0
8	MF	Riley McGree<	--A-League-->	23	10	5	3	28	13
10	MF	James Troisi<	--A-League-->	13	1	0	0	13	1
11	FW	Kristian Opseth<	--A-League-->	14+7	6	1+2	0	24	6
14	FW	George Blackwood<	--A-League-->	14+7	4	1+1	2	23	6
16	MF	Nathan Konstandopoulos<	--A-League-->	2+7	1	2+2	1	13	2
17	FW	Nikola Mileusnic<	--A-League-->	21+1	5	2+3	1	27	6
18	MF	Lachlan Brook<	--A-League-->	4+3	1	0+1	0	8	1
20	GK	Paul Izzo<	--A-League-->	25	0	4	0	29	0
22	DF	Michael Jakobsen<	--A-League-->	26	1	5	0	31	1
23	DF	Jordan Elsey<	--A-League-->	18+3	2	4	0	25	2
24	FW	Pacifique Niyongabire†<	--A-League-->	0+3	1	0+2	0	5	1
26	FW	Ben Halloran<	--A-League-->	21	9	5	3	26	12
27	MF	Louis D'Arrigo†<	--A-League-->	19+2	0	2	0	23	0
28	MF	Chen Yongbin<	--A-League-->	0	0	0	0	0	0
29	FW	Kusini Yengi†<	--A-League-->	0+3	0	0	0	3	0
34	DF	Yared Abetew†<	--A-League-->	1	0	0	0	1	0
35	FW	Al Hassan Toure†<	--A-League-->	7+5	2	5	5	17	7
36	DF	Noah Smith<	--A-League-->	0+1	0	0	0	1	0
40	GK	Dakota Ochsenham<	--A-League-->	0	0	0	0	0	0
42	FW	Taras Gomulka<	--A-League-->	5	0	0	0	5	0
49	FW	Mohamed Toure†<	--A-League-->	0+9	1	0	0	9	1
Players no longer at the club
1	GK	Daniel Margush<	--A-League-->	0	0	0	0	0	0
5	DF	Michaël Maria<	--A-League-->	18+3	1	3	0	24	1
6	MF	Vince Lia<	--A-League-->	1+1	0	1+2	0	5	0
30	GK	Isaac Richards<	--A-League-->	1	0	1	0	2	0
31	MF	Mirko Boland<	--A-League-->	1+4	0	3	0	8	0
32	FW	Carlo Armiento†<	--A-League-->	0	0	0	0	0	0

† = Scholarship or NPL/Y-League-listed player

Disciplinary record

Rank	Position	Name	A-League		FFA Cup		Total
1	DF	Ryan Strain<	--A-League-->	4	1	1	0	5	1
2	DF	Michael Jakobsen<	--A-League-->	5	0	1	0	6	0
3	MF	Riley McGree<	--A-League-->	3	0	2	0	5	0
	FW	Ben Halloran<	--A-League-->	4	0	1	0	5	0
4	MF	Louis D'Arrigo<	--A-League-->	4	0	0	0	4	0
5	DF	Jordan Elsey<	--A-League-->	3	0	0	0	3	0
	DF	Ryan Kitto<	--A-League-->	1	0	2	0	3	0
7	FW	George Blackwood<	--A-League-->	2	0	0	0	2	0
	DF	Michaël Maria<	--A-League-->	2	0	0	0	2	0
	MF	Stefan Mauk<	--A-League-->	2	0	0	0	2	0
10	MF	Mirko Boland<	--A-League-->	1	0	0	0	1	0
	FW	Taras Gomulka<	--A-League-->	1	0	0	0	1	0
	GK	Paul Izzo<	--A-League-->	1	0	0	0	1	0
	DF	Michael Marrone<	--A-League-->	1	0	0	0	1	0
	MF	Nathan Konstandopoulos<	--A-League-->	1	0	0	0	1	0
	FW	Kristian Opseth<	--A-League-->	1	0	0	0	1	0
	FW	Al Hassan Toure<	--A-League-->	1	0	0	0	1	0
	FW	Mohamed Toure<	--A-League-->	1	0	0	0	1	0
	FW	James Troisi<	--A-League-->	1	0	0	0	1	0
Total			36	1	7	0	43	1

Clean sheets

Competitions

Overview

Competition	Record
A-League
FFA Cup
Total FFA Cup See main article: 2019 FFA Cup. A-League See main article: 2019–20 A-League. Matches On 8 August 2019, the A-League fixtures for the season were announced.^[48] Due to the odd number of teams, Adelaide United will have byes in rounds 4, 10 and 24. Awards Adelaide United Goal of the Month award Adelaide United Goal of the Month award winners were chosen via open-access polls on the club's official website. Month Player Competition Opponent Votes October FFA Cup Melbourne City 38%^[49] November A-League Central Coast Mariners 54%^[50] December A-League Wellington Phoenix 70%^[51] January Not awarded February Not awarded March Not awarded April Not awarded May Not awarded June Not awarded July Not awarded August Not awarded References

Notes and References

1. Web site: Goodwin lives the dream with brace of FFA Cup final stunners. 2018-10-31. ABC News. en-AU. 2019-08-09.
2. Web site: FFA to postpone remaining matches in the Hyundai A-League season due to COVID-19. 24 March 2020.
3. Web site: 15 July 2020 . Hyundai A-League 2019/20 season updated match schedule released . 16 July 2020 . A-League.com.au. Football Federation Australia . en.
4. Web site: Western United swoop for talented Aussie trio. SBS. The World Game. 20 March 2019.
5. Web site: Melbourne City FC signs defender Scott Galloway. 15 May 2019. Melbourne City.
6. Web site: Reds appoint Bruce Djite as Director of Football. 3 June 2019. Adelaide United.
7. Web site: Reds get off to winning start in first pre-season hit-out. Gianluca. Filosi. Football Federation Australia. Adelaide United. 16 July 2019.
8. Web site: Verbeek pleased with Reds' progress, confirms workloads will continue increasing ahead of FFA Cup. Gianluca. Filosi. Football Federation Australia. Adelaide United. 25 July 2019.
9. Web site: Reds warm up for FFA Cup clash with solid friendly win. Gianluca. Filosi. Football Federation Australia. Adelaide United. 30 July 2019.
10. Web site: Reds progress to last 16 with 5-2 win over Knights. Gianluca. Filosi. Football Federation Australia. Adelaide United. 7 August 2019.
11. Web site: Reds fall to City in tight pre-season contest. Filosi. Gianluca. 14 August 2019. Football Federation Australia. Adelaide United.
12. Web site: Davutovic. David. 23 October 2020. Australia needs unity of purpose to start to earn money via transfer fees - a trick we've largely missed. 24 October 2020. Optus Sport.
13. Web site: Adelaide United sign Riley McGree from Club Brugge. Fox Sports. 5 July 2019.
14. News: Reds sign Michaël Maria for next two seasons. Football Federation Australia. Adelaide United. 18 July 2019.
15. News: Adelaide Utd sign Curacao international. Steve. Larkin. FTBL. 18 July 2019.
16. News: Thunderbolt Scando for Reds. FTBL. 31 July 2019.
17. News: Socceroo Troisi joins Adelaide. Anna. Harrington. FTBL. 5 October 2019.
18. Web site: Reds sign Troisi on two-year deal. Adelaide United. 5 October 2019.
19. News: Adelaide United completes its A-League squad by signing Chinese midfielder Yongbin Chen. Rob. Greenwood. The Advertiser. 15 October 2019.
20. Web site: Adelaide United squad update. Adelaide United. 15 October 2019.
21. News: Reds lure midfielder Stefan Mauk home. Ed. Jackson. FTBL. 30 January 2020.
22. News: Melbourne City sign Adelaide United fullback Scott Galloway. David. Davutovic. Herald Sun. 3 May 2019.
23. Web site: Adelaide United squad update. Football Federation Australia. Adelaide United. 15 May 2019.
24. News: Trio of SA-born free agents available to Adelaide United as new coach prepares for rebuild. Rob. Greenwood. The Advertiser. 18 May 2019.
25. News: Adelaide United captain departs A-League. Steve. Larkin. FTBL. 27 May 2019.
26. News: El Al Wakrah catarí hace oficial el fichaje de Isaías Sánchez. Al Wakrah Qatar makes official the signing of Isaías Sánchez. es. Martín. Manchón. Migrantes del Balón. 4 July 2019. 28 July 2019. 5 July 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190705003525/https://migrantesdelbalon.com/2019/07/04/el-al-wakrah-catari-hace-oficial-el-fichaje-de-isaias-sanchez/. dead.
27. News: Adelaide United star Craig Goodwin on cusp of finalising move to Saudi Arabian club. Rob. Greenwood. The Advertiser. 15 July 2019.
28. News: Goodwin swaps Adelaide for Al Wehda. FTBL. 17 July 2019.
29. Web site: Adelaide United club statement: Carlo Armiento. Adelaide United. 12 December 2019.
30. Web site: Marguš departs Reds. Adelaide United. 13 January 2020.
31. Web site: Vince Lia to depart Reds. Adelaide United. 18 January 2020.
32. Web site: United and Maria part ways. Adelaide United. 18 June 2020.
33. Web site: Adelaide United goalkeeper Isaac Richards quits football for MMA career. Fox Sports. 6 July 2020.
34. News: Reds confirm Boland's departure. 16 March 2020. 24 March 2020. A-League.
35. News: VfB Lübeck startet in die Drittliga-Saisonvorbereitung. de. VfB Lübeck starts season preparation. 8 July 2020. SportBuzzer.de. 30 July 2020. Jürgen. Rönnau.
36. Web site: Lia and Brook re-signed ahead of 2019/20. 5 June 2019. Football Federation Australia. Adelaide United.
37. Web site: Kitto to kick-on with Reds for another two seasons. Football Federation Australia. Adelaide United. 31 October 2019.
38. Web site: Izzo inks two-year United extension. Football Federation Australia. Adelaide United. 1 November 2019.
39. Web site: Toure and D'Arrigo agree to contract extensions with Reds. Football Federation Australia. Adelaide United. 6 December 2019.
40. Web site: Marrone inks one-year extension with Reds. Adelaide United. 15 January 2020.
41. Web site: Halloran signs two-year extension with Adelaide. The World Game. SBS. 4 March 2020.
42. Web site: Reds re-sign Nathan Konstandopoulos. Adelaide United. 5 March 2020.
43. Web site: Strain locked in for two more years. Adelaide United. 10 March 2020.
44. News: Adelaide United name interim coach. Steve. Larkin. FTBL. 15 June 2020.
45. Web site: Veart appointed interim coach as Reds return to training. Football Federation Australia. Adelaide United. 15 June 2020.
46. Web site: Galekovic returns home as Goalkeeping Coach. Football Federation Australia. Adelaide United. 29 May 2019.
47. Web site: Adelaide United appoint Bruce Djite as Director of Football. Fox Sports. 3 June 2019.
48. Web site: Hyundai A-League 2019/20 Season Draw Released. 8 August 2019. A-League.
49. Web site: Vote for your AUFC Goal of the Month for October 2019. 31 October 2019. Football Federation Australia. Adelaide United.
50. Web site: Vote for your AUFC Goal of the Month for November 2019. 2 December 2019. Football Federation Australia. Adelaide United.
51. Web site: Vote for your AUFC Goal of the Month for December 2019. 6 January 2020. Football Federation Australia. Adelaide United.