United Face Tough ACL Test

By: Daniel | September 17th, 2008

AFC Champions League 2008 – Quarter Final (1st Leg)
ADELAIDE UNITED FC (Australia) vs KASHIMA ANTLERS (Japan)
Wednesday 17 September 2008
Kashima City Stadium, Japan
Kick-Off 7.30PM (ACST)

Media Coverage
TV: Live & Exclusive Fox Sports 1 - Match broadcast commences 7:30pm ACST
Radio: Fresh FM (Adelaide) 92.7FM

Tonight, Adelaide United will re-commence their Asian Champions League experience against Kashima Antlers from Japan.

A very different Adelaide will take the pitch than the side that made them the first Australian team to ever progress to the ACL Quarter Finals. In that team, there were two of the most talented Aussie youngsters Djite and Burn’s. Now they’re gone, it seems as if the duty will be left to Paul Agostino, Deigo, Pantelis and Travis Dodd to break through the Kashima defense.

Adelaide United

Although many of the players who got them through are out, Adelaide have set themselves up with the same tactics in mind, hoping to grind out victories away from home. I hope Vidmar knows what hes doing, leaving a player of Christiano’s talent on the bench though, perhaps he will be the one to turn to if Kashima break through Adelaides tight defense… however could it be too late if it turns that way?

Holding midfielder Jonas Sallay will not play this match because of bullshit bureaucracy, so looks like United will be fairly weak in the center of the park. If Viddy deploys an attacking mindset i will be happy, and expect Pantelis and Dodd to make their usual runs down the wing, with diego thundering down the mid helping out lone striker Agostino.

Kashima Antlers

Dont know too much about Kashima, but it looks as if they play free flowing attacking football. Marchinho, Shinzo Koroki and Marquinhos look to be the mean threats and have combined well in the J-League to achieve their current 2nd position.

Verdict:
I dont have very high hopes for Adelaide in this one. After watching the Melbourne match, it would appear that they are fairly easily broken down by quick passing and pacey strikers…. what kashima has. If they look to play the defensive game that they did in the group stages, then they will almost certainly lose as i dont believe the defense to be mentaly strong enough to keep the strikers at bay for the whole match. However if United take the game to them (like we know they can) then it could mean a very entertaining game that could go pritty much anyway.

Prediction
Kashima 2 vs 1 Adelaide United

By leaving Christiano on the bench and playing the loan stiker, it would appear that viddy is going for a very defensive lineup… to his perril.