2008–09 Adelaide United FC season

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.

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

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  AUS Daniel Beltrame
2 DF  AUS Robert Cornthwaite
3 DF  BRA Alemão
4 DF  AUS Angelo Costanzo
5 DF  AUS Michael Valkanis
6 DF  BRA Cássio
7 MF  AUS Lucas Pantelis
8 MF  AUS Kristian Sarkies
9 FW  AUS Paul Agostino
10 FW  BRA Cristiano
13 MF  AUS Travis Dodd (captain)
14 DF  AUS Scott Jamieson
No. Pos. Nation Player
15 MF  CIV Jonas Salley
16 DF  AUS Daniel Mullen
17 DF  AUS Isyan Erdoğan
18 MF  AUS Fabian Barbiero
19 DF  AUS Saša Ognenovski
20 GK  AUS Eugene Galeković
21 MF  AUS Jason Spagnuolo
22 MF  BRA Diego
24 MF  AUS Paul Reid
25 FW  AUS Robert Younis
28 MF  AUS Rostyn Griffiths
30 GK  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  AUS Lucas Andreucci
— GK  AUS Luke Ostybe
— DF  AUS Michael Doyle
— DF  AUS Michael Marrone
— DF  AUS Alex Sunasky
— DF  AUS Scott Weidnebach
— MF  AUS Joel Allwright
— MF  AUS Travis Anderson
— MF  AUS Andrew Ciarla
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  AUS Joe Costa
— MF  AUS Osama Malik
— MF  AUS Matthew Mullen
— MF  AUS Ivan Pavlak
— FW  AUS Angelo Arambatsis
— FW  AUS Michael De Bono
— FW  AUS Francesco Monterosso
— FW  AUS Shane Tobias

Transfers

First Team

Youth Team

Technical staff
PositionName
Head Coach Aurelio Vidmar
Assistant Coach Phil Stubbins
Specialist Coach Carl Veart
Goalkeeping Coach Peter Blazincic
Youth Team Coach Joe Mullen
Youth Team Assistant Coach Tony Vidmar
Women's Team Coach Michael Barnett
Women's Team Assistant Coach 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
1GK Daniel Beltrame 00000000000000
2DF Robert Cornthwaite 17230301021303541100
3DF Alemão 1822030002025220
4DF Angelo Costanzo 12000301001026080
5DF Michael Valkanis 501020200010020
6DF Cássio 14420301001029461
7MF Lucas Pantelis 10240201110026320
8MF Kristian Sarkies 1011000702020110
9FW Paul Agostino 703010300013000
10FW Cristiano 21840326131361240
11MF Osama Malik** 00000000202000
13MF Travis Dodd 207403012321401160
14DF Scott Jamieson 2122030603036070
15MF Jonas Salley 1702030501027021
16DF Daniel Mullen 904020303120110
17DF Isyan Erdogan 00000000000000
18MF Fabian Barbiero 1514130612029360
19DF Saša Ognenovski 20340109020353120
20GK Eugene Galekovic 18040301103038020
21MF Jason Spagnuolo 1000030901023020
22MF Diego 8000101142022430
23DF Michael Marrone 10100000103000
24MF Paul Reid 1814000503029130
25FW Robert Younis 1200020003017010
26MF Matthew Mullen 10000000001000
28MF Rostyn Griffiths 00200000002010
30GK Mark Birighitti 30000010004010
——DF Richie Alagich* 00000061006110
——FW Bruce Djite* 00000031003100
——DF Milan Susak* 00000020002000
——FW Nathan Burns* 00000060006000
——FW Dez Giraldi* 00000050005000
——MF 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
8Cristiano22121
7Travis Dodd1111111
4Cássio121
3Saša Ognenovski111
2Robert Cornthwaite11
2Alemão11
2Lucas Pantelis11
1Kristian Sarkies1
1Fabian Barbiero1
1Paul 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
Main article: 2008–09 A-League

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Melbourne Victory (C) 21 12 2 7 39 27 +12 38 Finals Series and 2010 AFC Champions League Group stage
2 Adelaide United 21 11 5 5 31 19 +12 38
3 Queensland Roar 21 10 6 5 36 25 +11 36 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) Champion.

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
Main article: 2008 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 boundRetrieved 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. Match re-scheduled due to Adelaide's participation in FIFA Club World Cup
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