Nervous start costs Adelaide in Wellington draw
A REJUVENATED Adelaide United showed promising glimpses of what sort of upbeat new season it is capable of delivering.
Brandishing a line-up which saw five men make their Reds debut, United did enough to suggest that it should have won the first game of its 13th A-League season in Wellington.
But it was held to a 1-1 draw by an undermanned Phoenix at Westpac Stadium after a nervous start proved costly.
Former Reds attacker Dario Vidosic scored first for his new club before Johan Absalonsen levelled the tie – all inside the first 10 minutes.
But after new coach Marco Kurz fielded the signings he helped recruit, United couldn’t find the killer blow.
Turkish international Ersan Gulum partnered Taylor Regan in the twin stopper’s role, while Algerian international Karim Matmour played next to under-21 German international Daniel Adlung, a familiar face from his time at TSV 1860 Munich in midfield.
Dane Absalonsen also made his A-League debut as Adelaide copped a battering inside the first 10 minutes due to Phoenix’s pressing game.
United then started dominating with sheer physical power but struggled to find its early season rhythm as the Reds sprayed too many passes.
But Mileusnic was millimetres from scoring Adelaide’s second goal when his effort from an acute angle struck the upright after another Abbas error saw the ball roll past Smith to favour the winger.
But the Reds were dealt a blow when Regan went down holding his ankle on the hour.
He was forced to make way for stopper Jordan Elsey in the 63rd minute as the Reds defence held firm.
George Blackwood then watched in agony as his goalbound header from a Mileusnic cross crashed into keeper Keegan Smith’s knee in the 76th minute as United was profiting from it gruelling preseason. Matmour then had a golden chance to score a stoppage time winner but the Algerian was foiled.