Adelaide United’s Journey and the Road to Redemption
Adelaide United has been riding a seven-game unbeaten run, which has brought a sense of optimism and confidence to the club. However, the memory of their most recent defeat—a 3-2 home loss to Newcastle—still lingers heavily with the team. This match, played at Coopers Stadium on February 8, remains a painful reminder of how close they came to securing a win, only to fall short due to a critical error.
The Dutch goalkeeper, Joshua Smits, is particularly aware of the impact this loss had on the Reds. He recalls how the team played well until a small mistake from defender Bart Vriends led to Clayton Taylor’s match-winning goal for the Jets. “That was a little bit of the story of our games during that period,” Smits said. “Too many times we played good games, had control of the situation, but lost them because of one or two moments.”
This defeat marked a turning point for the Reds. Since then, the team has learned to be more mature in crucial situations and has become better at calculating risks when it comes to playing the game. Smits emphasized that the focus has shifted towards controlling the game more effectively. “We’re dealing with that part of the game much better, about controlling the game,” he said. “We should in some games be scoring a little bit more, but (less mistakes) is one of the reasons why we haven’t lost since then.”
As the regular season draws closer to its conclusion, the third-placed Adelaide United, currently seven points behind the Jets, knows that a victory on Saturday is essential if they want to have any chance of winning the A-League premiership. Smits highlighted the team’s approach to each match: “We aren’t looking at how many points we are behind or ahead of any of the teams. We are going for it in every game, creating confidence, a great vibe and a good feeling within the team.”
He added, “At the end of the (regular) season we will see where we stand on the table, and then take that energy and confidence into the finals if we’ve made the finals. All that matters is stepping up each week.”
Smits, who joined the club in August last year from Dutch outfit De Graafschap, has been a steadying influence for the Reds. “Overall, I’ve been in good form,” he said. “As a goalkeeper, you don’t want one week to have a nine out of 10 performance, and then the next week a four (out of 10). You want to be consistent.”
In some games, he has performed slightly better than in others, but overall, he has maintained consistency. “I’ve been consistent, and I want my teammates to be confident that it doesn’t matter what’s going to happen around the 18-yard box because I’m in goals and not going to do anything crazy. I’ve managed to do that this season. The boys are happy with me and I’m happy to offer value for the team.”
