Friday’s only A-League Round 19 match is between Adelaide United and Central Coast Mariners. The opening kick-off is set to commence at 7.30pm AEDT with the game to be played at Coopers Stadium. The home team Adelaide United are the favourites for the match. View our preview and teams for the game between Adelaide United and Central Coast Mariners.

Round: A-League Round 19, Friday, February 14 at 7.30pm AEDT
Stadium: Coopers Stadium
Head to head: Played 28 – Wins: Adelaide 7, Mariners 14, Draws: 7
Previous encounter: Adelaide 4 – 0 Mariners, December 14, 2013

Adelaide United $2.25 vs Central Coast Mariners $3.20 at Sportsbet Australia get a $250 FREE BET on this match

Adelaide United $3.20 vs Central Coast Mariners $3.10 at Luxbet Australia get a $500 FREE BET on this match

Odds Comparison:

Adelaide United	2.25	2.15	3.20	2.15	2.25	2.20
Draw	3.30	3.40	3.30	3.40	3.30	3.25
Central Coast Mariners	3.20	3.30	3.10	3.30	3.20	3.20

All odds are subject to change. Odds listed are correct at the time of the latest update.

Teams:

Adelaide United squad:
1.Eugene GALEKOVIC (gk) (c), 2.Michael MARRONE, 3.Nigel BOOGAARD, 4.Jon McKAIN, 5.Osama MALIK, 7.JERONIMO, 8.ISAIAS, 9.Sergio CIRIO, 10.Marcelo CARRUSCA, 11.Bruce DJITE, 14.Cameron WATSON, 17.Awer MABIL,18.Michael ZULLO, 19.Jake BARKER-DAISH, 20.Paul IZZO (gk), 21.Tarek ELRICH, 22.Fabio FERREIRA, 23.Jordan ELSEY
**Two to be omitted**
Ins: 19.Jake BARKER-DAISH (promoted), 23.Jordan ELSEY (promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 6.CASSIO (hamstring tendon – indefinite), 15.Jacob MELLING (knee – 3 weeks), 31.Ryan GRIFFITHS (shin soreness)

Central Coast Mariners Squad:
1.Justin PASFIELD (Gk), 3.Joshua ROSE, 4.Marcel SEIP, 5.Zachary ANDERSON, 7.John HUTCHINSON (C), 8. Nick MONTGOMERY, 9.Mitchell DUKE, 11.Nick FITZGERALD, 12.Liam REDDY (Gk), 15.Storm ROUX, 17.Anthony CACERES, 19.Matt SIMON, 20.Bernie IBINI, 21.Mile STERJOVSKI, 25.Eddy BOSNAR, 26.Kim SEUNG-YONG, 27.Isaka CERNAK
**One to be omitted**
Ins: 8. Nick MONTGOMERY (returns from suspension), 26. Kim SEUNG-YONG (pending International Transfer Clearance)
Outs: 29. Matt SIM (omitted)
Unavailable: 10.Marcos FLORES (knee – season), 14.Michael MCGLINCHEY (on loan – Vegalta Sendai) 18.Michael NEILL (knee – season), 23.Adam KWASNIK (knee – season)

Preview:

Form:

Past five matches

Adelaide: WLDWW

Mariners: LLWWD

The Game:

After watching the Mariners go down 3-1 at home to Melbourne Victory on Saturday, Phil Moss admitted Central Coast, much-changed from the outfit that won the title under Graham Arnold, are no longer the ‘championship team’ but merely the ‘championship club’.

Arnold’s former assistant has a tough job on his hands integrating a clutch of reinforcements as the Gosford side attempt to muster a respectable defence of their crown.

They are unlikely to have an easy time of it on Friday night away to an Adelaide team who thumped them 4-0 at Coopers Stadium in December, and who have only lost once since then to march into fifth on the table.

Now just three points behind third-placed Central Coast following a 3-0 win away to Sydney FC on Saturday, Josep Gombau’s side are flying high and could yet mount a realistic challenge for silverware.

The big issue:

Adelaide – The Reds are in a great place as a team at the moment and their primary focus should be to continue executing the basics well.

The defence is settled, adhering to Gombau’s desired tactics far better than they did earlier in the campaign and could yet be boosted by the inclusion of recent arrival Michael Marrone from kick-off.

Further forward things are looking even rosier. Cirio and Jeronimo couldn’t even get in the starting XI away to Sydney, while hot-shot youngster Awer Mabil, who remained on the bench at Allianz Stadium, is a dangerous impact player.

If they keep getting it right more often than not during the remaining weeks of the season, Adelaide have every chance of doing damage in the finals.

Mariners – The nature of Central Coast’s loss at home to Melbourne Victory demonstrated just how much work Moss has in front of him to produce a competitive Mariners team.

The title holders were by no means awful against the Victory, and can feel aggrieved after not having a clear penalty awarded in their favour.

But there is no denying the raw materials at the disposal of Moss are not as impressive as the polished unit Arnold guided to silverware last season. Will the best this new Central Coast team has to offer prove good enough when it counts?

The game breaker:

Marcelo Carrusca – Former Mariner Tom Rogic proved too good for his old side last weekend, dominating in possession and dictating terms with his passing range and ability to control the tempo of the game.

Carrusca, technically gifted and just as comfortable playing between the lines of midfield and defence, can do the same this weekend.

The Mariners’ backline is not as mobile with Eddy Bosnar replacing Trent Sainsbury, while John Hutchinson and Nick Montgomery, if both play, will have a job on their hands trying to contain Adelaide’s mobile forward line, never mind attempting to influence their own team’s play positively.

Source: www.footballaustralia.com.au