Adelaide United 2016 championship legend Marcelo Carrusca is about to become the biggest signing in SA NPL history.

West Adelaide is tipped to snare the prized Argentinean.

Carrusca will become the NPL’s unofficial marquee player based at West’s new $5 million headquarters.

It’s understood Carrusca will also run his Carrusca Football Academy from Kilburn as part of the deal.

Carrusca will sign a one-year contract next week.

He is due to move back to Adelaide this month after moving to Sydney when he signed for Western Sydney in January.

After 40 years, Bill’s time to step down

Bill Bailey is definitely living proof that life begins at 40.

He is without a shadow of a doubt one SA’s greatest soccer administrators.

Now 40 years after Bailey was summoned to help co-ordinate the fledgling South Australian amateur soccer league, he has called it a day.

He was SAASL president for 21 years, this month.

He is aged 80 and as spritely as the days he helped build the game to what it is today.

Bailey said it was time to step down from his position as chairman of a competition which really has the world game united in SA.

The SAASL is now the last bastion for soccer affordability for the common man and woman compared to the cost of playing and entering teams in Football Federation SA leagues.

Bailey ensured the game stayed in touch with why it was invented by the British in the 19th century.

“I was part of the Modbury Vista junior club and ran that for four or five years and we entered a club in the amateur league in 1975,’’ Bailey said.

“I remember (the late SAASL secretary-general) Alex Cichanowski said to me “you come to all these bloody club meetings you ask too many questions, you better come and join us.”

“I came in at the AGM in 1978 and have been there ever since.”

Bailey was SAASL disciplinary committee chairman, league registrar and vice-president before he was made president in 1997.

His best memory was when the SAASL became affiliated to FFSA last year and the euphoria of winning state amateur championships.

“The trips to the national championships to Darwin and Perth and everywhere else where brilliant we cleaned up three or four times,’’ Bailey said.

“And the time I spent with Alex travelling around to almost every state, it was pretty good.

“Being there, being a president is a highlight and being able to hold onto it for 20 years, I don’t know if it says a lot about me.

“I don’t know if I would have made it without my offsider until we lost him (Cichanowski) last year, that was a low point.

“Getting FFSA affiliation was a major highlight.”

media_camera SA amateur soccer league officials (l-r) the late Alex Cichanowski, Bill Bailey and Ian Gosland in 2008.

Marco Kurz is not a fan of igloo-like temperatures in SA supermarkets.

ADELAIDE United coach Marco Kurz is no fan of ice cold SA supermarkets before making a point which had the media gallery in stitches.

“It’s too cold and not good for your health, it’s like an ice box,’’ Kurz said about the cool temperatures in SA supermarkets and not for the first time.

The 49-year-old then asked his own question during a press conference.

When media wanted to know if Reds officials had instigated talks about extending his two-year contract beyond May, Kurz said this.

“I think I have another question,” he said.

“What do you expect from a player when you ask about the coach?’’

“You think he (a Reds player) will say “oh shit he is no good” (the coach), the answer will always be positive.”

Kurz also claimed Melbourne City coach Warren Joyce’s stance on keeping striker Bruno Fornaroli sidelined for four matches is a tough but fair one.



“It’s also good to know they (City) have strict rules, the team is No. 1 and not the players,” he said.

“That is good, the coach (Joyce) is good, he has a lot of respect, it’s better to draw a line.”

media_camera Adelaide United coach Marco Kurz and his partner Tammy. Kurz is not a fan of the cold SA supermarkets. Picture SARAH REED

Tim Cahill scores a wonder goal to help Josep Gombau earn a record in India

Josep Gombau’s Delhi Dynamos kept the Spaniard on a trend of historic worst starts to a season.

It was Socceroos legend Tim Cahill’s goal last week that saw Gombau scrape the bottom of the barrel.

Cahill’s goal before winning best on ground for Jamshedpur in a 2-1 win over Dynamos earned Gombau a record worst start in Indian premier league history.

With 11 games down Gombau’s side was yet to record a win and was sitting last with four draws before facing Chennaiyin FC.

That club held the previous Indian winless record.

It was fitting that both sides faced off on Saturday before the competition’s Christmas break.

Gombau’s club won 3-1 and of course he celebrated as if he had just won biggest trophy in football — just like the old days at Hindmarsh.

Just five years ago and almost to the day, Gombau’s Reds slumped to its worst start in its then 10-year existence.

A 4-0 win over Central Coast bought him time before he walked away from the Reds to be “closer to his family” in 2015.

A solid header from @Tim_Cahill kick-started our battle against @DelhiDynamos and helped us seize our 2⃣ - 1⃣ victory! 🤩



The Legend rightly won the Swift Limitless Player of the Match Award for his incredible stint.#JamKeKhelo #JAMDEL pic.twitter.com/3jdg9CS78S — Jamshedpur FC (@JamshedpurFC) December 13, 2018

media_camera Former Adelaide United coach Josep Gombau hugs ex Red Awer Mabil after a 2-2 draw with Melbourne Heart. Picture: SARAH REED.

FUTSAL SA grand finals televised on Facebook for the first time

FUTSAL SA’s grand finals at the ARC Campbelltown this Saturday will for the first time be broadcast on FFSA’s Facebook live featuring the main game from 3pm and some underage trophy deciders.

The first big final broadcast kicks off at midday.

Centre stage at 3pm features Blue Eagles twins, former Adelaide United NPL and youth team players Liam and Hamish McCabe.

Blue Eagles coach Vojo Gluscevic has allowed the McAbes to leave their outdoor club friendly match at half-time so they can represent Azzurri in the futsal grand final says Futsal SA’s vice-chairman Tony La Scala.

“This is our 20th futsal season we’ve got about 700 men, women and children playing at the ARC Campbelltown now,’’ La Scala said.

“We started with six teams at the Campbelltown City soccer club’s indoor court in the 1990s.

“Now we’ve got all ages playing from under 9s to seniors starting from 9.20am on Saturday.

“The new futsal courts are now full international sizes for the under 16s upwards and the sport is continuing to grow rapidly.”

Futsal SA Facebook live stream matches:

12pm: U16 Boys: Joga Bonito v Ninja Skrtels

1pm: U18 Red Division: Adelaide Futsal Club v ABCDE FC

2pm: U18 Gold Division: Ajax Spray & Wipe v Red Pac

3pm: Open Men Grand Final: Azzurri v Firle Frothers

media_camera Futsal SA’s women’s grand final at the ARC Campbelltown in 2017.

Australian Afghan football tournament hits Adelaide

AFGHAN soccer tournament organiser Rahim Zaidi says about 4000 men, women and children of Afghani descent including those born in the landlocked country located within south-Central Asia will converge in Adelaide on Christmas Day.

Zaidi will be an extremely busy man, running his popular restaurant The Ghan Kebab House at Kilburn and ensuring the 31 soccer teams from Australia and New Zealand are well looked after.

Zaidi is also in charge of Ghan Kilburn City which is in SA amateur soccer league’s Sunday competition.

“This is the second big tournament we’re holding in Adelaide,’’ Zaidi said.

“We have 20 men’s teams, six junior teams and five women’s teams.

“It’s so good to get everyone together.

“We’re having a big function at Ingle Farm on December 25 before we start the games.

“We’ve also got teams playing volleyball, tennis and martial arts.”

The matches will be played at Salisbury Inter’s ground at Nangari Drive, Salisbury North.

media_camera Soccer players Masoud Teymouri, Ahmad Nazari and Mohammad Nazari. The Afghan Sports Tournament will be hosted in Adelaide next week. Picture: Sam Wundke

GOLDEN BOOTS

A-League

Round eight: Adelaide United 0 Melbourne City 2 (og 25m, Luke Brattan 50m) at Coopers Stadium.

The Votes

Val Migliaccio

3. Ben Halloran

2. Isaias

1. Vinni Lia

Rob Greenwood

3. Vinni Lia

2. Isaias

1. Scott Galloway

Amelia Mulcahy

3. Ben Halloran

2. Isaias

1. Vinni Lia

Goals

Craig Goodwin 3

Ben Halloran 2

Ken Ilso 2

Scott Galloway 1

Apostolos Stamatelopoulos 1

OG 1

Stats

Possession

Adelaide 50 per cent — City 50 per cent

Shots on target

Adelaide 3 City 2

Corners

Adelaide 4 City 2

Keeper saves

Adelaide 1 City 2

Leaders

39. Ben Halloran

25. Craig Goodwin

20. Isaias

9. Michael Marrone

9. Michael Jakobsen

8. Taylor Regan

8. Vinni Lia

7. Paul Izzo

5. Scott Galloway

5. Ken Ilso

4. Mirko Boland

4. Apostolos Stamatelopoulos

W-LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE YEAR



Round seven: Sydney FC 5 (Sofia Huerta 49m, Danielle Colaprico 58m, Savannah McCaskill 71m, Princess Ibini 88m, 94m) Adelaide United 2 (Veronica Latsko 22m, 66m) at Cromer Park

The votes

Val Migliaccio

3. Veronica Latsko

2. Gunnhildur Jonsdottir

1. Michelle Heyman

Rob Greenwood

3. Veronica Latsko

2. Amber Brooks

1. Charlotte Grant

Leaders

15. Veronica Latsko

8. Gunnhildur Jonsdottir

8. Michelle Heyman

7. Emma Checker

6. Fanndís Friðriksdóttir

2. Amber Brooks

1. Charlotte Grant

Goals

Veronica Latsko 6

Georgia Campagnale 1

OG 1

SA PLAYERS ABROAD

Brandon Borrello — Freiburg (Bundesliga): Recovering from an ACL injury

Alex Chidiac — Atletico Madrid (women’s Spanish Primera Division): Off the bench in the 86th minute in a 2-1 away win over Real Betis

Paris Duffield — Hamrun Spartans (Maltese Premier League): Not in the match day squad v Valletta away

Ben Garuccio — Hearts (Scottish Premier League): Started and played 77 minutes in a 5-0 loss to Livingston away

Meni Haralampopoulos — Acharnaikos (Greek Gamma Ethniki): Played 45 minutes in a 1-1 draw with Foivos Kremasti at home

Bradden Inman — Rochdale AFC (English League One): Played the full 90 minutes and scored in a 2-1 home loss to Plymouth Argyle

Awer Mabil — Midtylland (Danish Super League): The competition is on a Christmas break

Andrew Marveggio — Macva Sabac (Serbian Super Liga): Played a minute off the bench in a 0-0 draw with Partizan away

Ryan McGowan — Bradford City (English League One): Unused substitute in a 4-0 home win over Walsall

Dylan McGowan — Gangwon (K-League): End of season