Soccer: Adelaide Force Kingz' defeat

By TERRY MADDAFORD

A disappointing 0-2 loss to the Adelaide Force on Tuesday night has added even more importance to the Football Kingz' home game in the Australian National Soccer League against the Canberra Cosmos on Monday night.

After beating the Force 3-2 a month ago in the first of two away games in South Australia, the Kingz travelled with high hopes but came home disappointed after conceding a goal in each half.

While Adelaide were without former Socceroos Alex Tobin and Aurelio Vidmar for the first encounter, they were at full strength this time, and Vidmar opened the scoring with a somewhat controversial goal which many saw as coming from an offside move.

"But we are not going to dwell on that," said Kingz assistant coach Shane Rufer on the team's return yesterday. "Their coach sympathised later by saying 'these things happen,' but it is part of the learning process."

The home side put the game out of reach for the Kingz when international Damien Mori scored from Adelaide's first attack of the second spell.

"It was a disappointing result from a funny sort of game," said Rufer. "It was a real battle which I felt could have gone either way."

Others saw it as perhaps the Kingz' poorest performance since their opening 0-3 loss to Carlton.

"We could have scored but didn't," said Rufer. "Wynton [Rufer] had two chances and Fred de Jong hit the bar and watched the ball hit their keeper on the head before bouncing into his hands."

In a couple of changes, Chris Jackson replaced Marcus Stergiopoulos at halftime and later Aaron Silva came into the side for the first time since November 13 when he replaced Robbie Middleby.

"He [Silva] did well but he still has to work hard and understand this is a tough league and he needs to work on the physical side of his game," said Rufer. "But there is still potential there."

The Kingz will train this morning and again tomorrow before having a break on Saturday before a Sunday session ahead of Monday night's game at North Harbour Stadium against lowly Canberra.

"That is a must-win game. Dino Mennillo will be back after serving his one-match suspension but Chris Jackson and Robbie Middleby have taken knocks," Rufer said.

The Kingz will be without player-coach Wynton Rufer for the match. He flies to Germany this week for a football festival before joining the team in Melbourne for the January 7 clash with Carlton - the last game before the Auckland-based side take a break when seven of their players report for international duty.

Matches scheduled in mid-January against Parramatta and Perth have been postponed.