Kasumovic eyes improvements as City prepares to hit the road

Asad Kasumovic has been one of Adelaide City’s standout players in the first two matches of the Australian Championship.

Coming off the bench to replace the injured Francesco Schimizzi in Round One, Kasumovic threatened Avondale from long range, only to be denied by the woodwork on two separate occasions.

In Round Two, he found the back of the net to breathe life into his side that had fallen two goals behind, but it eventually fell short against Wests APIA.

“It's a good feeling to finally find the back of the net,” reflected Kasumovic.

“It’s disappointing because we want the three points, but on a personal note it's good to get off the mark.”

Kasumovic bemoaned conceding an early goal to Wests APIA, and while he was proud of his team’s comeback, he admitted it made things difficult late in the game.

“I think we just need to up our game from the start. I don't think we can afford to let teams go one up early and then chase the rest of the game.

“[APIA] was a very tough game. They came out hot in the first half, and we went up for the challenge. I think we came back in the second half and looked good, but then we got done with the second ball on the count, and it made it tough to get back into the game.”

After an initial two home games, Adelaide City now face the prospect of three consecutive away trips. While that looks gruelling on paper, Kasumovic says the scheduling quirk may benefit his side.

“I think a change of environment could be good for us. Playing away without home support makes us find the energy to back each other even more, rather than waiting for outside noise. I think it could work well for us.”

Adelaide City return to action on Friday night against Group B leaders Broadmeadow Magic in Newcastle.