Late Avondale comeback denies City
Round Four of the Australian Championship saw Adelaide City return to Victoria for a competitive match for the first time since 2014. Twelve years ago, Damian Mori’s side took on Bentleigh Greens in an Australia Cup Quarter-Final, while Vas Parhas’ men faced Avondale FC in 2026, fighting to keep their hopes for an Australian Championship Quarter-Final berth alive.
With both sides claiming points only in the first round, they entered their second meeting in this year’s competition on the verge of mathematical elimination and desperate for three points.
After conceding early goals in consecutive weeks, Adelaide City’s focus was a solid start. Cosmo Groff’s first start between the sticks in 2026 gave Parhas’ men extra incentive to protect their goals.
The sides traded blows in an early arm wrestle, but Adelaide City found the back of the net first in the 11th minute, when Josh Mori was picked out by Asad Kasumovic and finished tidily in the bottom corner. Celebrations were cut short, though, when Mori was adjudged offside.
Groff faced a scare in the half-hour mark when a Saad Moukachar volley cannoned off the crossbar, but the young goalkeeper had a solid first half, mostly facing long-range shots.
One of those efforts was a Blake Carpenter free kick, which Groff saved before Harry Van der Saag challenged him late and was sent off for a second yellow card.
Things went from bad to worse for the hosts when Adam Traore succumbed to injury and could not continue, meaning the Avengers went into the break with two of their three starting defenders off the field, but still on level terms with their visitors.
Vas Parhas made his own change at the break, introducing his top goalscorer, Yuki Kitano, for the first time in the Australian Championship after returning from Japan for the birth of his son. Kitano wasted no time, his shot going close to opening the scoring but instead hitting the crossbar three minutes after the restart.
It was another substitute who did the damage for the Black and White.
After scoring twice against Avondale in Round One, Daniel Bressan came off the bench for the second meeting with the Avengers. In the 66th minute, Patrick Caraccia saw a long throw repelled by the Avondale backline before the ball fell to Bressan on the edge of the box, who smashed home a volley to open the score for the visitors with his third goal in the Australian Championship.
Despite being down a goal and a player, Avondale kept City on their toes, forcing multiple defensive actions from the Black and White while also relying on their goalkeeper, Jack Gibson, to keep the deficit to a single goal.
Their persistence paid off when substitute Jaushua Sotirio was fouled by Oli Western on the far edge of the penalty box. Referee Mackenzie Janes pointed to the penalty spot, and despite Groff getting a touch on his resulting effort, Sotirio converted to level the score in the 87th minute.
The goal made the numerical disadvantage feel non-existent, with Avondale powering home and City on the back foot in the closing minutes.
Full of confidence, Sotirio took advantage of a moment of time and space in the box and curled in a superb second goal four minutes after his penalty to complete a famous comeback, give his side the lead, and secure three crucial points.
Match Details
Avondale FC 2 (Sotirio 87’ (pen), 90+2’)
Adelaide City 1 (Bressan 66’)
2026 Australian Championship — Round 4
Sunday, 8 November 2026
Avenger Park
