Newcastle Jets vs Gamba Osaka: Eli Adams returns home
Key takeaways
- Newcastle Jets host Gamba Osaka on Tuesday night in the AFC Champions League Elite. Kickoff is 6:45pm AEDT at McDonald Jones Stadium.
- Eli Adams returns to face his old club. He left Newcastle for Gamba in the off-season.
- The Jets lost 7-1 in their first game in this event. This is their chance to bounce back at home.
The Newcastle Jets play Gamba Osaka on Tuesday night. The game is part of the AFC Champions League Elite. Kickoff is 6:45pm AEDT at McDonald Jones Stadium in Newcastle.
This is Matchweek 2 of the event. The Jets need points. They lost their first game by a big score.
Gamba won their first game with ease.
The big story is Eli Adams. He was a Jets star last season. Now he plays for Gamba.
He comes back to his old home ground wearing the other shirt.
What happened
The Jets opened their Champions League Elite run in Japan. They played Kashima Antlers on September 15. They lost 7-1.
It was a hard night.
The result was a blow. But coach Mark Milligan said the time since then has helped. The team has had four more weeks of work on the training pitch.
They have played more games. They now know what this level demands.
The Jets won two trophies last season. They lifted the Australia Cup. They also won the Premiers Plate.
That plate goes to the best team in the regular season.
Then the squad changed a lot. Thirteen players from that double-winning side left the club. That is a huge turnover.
Milligan brought in seven new faces to fill the gaps.
Two of the new signings are well known. Joe Lolley was a star at Sydney FC. Nikos Vergos was a striker at Melbourne Victory.
Both men now wear Jets colours.
Gamba come into the game with mixed form. They have lost four straight league games. They also lost a cup game 5-4 to Kashiwa Reysol.
But they have found goals in other events. They beat Tokushima Vortis 5-0 in the Emperor's Cup. They beat Cong An Ha Noi 4-1 in this Champions League Elite run.
Their most recent game was a 2-0 loss to Kashima Antlers. Kashima are the same team that beat the Jets 7-1. So both sides know how strong Kashima can be.
Why it matters
This game is about pride and points. The Jets want their first points in this event since 2009. That is a long wait.
A home win would lift the whole club.
The Champions League Elite is Asia's top club event. It brings the best teams from many leagues together.
Europe's version also kicks off this week, with Manchester United facing Atletico Madrid.
The Jets are in the East Region league stage. Each game counts toward the standings. A second heavy loss would make the task much harder.
Milligan is upbeat. He told reporters his side will be a fantastic team this year. He said the last few months have been great for building the team he wants.
He called this game another step and another chance to grow.
The fans will also watch the new signings. Lolley and Vergos must show they can lift the team. A home crowd can help.
The Jets play at McDonald Jones Stadium. Gates open at 5:45pm AEDT.
There is also the A-League season to think about. The Jets open their local season on Saturday. They play Central Coast Mariners in the F3 Derby.
A good result on Tuesday would set the mood for that game too.
For Gamba, this is a chance to steady their season. Their league form has been poor. Four straight league defeats hurt.
But a win in Asia would give them two wins from two in this event. That would put them near the top of the group.
The Eli Adams story
Eli Adams is 24 years old. He was a fan favourite in Newcastle. He played a key role in the Jets' trophy wins last season.
He was one of the club's top scorers. He helped the team lift the Australia Cup and the Premiers Plate.
In the off-season, he moved to Gamba Osaka. The fee was not made public. Gamba are two-time J1 League champions.
They have also won the Asian Champions League before. They are a big club in Japan.
Life in Japan has been a slow start for Adams. He has played just 262 minutes across eight games. He got injured in pre-season.
That slowed him down. He is expected to start against his old club on Tuesday night.
Adams told Football360 that Newcastle felt like a second home. He said his two years there were special. He said he looks forward to coming back, even though he will be on the other side this time.
Milligan said there will be no kind feelings once the game starts. He said Adams plays for Gamba now. He called him just another player the Jets must deal with on the night.
Club captain Max Burgess joked about the plan to stop him. He said Adams has a great left foot, so the Jets must stop that.
Adams has also earned his first call-up to the Socceroos. The Socceroos are the Australian national team. He joined the camp for two games against Brazil.
He did not get on the field yet. But the call-up shows how far he has come.
Gamba have other threats too. Tunisian forward Issam Jebali leads their scoring this season. He has netted four goals in ten games.
Ryoya Yamashita has set up six goals from nine games. He creates chances from out wide.
What happens next
The Jets have a boost in the squad. Alex Grant is back in the matchday squad. He missed the Kashima game.
Milligan confirmed the news at his pre-match press conference on Monday.
Two players will miss out. Alex Badolato and Oscar Fryer are still out. They are still healing from knee injuries they suffered last season.
Milligan confirmed they would not be in the squad.
Fans in Australia can watch the game live on Paramount+. Kickoff is 6:45pm AEDT on Tuesday, October 13.
After this game, the Jets turn to the A-League. They play Central Coast Mariners on Saturday. That game is the F3 Derby.
It is one of the biggest local derbies in the league. The Jets will want to carry good form into that match.
Gamba will return to Japan after the game. They will try to fix their league form. A win in Newcastle would give them a lift.
South American club soccer also had a big weekend, with Bragantino facing Cruzeiro in Brazil.
Mexico also hosts a fierce derby this week, with Cruz Azul facing Pumas in the Clasico Capitalino.
One game will not decide the group. But a home win would change the mood around the Jets. It would show the rebuild is working.
A loss would leave them with zero points from two games. The pressure would grow fast.
For Adams, the night is personal. He wants to show his new coach what he can do. He also wants to show his old fans that he has grown.
The crowd will watch every touch he takes. That is what makes this game worth watching.
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