WITH the start of Gold Coast United’s second season in the Hyundai A-League only a matter of weeks away, Miron Bleiberg’s men are now in full training mode as they hone their skills and fitness in preparation for the new campaign.
United’s two FIFA World Cup stars, Socceroo midfielder Jason Culina and New Zealand striker Shane Smeltz, will not be joining the squad until the middle of July, with the pair given several weeks to rest their bodies and minds after the rigours of their South African adventure.
Culina and Smeltz aside, the rest of the Gold Coast squad, including Brazilian midfielder Anderson who arrived back on the coast last week, are now focussed on round one of season 2010/11 and the blockbuster opening match against Brisbane Roar at Skilled Park on Sunday 8 August (3pm).
But before they tackle their derby rivals in what is sure to be one of the games of the season, United will play a trio of warm-up games against local sides, then conclude their pre-season preparations with a friendly against North Queensland Fury a fortnight before the big kick-off.
First up is a trial match against leading Gold Coast Premier League outfit, Palm Beach Sharks, at Mallawa Drive on Tuesday 6 July (7.30pm kick off), followed by Brisbane’s Rochedale Rovers at Underwood Park on Tuesday 13 July (7.00pm) and a match against a Gold Coast Select XI at Carrara Stadium on Wednesday 21 July (7.30pm).
“Our training has now moved into second gear and I’m happy with where the squad is in terms of fitness,” said Bleiberg.
“The upcoming trial matches will help us with cohesion and these sides always make good opponents at this stage of our preparation.
“The start of the season is coming fast and the whole squad is excited about what lies ahead of us. You can sense the determination in the players to improve on what we achieved last year and we certainly have the strength in depth to do that.
“The derby match against Brisbane Roar is a great way to start the new campaign and it’s sure to be an exciting day. Everyone wants to play in that game of course and you can already see the competition for places heating up at training,” he said.
Upcoming trial matches:
TUESDAY 6 JULY
Palm Beach v Gold Coast United
At Mallawa Drive, Palm Beach (7.30pm kick off).
TUESDAY 13 JULY
Rochedale Rovers v Gold Coast United
At Underwood Park, Rochedale (7.00pm kick off).
WEDNESDAY 21 JULY
Gold Coast Select XI v Gold Coast United
At Carrara Stadium, Broadbeach-Nerang Road, Carrara (7.30pm kick off).
(Details of the pre-season clash against North Queensland Fury will be released shortly).
United’s season memberships are now on sale with fans able to secure their seats for all the new season’s action from as little as $9.00 for a child (per game), $15.00 for an adult (per game) or $9.15 each for a family membership (per person, per game).
For more information on Gold Coast United 2010/11 Hyundai A-League season memberships click here or call 1300 883 688.
