Adelaide United FC Youth

History

Adelaide United Youth was established in 2008 to represent the club in the first National Youth League season. Joe Mullen, a former Adelaide City player, became the inaugural head coach. The side finished second in the regular season, qualifying for the 2009 Grand Final against Sydney FC at Hindmarsh Stadium, where they lost 2–0, ending as runners-up in both the premiership and championship. Francesco Monterosso led the team in scoring across its first two campaigns, netting 13 goals in the debut season and 17 in the next, making him the only player to win back-to-back Golden Boot awards in the National Youth League. In the second NYL season, with a revised table structure, Adelaide finished third and reached the finals, but lost 1-0 to Perth Glory in the semi-final. The 2010-11 season saw them place third again, with Gold Coast United Youth claiming the premiership. In October 2014, the team was confirmed to join the National Premier Leagues South Australia and its Reserves (U20) competition for the 2015 season, starting in State League 1, the state’s second tier. They earned automatic promotion to the National Premier Leagues in their first season by finishing top of the table, and the Reserves side did the same. In October 2015, Adelaide United Youth was announced as a participant in the Mediterranean International Cup in Barcelona, Spain. Their Group A opener was a 4-0 win over Los Angeles, followed by a 1-0 loss to Barcelona, marking the first time an Adelaide United team faced Barcelona. A 3-0 victory against Palamos CF closed the group stage. In the Round of 16, they drew 0-0 with CF Lloret and won 5-4 on penalties. The tournament ended with a 4-0 defeat to Malaga CF.