Talk can stop..

Although it isn't something we have really talked about as a team, all the talk of losing streaks can now stop! However much we strived to look forward and to concentrate on improving our individual and collective performances internally, externally people were obsessed with the fact The Lady Reds had not won since 2008. Thankfully that can now all stop, the losing streak can be put behind us and everyone can now join the players in looking forward and looking to what we can produce in the future!

As much as the girls were relieved at the end of the game, they were also dissapointed! In a sign of how far these girls have come, in the aftermath of the rain soaked game, they were honest enough to say that they were unhappy with the way they had played. The win was welcome of course, but the girls are focussed on improving their performances and against Perth we failed to show that improvement to the extent we wanted.

Too frequently we gave possession away cheaply and too often we rushed our final pass or simply made a wrong decision. Some of this can be put down to the pressure of the occassion and of course in the second half down to the state of the pitch but again the girls expect better of themselves - another real sign of how far they have come in such a short time and a real positive for the future!

The game started in windy conditions with The Lady reds on the front foot immediately, dominating possession and territory but just lacking the final ball to create clear cut scoring chances. Marijana Rajcic and Donna Cockayne went closest early on, the latter forcing a good save from the impressive Mackenzie Arnold in the Perth goal. our own keeper, Sian McLaren showed her value with a bright save at the feet of a Perth striker in a rare attacking moment for the visitors. As the rain fell and thunder clapped around Burton, the breakthrough finally came after some good work from Donna Cockayne, MJ and Leanne Slater provided Ashleigh Gunning with the opportunity to deliver a dangerous cross which found its way to Katherine Ebbs on the far post. Nipping in front of her defender Katherine steered the ball beyond Arnold and gave The Lady Reds the lead in the 33rd minute.

Going in at 1-0 was obviously a positive but the girls felt they should have been further ahead and needed to play with more composure and less 'fear' in the second half. Whilst that was the plan and was certainly the way the half started, the weather intervened.. With torrential rain leaving deep puddles around much of the field, the game became a bit of a lottery. When we got the ball into the attacking half we showed our quality, with Racheal Quigley creating a couple of good chances which were denied either by the woodwork, last ditch tackles or quality saves. During this spell two loud appeals for penalties for Adelaide were waved away, much to the despair of players and crowd alike.

With the weather and pitch conditions worsening, clearing the ball from the Adelaide end was becoming more and more difficult, which Perth tried to exploit by sending the ball forward as quickly as possible every time they regained possession. From one of this occassions Sian McLaren dealt superbly with a dangerous cross and when she was finally beaten, captain Abby Erceg was on hand to slide through the growing puddles to thwart a Perth player as it looked certain she would grab the equaliser.

When the final whistle came the delight on the players faces was evident and they celebrated together and with the fantastic support who braved the horrible weather to cheer on the side. The drums, chants and flags were a constant encouragement for the team and very much appreciated - BIG THANKS TO THE RED TERRACE!!

So the talk of losing streaks can now be left behind us and we can move on and look to the future, a future that is RED.

Busy week..

This week my ‘blog’ is a little delayed and brief due to the fact I have been in Canberra, attending a Football Federation Australia National Technical Network Seminar.

The seminar highlighted the goal of FFA to become a ‘World Leader in the World Game’. FFA, as I do with The Lady Reds, have ambitious goals. I want and expect The Lady Reds to develop into a leading side in The W-League and to challenge for the title over the next 2-3 seasons. Again, in line with FFA, my aim is to achieve this playing a possession based style of football.
To achieve this ambitious goal, the NTC and other youth teams in the FFSA Women’s Elite Pathway will focus their training ‘in the ball’.

Technical skills, Insight (game understanding) Communication and Conditioning will all be developed with the ball. Taking the best practice and knowledge from a range of Sports Science and importantly football experts a thorough and rounded program will be implemented to assist the development of South Australia’s Female Football Players. Through a series of coaching seminars, this program will also be delivered to the FFSA  Women’s Clubs and Coaches and it is hoped that they will buy into the system and use it to develop a broader base of footballing talent across the region.

After another away trip to The Sunshine Coast is it good to be back at Burton this week to face Perth and I am hoping for a healthy crowd and an exciting performance from The Lady Reds.
Last week saw another solid performance from The Lady Reds with some glimpses of the possession work which we have been focussing on more in training over the last few weeks.
Having become more solid out of possession, the change in focus to greater composure in possession and becoming more of an attacking force is a sign of the direction I want to take the side in over the next year and leading into the 2012/13 season.

The future...

This seasons W League still has 4 games to go for Adelaide United but the planning and preparation for next season has already begun.

I am determined to make The Lady Reds a force to be reckoned with and am equally determined to develop exciting, technically gifted South Australian players to do that.

That process is well underway with the implementation of a Female Players Pathway in South Australia. This pathway will see more thorough player identification and top level coaching and training of the girls from U12 - Senior level. Much greater emphasis will be placed on technical development to create players who are comfortable on the ball, can take players on and have that X factor, think  Marta or  Mana Iwabuchi . This whole process is currently underway, with the U13's undertaking final trials and training, the U15's have just been selected and are starting their pre-season development program. The NTC girls underwent a weekend of training and trial games during the bye weekend in the W League and a number of players displayed some real promise!

The players in the Adelaide United W League squad currently have improved considerably over the last couple of months and they have worked hard to do so. We have discussed how we want to develop as a team and how we want to change the way we play, to become a much better 'In Possession' team. This is being worked on now and it will be the focus for the 'off-season' with the NTC / W League players. With the talent already in the W League squad alongside some of the promising youngsters in the NTC, the future looks bright for Women's football in South Australia.

Women's football from around the world

Sydney made to sweat..

After the dissapointment of our performance in Melbourne a week ago the visit of one of the League favourites Sydney was always going to be a big test for the girls. I had confidence that we would bounce back from the Melbourne 'blip' and I was not wrong!

Despite many people thinking playing at Hindmarsh on a big pitch against a Sydney side boasting 11 Matildas (including AFC Youth Player of the Year Caitlin Foord) was crazy, I had faith in the work that we have done both on our fitness and on our tactical organisation.

Sydney started the stronger and if it were not for two fantastic early saves and a couple of smart clearances outside her box from Sian McLaren we could have been 2 or 3 down early on. Slowly we started to get a foothold in the game and after a timely interception from Ashleigh Gunning, playing her best game since her return, Ebony Philcox found herself with a scoring opportunity which she narrowly failed to convert. Ebony is a young player, experiencing her first taste of W League football and she will go on to score goals in the league, of that I have no doubt.

Minutes later Marijana Rajcic sent the small but vocal home crowd into hysterics when she latched on to a lovely through ball from Anna Green to lob the Sydney keeper and put Adelaide into the lead! Shortly after MJ struck an even nicer lob/volley that brought out a stunning finger tip save from Allison Lipsher. Despite dominating possession Sydney could quite easily have found themselves 3 down at half time!

Unfortunately that was all about to change! With half time looming Sydney exploited a turn over in possession to break quickly, catching a number of Adelaide players momentarily out of position. Sarah Walsh and Heather Garriock combined to grab the equaliser for Sydney, which Garriock curled into the top corner, leaving McLaren with no chance. Just as it looked like 1-1 would be the half time score, Servet Uzunlar flighted a cross/shot in to the Adelaide area which was unfortunately spilt by Sian McLaren and gave the Sydney side an unlikely lead going into the break.

After the break Adelaide came out strongly, and enjoyed a greater share of the possession. Donna Cockayne looked dangerous on the right, especially when she was direct and positive with her running and MJ remained a constant threat. With Adelaide looking the most likely to score next and Sydney having their opportunities snuffed out by a combination of determined defending and more quality saves from Sian McLaren, disaster struck.. In the 67th minute, the much improved Emma Checker mistimed a tackle on Caitlin Foord and the referee on this occasion showed no hesitation in correctly pointing to the penalty spot. The penalty kick sent Macca the wrong way put found the far post. Just as it seemed the penalty taker would convert the rebound Anna Green intervened and with her defensive team mates managed to clear the ball.

The relief that followed the penalty miss was soon extinguished as under pressure from Leena Khamis Sian McLarens attempted punched clearance from an inswinging corner found its way into the back of the net to ease Sydneys fears of an Adelaide comeback. Moments later a fierce strike from Caitlin Foord slipped through Macca's grasp and gave Sydney a very flattering 4-1 victory.

Despite the scoreline this Adelaide performance was one of heart, discipline and real effort. Yes we need to keep the ball better, yes we need our attacking players to play closer together and yes we still need to be fitter but there have been huge improvements in many aspects of our play this season and there is more to come! The average age of the side at the weekend was under 20 and all but the 3 International players (Abby, Anna and Ashleigh) are South Australian girls. This is a side for the future and one that will continue to grow and improve.

The life a goalkeeper is not an easy one (http://www.radiolab.org/). As mentioned in the podcast link above a goalkeeper can make millions of saves which get forgotten due to 1 mistake that leads to a goal! Having rewatched the footage, Macca made 14 saves, 3 of which could or should have led to goals for Sydney during the game, these included 1 on 1's, shots from inside the box etc. all of which have been forgotten due to the couple of errors she made! Trust me noone is more upset or dissapointed than Macca with those mistakes but she is a top goalkeper and I back her 100% to bounce back.

We now have a weekend off from W League action and we will be using this week to recharge the batteries a little before pushing on for the last 4 regular season games against Brisbane, Perth, Canberra and Melbourne. Our last 2 home games will be at Burton Park on the 17th December (Perth) and 15th January (Melbourne). I would love to see a huge crowd at both of these games to show the girls how much their efforts are appreciated but also to show the rest of the League and Australia how serious SA is about their Women's Football. Record crowds have been seen at Newcastle and Canberra this season, how great would it be for 1000+ people to be inside Burton Park to see the Lady Reds and celebrate more goals from MJ, Quigs and the team. Can we meet that challenge South Australia? 

'Blip'

After 4 games of improved performances this weekend saw the 'blip'. After consistent improvement and 4 games where the Lady Reds have been competitive, this weekend saw us produce our poorest performance of the season.

We could make excuses, like travelling in on the day or playing on astroturf for the first time or having players out through injury (with Ruth Wallace joining Ang Fimmano) but the fact is none of those things can and should be used as an excuse for our poor display. Melbourne were a good side and played a clever brand of football that suited the slick surface. We on the other hand had an off day which was to some extent to be expected after the huge lift in training and physical demands placed upon the girls over the last couple of months.

We lacked the defensive shape and cohesion that we showed against Brisbane and we lacked the composure in possession that we showed in Perth. This was just one of those days, which in a 10 game season, we can't really afford.

A couple of positives still came from the game with Sian McLaren returning from a year long injury and making a couple of excellent saves and youngsters Grace Henry and Ebony Philcox showing the confidence to play under pressure and retain possession. Donna Cockayne also came off the bench and showed signs of her 'old self' with the confidence to use her pace and power to get at her fullback.

Next weekend will see Sydney visit Hindmarsh for the live television game. This is another huge game for Adelaide and will require a much improved performance from The Lady Reds. The response at training tonight was very positive and the intensity rose again with the team eager to put on a show for the home crowd after the great support we received against Brisbane last week.

Highlights vs Brisbane

Highlights vs Brisbane

The Roar squeak past The Lady Reds

I have not yet watched the footage from the game yesterday but what a game.. What started as quite a tense arm wrestle, with both teams defending slightly deeper and preventing space in behind them, ended up as a high tempo, high pressing final 10 minutes when the Lady Reds could easily have snatched a draw or maybe even more..

Brisbane came into the game as hot favourites, last years champions and a side full of International experience, but the Adelaide girls are improving rapidly and were once again quietly confident going into the game. Having spent the bulk of the week working on our out of possession shape and defensive structure, it was pleasing to see us limit Brisbane to half chances and long range shots. Whilst we didn't create too many clear cut chances ourselves early on we did look dangerous on the break through Marijana Rajcic (MJ), Rachael Quigley and Donna Cockayne. As we tired slightly towards the end of the first half, Claire Polkingthorne was given too much time and space 30yeards out from goal and she took the most of that opportunity to strike at goal. A slight defelction on the shot appeared to loop it over Kristi Harvey to give Brisbane a 1-0 lead going into half time.

The second half started with Brisbane dominating possession and territory as fatigue started to affect our ability to press and maintain defensive shape. Substitutions were needed and Ashley Gunning, Greta French-Kennedy and Daniela DiBartolo were introduced to freshen things up. Before the substitutions could take effect, with Ruth Wallace off the pitch receiving treatment for a blood nose, Brisbane exploited their extra man and scored a second through Ashley Spina.

The second goal could have seen Adelaide drop their heads and maybe concede further goals, but driven on by the substitutes and their fresh legs, the opposite happened. Adelaide started to press higher and force Brisbane into mistakes. A quickly taken throw in and a great cross from the once again impressive Anna Green saw the Brisbane keeper fail to hold the cross under pressure and for once luck was on Adelaide's side with the ball dropping to Marijana Rajcic, who smashed it into the open goal to make the score 1-2. The momentum was definitely with Adelaide now and the final 10 minutes saw 3 or 4 very good chances fall to the Lady Reds; Donna Cockayne just failed to steer another wicked Anna Green cross in at the far post, Abby Erceg made a scything run from half way, linking well with Donna Coackayne to force another dangerous corner and Dani DiBartolo saw her powerful drive from an Ashleigh Gunning cross well saved by Kishi in the Brisbane goal who after looking a little edgy early on saved her team at the end with 2 or 3 very smart saves.

At the final whistle with the score still 1-2 the Brisbane side were very relieved and the Adelaide girls were visibly disappointed, which is a sign of their new found expectations and demands upon themselves. They now expect to beat anyone they play and they are not happy when they don't achieve what they want, they are no longer satisfied with coming close or simply being competitive, they expect to win. It may be a bit soon to be thinking that way, as it has always been said that there would be no quick fix for this side and that it would take time to get to a point where we could seriously challenge for titles against the 'big names' in the league, but the fact the team remains upbeat, positive and has retained the high expectations and demands placed upon them after such a tough start is very, very promising.

I am very proud of the side and the efforts and strides they have already made and I am very excited about how much further the team can progress. With the three U17 girls set to return this week, Sian McLaren getting closer to match fitness and Angela Fimmano starting her return, competition for places is going to intensify, which can only be a positive.

Finally I would like to thank all of the supporters who made their way to Burton at the weekend, the flags and the vocal support was much appreciated and certainly helped the girls push on in the final stages of the match, so thank you all.

Frustration.

After a couple of defeats against Canberra and Newcastle, two of this seasons favourites for the title, last weekend saw us travel to Perth for a game we genuinely felt we could win.

The opening moments of the game only served to support that feeling. Our out of possession pressing was causing the Perth backline problems, we were stealing ball in their defensive third of the field and in only the second minute Rachael Quigley opened the scoring with an athletic overhead kick (make sure you watch it) after some good work from Marijana Rajcic on the right.

At this point it looked like Adelaide could run away with the game and we probably should have to be honest. Unfortunately only 4 minutes after taking the lead, a tough refereeing call led to a Perth free-kick on the edge of the area. Despite blocking the initial shot, the ball could not be fully cleared and Erika Elze was able to bundle the ball over the line to level the scores. This boosted Perth and gave them hope after the initial shock of going a goal behind.

The Lady Reds continued to create chances but lacked the real desire or willingness to let fly in front of goal. "If you don't shoot, you won't score" Although we were dominating possession and territory Perth always looked dangerous on the counter attack through the pacey and hard working Emma Kete. Far too often we lacked the awareness to track her runs or pressure the ball before it got to her which cost us dearly in the 37th minute. From an attacking position, with a throw-in in the Perth defensive third, we went from having a shot on goal blocked to picking the ball out of the net. On the break, Emma Kete again drifted between two defenders and although our cover prevented her from scoring it could not prevent her finding Jukic who slotted past Kristi Harvey to give Perth an unlikely lead.

Despite the scoreline at half time we were confident of turning the game around, we put things in place to prevent us being susceptible to the Perth counter attack and looked to exploit our greater share of possession and territory more effectively in the second half. Unfortunately despite having close to 60% of the second half possession and creating over 20 on target shots we could not find a way past the impressive Mackenzie Arnold in the Perth goal.

The more we pushed forward in an attempt to get an equaliser, the more gaps that appeared for Perth to exploit but a slightly better out of possession showing in the second half also prevented Perth from adding to their score, despite a couple of close calls.

We had two, maybe three calls for penalties in this game, two where MJ was bundled over in the box and one where Georgia Macri was flattened by the keeper. I'm not sure how close the penalty calls were but I can say we have not had the rub of the green as far as decisions have gone so far; Kath Ebbs sending off which saw her miss this game, these penalty calls and even the free-kick decision against Ruth Wallace that led to Perth's equaliser could all have gone another way on a different day..

Having said that this was a game we should still have won and it is one that we sat down after and had a good talk about both in terms of our performances, our desire to win, but probably most importantly our belief that we can win! This is a new team, a new coach, a new season and the history of the previous 27 games needs to be discarded! This team is 3 games old, yes three lost games but in every game we have been competitive, we have created scoring opportunities (20+ against Perth!), we have possessed the ball and we have PLAYED FOOTBALL.

This team can and will win games as long as we believe we truly can and as long as we keep putting the effort in on and off the field. Despite being disappointed with the result, I am more than ever convinced that this group of players can be successful!

Highlights vs Newcastle (sorry about sound)

Video 2 'offside'

video 1 'sending off'

Round 2 vs Newcastle

Sorry for the delay in reporting on Round 2 but with the Qantas strikes, we found ourselves stuck in Sydney until today (more on that later).

After travelling to Newcastle on the Friday and picking Ashleigh Gunning up from Sydney airport the Lady Reds settled into the hotel in preparation for Saturday's Round 2 clash against the big spending Newcastle Jets.

On arrival at Adamstown Oval, despite a less than pristine playing surface, the team were confident of further progressing from last weeks opening round performance against Canberra. The game started brightly for Adelaide United, with aggressive pressure from the front line causing German International, Ariane Hingst into an early mistake and gifting the Lady Reds some early possession. The opening 5 minutes saw Adelaide on top and playing some nice football, but as last week an early defensive slip saw the opposition take the lead after a Lisa De Vanna cross was turned into the Adelaide net from a very tight angle by Linda O'Neill.

For the second time in 2 weeks the Lady Reds saw themselves concede an early goal, but again didn't let that fact affect their performance. Despite the early set back, Adelaide settled into their game and started to cause Newcastle some problems. Donna Cockayne was leading fomer Adelaide United player, Stacey Day, a merry dance out wide and Ashleigh Gunning showed glimpses of her potential. It was Marijana Rajcic though who caused the Jets their biggest cause for concern. After some neat midfield interplay, MJ stole in front of Hingst with a clever touch and shot across Melissa Barbieri. Unfortunately the shot was not quite what MJ had planned and Barbieri was relieved to see the ball slide past the far post. The rest of the first half followed a similar pattern with both sides creating half chances and sharing possession, in fact it was Adelaide who came closest to adding to the scoreline from a well worked corner between Anna Green and Abby Erceg, only for Barbieri to take the ball off Erceg's head just as it looked like she would power the ball into the back of the net.

Having limited Newcastle's team of superstars to half chances and creating a couple of scoring opportunities themselves in the first half Adelaide started the second half in buoyant mood and dominated the opening passages of play. From an Adelaide attacking position on the left flank, Newcastle stole the ball and in smashing a clearance downfield caught the Adelaide backline out of position and allowed the pacey Lisa De Vanna an opportunity to slot past Kristi Harvey in the 49th minute. Another early goal against is certainly something that needs to be addressed before next weekend!

The Lady reds bounced back from this latest set back and once again matched Newcastle throughout the game. But for a moment of madness in the 69th minute, Ruth Wallace, Abby Erceg, Anna Green and Nenita Burgess looked solid at the back despite the constant threat of De Vanna, Tara Andrews and Emily Van Egmond. Having appeared to deal with the initial attacking threat a mix up between Ruth Wallace and Rachael Quigley, gifted Newcastle possession in the Adelaide area and Lisa De Vanna struck a shot underneath Kristi Harvey to make the score 3-0. 

With Ashleigh Gunning struggling from her travel exertions, Georgia Macri was introduced into the game and as last week made a pleasing contribution, looking sharp and dangerous. Her link up play with MJ led to Adelaides best opportunity when Georgia beat the retreating Hingst and from the edge of the box hit a low shot past the despairing Barbieri, only to see the ball agonisingly bounce back off the inside of the far post. Barbieri, who came close to signing for Adelaide was tested further. MJ had her beaten with a powerful shot, only to see the ball shave the outside of the far post and she was lucky not to be beaten after some great wing play from Donna Cockayne saw Donna get a return pass from MJ 8 yds out only to hit her shot straight at the Newcastle keeper.

In the closing stages of the game two incredible decisions soured the day for the Lady Reds. I can't comment on refereeing decisions and am more than aware that the officials have a difficult job but to be penalised for offside from a throw-in is certainly a first for me. The sending off of Katherine Ebbs was difficult to understand and I think the reaction of the crowd reflected their opinion of the decision too. The Newcastle crowd (an impressive 847) were very generous with their applause and support for Katherine as she left the field visibly upset.

So a second defeat in a tough opening couple of games for the Lady Reds but once again many positives to be taken from the game. Nenita Burgess came in for U17 International Emma Checker and looked assured at right back, Ruth Wallace and Abby Erceg look to be growing as a central defensive pairing and Anna Green was again impressive at left back. Leanne Slater had a solid game in the midfield and provided a physical presence in the middle of the park. MJ is looking sharper every game and Donna Cockayne had an impressive game on the right wing creating a number of good attacking situations.

Following the end of the game the team were faced with the news that Qantas flights had been grounded and that we may be stuck in Newcastle or Sydney for a day or two. The reaction of the team was utterly professional and a glowing reflection on the character of the girls and the team spirit that has been created. Thanks to Fitness First on Market Street in Sydney, the team performed a double session on Monday, with a strength session in the morning followed by a tough High Intensity Interval Training session in the afternoon. (photos to follow)

Next week, sees another away game, this time a trip to Perth, where I am sure both teams will be looking to notch up their first points of the season in the weekends televised game.

Rd1 Highlights

A horror start and some harsh lessons but hope for the future.

The opening game of the season saw Adelaide United Lady Reds get off to a horror start, conceding a soft goal inside the first two minutes, then learn the harsh lesson that our fitness is still a way off that required for the W League BUT there were some positives to take from the game!

On a hot day, compounded by the 1.45 kick off time we could not have got off to a worse start really, allowing Canberra onto the front foot straight from kick off and having cleared that initial danger a seemingly harmless long ball wasn't dealt with and allowed the impressive Michelle Heyman to open the scoring after just 88 seconds. The girls visibly horrified with the opening responded well and started to claw their way back into the game. Canberra, one of the title favourites, were a constant threat going forward and but for a couple of last ditch tackles from Abby Erceg, Anna Green and some bright goalkeeping from Kristi Harvey, they could have extended their lead. However The Lady Reds created a few scoring chances of their own, with MJ going close to getting on the end of a few good crosses from Anna Green and Grace Henry, Rachel Quigley and Donna Cockayne starting to show a growing understanding and confidence going forward.With the first half coming to a close some good pressure in the Canberra defensive third led to a turn over of possession and MJ found Rachel Quigley inside the box and she lifted the ball over Matilda's No.1 Lydia Williams, to level the scoreline at 1-1. The score stayed that way until the break and it was no more than the girls deserved for their efforts.


In the second half the Lady Reds started brightly and enjoyed some more possession and Donna Cockayne started to look threatening down the right. Unfortunately Canberra's superior fitness started to show and as the Adelaide girls started to tire, experienced players like Sally Shipard and Michelle Heyman began to exploit the extra space provided them. The Canberra lead was restored in a slightly fortuitous manner when a low cross from the right was helped over Kristi Harvey by Caitlin Munoz. As stated in the Canberra match report, "The Adelaide of old may have crumbled after that but this group seems to be made of sterner stuff", in fact we almost equalised shortly after, when some good work on the right between Greta French-Kennedy and Donna Cockayne saw Greta's effort beat Lydia Williams but not the crossbar and the rebound fell tantalisingly short of the closing Racheal Quigley. A third goal was added as tired legs provided too much space in the Adelaide box and resulted in Caitlin Munoz getting her second after a turn and shot that found its way in off the far post. The fourth goal was a classy finish from Michelle Heyman, who produced a curling shot that left the well performed Kristi Harvey no chance, as it found its way into the top far corner of the net.


4-1 was probably a fair result for Canberra's dominance, particularly of the second half as we tired but our fitness will improve quickly as the season goes on and as we continue to work hard on the training field. That is one positive, a second is the fact that we played some football, we were able to have spells of prolonged possession and we were organised out of possession. There are obviously aspects of both our in and out of possession play we can and need to improve upon and our fitness needs to improve but all of this can be achieved with hard work.

Team: Kristi Harvey, Ruth Wallace, Anna Green, Abby Erceg, Racheal Quigley, Leanne Slater, Marijana Rajcic, Donna Cockayne, Emma Checker (Greta French-Kennedy), Grace Henry (Georgia Macri), Katherine Ebbs (Nenita Burgess) Sub: Ebony Philcox

Smile

 

Nenita and MJ modelling the new kit.

Opening game

Lady Reds ready to kick-off WWL season

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On the eve of the Westfield W-League kick-off Adelaide United coach David Edmondson admitted there is little left to do ahead of the Lady Reds 2011/12 season opener against Canberra United at Hindmarsh Stadium on Saturday.
Edmondson said the Lady Reds are ready to kick-off the new era with the Football Federation SA Head of Women’s Football putting the side through their paces at the final training session on Thursday night.

“Yes we are ready. You would always prefer more time but everyone has worked hard over the last six weeks or so and have done everything possible on and off the pitch to be prepared,” he said.

“The only thing left to do now is to finish those preparations and have the team as rested and relaxed as possible for Saturday. I am looking forward to the game and I know the players are too.”

The majority of the squad has been picked from the Adelaide Airport Premier and State League competitions but boasts three quality and experienced internationals.

Edmondson acknowledged the significant difference in standard of the WWL, but said he has been “impressed” with the girls’ attitude and preparation.

“It is a huge step up from the local leagues to W-League football, particularly in terms of intensity of play, speed of play and the physical demands of the competition,” he said.

“All players have had to adjust from playing in their clubs to a much faster and structured style of football which will be required to be competitive in the W-League.”

“I have been impressed with the way all of the players have adapted and responded to what I have asked of them and I am sure they will reap the benefits of their efforts during the season.”

New Zealand international Abby Erceg has been named captain, compatriot Anne Green is set for her WWL debut and American-born striker Ashleigh Gunning returns for her second season with Adelaide United.

With 100 caps between Erceg and Green, their experience will be invaluable in a squad which includes 10 players under 21, including Emma Checker, Grace Henry and Ebony Philcox who have recently toured New Zealand with the Westfield Australia U17 squad.

“Abby and Anna bring a lot of experience and obviously a lot of quality too but this is a team game and they can only be successful as part of that team,” Edmondson said.

“All of the squad will play its part and the team culture that is developing will be an important factor in the teams performance this season. The International players have 'mucked in' with everyone else and they have been welcomed by the local girls equally which has been fantastic to see and be a part of.”

“Ashleigh has not arrived yet but. I am sure she will be pleasantly surprised by the quality of the squad this season, the way they have gelled and how we are looking to play. If she can continue her form from last season and more recently her form in Sweden I am sure she will add to the squad when she arrives.”

Adelaide United will be looking to improve on past season’s results and Edmondson revealed the Lady Reds have set some positive goals for the upcoming campaign.

“The goals the players set were based around playing an enjoyable and positive style of football, to work hard and to improve every time we step out onto the training field and in every game we play,” he said.
Adelaide United v Canberra United
Saturday 22 October
Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
Local kick-off: 1.45pm
Adelaide United squad:  20. Kristi HARVEY (Gk), 2. Ruth WALLACE, 3. Anna GREEN, 4. Daniela DI BARTOLO, 5. Abby ERCEG (C), 6. Ebony PHILCOX, 7. Racheal QUIGLEY, 8. Leanne SLATER, 9. Marijana RAJCIC, 12. Greta FRENCH-KENNEDY, 13. Vanessa REED, 14. Donna COCKAYNE, 15. Emma CHECKER, 16. Grace HENRY, 17. Katherine EBBS, 18. Georgia MACRI, 19. Nenita BURGESS
*two to be omitted*
Unavailable: 1. Sian MCLAREN (injured), 10. Angela FIMMANO (injured), 11. Ashleigh GUNNING (overseas)
Canberra United squad: 1. Lydia WILLIAMS (Gk), 2. Caitlin COOPER, 4. Christine WALTERS, 6. Caitlin MUNOZ, 7. Ellie BRUSH, 8. Hayley RASO, 9. Grace GILL, 10. Snez VELJANOVSKA, 11. Michelle HEYMAN, 13. Nicole SYKES, 14. Ashleigh SYKES, 15. Sally SHIPARD, 18. Taryn HEMMINGS, 19. Jennifer BISSET, 20. Aroon CLANSEY (Gk)

Unavailable: Leah BLAYNEY (Injured), Ellyse PERRY (Cricket Commitments)

Finding the net!

Adelaide Lady Reds find the back of the net (twice) in a very tough final hit out before the opening W League game of the season.

Today saw the Lady Reds facing Tony Vidmar's SA U14 Boys side, 'fresh' from their impressive performance in Coffs Harbour at the National Championships. This was always going to be a very tough game with the well drilled and technically proficient boys side strong favourites to win the game. 

The Lady Reds, trialled Brisbane keeper Lara Boon with a view to finalising the one tbc spot in the squad and she was busy early on in the game with the girls carelessly conceding possession from the back. Having looked solid at the back last weekend this start was disappointing to say the least! The slow start was punished by the boys and falling behind early was not the way we wanted to start the game. Some passages of play hinted at much more positive signs to come but too often we rushed passes or just lacked the patience to keep the ball, or our shape. A couple of soft goals followed and could have led to the side losing confidence and belief, but this a stronger bunch of young women than that and despite being 4-0 down at half time hopes remained high.

A couple of personnel changes and tactical tweaks at half time led to a much brighter start to the second half and the confidence in possession visibly grew. Grace Henry impressed in a slightly unfamiliar role in the centre of midfield and MJ was becoming a real threat up front. As our share of possession increased and as we were able to show greater patience, so the chances started to come. A couple of half chances slipped by but after some good build up play involving the majority of the team MJ found space with a great first touch and smashed the ball past the keeper into the top corner of the net, registering the Lady Reds 'first' goal in anger.

Following this goal MJ and the whole side relaxed further and began to play some lovely football, stringing passes together and showing much more patience and confidence. Anna Green started to link well with Daniela Di Bartolo and MJ, Racheal Quigley and Grace Henry started to find each other with some quick easy passes keeping the boys pegged back and under pressure. This pressure led to a corner which found its way out to Emma Checker 40yds out from goal. Emma's first touch saw her beat the pressuring defender and from 30yds out she struck an unstoppable shot that ripped into the back of the net to make the score 4-2 and reward the Lady Reds for their improved showing.

After the second goal two more chances resulted in good saves from the boy's keeper and a couple of near misses from Anna Green, Abby Erceg and Racheal Quigley while a good tackle just prevented MJ from grabbing her second of the game. The girls were now playing some very good football, were dominating possession and with Kristi Harvey now in goal were looking fairly comfortable. Unfortunately, we could not find a third goal and conceded a 5th in the dying minutes to make the final score 2-5.

Despite the scoreline, again there were many positives to be taken from this game, namely the goals scored and especially the more controlled 2nd half performance. MJ looked sharp and dangerous up front, there is real competition for starting roles throughout the midfield and the back four, with Ruth Wallace set to return this week, looks like it could develop a good understanding. 

After two very tough games against excellent boys sides, this week will see the focus switch to preparing for the first competitive W League game of the season against Canberra next Saturday at Hindmarsh.

I'm sure that the girls would love as much support next weekend as possible out at Hindmarsh for the first game in this new era of Adelaide United Lady Reds, so I hope to see and hear as many of you as possible cheering the team on.

Team:

Lara Boon - triallist (Kristi Harvey), Emma Checker, Nenita Burgess (Greta French-Kennedy), Abby Erceg (capt), Anna Green, Ebony Philcox (Katherine Ebbs), Leanne Slater, Racheal Quigley, Donna Cockayne (Grace Henry), Georgia Macri (Daniela Di Bartolo), Vanessa Reed (Marijana Rajcic)

Squad Named

So here it is, the 2011/12 Adelaide United Lady Reds Squad:
Sian McLaren, Ruth Wallace, Anna Green, Daniela Di Bartolo, Abby Erceg (capt), Ebony Philcox, Racheal Quigley, Leanne Slater, Marijana Rajcic, Angela Fimmano, Ashleigh Gunning, Greta French-Kennedy, Vanessa Reed, Donna Cockayne, Emma Checker, Grace Henry, Katherine Ebbs, Georgia Macri, Nenita Burgess, Kristi Harvey.

http://www.ffsa.com.au/

Interview

Here is a link to an interview on The Women's Game.

http://www.thewomensgame.com/index.php/w-league/item/179-meet-the-coach-david-edmondson

Looking forward to the squad being named tomorrow.

UPDATE

Since my arrival in Adelaide 4 weeks ago, a squad of upto 40 players have been training together with the aim of making the final 20 to be named in the W League Squad for 2011/12.
The ladies have been working extremely hard to develop their fitness and to understand the game plan we are going to play this season and I am very pleased with the progress we are making as a team.
After a hard week of training focusing on developing our fitness we had a pre-season hit out against Para Hills Knights U15 Boys. The boys were league champions last season and many have gone on to play U17 and U19 Football so this was always going to be a very difficult test for the Lady Reds.
The game started at a hectic pace with the Lady Reds probably settling the quicker and surprising the boys with their intensity and competitiveness. We created one good early chance but just before she could finish, Rachael Quigley was thwarted by a desperate covering tackle. After this the boys settled and enjoyed a greater share of possession. Despite this the Lady Reds looked solid defensively, with the settling presence of NZ International Abbey Erceg, marshalling the back 4. With half time approaching a lapse in concentration allowed the Para Hills striker too much room on the edge of the box and he unleashed an unstoppable strike into the roof of Kristi Harveys net to give the boys a 1-0 lead. Disappointingly the girls conceded a second almost immediately after carelessly losing possession following the kick off.
2-0 at half time was not really a true reflection of the first half but highlights the importance of concentrating and continuing to play for the full 45 or 90 minutes of a game.
The second half saw almost a complete change in team for the Lady Reds, with only NZ Internationals Abby Erceg and Anna Green playing the full 90 minutes. Despite the changes, which saw a number of younger players representing the Lady Reds, the game followed a similar pattern with the girls producing 1 or 2 half chances but failing to put them away, whilst looking pretty solid at the back.
The final score of 3-0 was probably a fair reflection of the game and the standard of the boys but there were many encouraging signs from the Lady Reds.
Team: (1st half)Kristi Harvey, Greta French-Kennedy, Nenita Burgess, Abby Erceg, Anna Green, Jodi Bruce, Leanne Slater, Rachael Quigley (Katherine Ebbs), Donna Cockayne, Marijana Rajcic, Georgia Macri.
Team: (2nd half)Sarah Willacy, Roushan Walsh (Greta French-Kennedy), Abby Erceg, Laura Johns, Anna Green, Jess Nagel, Katherine Ebbs (Rachael Quigley), Maddie De Rou, Danielle Di Bartolo, Bec Souter, Vanessa Reed.

Welcome

Welcome to the new blog of Adelaide United Lady Reds.

Adelaide United Lady Reds will compete in the W League this season, starting with a home game at Hindmarsh on the 22nd October vs Canberra.

We hope you will be there to support the girls!