Adelaide United Women will take centre stage at Coopers Stadium on Saturday night. Head coach Adrian Stenta is urging fans to stay and watch their history-making side continue on their way to a likely Finals Series berth in 2024/25.
Adelaide United have had plenty of reasons to celebrate during the 2024/25 A-League Women's season. (Image: Brock Pearson Photography)
Adelaide United entered the 2024/25 A-League Women's season after a dreadful 2023/24 campaign that saw the club finish bottom with the worst scoring and defensive record.
When CEO Nathan Kosmina stated that the side's goal was qualifying for the Finals Series, eyebrows were raised throughout the women's football community at the standards set for a struggling side that has only made that cut once in its history. Astonishingly, even his expectations have been surpassed by a rampaging Reds side in season 2024/25.
With 17 games played, the Reds sit in third place, seven points away from the competition's summit and with one less game played than pace-setters Melbourne City.
In stark contrast to last season, Adrian Stenta's side boasts the third-best scoring record and fourth-best defence in the competition while amid a club-record 10 games unbeaten.
When asked if he could foresee such a turnaround, Stenta praised his players.
"I've got a pretty vivid imagination, so nothing surprises me!" he joked, speaking to Front Page Football after the side's last home game against Canberra United.
"The credit has to go to the players. They've been awesome since day one. They've been outstanding, and I can't speak highly enough of them, and a lot of those players were here last year as well. So it's a real credit to them that they've been able to turn things around the way they have."
The team has shown resilience in adversity, something lacking in previous years, and the ability to dominate sides. Fans only have to look to Adelaide's most recent performance away at the Wellington Phoenix to see their team winning comfortably by dominating a game and creating an excess of chances.
It is no secret that the Adelaide United players relish playing at Coopers Stadium.
This year, on International Women's Day, the club and the APL have inverted the traditional double-header structure, putting the men's team on first against Brisbane Roar at 4:35 pm local time before giving the main stage to the women's side taking on Central Coast Mariners at 7:15 pm.
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While this has been trialled in other states, this is a first in South Australia on the A-Leagues stage, and coach Adrian Stenta is imploring fans to stay behind to reward his side for their success this season.
"I really hope they (the fans) take the opportunity to stick around. We've played in some games in Melbourne, where we've been the second game, and it's not a great sight to see fans leaving early," he shared candidly.
"We think that we're worth watching. We think that we're an entertaining team. One thing we can promise the fans is that no matter the result at the end of the day, we'll always leave everything out there on the park."
Adelaide United have previously drawn big crowds at Coopers. But arguably, they've never had a team as deep, organised, and assured in its ability and position in the league.
Coming up against a fellow Finals Series aspirer in the Central Coast Mariners will surely be an entertaining show for anyone who dedicates time to supporting their local women's team on Saturday night.
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