One of the first eight clubs to play in the A-League Women’s competition in 2008, Adelaide United are yet to win a league title. Could this season be the one?
Last season…
A-League Women: 3rd
Finals: Semi-finals
They’ll win the league because…
Last season, they finished an impressive 3rd out of the 10 teams and made the semi-final. From late January to late February, they won six of their last eight league games with two defeats in between. Adelaide show that they have come close before. Scoring the second highest amount of goals last season, Adelaide can finish their chances.
Having made a few changes to the squad for this season, head coach Adrian Stenta will be hoping that this doesn’t affect his squad in a negative way. Two notable signings are up top as Adelaide look to stamp their authority in the goal scoring charts once again. The signings of Chinese striker Xiao Yuyi and former striker Chelsie Dawber both on loan are sure to have an impact.
Both strikers have scored a solid amount of goals over the years with Yuyi scoring the winning goal in China’s 3-2 comeback win over South Korea in the Women’s AFC Asian Cup final back in February this year. Dawber scored 10 goals in 15 games for Adelaide last season before joining National Women’s Soccer League side Chicago Red Stars. With these two now to link up with last season’s league top goal-scorer Fiona Worts, Adelaide are going to be a threat up top.
They’ll be cellar dwellers because…
Despite an impressive 2021/22 season where it was Adelaide United’s best season to date, they suffered the most defeats out of the top five.
Even though they didn’t draw a single game last season, they lost five games and only won nine of them. Adelaide also conceded the third most goals out of the top five, conceding 18 times.
It’s not that bad, but league winners Melbourne City conceded 13 goals, while runners-up Sydney FC conceded the fewest with six. A real worry for Adelaide fans. They have also lost a load of players who were part of that impressive season last time out.
With Stenta mainly focusing on strengthening the attacking department, there only have been a few defensive purchases made. The signings of Meisha Westland from Melbourne City, Jenna McCormack from Danish top-tier side AGF and Dutchwoman Maruschka Waldus from PSV in the Netherlands are sure to help, but is it enough? It’s a interesting play by Stenta to only focus on an attacking department which has already shown to be strong rather than on the defensive side of things.
Talk around the water cooler…look smart in front of your colleagues with this valuable piece of information
Adelaide never made a finals series prior to last season with only the top three teams progressing to a semi-final showdown. Since the first season of the women’s competition in 2008, their best finishing position was fifth before their third-place finish in 2021/22.
The off-season brought
Strength.
Adelaide already had an impressive attacking lineup last campaign, but Stenta has only gone and added to that with the additions of Yuyi and Dawber on loan to partner Worts. Worts spent the off-season playing in Norway for LSK Kvinner FC in the top-flight.
With these three up top, Adelaide are sure to challenge the current league holders Melbourne City and also runners-up Sydney FC who had the best attack in the A-League Women last season.
Key player
Fiona Worts.
It’s a straight-forward pick, you can’t go past the league’s top goalscorer in 2021/22. With 13 goals in 14 games, Worts started all 14 matches and played the 90 minutes in all of those matches. Yes she will have competition this season with Yuyi and Dawber’s arrivals, but it won’t stop her from making headlines in the competition this year.
One to watch
Chelsie Dawber.
At only 22, she’s already a household name. Having played for Adelaide United last season, she was picked up by Chicago Red Stars in the US Women’s competition.
The league is filled with star players such as Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe.
Even though she has only made three appearances for Chicago, she proved in the 2021/22 A-League Women’s season that she can score goals. With the challenge of Fiona Worts, it’s only going to add more motivation for Dawber to prove to Chicago that she is a prolific goal-scorer.
Ins: Chelsie Dawber (Chicago Red Stars on loan), Leia Varley (scholarship), Emilia Murray (scholarship), Grace Wilson (amateur), MelindaJ Barbieri (Melbourne Victory), Katie Bowler (scholarship), Sasha Coorey (scholarship), Jenna Farrow (South Melbourne), Jenna McCormick (AGF), Zoe Tolland (scholarship), Maruschka Waldus (PSV), Meisha Westland (Melbourne City), Xiao Yuyi (Shanghai Shengli on loan)
Outs: Miranda Elizabeth, Matilda McNamara, Kayla Sharples, Emma Stanbury, Leia Varley, Grace Samantha, Shadeene Evans, Georgia Beaumont
Full squad list
Goalkeepers: Annalee Grove, Grace Wilson, Jenna Farrow
Defenders: Emily Hodgson, Ella Tonkin, Leia Varley, Jenna McCormick, Zoe Tolland, Maruschka Waldus
Midfielders: Emma Stanbury, Reona Omiya, Natasha Brough, Emily Condon, Nanako Sasaki, Meleri Mullan, Dylan Holmes, Emilia Murray, MelindaJ Barberi, Sasha Coorey, Meisha Westland, Xiao Yuyi
Forwards: Paige Hayward, Chelsie Dawber, Isabel Hodgson, Fiona Warts, Katie Bowler
Featured image credit: Jordan Trombetta
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