Impetus’ Genevieve Henry and Ryan Miller-Woods report from A-League Women media conferences (3/11/23).
Adelaide United
by Genevieve Henry
Adelaide United’s Maruschka Waldus is potentially available for the first time this season for the South Australian club as they prepare to face Melbourne Victory tomorrow.
The Dutch defender has not yet featured for Adelaide this season due to injury. Waldus had to get surgery on her foot as well as struggling with her leg in the off-season. The Reds certainly could have used the experienced defender in their winless first two games of the season.
Asked about her struggle with injury, Waldus said, “I was hoping I would be ready by the time the season started…I’ve always said day by day and focused on my recovery.” Although she said, “It’s hard to watch from the sidelines…” Waldus made sure to put energy into supporting her teammates and being there for them in a tough time.”
On the international break that scheduled a gap in between games, Waldus shared that it was good to get a rest and regroup before going forward. With the team struggling to get results in these early stages, the break could prove to be vital. “We had an internal game so we could work on tactics to define our game plan better,” Waldus said. She admitted to feeling a bit rusty in her first minutes back playing but felt it was a good place to start. “I felt a little bit like a grandma,” she said with a laugh.
On their first away trip of the season, Adelaide will be hoping to secure their first three points of the 2023-24 campaign. Their opponents, Melbourne Victory, were prophesied to have a shining season, but have failed to get any points so far. Both the ninth-placed Reds and the eleventh-placed Victory will be fighting to prove their worth.
While Waldus is unsure if she will feature in Saturday’s match, she has been training with the squad every day this week. “I just want the best squad to travel, so we’ll see if I’m ready or not.”
Wellington Phoenix
by Ryan Miller-Woods
Mariana Speckmaier and Macey Fraser spoke to the media ahead of the team’s game against Brisbane Roar tomorrow.
Wellington so far this season has looked very strong in all aspects with competitive displays against Melbourne City and Western Sydney Wanderers respectively to open their campaign.
Despite having had a disrupted pre-season, Speckmaier, who joined from NWSL side Washington Spirit, has looked great in attack in her first two league matches with the Phoenix. Her spatial awareness and her role in the making of chances have been crucial. In their most recent match, she managed to score her first goal for the club against the Wanderers.
Being at Wellington has given Speckmaier a chance to show what she has got in an environment and league where giving players opportunities is highly encouraged.
With the opportunities the Phoenix provides Speckmaier in comparison to her previous clubs, she said: “The opportunities (at the Phoenix) are probably a lot better for me here, I’m definitely getting more playing time than I was before and I think that’s going to give me the opportunity to show what I’m capable of and show my strengths on the field.”
In terms of how she sees her team’s potential this season, Speckmaier said: “I think everybody has their own goals and what they want to accomplish with this team. I’m sure we definitely want to reach as far as we can. We all have the idea that we 100% have the potential to go as far as any other team in this league.”
In the match against Western Sydney Wanderers, Fraser was arguably The Nix’s best player with her runs on the ball and overall contributions were really great to watch which included a goal on her A-League Women’s debut.
It would have been a pleasing performance for head coach Paul Temple, given the pair’s time together at the club’s Academy.
When asked about how much it has helped to have a very familiar face in Temple with making that step-up to the A-League Women, Fraser said: “A lot! He’s been great for myself and my confidence. The football he’s implementing here is really good. We keep the ball and we can move forward with it. It’s the best way to play, in my opinion.”
Throughout Wellington’s A-League history, the quality has been there from the beginning with certain players, it is just some inconsistencies that have proved their undoing. But given how Wellington has started this season, things could be different.
In terms of priorities for the season, Fraser identified: “I think at the end of the day, what matters is that we’re winning games but of course, we want to play good football.”
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