Impetus’ Ava-Marianne Elliot reports on Canberra United and Central Coast Mariners press conferences ahead of their upcoming matches.
Canberra United
by Ava-Marianne Elliot
Coming off the back of their 1-0 away win at Wellington Phoenix, Canberra United are aiming to make it three for three in their opening run. This weekend, they face Adelaide United at home, and the task of obtaining the three points will be no easy feat.
One key thing Canberra have been working on across the opening three fixtures and their pre-season has been their defensive performances. Head coach Antoni Jagarinec outlined that the goals will inevitably come with such quality forwards, but not conceding as many shots as last season could make the difference in the long haul. Last weekend against Phoenix, the effort paid off as the side kept a clean sheet.
Ahead of their clash with a well-structured Adelaide, Jagarinec said the squad is mostly fresh and fit, however there is one concern in Aideen Keane. After picking up a knock in last weekend’s match, whether Keane will be match-fit is ‘touch and go.’ The young midfielder is being given until the last minute to prove her fitness, however if she is deemed unable to play this weekend, it’ll be a huge loss for Canberra.
Alongside Jagarinec, Michelle Heyman also addressed the media, who further discussed the positivity amongst the squad. She said the spirits were high within the group, and a huge confidence boost had been given from obtaining those three points last weekend, making the long journey well worth it.
“It was incredible to see our defence and how well we’ve been performing in that area, especially compared to that last season where we ended up giving away goals in the last minute”.
Last weekend didn’t just see a win for her side, but another record for Heyman. Her goal saw her become the first ever player in the A-League Women’s to score 100 goals for a single club, however for Heyman, her focus isn’t trained on her personal achievements. “It’s nice, my younger self would be really stoked about it all. I think now that I’m getting older I’m just happy with the three points and continuing to win. I want to win trophies and I want to bring trophies home for Canberra United, so my main focus is to continue to score as many goals as I can, but it’s all for the team”.
Being part of a new frontline, Heyman also spoke on how the new combination is working. “I think we’re all on the same page and we’re very similar footballers as well so, I think we’re making similar runs all the time which is nice too”. For her, the experience of being part of a completely new front four has been exciting, and the rest of the season is looking positive.
Central Coast Mariners
by Ava-Marianne Elliot
Last weekend, Central Coast Mariners were held to a goalless draw away at Western United. In their upcoming fixture against Melbourne City, Head Coach Emily Husband outlined the importance of capitalising on opportunities in a difficult draw.
Regarding the result against Western United, Husband said “there were areas where we definitely could’ve been better, and should’ve been better”. Ultimately, walking away with a clean sheet and a point was a positive result, despite it not being the best case scenario.
The squad have been putting in the hard work, and Husband has hope the effort will translate to the pitch so that they start to see results consistently across the season. “Look, I can’t speak highly enough of them. At the end of the day everything we’re asking them to do they’re doing, it’s just then implementing it and obviously still getting to know a few of the new faces and integrating those into the team”.
With City next up, it’s a difficult fixture to head into as the away side. “We know that Melbourne City will always be one of the top teams up there, so for us it’s always about going there and making sure we’re competitive”. Since City are such a strong side, Mariners will have to have an element of bravery, and take their chances in and out of possession to attempt to match the home side.
To round off, Husband spoke on Jessika Nash and the impact she’s had so far as a newcomer. “She’s one who always wants to learn and always wants to improve and that’s the type of player we want within our squad”.
Reflecting on last week’s performance, Nash spoke on how the point was gladly taken against Western United. Heading into their game against City, Mariners will be striving to walk away with all three. Leading into the game with two strong performances behind them, there are a lot of positives to take. “With the team and the standards that we hold, we want to get three points week in and week out so for us it’s a reflection, and how can we improve that for the next week”.
When asked about how she’s finding life with Central Coast Mariners and how she’s fitting in with the squad, Nash expressed how much she’s enjoying being part of the team. “I’m absolutely loving it here on the Coast. The girls and the coaching staff, if not just the whole entire club it’s truly a family and for me you play your best football when you’re happy and enjoying it, so for me it’s been incredible”.
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