Adelaide United’s Women’s Team will head to the Queensland Sports & Athletics Centre to take on the Queensland Roar on Saturday 25 October 2008 in the highly anticipated opening round of the inaugural Westfield W-League.
Reds Women-s Team Coach Michael Barnett took his squad through a light training session at Hindmarsh Stadium this afternoon ahead of the team-s first official match, the group eager to start the season off in winning fashion.
Barnett says the girls are looking forward to competing in the new competition and believes it will provide them with an excellent opportunity to showcase their skills on the national stage.
“We-re ready to go, they are all very excited and everyone has really been hanging out for Round 1 so it-s going to be fantastic,” Barnett said.
“The first message to the girls will be to go out and enjoy the experience. It will be fantastic just for the fact that they are playing at this level and will be seen by everybody.”
Leading the on field charge for United-s Women-s Team is Captain Di Alagich, the former Matildas veteran of 86 national caps and sister of retired United defender Richie Alagich part of a squad boasting a promising mix of youth and experience.
The Reds also have the services of current Matilda-s striker Vicki Balomenos, who is fresh back from Vietnam after Australia-s win in the ASEAN Football Federation Championships, where she netted five goals in three games.
Balomenos is likely to be partnered up front alongside young Canberra based ACTAS squad member Stephanie Tokich, who will be keen to impress at national level, Barnett saying the strike partnership has the potential to be one of the most potent in the W-League.
Heading into the season, Barnett emphasised the importance of his team setting a high standard and emulating the success of The Reds- Hyundai A-League squad.
“These girls are going to be representing this State and Adelaide United. We-ve seen the success of the A-League team and we want to embrace those cultures through the women-s team as well, so I-ve got a responsibility to get them to perform at a good level and hopefully we do,” said Barnett.
Local Queenslander Sarah Amorim will go up against her home state, the 29 year old ready to show her skill in the 11 a side game having played for the Australian Futsal team earlier this year.
United-s W-League Team will face a Queensland Roar outfit stacked with current Westfield Matildas, but The Reds will be ready to match it with all of the seven fancied opponents throughout the 10 round season.
“There is no doubt that the eastern states are fairly strong because they have got the majority of the Matildas but there is nothing wrong with having the underdog status,” Barnett said.
“I feel that with the squad we-ve assembled now, we-ve got a good blend of youth and experience and we-ll be very competitive.”
Coinciding with the start of the Westfield W-League season, Adelaide United is also proud to announce Airport Travel Centre as The Reds- W-League Team-s front of shirt sponsor.
Airport Travel Centre CEO Mel Patzwald said the company was delighted to be associated with Adelaide United-s W-League squad.
“Airport Travel Centre is proud to be affiliated with the best club in the Hyundai A-league and we are looking to continue our alliance with the club by supporting the biggest women-s sport in the world,” Patzwald said.
“In these historic times we anticipate that our affiliation with Adelaide United-s W-League squad will strengthen our branding in both the corporate and leisure travel market.”
The match against the Queensland Roar on Saturday 25 October kicks off at 5.30pm (ACDT).
The Women-s team-s first home game of the Westfield W-League will be at Hindmarsh Stadium on Friday 31st October 2008 against the Newcastle Jets, the match to be played as a curtain raiser to the Hyundai A-League blockbuster between Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory.
