Adelaide United midfielder Dylan Holmes is urging South Australians to pack Coopers Stadium this Sunday for the biggest match in the history of the Club’s Women’s team — a Semi Final showdown against Melbourne Victory.
Tickets are now on sale for the ‘Original Rivalry’ blockbuster, which kicks off at 3:30pm on Sunday, 4 May. A place in the Ninja A-League Women’s Grand Final is up for grabs, and the Reds are calling on fans to help make history.
“This moment has been 17 years in the making,” Holmes said. “We’ve been building toward this as a Club, and now we finally get the chance to host a home Semi Final — against our biggest rivals, on the biggest stage.”
Holmes, who recently reached her 100-game milestone for the Reds, believes the group is ready for the challenge and hopes to see the stands filled with red. “The support we’ve had at Coopers this season has been incredible, and we want to take it to another level on Sunday. This game is huge. If you love football, if you love this city — come and be part of it.”
After a gutsy 1-0 win over Western United last weekend, Holmes said the team is full of belief but hungry to raise their level even further. “I think we can be really proud of our defensive game on the weekend. Claudia had a fantastic game. Our centre backs were great, and we dealt with a lot. But at the same time, we know we can be better — and that’s exciting.”
Holmes acknowledged that the Reds hadn’t beaten Victory this season but felt they had every reason to be confident. “In both games we played against them, there have been some small moments that changed the game in their favour. We’ve left both games feeling like we really could beat Melbourne Victory when the time comes — and now that time has come.”
For many players in the squad, this will be their first experience of a two-legged Semi Final, but Holmes said the group is mentally prepared. “I think we’re much better prepared for this finals series than we were three years ago. We’ve had time to settle, to grow, and to get ready for a moment like this. It’s a new challenge — but one we’re really excited about.”
Adelaide United Head Coach Adrian Stenta echoed Holmes’ sentiments, saying the team has been building for this all season. “We’ve only lost two games in the last 17,” he said. “We’ve put the work in. We know what we’re capable of.”
Stenta confirmed Chelsie Dawber and Erin Healy are fit and available, and said there’s no holding back. “We’ve managed both of those players really carefully over the last month with this exact game in mind. They’re ready to be unleashed.”
The coach said all focus is on delivering a big performance in front of the home crowd, with the second leg not even entering the team’s mindset yet. “We’re keen to play in front of our supporters here at home, and we really want to get something out of this game. We just want to put in a really strong performance at this fantastic venue and in front of as many supporters as we can get.”
Adelaide United is hoping to break its all-time standalone Women’s match attendance record of 5,159, and Holmes had a clear message for fans. “I urge everybody that remotely likes football to come to the stadium. Our games are a fun experience. We play a really nice brand of football. The crowds are great. The atmosphere is amazing. This is the moment to show up.”
Tickets are available now via Ticketek, with priority access for members and general public sales now open.
