Adelaide United captain Craig Goodwin has called for perspective and resilience following the disappointing home defeat to Central Coast Mariners on Sunday, urging the playing group to quickly shift focus and respond in Wellington this weekend.
“It was obviously very disappointing,” Goodwin said. “You never want to lose a game, but to lose at home and in the manner that we did hurts. That said, it’s one we have to put aside and move forward.”
Speaking with calm authority, the skipper pointed to recent experiences that underline the importance of response over reaction.
“We had a similar situation in pre-season against Melbourne Victory where we were three-nil down inside 15 minutes,” he said. “We swept it aside, kept working, kept improving – and that’s exactly what we have to do again now.”
Goodwin explained that the review process remains consistent regardless of the result.
“Whether you win or lose, you critique it the same way,” he said. “You look at what you did right, what you did wrong, and where you can improve. Then you work on those areas during the week and make sure the next performance is better.”
As captain, Goodwin acknowledged the importance of honest conversations within the group, particularly given the context of a disrupted squad.
“We spoke on the recovery day and at halftime,” he said. “When you realistically look at the situation, we had seven players missing – international duty, injuries – and if you take seven starters out of any team in the world, you’re going to struggle at times.”
With several young players called upon, Goodwin stressed the balance between support and accountability.
“We’re absolutely behind the young boys – they’re quality players,” he said. “But sometimes when things go wrong early, and everything seems to happen in the first 15 or 20 minutes, it’s hard to recover. That’s a harsh lesson, but it’s one they can grow from. Having those experiences early can make you stronger.”
Despite the setback, Goodwin was clear that the bigger picture remains intact.
“We can turn this around this week,” he said. “We’re still in a good position if you look at the table realistically. One win changes everything, and we can’t sit here and mope about a bad night.”
The captain also included himself in the assessment, acknowledging that standards must lift across the board.
“None of us can say we were at our best, myself included,” he said. “Football can punish you quickly – moments can change in seconds – but it’s about how you respond.”
For Goodwin, the message is simple: resilience, perspective, and action.
“We have to recover, perform well, and move forward,” he said. “That’s the responsibility we all share.”
With another match just days away against Wellington, Adelaide United’s focus is firmly on response – guided by a captain determined to lead from the front.
