Fiona Worts says playing a standalone match at Coopers Stadium to celebrate International Women’s Day is a moment the Adelaide United Ninja A-League squad is proud to be part of.
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After a strong run of results, the Reds return home this Friday night for a special fixture at Coopers Stadium, with Worts hopeful fans will pack the stands to celebrate the occasion.
“Coopers is a very special stadium to play at,” Worts said.
“And as a women’s football team, you go through a lot to try and earn the right to have these opportunities.
“So to have a standalone game there for International Women’s Day means a lot to the group.”
Adelaide United head into the clash in strong form, having picked up seven wins from their last nine matches.
For Worts, the timing couldn’t be better.
“I think it’s great to keep picking up points,” she said.
“It’s getting towards the end of the season now and you can see how close you are to something really good happening.
“So every point we pick up is massive.”
Despite a disrupted start to the campaign with injuries and changes around the squad, the Reds have continued to grow stronger as the season has progressed.
“We probably had a little bit of a dodgy start,” Worts admitted.
“There were a lot of changes and a new coach, so there were things to get used to.
“But you could always see the quality in the group. We just maybe weren’t picking up the points at the time.
“Now it’s really when it counts, heading into the back end of the season.”
One of the team’s biggest strengths, Worts believes, has been the depth across the squad.
With players stepping up whenever called upon, the Reds have continued to deliver strong performances week after week.
“We’ve got very good depth,” she said.
“Even the players that aren’t travelling or that are sitting in the stands, we’d back them all to start games in our team.
“So it doesn’t really matter who you put on the pitch — we’ve got the quality to win these games.”
As the season approaches its final stages, Worts says the team is staying focused on a simple approach.
“One game at a time,” she said.
“Obviously you can see finals and the premiership in sight, but if you don’t pick up the points on the weekend, that can all change quickly.
“So the focus is just winning each game and seeing where that takes us.”
Now, attention turns to Friday night’s International Women’s Day celebration at Coopers Stadium – an occasion Worts hopes the South Australian football community will embrace.
“Whether you’ve been out supporting us all season or you’ve never seen a game before, we’d love to see as many people there as possible,” she said.
“As many people as we can get in that stadium is great for us and great for the sport.”
