United Media spoke to Head Coach Theo Tsiounis following Adelaide United’s composed 1–0 victory over Central Coast Mariners at Coopers Stadium on Sunday afternoon. An early second-half strike from Emily Condon proved the difference, as the Reds backed up last week’s win with a mature, disciplined performance to claim consecutive victories and a clean sheet.
On the contrast in tempo compared to last week’s chaotic win
Yeah, definitely, in patches. Credit to Central Coast – they’ve been a very good team throughout the season so far, so it was always going to be a tough game. I thought in passages we played some good football and managed to get into some good areas. There are always things we can tighten up defensively across the field, but overall we’re happy to get the result and the points.
On game management with a 1–0 lead
It’s always pleasing to see different parts of the game plan come to life. Seeing maturity from young players – elite 17-year-olds – being able to manage a game like that is really pleasing. Knowing when to slow the game down and when to speed it up is important. For me, the bigger picture is always about learning and developing individuals so we can stay in a good place over a period of time, not be up and down.
On Illy’s first clean sheet and the defensive unit
She’s a confident young lady and she believes in herself, as does everyone else. I’m super proud of her and really happy for her. But the players in front of her deserve a lot of credit too, for limiting the work she had to do. Without Matilda, Tonks and Zoe in front of her it would be difficult, but she’s been fantastic as part of that back unit.
On naming the same starting XI for a second straight week
It evolves as the season goes on. At the moment, the girls who got the result last week were rewarded again, which is nice for consistency. That consistency helps in terms of understanding roles and responsibilities. But as the season progresses, the team might look different – it’s always assessed week by week.
On Emily Condon’s goal
The message over the last few weeks has been about getting into the right areas, getting in behind and having numbers in the box. Overall, we’ve been good in controlling games in and out of possession. We’ve also been high in terms of big chances missed, so if we improve that area we’ll be in a very different position on the table. There are a lot of positive signs, but there’s still a long way to go and plenty of work to be done.
On the most pleasing aspect of the performance
The grit, emotion and fighting spirit stood out today. That resilience late in the game, when Central Coast were pushing numbers forward, was really pleasing. The determination to hang on was amazing. That’s something we want to keep building, alongside continuing to play through high-intensity moments.
On Zoe Tolland’s 50th appearance
She’s a quiet achiever. She’s been very consistent over a long period of time and worked her way back into the team. She had another strong, consistent game today. She flies under the radar, does her job exceptionally well and she’s been a great person and player for this club. It’s great to see her get that recognition.