Will they start the 2021-22 season the same way they started the last, with last-minute goals to secure points?

Canberra United head coach Vicki Linton is hoping the last-minute attribute will be one thing they leave behind this A-League Women's campaign.

But they will look to keep something else - the culture.

"If I look back and see some of those photos that come up ... from last season, the joy the players had on their face brings a smile to mine," Linton said.

"It's evident. You saw it in the way the players exhibited themselves. You could see how much it meant to them to play for Canberra, and that they were going to put every effort in to win the game, how they backed each other up in ... it wasn't just one person, they would do it for each other, they had each other's backs. And you saw it in our results. You saw it in that we made top four, that's the only way I can describe it.

"It's actually palpable when you are at those games, and the crowd fed off that, right, and the crowd gave me that feedback and the players that feedback ... but you can see it in those photos on their faces."

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United will kick things off against Melbourne City, before they go on the road to face Adelaide United and Perth Glory.

In the opening rounds of the 2020-21 season, United began their campaign with a narrow 4-3 defeated of Adelaide after two extra time goals. They then scored an extra-time goal in their next fixture to make it 2-1 against City and walk away with three points.

In round three and four they fought back from 1-0 deficits against Brisbane Roar and Glory to claim one point in both fixtures.

While Linton is hoping the 14-player squad, so far, can put away results earlier and be more in command in the opening games this season, she said it did show their character.

"I actually never felt that we were out of a game, and the players gave me that confidence. It was 90 to 92nd minute but I didn't feel like, 'Oh it's done' ... I felt we were still in those games, and I think that holds us in good stead," she said.

"So what are our aspirations this year? Finals football. That's all I'll say, I think my approach is that you aim for top four, and then it's one game at a time. We've got to aim for top four in a competition of 10."

As people wonder whether the side can match the 2020-21 season's result, it seems Linton is the right person to steer the ship. After she was named the ACT's NPLW coach of the year for her work with the United Academy.

In the men's competition, West Canberra Wanderers FC head coach Ulisses da Silva took out the top honour. He led the side for the 2020 and 2021 seasons but is headed for Queensland next year. Similarly CF's referees of the years were named across the two top leagues, with Aisha Strutt taking out the NPLW and Bruno Kehl the NPLM.

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