Memories of a sea of green bucket hats, the cheers of fans reverberating around Viking Park, and loved ones watching on are what four Canberra United debutants will be holding on to for round two on the road.
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Four players debuted for Canberra in its 1-0 loss to Melbourne City last Friday night, including Holly Caspers, Ally Haran, Chelsee Washington and Alexia Karrys-Stahl.
There were a few familiar faces in the crowd for Caspers during her debut, including her two sisters, partner and friends.
"I definitely had a lot of support coming from my friends in Sydney, as well as Griffith," she said.
"They really surprised me, I didn't know a few of them were coming down. So it was really good to have that support when I went on the field and when I came off.
"When I got on the field, I was just really excited to get on, so I didn't really have a lot of nerves but once I realised I was like, 'Oh my goodness, this is my debut'."
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The Sydney Uni SFC player had gotten a taste of the expectations for the ALW at her NPL club, playing alongside fellow United players Emma Ilijoski and Laura Hughes.
It was a dream realised for Caspers after an ACL injury late in 2019 at the World University Games made her hungry for an A-League Women's debut.
The 21-year-old subbed on for Michelle Heyman in the 74th minute.
"It was such a surreal moment," she said on her debut.
"Everyone was so supportive.
"It was a bit disappointing that we didn't come away with the win but everyone was still supportive of each other and congratulating everyone.
"The fans were so incredible. Every time our team got the ball it was just the biggest cheer from the crowd. I think that makes a real big difference, especially in a game where it was nil-all in the first half."
United newcomers Margot Robinne and Chloe Middleton also earned their maiden caps in green on Friday and were set to travel to play their next match against Adelaide United on Sunday.
Despite the home-ground advantage Viking Park brought United, Caspers said they were ready for their first away game of the 2021-22 season.
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Isobel Cootes
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
Sports reporter at The Canberra Times. A Novocastrian with a passion for football (or soccer as they call it in the capital) via The Examiner and The Port Lincoln Times.
