With Southern United set to play Auckland United to compete for the National League Championship, Southern Captain Rose Morton gave some insights about her teams journey to the final as well as where the team want to go from here. 

How does it feel to make it to the National League Championship Grand Final?

"We're all extremely excited and I think just proud of ourselves for making it this far. And obviously it's our first final that we've made and and being a team from the south it's such a special moment and kind of changed the message to New Zealand that we are here to compete."

When did you start to believe a cup final run might be on?

"Only losing 1-0 to Eastern Suburbs. You know, we were kind of surprised, in comparison to that same game from last year. Our first game we lost like 7-1 or something. Then we won 5-0 and we were again surprised by that, but probably the defining game was winning against Western Springs.When we beat them, it filled us with belief that we can actually do this. So it became more and more of a possibility as the weeks went by and now here we are."

Do you have any special mentions for players, coaching staff that made all this possible? 

"Yeah, definitely all the credit to our coaching staff. You know, like I don't think we would be in the final without them because they just create such a family environment and they make us feel so comfortable, they are so welcoming. Down south, it's really important for us to have fun and they really, really understand that while also making sure we work hard and get the most out of sessions too."

You have played Auckland United once and it was a draw, what did you learn from that?

"They're a team that we obviously knew not to underestimate and they showed their quality. I think we scored a goal somewhat, relatively early on. We tried holding out and they made that virtually impossible because their attacking threat is so, so strong and they ended up scoring."

"It's going to be a really exciting match up. I think it's kind of cool that we drew in our first game because now we actually don't know what will happen next. I don't know what to expect, but all I know is that it's going to be such a good game and I'm looking forward to it."
 

Credit: Photosport

As captain how do you help to prepare players for the final? 

"Just appreciating each person and what they prefer and respecting that and then just trying to bring the best I can out of them. And usually on the field you'll hear me, I'm very loud. I just like to encourage and encourage and encourage."

"We only say positive things we're never getting snarky. Once you've made a mistake, you know you've made a mistake. You don't need people to tell you. So for us it's about just keeping everything positive and I think that helps the morale a lot."

You have one of the top goalscorers in the National League in Amy Hislop, how proud are you of her performances this year in helping the team get to the final?

"You know, she's a huge attacking threat for us up front,  I think that showed in the amount of goals she has scored.  I think that's what we've kind of been lacking the previous year, a nine that's strong and commands the ball and wants to score and I think she kind of embodies what a nine should be."

What do you think you will bring to the final that might help you win it all?

"We're known for our spirit and our relentless attitude and we fight for each other and we fight hard and we play for each other. I think that really shows in how we play. And no matter what's happening, we're doing it for each other and we're going to fight really hard come the final."

The Women's National League Championship Grand Final kicks off at 4pm. 
Sunday Novermber 26, at Go Media Stadium Mt Smart. get your tickets here: https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/shows/show.aspx?sh=NZFNLC23

Stream the women's National League Grand Final Live and Free on FIFA+ at https://www.plus.fifa.com/en/content/auckland-united-v-southern-united-national-league-womens-final-2023-livestream/34c79cbe-1312-4397-aa13-6c254f760263

Article added: Friday 24 November 2023