Sydney FC 2–0 Western Sydney Wanderers
Report and EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS by Kris Goman
The government regulations and border closures see all teams essentially playing their neighbours to reduce travel and thus we have another Sydney derby on our hands.
This time it’s a Sydney FC home match so we’re at Stadium Australia which is where the final of the 2023 World Cup will be held. Tip for anyone thinking of going to the world cup final, don’t buy tickets behind the goals. You’ll be a long way away from the action.
This is a double header with the A league and, in an interesting twist, the men are playing first instead of the other way around. The crowd for the men’s match is 14,000 and they are only using the lower levels of seating.
The match is notable for some anniversaries with Sydney FC’s Teresa Polias’ 150th match and Western Sydney Wanderers; Caitlin Cooper’s 60th.
The match starts off pretty even. The marking is tight on both sides and the Wanderers have obviously learnt some lessons from their last encounter.
The battle of the Courtney/Cortnee-ies starts off early with a run down the right flank by Vine which ends in a free kick to be taken by Polias. The cross to the back post lands right on Ellie Brush’s head but skims the crossbar.
Soon after the Wanderers get a corner that Nevin takes. The shot towards the back of the box sees possession lost.
The ball is up and down both ends of the field in what starts as a pretty even first quarter. Price gets a good run into the box and is able to shoot but it goes across the goal and out. Another Wanderers corner is wasted with a short corner that ends up going out. A run by Russell gets a pass to Khamis for a shot that is easily gathered by Wyman. Copus-Brown brings the ball down the right and takes a hopeful shot that lands on the roof of the goal.
In the first 20 minutes the Wanderers have looked a bit more threatening with more shots on goal although possession has been pretty even.
There’s another free kick for Polias near the box. She sends it into the middle of the box but it’s cleared by the Wanderers back to Polias who sends it back with a bit more authority this time. Courtney Newbon has to punch it away and Remy Siemsen clocks a hand ball in the process so it’s back with the Wanderers in Sydney’s closest foray so far.
A mid-air clash with Natalie Tobin’s shoulder and Leena Khamis’ head grants Wanderers another free kick. Nevin takes it and Khamis gets her head to it but it’s way off to the left of goal. Following on, Vine ends up with the ball and gets to dance in the box before taking a low shot, safely gathered by Newbon.
Vine creates more havoc down the right for Sydney and is looking very strong in her battles although Nevin seems to have her measure and isn’t letting her get away with too much. Play switches to the other side and Princess Ibini brings the ball into the box. Danika Matos sticks her leg out in an attempt to slow her down but trips her up in the box. Penalty for Sydney. Mackenzie Hawkesby to take it. She sends it low and to the right as Newbon dives to the left. She raises her fist in victory as soon as the ball leaves her foot. She scores and gets her very first W-league goal. 1-0 Sydney.
This is a bit of a blow to the psychology of the Wanderers as they’ve been marginally on top to date.
Vine makes another run into the box and the cross is stopped by Cooper. Vine is looking consistently dangerous in attack. Her next run is foiled by Nevin who’s also having a blinder.
Almost immediately after is the best run of play in the match. There’s videos on Sydney FC’s social media of this and it’s definitely worth watching. Vine again brings it down the right side and sends a beautifully weighted pass to Siemsen in front of goal with Matos closing in. Siemsen takes one touch and it bounces off the right goal post into the path of Ibini who passes back to Hawkesby at the top of the box. She cracks it into the crossbar and it rebounds to Vine and Cooper and Vine sends it over the crossbar. Sensational but ultimately unfruitful and the Wanderers get off lightly.
There feels like a shift to Sydney now since the goal and the pressure is unrelenting. Vine comes into the box once more and takes a direct shot. Cooper steps into the flight path and cops the ball right on the chin. Vine rushes over to check she’s OK. She’s a bit stunned but will live, maybe with a bruise. She clearly doesn’t want to go off but the trainer is inclined otherwise. Wanderers are down to ten players and a turnover sees Ibini with the ball in the box in another battle with Matos. This time it’s guided safely out for a corner.
The corner is cleared as it’s decided Cooper won’t be returning. She’s shaking her head in defiance but higher powers have decided. In the meantime a ball comes through into the box to Vine who puts it at the feet of Siemsen to run onto and it’s just her and Newbon. The shot goes across goal and just to the right of the far goalpost.
Cooper is still protesting that she’s fine but she’s definitely off and Nikola Orgill will replace her just before half time.
Five minutes into the second half, Princess Ibini gets a run down midfield and is followed by Olivia Price who gets caught up in her long legs, causing Ibini to trip which results in a yellow for Price. Teresa Polias takes the free kick but guides it left of goal in a direct shot.
In a turnabout, Nevin takes the ball down the left followed by Courtnee Vine defending this time. The tackle in the box somehow results in a Sydney free kick when it looks like it should have been a Wanderers’ corner. Not sure what the ref saw to arrive there.
Ibini is seeing a bit more action in the second half after a pretty quiet first half and gets a nice pass from Mackenzie Hawkesby in the midfield. She’s in the clear on the left and brings it into the box towards goal when Margaux Chauvet appears out of nowhere with a perfectly timed goal saving tackle to kick the ball out for a corner.
Polias takes the corner and after a bit of bouncing around, it’s safely with Courtney Newbon. After a bit of midfield work, the ball comes to Siemsen who brings it into the box and once again, Chauvet clears it for a corner. She’s stepped up in defence since Cooper has left the field.
Polias’ corner goes to the far post and goes out for another corner. It looks like Ellie Brush headed it out and Leena Khamis, in particular, isn’t impressed with the call. The next shot from Polias goes straight to Brush’s head but lands in Newbon’s gloves. The last ten shots on goal have all been Sydney’s and there’s a clear shift in control of the game since half time.
Wanderers pass it between the backs then back to Newbon who doesn’t quite get the distribution right and places the ball at the feet of Ibini who’s made a rush into the box. She sends it to the left of goal but that could have easily been a very costly mistake.
Ally Green makes a break down the left after a pass from Ibini, she brings it into the box and passes to Siemsen from the left. Newbon blocks it but sends it straight up and it’s cleared off the goal line by Orgill in a spectacular kung fu side kick. Polias takes the corner and sends it to the middle of goal. It touches the crossbar then Newbon gets a hand to push it to the left but it’s on the tip of Brush’s boot which is now chest height and she gets it past Newbon to the back of the net. 2-0 Sydney after a concerted 20 minute attack.
Wanderers have their work cut out for them now. There’s a bit of argy bargy going on between Polias and Khamis and the Wanderers coaches and the lineswoman as a ball that should have been a Wanderers throw in is given to Sydney.
A ball comes down towards Khamis who’s made a break and Brush gets a toenail to it and clears it for a corner. She’s going to need to stretch her hamstrings tonight. Everyone is in front of goal for this corner. It lands right in the middle but Jada Mathyssen-Whyman gets a hand to it and punches it away in her first effort for the half.
Vine has come across to the left and made a run into the box but is repelled and sends it back out to the right to Charlotte McLean who lobs a long shot to Rachel Lowe in the box but she’s offside. The replay shows she wasn’t offside and the refereeing is suddenly starting to look very average. A nice long ball comes through to Georgia Yeoman-Dale (or ‘Yeo-da’ – I’m determined to make this stick!) but the defence are on it before she can work any magic. The throw in comes back into the box but is eventually cleared by Polias but that is intercepted by Danika Matos who has a go but it goes wide to the left. Wanderers seem suddenly invigorated and aren’t giving up.
At 75 minutes Matos gets a nice pass to Julie Russell who runs it down the right. Copus-Brown (Co-Bro?) crosses it but Mathyssen-Wyman plucks it out of the air before Khamis can get there.
At 78 minutes Cortnee Vine is taken off and replaced with Allira Toby. Vine had a knock to her knee a little earlier so it’s probably precautionary but she has had a brilliant game. If she’d scored she would have definitely got player of the match and she’s certainly gone up quite a few notches in my estimation as I had a front row view of her first half work.
After some spirited midfield play Lowe tries a little dink over but it’s straight to Newbon. She clears it and soon after it’s back with Ibini who runs it into the box and shoots. She’s cleared Matos this time but Chauvet comes out of nowhere again and puts her off enough that the shot is an easy one for Newbon to gather up.
In a couple of mid field scuffles, Lowe gets a yellow for a tackle of Wheeler but Chauvet manages to avoid a yellow for something similar seconds earlier.
At 85 minutes, a run down the centre by Ibini is halted by a spectacular slide tackle by Yeoman-Dale but the play ends in a corner for Sydney. Polias sends it to the back of the box and it’s cleared by the Wanderers. Wheeler is bumped off the ball she’s chasing by Keane and Sydney get another free kick. Green kicks it to Ibini who is unmarked and she crosses it to Lowe who shoots but it’s cleared ok.
There’s four minutes injury time to be played which sees another attack on the box and a good cross by Angelique Hristodoulou go out just to the left of goal.
In a last ditch effort, Yeo-da gets a cross from the left flag to the front of goal but it’s cleared by Sydney as the full time whistle goes and sees Sydney with their third win clear at the top of the table.
The Wanderers look pretty distraught after a valient effort. They defended tough but couldn’t get it together in attack, especially in the second half. While the score looks like a convincing win, the Wanderers were impressive. Chauvet, Matos, despite the penalty, and Nevin, especially in the first half with her battle with Vine, all played really well. Vine for me was probably best on field but Polias got player of the match which was well deserved and I guess it was her 150th match so there might have been some bias there.
Wanderers can walk away from that match with their heads held high but saying all that, Sydney deserved the win in the end and were able to finish their chances. Their concerted effort in the first 20 minutes of the second half paid dividends. Possession was Sydney 54%, WSW 46%, territory Sydney 58%, WSW 42%, Corners Sydney 6, WSW 4. Most telling stat was shots which was 18 for Sydney and 3 for the Wanderers, probably all in the first half. Polias got 9 balls into the area, with Vine getting 6 and Ibini 4.
Both teams are playing Newcastle next with Wanderers playing away next week and Sydney at home the week after.
Teams: SYDNEY FC: Mathyssen-Whyman, Mclean, Green, Tobin, Brush, Tobin, Hawkesby, Ray, Siemsen, Vine, Ibini. Substitutes: Offer (GK), Hristodoulou, Lowe, Wheeler, Toby.
Scorers: Hawkesby (pen) 31, Brush 66.
WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS: Newbon, Matos, Nevin, Chauvet, Cooper, Copus-Brown, Russell, Middleton, Price, Galea, Khamis. Substitutes: Willacy (GK), Gomez, Orgill, Yeoman-Dale, Keane.
Referee: Kelly Jones.
Attendance: 2,500.
Impetus is not associated with or approved by the players or teams shown.
impetusfootball.org 