Brunswick Juventus 0-4 Heidelberg United
By Kieran Yap 21/5/24
A Sarah O’Donoghue inspired Heidelberg United won their third game of the season in a relentless display against Brunswick Juventus. The final score was 4-0 at CB Smith Reserve, but it could easily have been more, with a new signing helping transform The Bergers fortunes in attack.
The visitors unveiled their new weapon to help climb the table. Bulleen Lions premiership winner Alana Jancevski made her first start since joining from Adelaide United in the A-League Women, but it was a full team assault in the opening stages with Heidelberg pressing high up the pitch and forcing Brunswick Juventus into quick touches or hurried clearances.
It felt like it was only a matter of time before the first goal and it arrived in the 14th minute. Sarah O’Donoghue’s ran down the right, turned inside and switched play for to provide Heidelberg with the time to cross. The ball bounced on the edge of the six-yard box and Stephanie Galea took advantage of some hesitant goalkeeping to nod home the opener.
Some quick interplay between several Heidelberg players resulted in a simple tap in for O’Donoghue at the far post. The slick passing move was thrilling to watch but was once against set up by an aggressive press that won the ball back in the attacking third.
Brunswick Juventus had struggled to get up the field, or to launch any meaningful counterattacks. Karina Tolios provided their best outlet on the left wing but bas mostly well marshalled by the visitors, and supply was largely cut off.
Jancevski gave her new side a glimpse of what she will bring with a clever roulette turn and in-swinging cross. The ball was cleared, but only for another corner and after a short exchange of passes with Kathryn Vlahopoulos, another inswinger caused chaos for Brunwick’s defence and Mami Ambo was on hand to make it 3-0 in the 42nd minute.
The half time stats reflected Heidelberg’s dominance. 15 shots on goal, with seven on target showed that the home side were under siege for much of the half. up the other end Mia Bailey was rarely tested, but her long and confident passing helped set up the multiple waves of attack.
Despite needing to chase the lead, Brunswick had sat deep for much of the half, It made sense considering the pace in the Heidelberg attack, but some hesitant or at times panicked defending had allowed them to be breached three times in a blistering first half.
Brunswick tried to switch things up a little in the second half, and pushed higher up the pitch. That left them open to the counterattack and a combination of Galea and Jancevski set up O’Donoghue for her second of the night.
Galea jinked down the right hand side and cut the ball inside the Jancevski at the edge of the box. The defence prepared to block the shot, but Jancevski instead flicked the ball to her left into the stride of the dominant O’Donoghue who danced around the goalkeeper, kept her balance and made it 4-0.
Thankfully for the home side, that is where the scoring ended. But that did not mean that Heidelberg had slowed down. Galea once again tested the defence with a cross from the right, and after the ball was spilled only the upright denied Vlahopoulos from adding a fifth.
Substitute Sienna Cappola brought the best out of the Bergers defence for the home side. She was found in space on the right by Nicole Cooper and only a lunging tackle from Cameron Barreiro and a fingertip effort from Bailey pushed it across goal to safety.
Galea looked certain to add to her tally when she raced behind the Brunswick defence in the 85th minute. Sienna Gidari was quick off her line and did well to cut off the easy shot, forcing the Heidelberg captain wide and once again the woodwork did the rest. The score remained at 4-0.
The win sees Heidelberg climb to seventh on the ladder but it was their most fluid and entertaining performance so far this season. The addition of Jancevski has helped gel the attack and she provides a certain x-factor to the side to match the craft and speed of Galea, Vlahopoulos and O’Donoghue.
Heidelberg have struggled to replace the goals of Danielle Wise since 2022 and while the former Adelaide United and Perth Glory striker is a very different sort of player, she is a proven goal threat, can score from any range and has an eye for a killer pass.
O’Donogue was superb in the first half, and her efforts with and without the ball helped set up the win in the early stages. Galea was as dangerous as ever and could easily have had a hatrick with some better luck.
Brunswick remain at the bottom of the table. The tests do not come much easier next week with a trip to face Boroondara Eagles who recently welcomed back 2023’s 31 goal hero Kurea Okino to the squad.
Heidelberg have another chance to improve their form against another newly promoted side in Round 10. However, Bentleigh Greens will want to provide a response to the thrashing they received from Bulleen and could be a sterner test than the table suggests.
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