Brisbane Roar 1-0 Sydney FC
by Isabelle Campbell (9/11/24)
Above: Sydney FC’s Hana Lowry in action at Brisbane Roar today. Photo: Sydney FC.
Brisbane Roar gained a narrow and hard-fought 1-0 victory over reigning champions Sydney FC, thanks to Chelsea Blissett’s goal in first-half stoppage time at Perry Park.
This is a fixture that Sydney has the better record in, having won nine of the last 18 encounters, compared to Roar’s tally of five wins with four draws.
The match held several personal milestones, with Roar captain Tameka Yallop now only three games away from surpassing Clare Polkinghorne’s club record for most appearances. Sydney forward Shea Connors came face to face with her former club, while 17-year-old Amber Luchtmeijer made her professional debut, coming on as a substitute later in the game.
On the downside, Brisbane was missing the presence of Sharn Freier, who was sidelined due to precautionary tightness.
Both teams showed intensity from kickoff, with each side awarded a few early free kicks that ultimately didn’t translate into scoring chances. Roar controlled the tempo with steady possession but faced a resilient Sydney defence. The hosts also had goalkeeper Olivia Sekany in top form. She made a crucial save in the 21st minute to deny Jordan Thompson’s close-range attempt.
Brisbane’s standout player for the match was undeniably Yallop, who consistently orchestrated attacks and generated multiple shots on goal.
Millie Farrow created Sydney’s best chance in the first half, charging into the Roar’s box and getting a shot off, only for Sekany to pull off a huge stop once again.
In the dying moments of the first half, Blissett broke the deadlock, slotting a shot past Brianna Edwards to put the home side ahead just before halftime.
Yallop continued to shine in the midfield, repeatedly testing Sydney’s defence and creating chances, though her shots narrowly missed the mark or were blocked by Sydney’s persistent backline.
Roar dominated in the shot count with 15 attempts compared to Sydney’s eight, although only three of their efforts were on target, they one-upped Sydney’s two. Edwards’ sharp goalkeeping kept Sydney in contention, but the side ultimately couldn’t find a response to Blissett’s decisive first-half strike.
As the final whistle blew, the Queenslanders celebrated their win of the season, giving the perfect response to last weekend’s opening-round set back at Canberra United.
Sydney will be looking to gain their first three points in a huge derby against Western Sydney Wanderers next weekend, while Brisbane host Perth Glory.
Teams: BRISBANE ROAR (5-4-1): Sekany, De La Harpe, McQueen, Varley, Blissett, Pringle, Hayashi, Yallop, Woods, Levin, Popadinova. Substitutes: Hecher, Kuilamu, Kruger, Hoyos, Gibbon.
Scorer: Blissett 45+3’.
SYDNEY FC (4-3-3): Edwards, Tumeth, Tobin, Thompson, Bryson, Chauvet, Lowry, Hawkesby, Connors, Farrow, Tallon-Henniker. Substitutes: Franco, Luchtmeijer, Ibini, Johnson, Caspers.
Referee: Rebecca Durcau.
Attendance: 1,856.
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