Brisbane Roar 1-2 Canberra United
by Emma Burke (4/1/25).
Above: Spectacular action from today’s game at a packed Perry Park between Brisbane Roar (blue shirt) and Canberra United. Photo: Brisbane Roar.
Brisbane Roar have been unable to back up their impressive 8-2 winning win against Western United last week, losing 2-1 at home to Canberra United in front of the league’s highest crowd for a standalone game this season of 3,612.
This result marks Brisbane’s third loss of the season, with two of the three being to Canberra United, who have only won three games this campaign themselves.
Brisbane saw Evdokia Popadoniva return to their starting XI after weeks sidelined with a hamstring injury, but the Bulgarian forward was unable to make an impact on the scoresheet for the Roar.
It wasn’t until the final 20 minutes of the game that the deadlock was able to be broken, done so by the now lead in the race for the Golden Boot with seven goals to her name, Laini Freier. All of those strikes have come in the last three matches.
An impressive hold-up play from Tameka Yallop kept an otherwise well-disciplined Canberra defence occupied in the box. Every defensive eye on the Brisbane Captain, who has been dangerous in front of goal this season, meant that Laini Freier could receive a square ball and shoot down the near post, out of keeper Sally James’ reach.
Canberra took only minutes to respond, through Emma Robers. The midfielder came charging through the centre of the park to get on top of an attempted clearance by the Roar, and then launch a long-range effort from well outside the box. The unexpected shot slipped past Olivia Sekany in goal, tying up the scoreboard with increasingly little time left in regular play.
The visitors completed their comeback and secured the win with a goal scored by none other than Michelle Heyman. The play started with Sally James’ long ball from goal that Brisbane’s defence was unable to clear. Having beaten the defenders and left one-on-one with Sekany in goal, all Heyman had to do was beat the keeper, which she did at the right post with ease.
Canberra United will now return home to the nation’s capital to host Western United on the 11th January at 5pm, while Brisbane have a much quicker turnaround and will play Melbourne Victory at home on 8th at 7pm.
Check out our Instagram page @ImpetusFootball for two sets of images from Richard Haines at Perry Park.
Teams: BRISBANE ROAR (3-3-3-1): Sekany, Blissett, Varley, McQueen, Hayashi, Yallop, Woods, S. Freier, L. Freier, de la Harpe, Popadinova. Substitutes: Pringle, Kruger, Tan, Hecher.
Scorers: L. Freier 72’.
CANBERRA UNITED (4-3-3): James, Taylor-Young, Ayson, Anton, Bertolissio, Robers, McKenzie, Gordon, Nathan, Heyman, Christopherson. Substitutes: Markovski, Stanic-Floody, Murray.
Scorers: Robers 80’, Heyman 88’.
Referee: Rebecca Durcau.
Attendance: 3,612.
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