By Alice de Koster-Kitto 1/11/25
Above: Tori Tumeth at Sydney FC.
Sydney FC’s Tori Tumeth, Riley Tanner, and Jodi Ülkekul spoke to the media ahead of their clash against reigning premiers Melbourne City, at Leichardt Oval this Saturday.
The match will see both Sydney FC and Melbourne City kick off their 2025/26 Ninja A-League campaign, and it is set to be one of great contention. While Sydney looks to get back to the standard they had maintained for so long after a disappointing 2024/25 season, City will be on a mission to maintain their reputation after topping the ladder last season and taking home the premiership.
“I obviously just wanted to play my best every single game and put my best foot forward for the team, for the club, and achieve personal goals, but our goals as a team, I think every single player in our team is trying to do the same. And with that, we’ll all, you know, reach our goals collectively,” says Tori Tumeth
It’s not lost on Sydney how difficult and important the meeting will be; however, Tumeth assures that the squad is “mostly focused on ourselves in pre-season,” adding “we want to perform our best and we know if we’re performing at our best, it will be a great game.”
“We know that that’s not the standard, and so you kind of just take pride in that and you want to get Sydney back to where it was,” said Sydney FC forward Riley Tanner.
Tanner, the Panama international, signed with Sydney in August, after capturing the attention of the club during her national campaign against the Matildas in Perth earlier this year.
“My conversations with Ante (Juric) and other people, they’re just that they spoke so highly of this club,” said Tanner, on the decision to make the move to the A-League after her experiences with Australian football culture, adding “During the World Cup, it was just such a fun time, and honestly, back then, I knew that I would want to play here one day, but I didn’t know when that was gonna come.”
As she prepares for her Sydney FC debut against powerhouse Melbourne City, Tanner reinforced Tori Tumeth’s notion that the team is taking it “one step at a time”, saying “week by week, we just have to focus on the game that’s ahead and not get too caught up.”
Tanner is one of many recent Sydney FC signings who will be looking to make their mark at Leichhardt Oval this weekend, joining newcomers Skye Halmarick, Bianca Galic, returning Sydney FC alum Sarah Hunter, and American international Jodi Ülkekul, who have all joined the squad for the opening round.
“There’s definitely an identity here,” said Jodi Ülkekul on her time with the squad so far, “that was made very clearly from day one, and the expectations were set, and I personally respond really well to that type of leadership.”
The 28-year-old attacker, who joins Sydney FC, has had an electric career thus far, with spells in the United States, Spain, and Italy, also having spent time with the US Women’s National Team. Ülkekul is excited to bring her experience to her new side, in hoped to bring Sydney FC back up to the standards that she can already tell, the squad is capable of, saying “I think it’s good to be humbled every now and then and to be reminded of the work that we need to do and put in, and if anything, last year is just a reminder of all that.”
Although she is set to take the attack for Sydney, Ülkekul has “played pretty much every position”, saying, “it allows me to be versatile and to adapt.” This versatility and experience could be just what Sydney FC needs to reclaim its title this season.
Sydney FC will open their season against Melbourne City at Leichhardt Oval this Saturday, the 1st of November at 2:15 pm AEDT. The match will be one to watch, as both sides come onto the pitch with something monumental to prove and a drive to set the standard for the rest of the season.
“I’m really excited to just kind of get a feel of it on Saturday and get going,” says Riley Tanner.
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