By Kieran Yap 5/12/25
Above: Sofia Sakalis breaks free from Julia Sardo of Perth Glory. Photo: Adrian Geremia for Impetus.
Melbourne Victory rediscovered their best football in the 3-0 win over Perth Glory, and with a goal and an assist, Sofia Sakalis was central to that win. The playmaker spoke to the media ahead of Round 6.
Sofia Sakalis has started the A-League season in form. After limited game time in 2024/25, the Melbourne Victory forward has every match of the current season and has been one of her team’s best performers.
Against her old side in Round Five, Sakalis scored Victory’s second after attacking a Holly Furphy cross at full pace and register her first goal at the club.
“It’s really good to be on the pitch and alongside the girls week in week out,” Sakalis told the media.
“Obviously it’s a really strong team, so last season it was a little bit harder to break in but this season I’ve been given an opportunity so it’s been a really good chance to grab it and see what I can do with it.”
Victory is the Melbourne locals third A-League Women club, after debuting for Melbourne City at the age of 15, she became a regular for Perth Glory over two seasons.
A move to Victory brought her home, but with Victory on a long undefeated run, it was difficult to break into the team. Sakalis’s off-season was don’t at Box Hill United where she was able to work on the aspects of her game that Jeff Hopkins needed, but also lifted the NPLW Championship and was selected for Australia’s successful U23 side at the ASEAN Championships.
“I knew that I needed to get game minutes in the off-season and just kind of focus on the areas that I touched on with Jeff.
“I really honed in on that and then having a good NPL season helped me come in confident and fit as well as going away with the 23’s as well.
All of that together set me up well to come into pre-season and fight for my spot.”
Sakalis is a quick, creative forward with an eye for goal. At Box Hill, she formed part of a duet of 10’s with new Victory arrival Rhianna Pollicina, but had been deployed on the left of attack in the A-League Women.
Melbourne coach Jeff Hopkins is an obvious admirer of the 23 year old, but wanted her to work on being more direct with the ball, both in dribbling and passing.
“She’s a very very talented player,” said Hopkins, “very technical, but last year that’s what I wanted from her.
“To be honest, she was unlucky last year as well . We were playing some great football, we went on that unbeaten in and players were playing really well ahead of her.”
Sakalis said that she also spent much of the NPLW season working on her defensive attributes.
“As an attacker, there’s always some defensive attributes that they want you to improve on.
“That was something, in the off season that I drilled into my game.”
The 3-0 win against Glory saw Victory return to the top of the table (for now) but it was also their most convincing display of the season.
After frustrating results against Brisbane Roar and Wellington, it looked like things were clicking into place over 90 dominant minutes.
Sakalis emphasised that it was still very early in the season, but the performance was encouraging for the team.
“This Perth game really brought everything together, after the Wellington game we looked inwards and reflected and came together as a group, I think that really showed against Perth.
“We were very relentless and kind of showed what we’re about as a team and hopefully will set a good foundation going forwards.”
After Kennedy White opened the scoring, Sakalis doubled the lead and then teed up Pollicina for a third.
That combination has been forged over two seasons together at Box Hill United. Where they played some highly entertaining football that culminated in the club’s first NPLW trophy.
“It’s obviously been good that I’ve been able to play with her in the off season so we’ve been able to build that chemistry” Sakalis said of her connection with Pollicina.
“It’s really nice that it’s translated into ALW games.
“A player of that calibre,it’s just inevitable she’s going to make an impact at any club she’s at.
“Just to have her at the club is really special and I really enjoy playing with her week in week out.”
Although she had played across the country and lifted trophies in Bundoora and Vietnam over the last six months, Sakalis is happy to be playing for the club she supported as a child wearing Marco Rojas on her back.
“Its very special, Melbourne’s my home it always has been.
“Football’s a bit of a roller coaster journey. Sometimes you do have to love away from home and that was a great experience for me.
“Melbourne Victory was a club that I also supported from a very young age. I would always come to the games and wear my jersey.
“To be back to playing at home and getting minutes is really good and special.”
Melbourne Victory host Canberra United at The Home of The Matildas at 7pm local time.
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