Above:Brisbane Roar celebrate after Kijah Stephenson scores the opening goal.Photo:Brisbane Roar.
Brisbane Roar thrashed Perth Glory on Sunday, giving the locals something to celebrate on a very wet and dreary afternoon in the “Sunshine State”. There was a surprisingly good turnout, almost filling the stands, as has become common place this season, but very few people around the field, whereas its usually packed on sunny days now. Brisbane and Perth both started the season very strongly, but almost mirrored each other in their fall from the upper echelons of the table in the second half of the season.Both teams were now out of contention for finals, but there wasstill table position and pride to play for!
It was a frantic opening half an hour with big chances up both ends of the pitch. Roar had the better of the chances though. Their ball control and passing were excellent, and their high press put a lot of pressure on the Glory defence. The relentless Roar attack started to expose chinks in the Glory armour. Around the 20-minute mark, Brisbane forward, Mia Corbin, caught out Glory goalkeeper, Morgan Aquino, and got a shot off on goals, but it didn’t have enough pace and faded just wide of the goals before a defender cleared it. But the warning signs were definitely there for the Glory.
Just after 30 minutes had passed, Brisbane finally broke through, capitalising on a mistake from Perth. As the result of the constant Roar pressure, a Glory midfielder made a horrible pass back to Aquino but did not see the run of the very pacey Kijah Stephenson, who got to the ball ahead of the onrushing Aquino and chipped it nonchalantly over her head, Sam Kerr style, to give Brisbane the go-ahead goal. Stephenson is making a very good case to be a mainstay in the Roar starting lineup, if they are lucky enough to keep her for another season.
This is seriously tasty chip from Kijah Stephenson 🍟🤤
A brilliant finish over Morgan Aquino to give @brisbaneroar the lead 🟠👏
Much to the joy of the local fans, the first half heroics did not finish there. Exactly 10 minutes later, a phenomenal ball from Jenna McCormick, who was about four meters behind halfway, floated all the way up the field and found the Sharn Freier on the left flank. Freier, who has been exceptional this season, used her pace to beat her defenders into the box and pull off an incredible finish, threading the needle through the minute space between Aquino and the goalpost, to give Brisbane the insurance goal. Freier is sticking her hand up to be one of Brisbane’s top candidates for the A-League Women’s All-Stars team for the upcoming fixture in May against Arsenal Women.
Sharn Freier doubles @brisbaneroar's lead with a fine finish 🔥
Brisbane continued their relentless pressure in the second half and on several occasions were an inch away from bagging a third goal. Perth mounted an attempt at a late comeback, bringing on some fresh legs and throwing everything at Brisbane for the last half hour. But Brisbane matched their energy level, held great positioning, and were very disciplined in defence. The Roar closed the game out and gave the Roar keeper Keeley Richards her first clean sheet for her new club.
It was another glimpse of the true potential of Alex Smith’s Brisbane Roar. If only they’d played like this a little more throughout the season, I think they would have easily made the finals series. But there seems to be a lot of positive signs for next season. As for the Glory, it’s back to the drawing board again, as their nightmarish season goes from bad to worse. They are now on a winless streak of 11 matches, which is only two shy of their worst ever run of 13 winless matches between February 2020 and March 2021. Perhaps a change of head coach and tactics is in order before the next season.
Brisbane Roar will host Canberra United next Saturday in their last match of the season. Meanwhile, Perth Glory will play host to an in-form Melbourne City on the Sunday.
Above: Grace Clinton, a key figure in the WSL at just 20-years old. Photo: Lionesses.
By Ava-Marianne Elliott (6/3/24).
After her recent phenomenal performance during her debut for the Lionesses, eyes are on twenty-year-old Grace Clinton, who this season particularly has established herself as a force to be reckoned with on the field. Although a senior England debut has been the newest achievement to add to her list of triumphs, her career has seen her rapidly progress through the ranks, jumping from strength to strength.
Currently thriving on loan in North London with mid-table team Tottenham Hotspur, the creative midfielder has spent the season proving just how integral the role she plays is to the side and has evidently grown in confidence with each passing fixture. It has resulted in her talents beginning to be recognised on a greater scale, whilst Clinton continues to shine in the spotlight within both the WSL and on the international stage. Within this article, Impetus 71’s Ava- Marianne Elliott reviews Clinton’s career to date, looking at the already monumental contributions she’s given the game, and the areas where she most thrives.
Early Days
Above: Grace Clinton after signing a contract with Everton. Photo: BBC.
Liverpool-born, Clinton’s early career days trace back to the years she spent breaking through the ranks of Everton’s Academy, where she spent a lot of time sat on the fence of being integrated into the first team. In the preseason ahead of the club’s 2020-2021 campaign, the talented young midfielder was offered the opportunity to train with the first team at the age of just 16-years old. Although she was a player brimming with such unique potential and credited as a hugely creative asset to her team, there were areas of her game that needed refining.
Then manager, Willie Kirk, described Clinton as “a great kid, first of all, but she was a little bit lazy out of possession,” in an interview with BBC Sport in October.
Hard work paid off, as she made her competitive debut for the Toffees on the third of October 2020 in an away win at Aston Villa. Further, in April 2021 she put pen to paper and signed her first professional contract with the club, but she struggled to gain any consistent game time, which is why a move to Manchester United seemed like a relatively unexpected switch for her to make.
Championship Spell
Above: Clinton playing on loan to Bristol City. Photo: The FA.
As one door closed for Clinton after moving on from Everton, another opened in Manchester as she took the next step in her career, signing with United in July 2022 on a three-year contract. Manager Marc Skinner kept her training with the club for the first half of the 2022-2023 season in order for her to gain valuable insight and experience training alongside members of United’s team, before she departed for a loan spell in the Championship during the January window.
Clinton’s time at Bristol City was really the first time that she gave onlookers a glance at the amount of talent she held and how much of an asset she could be to a team. In her first appearance for City, she had an instant impact for her team and bagged a late equaliser that helped push the team to secure a narrow 3-2 in the fixture.
During her four-month stint in the Championship, Clinton played an integral role in helping The Robins gain promotion to the WSL for the 2023-2024 season. She additionally contributed a total of six goals and one assist across 12 league appearances. As the season came to a close, it became exceedingly clear that Clinton was more than ready to take the next step in her career.
Tottenham Hotspur
Above: Grace Clinton in Spurs’ first fixture of the year. Photo: Spurs.
Considering the United team were relatively stacked in terms of midfielders and attacking power at the start of the season, the most beneficial option for Clinton looked like a second loan spell. The decision has worked out well in favour of Robert Vilahamn’s Tottenham Hotspur, as the midfielder has played a crucial role in the mid-table team’s tactical set-up, where she has started to flourish with her recent consistent appearances (1157 minutes across 14 WSL fixtures).
Predominantly playing on the left-wing for Spurs, but also occasionally shifting into the ten role where she most thrives, Clinton is pure dynamite on the field. The midfielder, although not yet the complete product, has the potential to become an all- rounder with her strategic vision, eye for a pass (particularly diagonals), work rate, and defensive actions.
In her starts for Spurs, Clinton has primarily started wide within the most frequently used 4-4-2 formation. This positioning allows her to expertly find those pockets of space on the pitch, commonly in more central areas, and her intelligent movement off the ball means her teammates are never left short on passing options. She also has excellent vision for a pass, especially on the diagonal to generate more space in attacking areas by dragging defenders out of position.
“She’s a number ten, absolutely. In the future, she’s going to start as a number ten in the national team, I’m quite sure of that,” noted boss Vilahamn at the start of Spurs 2023-2024 campaign.
Above: Clinton picks up the ball in yards of space after a goal kick from Barbora Votíková. Both Katie McCabe and Beth Mead are hot on her tail, but she anticipates the threat of the Arsenal players and manoeuvres through the middle of close attention.
Above: With Victoria Pelova having eyes on Clinton, who gives the impression she’s going to try and find a path through Arsenal’s midfield, she effectively creates the chance for Martha Thomas to make a run into space before making the pass to her.
Across the season in its so far entirety, Clinton’s statistics reflect the actions that we are seeing from her on the pitch. Currently, she sits second in the league for most successful take-ons per 90 in the WSL (3.83). Her defensive actions after match week 16 are averaging 76.6% success for tackles (36 won), 8.39 recoveries per 90 (114 total), and winning 52.6% of her duels (131 won).
England Debut of Dreams
Above: Grace Clinton during her England debut. Photo: BBC.
With the success she’s seen since the start of this season for Spurs in the WSL, Clinton earned her first call up to the senior England camp in October of 2023 after catching Sarina Wiegman’s attention. The talented midfielder had already represented her country, being a regular in the youth teams from the under 17’s all the way up to the under 23’s squad.
Her first opportunity to see the pitch for her national team at Senior level came in the Lionesses’ recent friendly fixture against Austria, where England secured a triumphant 7-2 win. Her quality shone through when she took to the pitch, and the huge milestone of her debut was made significantly sweeter when she found herself on the scoresheet just 19 minutes into the fixture.
Despite Clinton’s season to date mostly consisting of her operating down that left-hand side, she started in a more unfamiliar central role for England. She went on to start against Italy in the Lionesses second friendly out in Spain, where she continued to demonstrate her well-rounded, versatility, and tactical adaptability. With such a strong start to her international career already in the tank, alongside a very impressive run with Spurs on loan this season, it’s likely it won’t be long before we see Clinton playing more minutes under Wiegman.
“She plays like a natural. She wants to have the ball. She picks up the things we talk about very quickly and that’s what you see on the pitch too.” Wiegman praised Clinton post- match.
With such a positive start to her young career, it’s interesting to consider the options for one of the WSL’s biggest up-and-coming youngsters. The debate between whether she would be more suited to staying with Spurs or returning to Manchester United appears to be an ongoing discussion, but it’s evident that Clinton is ready to face whatever challenge is thrown her way.
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Above: Taylor Otto seals the game for Melbourne City. Photo: Melbourne City.
Melbourne City kept their title hopes alive with a 3-0 win over the Central Coast Mariners. Goals to Hannah Wilkinson, Emina Ekic and Taylor Otto mean that if results go their way tomorrow and in Round 22, they can still finish on top of the ladder.
Junior Matilda Shelby McMahon was the driving force behind City’s first goal. Her determined run on the left and follow up after Leticia Mckenna was stopped in the box gave Wilkinson an easy finish from point blank range.
Rebekah Stott’s adventure forward earned her team a penalty kick and Emins Ekic had City 2-0 up before half an hour was played.
The Mariners were given a lifeline when Wurigumula was fouled in the box, but Kyah Simon’s spot kick went wide with Barbara beaten.
The Brazilian goalkeeper was called into action again when Faye Bryson took a chance from long range. The shot looked headed for the top corner but for the top class save from the former Olympian.
Other than a few chances, City were effectively in control of the match, looking to kill the game off, Dario Vidosic introduced Rhianna Pollicina to the attack, and the skilful playmaker set up the sealer with a perfect square ball for Taylor Otto to finish.
The loss had little impact on the Mariners ladder position. Victory’s loss to Newcastle means that Emily Husband’s side remain in fourth. It does mean that their hot run of form has come to a halt.
For City, it was a comprehensive win against a potential Grand Final contender and a second clean sheet in a row while scoring. Importantly, they remain a chance to win the premiership, although they need Sydney FC to lose their three games in hand to make that happen.
The major prize in the A-League Women remains the Grand Final and if City has rediscovered their scoring touch heading into finals, that could reinstate them as one of the favourites to lift the trophy. Their game plan is well known, but they have depth, mobility and creativity.
Next week, it will be a homecoming for the Mckenna sisters as City travel to Perth to finish off the home and away season.
Above: Western Sydney celebrates Sophie Harding’s goal. Photo: Western Sydney Wanderers.
The Western Sydney Wanderers climbed into fifth place on the ladder with a 3-1 win over Western United.
Sophie Harding was the difference with two goals and an accidental assist for The Wanderers, who won the crucial match despite going a goal down. The loss was a costly one for Western United. In addition to premiership hopes, they also lost Hannah Keane to a bad looking injury. Last season’s leading scorer was stretchered off late in the evening.
The stakes were high coming into this match. A win for Western United would have seen them momentarily regain top spot on the ladder, and things started off brightly for the visitors. Keane scored after a goalmouth scramble to give them the lead 17 minutes in.
Ella Buchanan levelled the scores for the Wanderers before half time. Cushla Rue drove into the box and her cross found Harding. The shot was scuffed but fell to Buchanan to tap in from what looked at first like an offside position. Replays confirmed that Alana Cerne was judged to have played her onside.
Harding continued to threaten and early in the second half, she sent a warning of what was to come. Her bullet-like header did not result in a goal, but The Wanderers had started the stronger of the two teams after the break.
On the hour mark, Harding put her side into the lead with a terrific individual effort. The Wanderers number nine collected the ball deep in midfield and started a sweeping counter attack. She finished the move herself after controlling the eventual cross beautifully and finishing cooly off her non-preferred left foot.
Harding then turned supplier with a mazy run and well-timed pass, but Rue’s shot skimmed wide of the far post. Western United were on the back foot, despite having the majority of possession. They were controlling the game, but Western Sydney’s counterattack was deciding the result.
Harding sealed the match with her second and another trademark goal. She accelerated beyond the Western United defence and struck a low shot to make it 3-1 in the 82nd minute.
Things had gone from bad to worse for Western United with Keane going off on a stretcher minutes before. the game was halted for a significant amount of time while she received treatment. No prognosis was available at the time of writing, but it no Wanderer had impacted her when she went down, and everybody on the field looked troubled by the injury.
Keane’s injury adds her to a list already containing Chloe Logarzo and Adriana Taranto. Three players who are among the first added to the team sheet each week, and all three who are vital to their success this season.
Kat Smith can turn to Catherine Zimmerman, and Kahli Johnson for the remainder of the campaign, but both are still working their way back to full fitness after injuries themselves. Johnson sent a reminder of what she can do with an excellent effort late in the game that crashed away off the upright.
Other options include moving Maher into midfield and Julia Sardo into defence, but that would disrupt one area to help another. Western will play finals, but back luck has hit them at the worst possible time just as things were clicking into place perfectly for last season’s runners-up.
In the immediate term, all anybody can do is wish Hannah Keane all the best in her recovery, and hope that the injury was not as severe as it first looked. She has been a star of the league since joining the club and will hopefully be back soon.
The day belonged to Western United. Even without the in-form Holly Caspers, their game plan did not need to change noticeably. They counterattack excellently and thrive without the ball.
They do not attack at every opportunity. If they win the ball in the right areas, they surge immediately, but if not, they keep their shape and move it slowly. It is a safety first approach that is achieving results along with highly entertaining football at times.
Most promisingly, The Wanderers game plan works brilliantly against many of the top sides. They picked apart Western United, just as they did Melbourne City and Victory. The 2-0 loss to Sydney FC has the caveat of the rescinded red card for Vicky Bruce, and they have won games convincingly without Harding on one occasion and Caspers on another.
This is a strong team with good depth and a game plan that works against good opposition.
Above: Newcastle Jets’ Melina Ayres celebrates late goal against Melbourne Victory. Photo: Newcastle Jets
The final push of the season is well and truly here, as two teams desperate to stay in the finals race took each other on in Newcastle.
Newcastle came into the fixture in excellent spirits after snagging a 3-1 away win over title contenders Western United. Melbourne Victory on the other hand were following a tense 0-0 Melbourne derby and will be looking pick back up the form that’s kept them in finals contention.
Newcastle made one change from the team that defeated Western United away from home with Claudia Cicco returning to the lineup in place of Josie Wilson. Melbourne Victory also made a change with Lia Privitelli returning to the lineup in place of Beattie Goad.
The Jets nearly had the perfect start as they won a corner in the fourth minute of the game. Mindy Barbieri sent a looping corner to the back post which Sarina Bolden headed down to Sophie Hoban. Hoban’s effort was deflected onto the crossbar by Jamilla Rankin and scrambled away.
Two minutes later, Barbieri sprinted forward after a ball was quickly distributed by Isobel Nino. Barbieri was able to square the ball to the talented youngster Emma Dundas who’s effort from outside the box forced a fingertip save from Courtney Newbon.
The first 10 minutes of the game were played at a very high pace, with both teams sprinting forward whenever they won the ball. At the 10 minute mark, Bolden tried a shot from a tight angle but rolled her effort straight to Newbon. Lauren Allan had another effort a moment later which was also well collected by the keeper.
Melbourne’s first proper chance came in the 12th minute, when Sara D’Appolonia found herself in an advanced position in the box, creating some space for Emily Gielnik. When the prolific attacker got on the ball, she curled an effort across the Newcastle goal which forced a good save from Nino.
Bolden was inches from giving her team the lead as a well directed cross from Lauren Allan found the head of the prolific forward who struck the crossbar from about 7 years out.
As the ball flew back and forth down the pitch, the Victory were able to create a great chance at 15 minutes as Gielnik directed a fantastic cross to Rachel Lowe. Lowe initially made weak contact with the ball but D’Appolonia was there to collect the ball and play it back for Lowe to convert and give the Victory an early lead, somewhat against the run of play.
Both teams were eager to press in the early going which created a lot of turnovers in the first 20 minutes. Hoban and Cassidy Davis were determined in their pressing and created a lot of possession for their team due to their work rate in the midfield. D’Appolonia was the catalyst on the other side.
The pace of the game slowed down as Melbourne Victory began to control possession. When looking to create going forward, there was a clear target for both sides. Victory were looking to create through Gielnik, while Newcastle were looking to create opportunities for Bolden.
At 35 minutes, D’Appolonia was again looking to create for the Victory, directing a low cross to the goalscorer Lowe. A scramble in the jets box led to Lowe being able to take a shot but Nino had closed off the space to make a save and keep the lead at only 1-0.
In the 38th minute, Newcastle created one of their best chances of the half as a Hoban run created some space for Dundas who played a terrific ball across to Davis who was able to dummy past a defender to take a shot which was excellently saved by Newbon.
The Jets were rewarded for their persistence, Lorena Baumann wandered forward and directed a terrific cross toward Bolden who was actually unable to make any contact with the ball. Running behind her however was the indefatigable Lauren Allan who drove the ball into the back of the net to equalise five minutes before half time.
In stoppage time in the first half, Bolden was denied the goal to give the Jets the lead. Allan made an excellent run down the right wing and drove a great low cross to the penalty spot which Bolden took first time. At full stretch, Newbon was able to tip the ball away from the goal and then quickly get to her feet to collect.
In a top six clash, you can’t ask for a better save than this 😮💨🧤
A crucial intervention from Courtney Newbon keeps scores level in Newcastle!
The second half started with Barbieri driving a deflected effort from outside the box to immediately set the tone. This was a do or die game for the Jets and they were playing like it. The ball stayed in the Victory’s defensive third for almost the entire first five minutes of the second half.
As had become a trend in this game, the moment that the Victory worked the ball forward, they took the lead once again. At 52 minutes, A floated free kick from Rankin was sent rather tamely toward the far post but Tori Hansen was the first to react and struck a well hit volley across Nino’s goal to restore the Victory’s advantage.
Lowe hit the crossbar after a freekick was only partially cleared into her path in the 58th minute. A well struck half-volley forced Nino into a fingertip save and the deflection off the bar was directed kindly enough for the keeper to collect.
Lowe had another chance in the 63rdminute as a break forward reached her in an advanced position, but the shot was directed wide of the goal. Young Matilda Lara Gooch brought some energy off the bench for the Jets, attempting a shot over the bar at 68 minutes.
Time was running out for the Jets as the final 20 minutes passed by. Davis took a long range effort which was well-directed but did not have enough power to test Newbon who had a very impressive game for the Victory.
In the 80th minute, substitute Melina Ayres ran across the edge of the box after a throw in from Laura Allan. The former Victory forward struck a curling effort which found its way past Newbon and into the back of the net to equalise for the Jets.
Newbon took a knock late in the game but elected to stay in the game as the minutes drained away for the Jets. Emma Checker was caught in possession by Allan in the 87th minute and the super sub Ayres struck a terrific effort into the top left corner that left the walking wounded Newbon flat footed. The Jets had their first lead with only three minutes to go.
INCREDIBLE 😱 Melina Ayres scores twice in seven minutes against her former side @gomvfc to win it for Newcastle! ⚽️🔥
Emotions were running high as in the 89thminute, Barbieri and Gielnik got into a scuffle, pulling on each others’ jerseys after Gielnik attempted to get Barbieri to continue the game. Isobel Nino reacted dramatically and ran out to pull Gielnik off of Barbieri, her gloves making contact with Gielnik’s neck which lead to yellows for Barbieri and Gielnik and a red card for Nino.
After a very tense eight minutes of stoppage time with Lily-Rose Dunbar in goal and only 10 players, the Jets were able to hold on for the biggest win of their season.
Impetus’ Ava-Marianne Elliot, Ben Gilby, Genevieve Henry, and Ryan Miller-Woods report on six different clubs’ pressers ahead of round 21 in the A-League Women (22/3/24).
Canberra United
By Ryan Miller-Woods
Above: Njegosh Popovich speaking to the media. Image: Canberra United.
The media heard from Canberra United Head Coach Njegosh Popovich and Tegan Bertolissio ahead of the team’s upcoming match against Wellington Phoenix on Sunday.
Canberra head into this weekend’s match knowing that they’ve got nothing to lose. However, they’ll want to see out their last three matches of the season in the best way possible. A good result on Sunday will be massively beneficial for United for many reasons.
When asked whether the team has bounced back into training knowing the number of games left in the season, Popovich said, “we definitely have a little bit of fatigue in the legs, particularly the girls that have travelled and come back from overseas from the Young Matildas (Tegan Bertolissio, Sasha Grove, and Chloe Lincoln). A great result for them, qualifying for a World Cup and then they’ve lifted the energy in terms of the mental spirit for the players which is fantastic to see. For us, there’s three games on the table, that’s nine points. We need to push hard to finish the season as strongly as we can.”
Something else that has been very prominent over the past few weeks has been the future of the club and most importantly what’s next for Canberra United beyond this season. When asked how he has approached this period with the team itself, Popovich said, “it’s always a difficult situation in those sorts of terms. There’s no doubt that everybody wants a resolution as soon as possible. It does probably play on their mind a little bit, but that’s what professional football’s about, you’ve got to leave those sorts of things off the field, that we can’t control. We’ve got to concentrate on the field on what we can do.”
Canberra will want to get one over Wellington this round after the last the two sides faced each other in round fourteen, which saw the Phoenix win 2-0 thanks to goals from Wellington’s Mariana Speckmaier. Wellington will be determined to win to make finals.
When asked what he is expecting from Wellington this round, Popovich said, “they’re a team that’s actually in the hunt for the top six, so they’re going to come out spirited. They had a mid-week game against Adelaide (United). I think we’re more concentrating only on ourselves rather than them. It’s about us staying focused and trying to be the best we can.”
Above: Fresh off of Young Matildas duties, Tegan Bertolissio speaks to the media. Image: Canberra United.
One of the players that is a welcome return to the Canberra United squad from international duty with the Young Matildas is defender Tegan Bertolissio, who featured in two of Australia’s five matches at the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup in Uzbekistan. The 3rd placed finish that the Young Matildas achieved at the tournament could potentially see Bertolissio at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup later this year in Colombia.
When asked about how much testing herself against some of the best young players at the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup would help when coming back to the environment of Canberra United, Bertolissio said, “it’s definitely a very high level of players internationally, so coming back, it’s another level of experience, experiencing different types of football.”
When asked what she hopes to get out these last few games of the season, Bertolissio said, “honestly, just hopefully get a few wins under our belt, get some confidence going into the next season.”
When asked what she’s expecting from Wellington this weekend, Bertolissio said, “they’re definitely a very good team. They’re in contention for finals, so they’ll be coming out wanting to win the game and so will we. So, it’ll be a good game.”
Central Coast Mariners
By Ryan Miller-Woods
Above: American forward Rola Badawiya reflecting on her season. Image: Central Coast Mariners.
The media heard from Central Coast Mariners’ Rola Badawiya and head coach Emily Husband ahead of their upcoming match against Melbourne City on Saturday.
With their 4-1 win against Canberra United last round, the Mariners secured themselves finals football in their first season back in the league and will be looking to continue from where they left off against Canberra in this weekend’s match against City.
A player who was instrumental in that win was Rola Badawiya who scored a brace that brought her total number of goals for the season to seven. When asked about how the team is feeling after the win against Canberra, Badawiya said, “we’re buzzing honestly. I think we’re on a four-match winning streak which is our best in the competition so far. We’re loving it and getting that stride in right before finals.”
This was followed up by being asked about keeping that momentum against Melbourne City this weekend, Badawiya said, “yeah, definitely! We’re not stopping for no one, especially Melbourne (City). Last time we played them, I feel like we deserved to win. So this time we’re not taking no for an answer.”
As for the last time the sides faced each other in round eight, the match ended in a 1-1 draw that saw Central Coast take the lead thanks to Badawiya in the 53rd minute before City equalised with their captain and New Zealand international Rebekah Stott 25 minutes later.
When asked about how tough she expects the match to be against City, Badawiya said, “it’s definitely going to be tough. Melbourne’s a really good team. They loved to possess the ball; they have really good players but I think we can exploit them in a lot of areas. So we’re definitely doing that.”
Above: Head coach Emily Husband speaking with the media about her incredible first season with the Mariners. Image: Emily Husband.
Someone who would have been very pleased with the attacking prowess shown against Canberra United was head coach Emily Husband, who has implemented a brand of football that not only has the club currently fourth on the ladder and into the finals with two rounds left in the regular season, but most importantly has brought out the best from the players in the squad.
When asked how impressed she was of the performance from the team against Canberra United, Husband said, “I think the first-half performance was really good, we were clinical which makes a real big difference to us. There’s been games where we’ve created 20 chances and only put away two. That was completely different on the weekend. I don’t think we quite matched up in that second half. Obviously, Canberra came out and put a little bit more pressure on us and we’ve talked through that a lot this week and where we want to problem-solve that, but to come away 4-nil up at half-time was fantastic.”
When asked how to keep the momentum going for the Mariners heading into the Finals, Husband said, “we’re in a fantastic place at the moment. We’ve got nothing to lose from this point forward. We’ve sort of come in and, from a lot of people’s perspectives, overachieved. So now, we want to keep on putting pressure on the teams above us. The only way we can do that is by continuing to turn up, be fearless and wanting to win every game. We’ve got no reason to be scared of anybody and we just look forward to the rest of the season and what it’s got to bring.”
When asked what she’s expecting from Melbourne City, Husband said, “everybody knows that Melbourne (City) play the best football in the league, undoubtedly. The way that they keep possession and the movement off the ball is fantastic and it’s a credit to them. Obviously, we’re defensively always quite structured, so I think it’ll be a nice matchup. As with every game in this league, it’s always going to be a tough game but I’m looking forward to the challenge of it.”
Perth Glory
By Ben Gilby
Above: Perth Glory head coach Alex Epakis speaking on Thursday. Image: Perth Glory FC.
Perth Glory head coach Alex Epakis emphasised his determination that the Western Australian side end their poor run of results and finish the campaign away from the bottom four as they prepare for a trip to Brisbane Roar.
After a superb start to the campaign, Glory are yet to win a game in 2024, and as a result have dropped from the top two down to the lower reaches of the standings. Last weekend, Perth went down to a 1-0 loss at Western Sydney Wanderers – a game that Epakis believes was one of fine margins which allowed him to highlight positive steps forward from what had come before.
“I think there was certainly a level of disappointment around the result, but there was also a level of optimism around the performance,” he said.
“It was a lot more competitive, it was a lot more structured, it was a lot more of us across that performance, but unfortunately we had nothing to show for it, so we were sitting a little bit empty in the change rooms post-match, but we’re taking satisfaction knowing that we’re able to perform at a higher level for a longer period of time, and we can use that as a motivator this week.”
The run of 10 games without a win has seen the club move from what looked to be a nailed on place in the finals to being in a position that could see them finish third from bottom if they suffer defeat in Queensland on Sunday.
“We’re definitely fixated on finishing as strong as we can. We’re don’t want to sugar coat it, we’re disappointed that we’re not playing towards a play-off finish. That really hurts. We need to make sure we’re putting out performances that allow us to finish the season as strong as we can and give us the best chance of winning both remaining games…these games are certainly not dead rubbers by any stretch of the imagination.”
Above: Millie Farrow celebrates after scoring for Perth Glory in their last win on New Year’s Eve against Central Coast Mariners. Head coach Alex Epakis is determined his team will be back to winning ways before season’s end. Photo: A-League Women.
Whilst the Roar are also out of the Finals race, a recent 2-0 win over Melbourne City emphasises just how good they can be, and with Alex Smith’s side immediately below Perth on the ladder, Glory boss Epakis knows that Sunday’s showdown is a major opportunity to push away from the lower reaches of the ladder.
“Brisbane are a well-rounded team. There’s a lot of experience, there’s Matildas in that team, and there’s some players there that are in good form at the moment…we’re very close in the table in terms of the standings, and we need to make sure we put out a performance that allows us to ensures we stay above them post that game,” he emphasised.
“Tactically, they are pretty sound, they play in a shape that can cause problems for teams. We’ll be aware of that, but we want to make sure we build on the things we did well in our last performance against Western Sydney.”
Glory’s squad selections have remained pretty stable throughout the season. Asked whether or not the final two matches of the campaign give the opportunity for the likes of Tanika Lala who enjoyed a highly promising cameo on debut last weekend, or Tia Stonehill more minutes, Epakis played a straight bat.
“I’ll select the team and the squad that I believe gives us the best chance of winning, and players that are the most motivated and ready to put their best foot forward, whether that’s a player who hasn’t had an opportunity yet, or whether it’s a player who has played every game, ultimately that will be determined during training.”
Sydney FC
By Genevieve Henry
Above: Nat Tobin reflecting on her years with Sydney. Image: Sydney FC.
Ahead of Sydney’s vital match against Adelaide United on Sunday, the media heard from Cortnee Vine, fresh off of Matildas selection, and injured captain Nat Tobin, who just signed a new contract with the Sky Blues.
If Sydney can manage to get two wins from their last three games, they will secure a record fourth consecutive premiership. Tobin, the most decorated player in Sydney’s history with three Championships and three Premierships, will unfortunately miss out on finals due to the ACL injury that has kept her on the sideline all season. While her leadership and talent will be missed in these final few games, Tobin should be set to go at the beginning of next season.
“I didn’t have plans to go anywhere else. I love this club and I’m very happy to be here for the next two years.” Tobin commented that this was not at all unexpected, having been with the club for 12 years already. Reflecting, she said, “it’s a bit scary. That’s, what, almost half of my life that I’ve been here? I’m very proud to have been here for that long, and I like to think that I’m a very loyal person. I don’t really chop and change much in my life and that’s definitely been shown through my football as well.”
“I wouldn’t be playing at this level and committing this much time to (football) if I didn’t love it. I think women’s football has built a following because people can see we do it for the love of it. We don’t get paid a lot. It is difficult juggling full time work and football, but I really enjoy football and I’m not willing to give that up just yet.” Tobin, just engaged, said she’ll have to review the stage her life is at come the end of this new contract. “Other things happen in life, but these next two years, my sole focus is getting another two good years at Sydney.”
“Obviously, I haven’t had the best luck this year, being out for the whole season with my ACL,” Tobin said when asked about the possibility of overtaking Teresa Polias’ appearances record. She mentioned her run of illnesses that kept her out for periods as well. “The intention is there to continue racking up performances and also racking up silverware, of course.”
“It’s a pretty high standard set by Teresa, but I would just hope to have a similar legacy to what (she) has.”
If Sydney can achieve silverware this season, although she has been unable to contribute on the field, Tobin would go down as the winning captain. “Who would have thought at the start of the season that we would have the opportunity to take out the premiers plate? We went on a stint of draws, but the girls have so much resilience. We’ve had so much thrown at us this season. The team just keeps riding the waves. I would love to see that fourth premiership in a row come home to Sydney. From the outset of this season we wanted to do the double-Double, and we are on the brink of doing it.”
Tobin spoke of her recovery process, saying, “I feel great to be honest, it’s all on track. I’ve been running, I’ve started with change of direction, it’s actually started feeling really good now. I’m feeling so positive about it.”
One of Sydney’s key defensive players, the young and promising Kirsty Fenton, went down in the match against Wellington Phoenix last round in devastating fashion. It has been confirmed that she too has torn her ACL. Tobin said, “it’s been really heartbreaking, but I’m hoping I can provide her with that support. It’s pretty fresh in my mind, so I can hopefully support her through it.” She opened up on the advice she sent Fenton, saying “you’re at rock-bottom now, and the only way is up.” Tobin commented on the state Fenton is in, saying she’s handling it well, but is taking the time she needs to process it. “She’s a very resilient girl. She had a knee injury at the start of the season and came back incredibly well, and I think she’ll do the same thing this time around.”
Above: Cortnee Vine talks to the media about her Matildas selection. Image: Sydney FC.
Matildas superstar Cortnee Vine got off to a rough start in the season, being sidelined by injury for many rounds pretty early on, but the speedster has once again found her feet and is arguably the best player right now in the A-League Women. Her excellent form, 9 goals, 5 assists, and a whopping 38 chances created, has earned her a spot back in the national team. “Super excited to be part of the Matildas squad for this upcoming camp, it’s in America, so that will be really cool. I’ve never been.”
While making the Olympics squad of just 18 players is a tough goal to achieve, Vine shared her determination, saying “I’m just still hoping to be a part of that Olympics squad. I’m very grateful that Tony has called me back in for this one, and the Olympics has been a goal of mine since I was probably nine. So, doing it in a sport that I love, with a team that I love, is a dream. I can do as much as I can in club land and the upcoming games to try and prove myself, but I’m just focusing on the A-League finals series and hopefully creating history.”
Just recently announced was the A-League Women All-Stars game that will see the best players in Australia face Arsenal. “Those games don’t come around very often, and I think it’d be an amazing opportunity for not just myself, but for the girls in the league to come up against the girls that play for Arsenal. They represent their countries, it’s basically like a national team game, so it’ll be a good experience for any A-League player that gets selected in it.”
On her Matildas teammates Vine is set to face in the All-Stars match, she said, “I haven’t really faced them, obviously Kyra (Cooney-Cross) used to play for Victory, so we’ve versed her a few times, but having Steph Catley mark me on the right wing could be really fun, or it could be really bad for me,” she said with a laugh, “it’s always fun versing friends”
Wellington Phoenix
By Ryan Miller-Woods
Above: Emma Main addresses the media. Image: Wellington Phoenix.
The media heard from Wellington Phoenix’s Emma Main and Head Coach Paul Temple ahead of the team’s upcoming match against Canberra United on Sunday.
Wellington goes into this weekend’s match off the back of a 4-0 win against Adelaide United at home on Wednesday, a result that has kept their finals hopes alive. Wellington need to win against Canberra to head into the last round of the season with a shot at finals.
Someone who’ll most likely be called upon on Sunday is Emma Main who will be hoping to make an impact in the match, towards Wellington’s charge to make the top six come the end of the Regular Season.
When asked how much confidence Wednesday’s result ahead of another must-win match for Wellington against Canberra, Main said, “I think it gives the team a lot of confidence. It’s great to get four goals and we knew that with the crowd behind us (on Wednesday) we could really pull out a result. Going into this weekend, we’re really confident that we can get a result away. It’s (a) must-win but our team tends to do quite well when those are the circumstances. We’ve been training well, we know what we’re going to do. (I’m) really excited and I think it’ll be a good challenge.”
In regards to the match on Wednesday, Main was asked whether the team approached the match any differently whilst their season was effectively on the line, to which she said, “we actually said since the Perth game (in Round 19) that we were in knockout football from then. Temps (Paul Temple) sat us down before the game and he said ‘You know this is our knockouts, we start now’. So, ever since Perth, that’s been in the back of our mind. I think going into this game it won’t be any different. We’ve got the same mindset and if we just carry on with how we did against Adelaide we shouldn’t have a problem.”
Above: Paul Temple speaking with the media. Image: Wellington Phoenix.
The result against Adelaide would have been very pleasing for head coach Paul Temple knowing their chances at finals are still alive. When asked how much confidence the win against Adelaide United has given the team ahead of Sunday’s match, Temple said, “it was great to get four goals, (a) clean sheet, and to play well with control and dominance in a lot of parts of the game was really good, and that stuff does breed confidence. Any team that you play against in this league is tough competition and I thought Adelaide still did some really good things in the game. What was good from our perspective is that we were pretty clinical with those chances, so I think that’s a good step forward for us as a team. That gives confidence going into Sunday.”
From the last time that Wellington and Canberra faced each other in Round 14, Wellington emerged victorious 2-0 in what was at the time a very crucial result for the Phoenix that broke a four-match losing streak of which overall they had a very good performance against Canberra. So with that result, the Phoenix would feel some form of confidence that they can do the same this weekend.
When asked how he expects Canberra to play on Sunday against his side, Temple said, “I think very similar to Adelaide. They (Canberra United) kind of have this nothing-to-lose mentality, but we know because we played them not too long ago, they’re dangerous. They’ve got (Nicki) Flannery, (Michelle) Heyman, and (Vesna) Milivojevic who have been consistently good in terms of assists and goals this season, so it shows what a threat they’re going to be. When that kind of attacking threat is let loose and essentially you can just go out and play, there’s a danger to that that you have to be very aware of.”
Western Sydney Wanderers
By Ava-Marianne Elliot
Above: Wanderers’ head coach Robbie Hooker discussing the match against Western United on Saturday. Photo: Western Sydney Wanderers.
The media heard from Western Sydney Wanderers’ Head Coach Robbie Hooker and defender Vicky Bruce ahead of their upcoming match against Western United.
Wanderers head into the fixture off the back of a win against Perth Glory with their eyes on reaching finals. Currently, they sit in sixth place in the table and three points clear of Newcastle Jets, meaning they’re in a place where a win at home this weekend would likely see them achieve qualification for just the second time in the club’s history. Still, with two fixtures remaining, there is work to be done in the build up to the close of the regular season.
When asked how the team are feeling this week in the build up to facing second-place Western United, Hooker stated, “yeah, pretty good. We’ve come off a good week where we’ve picked up a couple of wins and a draw, so we’ve put ourselves in a really good position where we can secure a finals place with a win.”
The following topic of discourse was the 1-0 victory against Glory last weekend. “It was a gritty win, I thought we dominated most of the game, particularly with chances created.” Sophie Harding’s impressive strike from distance was the only goal of the 90, successfully securing both a win for Wanderers and her tenth goal of the season. Although the win was arguably narrow, there were a number of positives to reflect on moving forwards. “Sophie came to the rescue with a great goal, and we defended really well, kept a clean sheet for the first time in a while.”
When asked what the solution is to secure a win against Western United, Hooker said, “I think the key’s just more about us, and it’s been like that for probably the whole season. We just need to play and have the right mental approach with our own team. There’s not a team this season that I don’t think we haven’t been able to beat, Sydney’s probably the only team.”
Above: Vicky Bruce addresses the media ahead of the clash. Photo: Western Sydney Wanderers.
Bruce also addressed the media, opening with the fact that the squad “took this week to really make sure we’re ready to go and recovered” aiming to uphold mentality to secure a win in a top-six battle following what was a hectic week, playing a fatiguing string of three fixtures across seven days.
Towards the start of the season, Wanderers achieved a late 2-0 win away from home against Western United, and this weekend, they aim to replicate the result on home soil in order to walk away with three-points. “We know they’re a very strong team, they’re obviously one of the top of the table (teams) and we have played them before, and we were lucky enough to come out with a win there.”
Heading into the fixture, Western United approach the weekend following two consecutive losses and Bruce expressed outwardly the important role of the fans support this weekend to crack the side again, “I think this is a huge game, because if we win then we’re pretty much guaranteed to go top six, so if we can get all the fans out, the more we can get, the better support we have, the more chance we have at winning and solidifying our chances in the finals.”
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Two red cards, 23 goals, two penalties, a trophy lift, a new record, first games, a new stadium, new managers and a pitch full of debutants. What a weekend it has been!
Photo: San Diego Wave Website
The first game of the weekend was the final of the challenge cup. A reminder of the change for future seasons where the challenge cup will be a one off game between the winners of the shield and the champions of the NWSL. Between San Diego Wave and NJ/NY Gotham. With both teams being able to hold each other at bay until the 88th minute when Alex Morgan broke the deadlock and scored for San Diego Wave. Savannah McCaskill provided the corner which Alex Morgan headed home to steal the win for Wave. We saw Australian Vertan Emily Van Egmond who played the full game, and the youngster Kailtyn Torpey came on as a second half substitute at the 61st minute. When looking at the stats Gotham should have won the trophy with more shots on target, tackles and more cross into the box. But it didn’t work out as they failed to get the ball in the back of the net. Although we did see five debuts for Gotham which included youngster Maycee Bell who was a first round draft pick from North Carolina Tar Heels. This meant that San Diego Wave were challenge cup champions for the first time in their history.
The second game of the weekend featured Kansas City Current vs Portland Thorns. This game was full of firsts from a new stadium to debuts to goals. With a 9 goals thriller, where DiBernado scored a brace, and Zaneratto Joao, Hamilton and Pfeiffer all added to the score for KKC. Janine Beckie and Sophia Smith who both scored two for Portland Thorns. The game ended 5-4 to KCC. KKC who are under new management as former USA manager Vlatko Andonovski takes over, could they be in the title race? Portland Thorns had four debuts on the pitch and the long awaited return of Janine Beckie who after tearing her ACL nearly one year ago came back with a bag as a half time substitute and then found the net twice. This game was making history as Alex Pfeiffer at only 16 years and 4 months became the youngest person to ever score a goal in the league.We also saw a brand new stadium that was purposely built for KCC and it is the only stadium in America that is built for Women’s Football.
The third game of the weekend was a four goal and a red card thriller with Kylie Strom being sent off at the 61st minute between Racing Louisville and Orlando Pride. This was Bev Yanez first game in charge of Louisville where she has an amazing result tolding a hungry Pride side that wanted to prove themselves even after going a player down. Elexa Bahr on her debut and Uchenna Kanu both opened their accounts for Louisville and Summer Yates scored for Pride thi was also her first goal for the club and with Elli Pikkujasma scoring an own goal. With Anna Moorhouse writing her name in history for pride as she is now 2nd in the clubs record for the most saves in her career for the club. We saw seven players gaining their first caps Angelina, Morgan Gautrat, Ally Lemons and Luana for pride. Bahr, Taylor Flint and Reilyn Turner all made their debuts for Louisville.
The fourth game of the weekend was a six goal thriller as North Carolina Courage take on Houston Dash. With Berkley scoring her first goal for the club, Hopkins, St-Georges she also become the first NWSL player to score a brace on her debut since 2014 and Weatherholt all opening their accounts for courage and Kurtz unfortunately scored an own goal. Briede, Harris, Patterson and Van Zanten all made their debuts for Dash. While St- George and Jackson made their debuts. Former courage player Sam Mewis was placed into the ring of honour for previous players.
The fifth game of the weekend was Utah Royals vs Chicago Red Stars. The first game for the new expansion team where they were defeated 2-0 to the red stars with goals coming from Allison Schlegel and Ava Cook. Debuts were made from 14 Utah Royals players including Nelson, Dorsey and Tucker. While the red stars chose to debut Maximiliane Rall. The return of Mallory Swanson after her injury and the return of Nadia Gomes after her brief retirement.
The sixth game of the weekend featured Angle City vs Bay FC. This was Bay’s first game where they managed to hold angle city to a 1-0 win after a brilliant goal from the previous Barcelona player Asisat Oshoala. A side full of debuts as fan favourite Castellanos was one of the players making her debut. But ex Arsenal and Scottish defender Jen Beattie was left on the bench. Angle City had debuts in Mathias, Thompson and Fuller.
Photo: Bay FC Website
The seventh and final match of the weekend featured Seattle Reign FC vs Washington Spirit. The rebranded side of the 24/25 season Seattle came out with the 1-0 win against spirit as Bethany Balcer converted from the spot in the 2nd minute after a foul was committed in the box by Gabby Carle. Balcer’s goal is now the fastest goal in league history at 2 minutes and 1 second. Reign also had Welsh pair Angahard James- Turner and Lily Woodham alongside Ji So-Yun and 17-year-old Emeri Adames make their debut. For Washington Spirit goalkeeper Audrey Kingsbury was issued a red card but this has now been overturned by the NWSL panel. Kurger did head the ball home after a beautiful delivery of a corner from Andi Sullivan but it was overruled by VAR. The debuts of Croix Bethune, Hal Hershfet, Kate Wienser, Casey Kurger, Brittany Ratcliffe, Makenna Morris, Courtney Brown all made their debuts for washington spirit. Can spirit turn it around before manager Jonatan Girzldez Costas arrives?
Above: Emily Van Egmond. Photo: Football Australia.
Matildas star Emily van Egmond and head coach Tony Gustavsson have spoken to media today after it was announced that the Matildas will meet USA, Germany, and either Zambia or Morocco at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The Matildas will open their Olympic campaign against Germany on the 25th of July, followed by either Zambia or Morocco following the African Confederation play-off between the two teams, on the 28th of July, and finish their group stage against the US on the 31st of July.
“An opening game against Germany, one of the teams I first played as a head coach for the Matildas, the US again, that we played in the last Olympics, and then we saw what the African teams could do in the World Cup in 2023. This is going to be a very, very, very exciting group,” said head coach Tony Gustavsson.
Germany currently rank fifth in the world and defeated Australia 5-2 in a friendly in 2021. They return to the Olympic games this year after failing to qualify for the previous tournament in Tokyo, and after a shock early exit from the Women’s World Cup last year in the group stage.
Australia has never played either Zambia or Morocco, who are ranked 65th and 68th respectively, but neither side should be taken lightly. Zambia’s qualification would make Paris 2024 their second consecutive Olympic appearance in Women’s Football, and Morocco’s would be their first time involved following their historic run that saw them come second in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in 2022, and make their first appearance at a Women’s World Cup in last year’s tournament.
The United States are the team Australia are most familiar with, having faced them 33 times. Ranked fourth globally, the USA are a formidable opponent, or at least they were.
“The US in particular are coming into a new phase now with a new head coach as well, so it’ll be a new challenge for us,” said vice captain Emily van Egmond of the Americans.
After their worst ever performance at a Women’s World Cup, defeated by Sweden in penalties in the Round of 16, the nation has secured a new head coach in Sam Kerr’s Chelsea manager Emma Hayes, who leaves Chelsea at the end of this current season to assume the position, just in time for the Olympics. In the interim, the US have appeared in the CONCACAF W Gold Cup, while winning the tournament, they did suffer their first ever loss to Mexico, and were dragged to penalties in the semi-final by Canada.
Australia now enter the final stages of preparation for the tournament, where they will face Mexico themselves next month in San Antonio, Texas on the 10th of April.
“It’s utilising all the time that we have left. We only get 10 to 12 days a month to prepare and get together as a team and build towards the Olympics, so to play against Mexico will be a great challenge and a game that we’ll look to capitalise on,” said van Egmond.
From there, the Matildas will head home for their farewell games, two games against China, played in Adelaide and Sydney before heading off to Paris. The real focus for the team during these games, however, will be on the Olympic opener.
“We need to narrow down to the opening game on the 25th against Germany, [like] we did at the World Cup when it was all about the opening game against Ireland. We’re narrowing the focus now and it’s all about the opening game,” said Gustavsson.
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Above: Michelle Heyman (second left) celebrates after scoring against Uzbekistan last time out in Melbourne. Photo: Tilly McDonald for Impetus.
Twenty-three players have been named in the Australia squad for the upcoming international with Mexico which will take place Toyota Field, San Antonio, USA.
The Matildas will take on the recent Concacaf W Gold Cup semi-finalists on Tuesday 9th April 2024 (local) / Wednesday, 10 April 2024 (AEST) in their first meeting in thirteen years.
The match will mark the first outing for the team since qualifying for the Paris Olympic Games, and will formally commence Australia’s preparations for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament.
Matildas’ Head Coach Tony Gustavsson said: “Following the achievement of Paris qualification, our attention turns fully to ensuring the best preparation in terms of matches and training activity for the Olympics.”
Above: Cortnee Vine returns to the Matildas squad for the game with Mexico. Photo: Cat Bryant for Impetus.
“With our opponents revealed at the Olympic Draw this Thursday, our extremely challenging assignment over the coming months, and next two FIFA international windows is to narrow down on the final 18 players that will provide the best chance for success when taking on those rivals in France.
“That those decisions will be difficult speaks to the genuine depth and competition for places that we have created over the past three years. Unfortunately, due to limited roster spots for the Olympics, that results in some very good players in strong form missing out on selection for this window and for the Olympics,” he concluded.
In a squad that features many familiar and consistent performers for club and country, it contains players from 16 different clubs, including three clubs from the A-League Women’s competition.
It also sees two changes from the squad that aided Australia in defeating Uzbekistan 13-0 on aggregate in Tashkent and Melbourne during the Round 3 Asian Qualifiers.
Above: Courtney Nevin is back in the Matildas squad. Photo: Kris Goman for Impetus.
Defender Courtney Nevin has earned a recall fresh off assisting Leicester City in securing a place in the Women’s FA Cup semi-finals for the first time. A blistering six goals in her last five matches for Sydney FC, including three braces, has seen the in-form Cortnee Vine back in the reckoning after taking personal leave from February’s qualifiers.
Midfielder Chloe Logarzo (hip) has been ruled out through injury, while goalkeeper Lydia Williams (ankle), defender Charlie Rule, and forward Sam Kerr (knee) all continue rehab in their club environments.
“We have been consistent on the keys for squad selection which incorporates individuals for club and in previous camps, combined with connection and chemistry This 23-player squad looks to balance those areas as best as possible,” Gustavsson explained.
“The upcoming international against Mexico will see one eye on preparation mode against a quality opponent who recently defeated the USWNT last month, while also continuing to implement our evolving playing style ahead of what will be a very competitive Olympic tournament,” Gustavsson concluded.
Name
Position
Club
Caps/(Goals)
Mackenzie ARNOLD
Goalkeeper
West Ham United
46 (0)
Ellie CARPENTER (VC)
Back
Olympique Lyonnais
74 (4)
Steph CATLEY (C)
Back
Arsenal
123 (5)
Kyra COONEY-CROSS
Midfielder
Arsenal
42 (0)
Caitlin FOORD
Forward
Arsenal
121 (35)
Mary FOWLER
Midfielder
Manchester City
50 (15)
Katrina GORRY
Midfielder
West Ham United
107 (17)
Charlotte GRANT
Back
Tottenham Hotspur
23 (1)
Michelle HEYMAN
Forward
Canberra United
63 (25)
Clare HUNT
Back
Paris Saint-Germain
18 (0)
Alanna KENNEDY
Back
Manchester City
121 (9)
Aivi LUIK
Back
BK Häcken
45 (1)
Teagan MICAH
Goalkeeper
Liverpool
17 (0)
Courtney NEVIN
Back
Leicester City
27 (0)
Clare POLKINGHORNE
Back
Kristianstads DFF
165 (16)
Hayley RASO
Forward
Real Madrid
84 (16)
Amy SAYER
Forward
Kristianstads DFF
11 (1)
Kaitlyn TORPEY
Back
San Diego Wave
2 (1)
Emily VAN EGMOND (VC)
Midfielder
San Diego Wave FC
141 (31)
Cortnee VINE
Forward
Sydney FC
26 (3)
Clare WHEELER
Midfielder
Everton
18 (1)
Jada WHYMAN
Goalkeeper
Sydney FC
0 (0)
Tameka YALLOP
Midfielder
Brisbane Roar FC
121 (13)
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It was all Wellington Phoenix all the time at Porirua Park in today’s midweek make-up Round 16 clash, where the Nix kept their finals hopes alive by downing Adelaide United 4-0.
An early mistake from Adelaide’s Nanako Sasaki allowed Macey Fraser the little space she needed to toe the ball into the path of Maraina Speckmaier. The Venezuelan international then, from outside the box, drove the ball into the far right corner with a low shot.
Speckmaier’s only goal for this game now sees her into double digits for scoring this season, and marks her seventh goal in seven games.
Adelaide did well to keep Wellington quiet for the rest of the first half, and looked close to finding an equaliser around the half-hour mark, when Isabel Hodgson took a long-ranged shot on goal, that was on target too, but sent over the bar by Wellington’s Canadian keeper Rylee Foster’s fingertips.
The second half was delayed by a patch of mud forming in the middle of the park by a sprinkler being obstructed by one of the goals used for the kids playing during the break, a situation solved by the groundskeepers, a bucket of dirt, a broom, and a pitchfork.
Second half delayed here as they fix a puddle created by placing the kiddies goal right above a sprinkler during the halftime break.#WELvADLpic.twitter.com/z4APUTIBf3
The Phoenix came out of the changerooms firing on all cylinders, Alyssa Whinham quickly putting the fear (of goals) back into United when she struck the far post so hard it could be heard rattling on the broadcast.
The goals came soon after and in quick succession, Kate Taylor with the second effort on Isabel Cox’s attempt at putting the ball in over her head, and only six minutes later Michaela Robertson found herself on the end of a well-timed cutback by Emma Main.
Wellington were in complete control of the game, up 3-0 by the 70th minute, which led to the pace of the game slowing, but Adelaide just could not find a way into the game.
Matters were only made worse for United, as Wellington found the back of the net a fourth time when Robertson’s cross made its way across the box for Michaela Foster to score on.
This result means that Wellington Phoenix still have a chance at making finals, but will be relying heavily on the results of multiple other clubs to do so.
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