Dos Santos’ maiden strike seals Sydney success

Sydney FC 1-0 Wellington Phoenix

by Callum Logie (29/12/23)

Above: Sydney FC match winner Jynaya Dos Santos (facing camera, eyes closed) celebrates with her sister Indiana today. Photo: Liberty A-Leagues.

Sydney FC, featuring returning star Mackenzie Hawkesby, earned an important three points with this win over Wellington Phoenix thanks to teenager Jynaya Dos Santos’ first-ever A-League Women goal in just her second appearance.

Each team made a few changes from their previous fixtures, with Michaela Foster returning to her common defensive position and Macey Fraser dropping back into a midfield position for the visitors. Sydney brought in Mackenzie Hawkesby to start in the midfield, just hours after the announcement of her return from Brighton and Hove Albion in the WSL. Also for the hosts, Shea Connors and Fiona Worts both missed out due to injury. Jordan Thompson got her first start at centreback and Aideen Keane got the start up front.

It was a back-and-forth first few moments of the game with Wellington holding the majority of the possession and passing the ball comfortably. However, the counterattacking lead by Princess Ibini and Cortnee Vine kept Sydney FC in the game on the offensive end of the field.

Hawkesby struck an effort over the bar from just inside the box at the 15-minute mark, firmly announcing her return to the A-League with positive play and energetic bursts forward. This was soon followed by a very similar attack leading to a wide-deflected effort from the fullback Kirsty Fenton.

Foster cleared a Keane effort off the goal line at the 20-minute mark, a noted defensive supplement to the returning young goalkeeper, Brianna Edwards. This was again set up by a wandering Fenton who cut it back to Keane who was unlucky not to open the scoring.

Above: A tussle for possession at Allianz Stadium today. Photo: Sydney FC.

The first half also saw an audacious effort from Ibini narrowly missing as she spotted Edwards off her line. Keane and teenager Zara Kruger also had shots on goal that missed the target which meant that the first half finished scoreless.

Michaela Foster had two key deflections on the defensive end, with Edwards also improving as the half moved along in terms of positioning. The Phoenix defence was resolute in a Sydney-dominated first half, but a couple of shots on goal from Macey Fraser meant that the Phoenix finished the half with more shots on target than Sydney FC.

As soon as the second half began, Wellington had another quality chance as a quick burst forward from Isabel Cox almost set in Kate Taylor in the middle who had instigated the move after a quality tackle in midfield. Cox’s pressing and hold-up play was a welcome boon to the Phoenix who controlled the first portion of the second half.

After the hour mark, Sydney peppered the goal, or rather the defenders in front of the goal with shot after shot from Keane, Vine, and Hawkesby. Resolute defence from Mackenzie Barry and Rebecca Lake blocked a number of goal-bound shots, protecting the 20-year-old keeper playing behind them.

At the 76th minute, fed in by a beautiful cross-field pass by Taylor Ray, Vine rounded Edwards for a chance at an open goal. However, the rushing Phoenix keeper and the ever-present Foster were able to prevent the Matildas star from scoring, the attacker instead finding the side netting.

The very next moment, however, substitutes Ray and 18-year-old Jynaya Dos Santos combined to open the scoring in the 78th minute. A beautifully weighted delivery from the right wing to the edge of the six-yard box allowed Dos Santos to finish with a headed effort into the left side of the goal. In just her second appearance in the league, Dos Santos was able to open her account at a crucial moment.

Around the 80-minute mark, Isabel Cox almost equalised with a well-driven effort to the bottom right corner. Whyman was hyper-aware at the moment of the strike and was able to direct the effort away to preserve her clean sheet.

At the 89th minute, on the six-yard line, Mariana Speckmaier headed over the bar after a terrific delivery by Cox. This was Wellington’s best chance to salvage a point away from home but were unable to get the finish.

Cox had a snapshot at the edge of the box go over the bar during injury time. Fraser also had a shot from outside the box which was saved by Whyman, marking the last of the Phoenix’s attacks in their close defeat.

Wellington were slightly unnerved by the physical style Sydney implemented in this one, particularly down the right side of the defence with Ibini and Fenton playing very physically, looking to target the attack in on Hailey Davidson. Davidson eventually was subbed due to injury concerns and Wellington played a more physical style in the second half.

The Phoenix’s attacking potency comes from the fluid approach they usually take to their football which they later did manage to reintroduce in the second half, albeit without many chances to show for it. While their midfield were very strong with Taylor, Fraser, and Annalie Longo all working very hard, they were partly let down by an attack that was unable to take advantage of attacking moves and take shots on goal.

On the other hand, it was a clear point of emphasis for Sydney to have a more attacking approach in this fixture. Hawkesby, Keane, and Vine were relentless in their pursuit of a goal and the work rate of Ibini and Hollman was something to behold throughout the 90 minutes.

Whyman was excellent in goal and helped by a solid left side of the defence with Fenton and Charlotte Mclean showing their defensive prowess. The main difference maker however was the extremely impressive Ray who came on in the second half to create chance after chance, one eventually being converted by Dos Santos.

Teams: SYDNEY FC (4-1-4-1): Whyman, Tumeth, J. Thompson, McLean, Fenton, Hollman, Kruger, Vine, Hawkesby, Ibini, Keane. Substitutes: Franco, Chauvet, I. Dos Santos, J. Dos Santos, Ray.

Scorers: J. Dos Santos 78’.

WELLINGTON PHOENIX (4-3-3): Edwards, Davidson, Barry, Lake, M. Foster, Longo, Taylor, Fraser, Breslin, Main, Speckmeier. Substitutes: Danieli-Feinberg, Whinham, Cox, McMeeken, Elliot.

Referee: Bec Mackie.

Attendance: TBC.

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The 12 captains of the Championship – Part Two

Emily Evans concludes her series profiling the leaders of each of the Championship clubs (28/12/23).

Tyler Toland

Blackburn Rovers

Above: Tyler Toland signs on the dotted line for Blackburn Rovers earlier this year. Photo: OneFootball

Toland, a 22-year-old Irish midfielder, joined Blackburn Rovers in 2023, after being at Levante for the 2022/23 season. However, during her time in Spain, she didn’t play a lot of games and so came to a mutual agreement with them to leave, despite having previously signed a two-year contract. Another one of her past clubs is Manchester City, which she signed for in 2019. She made four appearances before unfortunately sustaining an ankle ligament injury and so accepting the offer to go on loan to Glasgow City.  

Since 2017, she has been part of the Republic of Ireland squad, so far having 15 caps and one goal. She has also represented them at the U17s level, once again having 15 appearances and one goal for the girls in green. She was first called up to the senior team in 2017 for the 2019 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, coming on as a substitute against Northern Ireland. As a result of this, Toland became the youngest senior player for the Republic of Ireland.  

Sophie Barker

Sheffield United

Above: Sheffield United skipper Sophie Barker pictured at the club’s Bramall Lane stadium. Photo: Sheffield United

The 33-year-old Barker was named captain ahead of this season, can play in two in defence or a midfield. She first joined Sheffield United in 2018, before going to Leicester City from 2020-23. In the 22/23 season, she went on loan to the Blades, before returning permanently this summer. Some of her other previous clubs include Lincoln Ladies, Doncaster Rovers Belles, and Notts County Ladies FC.  

Her coach Neil Redfearn has said, “Barks is vastly experienced. She’s got out of this league several times, with Doncaster Rovers Belles and Leicester City. I think she’s still at the height of her powers playing-wise.”

Lois Joel

London City Lionesses

Above: Lois Joel captaining her side this season at home to Watford. Photo: London City Lionesses.

Joel, 24, is a former squad member at West Ham United, who moved to London City Lionesses in July 2022. She started off her journey playing with the academy teams at both Arsenal and Watford before moving to the United States to play college football. Joel played two seasons with West Virginia Mountaineers before transferring to North Carolina Tar Heels in 2019, where she made 25 appearances for the club. During her time with the Tar Heels, they won the 2019 ACC regular season and the 2019 ACC tournament. 

Lily Woodham

Reading

Above: Reading captain Lily Woodham. Photo: Reading FC.

The 23-year-old Welsh left-back was announced as Reading’s new captain at the start of the season, after singing a two-year contract with the club the year before. Woodham has previously played for clubs such as Bristol City and Charlton Athletic (a loan deal in 2019). Her leadership skills came into play when she led her team to a 0-0 draw against her former South London club at the start of this season. The defender has made over 68 appearances for Reading, and when being made captain, she stated, “it’s an honour to be trusted with the role of captain. I’m going to do my best for the girls both on and off the pitch, and hopefully learn a lot on the way.”

Woodham has represented Cymru at many different age groups, including under 17s, under 19s, and then joined the senior squad in 2020. As it stands, she has 11 senior appearances for Cymru and has scored a goal for her county in the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 qualifiers.  

Rhian Cleverly

Lewes

Above: Lewes skipper Rhian Cleverly. Photo: Lewes FC.

Cleverly, 28 is a Welsh footballer who plays as a defender and a midfielder. She joined the Sussex side in 2019, making 11 starts during the 2019/20 season. Her first goal for Lewes was scored against Coventry United on 27 September 2020, securing them a 1-0 win. She has previously been at clubs such as Bristol City where she made one appearance, and also French side Le Harve where Cleverly made a total of 20 appearances for the club.  

The Lewes captain has represented Cymru in the U16s, U17s, and U19s, playing at the 2013 UEFA Women’s Under-19 Championship. Her first senior cap for Cymru was earned in July 2014.  

Megan Chandler

Watford

Above: Megan Chandler in action for Watford this season. Photo: Watford Women.

Captain Megan Chandler, 30 joined Watford in August of 2019, and since then has gone from playing as a midfielder to being a key part of their backline. In the 2022/23 season, Chandler won the Player of the Season award and took on the role of captain after Watford and Cymru legend Helen Ward’s retirement in 2023.

The defender wore the armband on several occasions last season, showing off her leadership skills, and leading the Hertfordshire side promotion back to the Championship. Upon being made captain of Watford, she said: “It’s a surreal feeling to be honest…I got a little emotional because the club means a lot to me.”

To read the first part of this series, click on this link: https://impetusfootball.org/2023/12/27/the-12-captains-of-the-championship-part-one/

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City Roar with delight after winning eight goal classic

Melbourne City 5-3 Brisbane Roar

by Ben Carey (28/12/23).

Above: Brisbane Roar’s Ayesha Norrie (black shirt) protects the ball from Melbourne City’s Bryleeh Henry. Photo: Brisbane Roar.

A hat-trick and an assist from Emina Ekic helped to steer Melbourne City to a dramatic win over Brisbane Roar at AAMI Park today as Round 10 of the A-League Women opened with an eight-goal thriller.

Brisbane got off to a lightning-fast start against their hosts, scoring their first goal in just the fourth minute. An excellent ball into the box from Sharn Freier found the feet of Mia Corbin – her first shot was blocked by a defender, but her follow-up went in and gave her team an early lead over the league leaders.

The Roar were only able to hold on to the lead for a mere 15 minutes before a sloppy pass coughed up the ball to Ekic in a dangerous area and she slotted it past Jordan Silkowitz to level the game. The City star scored another just two minutes later after a cross from Kaitlyn Torpey found the feet of Daniela Galic. Galic’s shot was saved by Silkowitz, but the ball fell to Ekic, who tapped it home.

Ekic was involved in yet another Melbourne City goal about 10 minutes later after she whipped in a wicked corner that found Hannah Wilkinson, who was able to tuck it past Silkowitz. City went into halftime with a 3-1 lead.

Roar had a great start to the second half with Jenna McCormick scoring a brilliant header from a well-measured corner from Hollie Palmer. They were now within striking distance once more.

But Ekic was not having any of it. In the 52nd minute, some great build-up play from Melbourne City resulted in Ekic having the ball in the box. She outfoxed the Roar defenders using some fancy footwork and then completed her first-ever professional hat-trick, which restored City’s two-goal lead.

But Brisbane were still not done. In the 72nd minute, City committed an error playing out from the back, and Matildas legend, Tameka Yallop, stole the ball and passed it to Corbin, who scored her second of the day and once against put the Roar within striking distance of the hosts.

Sadly, for the Roar fans, City was awarded a penalty late in the game, which Rhianna Pollicina converted. Melbourne City would close out the match with a 5-3 win over the visitors.

Teams: MELBOURNE CITY (5-3-2): Proulx, Torpey, Chinnama, Stott, Otto, Grosso, Galic, Hughes, Pollicina, Ekic, Wilkinson. Substitutes: Barbieri, Roestbakken, T. McKenna, L. McKenna, Henry.

Scorers: Ekic 20’, 22’, 52’, Wilkinson 35’, Pollicina (pen) 75′.

BRISBANE ROAR (3-4-3): Silkowitz, Scarpelli, McCormick, de la Harpe, Thompson, Freier, Palmer, Norrie, Kirkup, Yallop, Corbin. Substitutes: Richards, McQueen, Stephenson, Hecher, Davies.

Scorers: Corbin 4’, 72’, McCormick 47’.

Referee: Rebecca Durcau.

Attendance: 2,314.

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Sydney FC v Wellington Phoenix Preview

Impetus’ Ben Gilby reports on Sydney FC‘s media conference with defender Kirsty Fenton, whilst Ryan Miller-Woods heard the thoughts of Wellington Phoenix‘s new signing Tiana Jaber and head coach Paul Temple ahead of the A-League Women encounter between the two sides tomorrow (28/12/23).

Above: Kirsty Fenton speaking to the media today ahead of Sydney FC’s game with Wellington Phoenix tomorrow. Image: Sydney FC.

Sydney FC defender Kirsty Fenton outlined the huge importance of the next three weeks for her team as they begin a run of seven league games in 31 days at home to Wellington Phoenix tomorrow.

With the defending champions having played two games fewer than the majority of teams in the A-League Women due to their AFC Women’s Club Championship group stage games, it’s catch-up time, on top of the regular schedule. It means that the Harbour City club will be playing twice a week between now and the end of January.

Whilst the load will be heavy, Fenton believes the club are well positioned to deal with it: “We don’t get as much rest, but once we get into the groove of it, and the momentum starts going forward and hopefully winning those games, we’ll be into the structure. We have the right facilities and the right staff to help us get through those games.”

After a period off over the Christmas period, when Fenton returned home to have some time with her family, all focus is now on tomorrow’s game with third-placed Wellington Phoenix. “After Christmas, we got straight back into it,” the defender said. “Mindset straight back into the game. Wellington are a good side, so we know that we need to really switch on, and switch off holiday mode!”

Sydney come into tomorrow’s game on the back of two successive draws – away to Perth Glory and at home to Brisbane Roar. To begin their serious push into the higher reaches of the table, Fenton knows that these draws need to be turned into wins, but that there is no immediate need for concern.

“It’s important (winning games) for the long-term goal of finishing on top and reaching the Grand Final…we wanted those draws to be wins, but we have games on hand, and future games coming up and we know we can capitalise on them…Anything’s possible, it only takes some teams to lose and for us to keep winning. We have a bit of a gap from the top of the table, but we have games in hand.”

The 20-year-old also believes that the real depth in strength in the Sydney squad will stand them in good stead over this busy period: “It’s good to have healthy competition, you want to be starting. It’s nothing against each other, as a player you want to be starting and having the 90 minutes. It definitely helps to push each other…to the best of their ability.”

Fenton and her Sydney teammates return to Allianz Stadium for tomorrow’s showdown with the Phoenix. It’s an arena that holds fond memories for the defender who scored there against cross-city rivals Western Sydney Wanderers: “Scoring at any stadium is such an amazing thing, and it was the opening goal against (Western Sydney) Wanderers as well, and I don’t get to score often, so it was pretty special for me.

“The field is amazing, that helps us a lot. It’s home ground, home crowd. The fans bring so much energy to help us push. We just want to keep winning no matter what the stadium is.”

Above: Wellington Phoenix’s new arrival Tiana Jaber, seen here with Newcastle Jets last season. Photo: Newcastle Jets.

Wellington Phoenix new signing Tiana Jaber’s arrival brings with her valuable A-League Women’s experience having played for Western Sydney Wanderers, Newcastle Jets, and most recently Western United as of last season.

Coming into the side as an injury replacement player for Marisa van der Meer in the backline, Jaber is a player who can play both as a centre-back and as a full-back which is a massive positive having someone who’s versatile, especially within the defence.

When asked about how the opportunity came about to sign for Wellington, Jaber said: “It was about last week. I got a call from my manager and he was saying that Wellington (Phoenix) need a player, they’ve been looking at me and were really happy with me to sign if I wanted to take the opportunity.”

The defender joins Wellington at a very important time of the season with the run of games that the Phoenix have for close to the next month where they are currently third on the A-League Women’s ladder.

Jaber revealed that the team’s style of play was a major attraction for her to sign on the dotted line. “I love how they play football,” she said.

Nix head coach Paul Temple outlined the process that led to the defender’s arrival in New Zealand. “We really wanted to get in somebody that was a centre-back who has got A-League (Women’s) experience, which wasn’t easy (to find at this time). Tiana is somebody we looked at in the off-season before we even started. So we kind of had her on our radar for a while.”

Wellington’s strong start to the season has been will be severely tested in the coming weeks with their next four matches being contested outside of New Zealand. So far, Wellington has won once away this season against Western Sydney but then suffered defeats in their next two away matches against Central Coast Mariners and Adelaide United respectively.

When asked about the next few weeks which could be season-defining for the Phoenix, Temple admitted: “The test for us is winning on the road. We’ve come up short at (Central Coast) Mariners and at Adelaide (United). In both games, we felt like we could have won, especially at Adelaide, we should have won. So, I think we kind of need to prove to ourselves really that if we want to stay in that top end of the table, we have to be able to go on the road and win.”

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The 12 captains of the Championship – Part One

Emily Evans profiles the leaders of each of the Championship clubs (27/12/23).

Christie Harrison-Murray

Birmingham City

Above: Birmingham City’s Christie Harrison-Murray. Photo: Birmingham City Women’s Twitter.

The Scottish international is an attacking midfielder, who joined Birmingham City in 2020, becoming captain at the start of this season. She currently has made over 70 appearances for the Blues. Harrison-Murray’s previous clubs include the likes of Arsenal, Bristol Academy, Doncaster Rovers Belles, and Liverpool. As of Christmas 2023, the Blues currently hold first place in the Championship table, after coming in at second place in the 22/23 season, just one point off promoted Bristol City.  

Since making her national team debut in 2010, she has 80 senior caps for her country and has been playing for them since the under 17s. Some of her biggest appearances include being selected for the Women’s Euro squad in 2017 and the Women’s World Cup squad in 2019.  

Kate Longhurst

Charlton Athletic

Above: Kate Longhurst. Photo: Charlton Athletic Football Club. 

The 34-year-old midfielder had been involved in the Women’s Super League from 2011, when she joined Chelsea, and reached the FA Cup final in 2012. She made the move to Liverpool, winning back-to-back WSL titles in 2013 and 2014. After spending five years at the club, Longhurst moved south to West Ham United before moving to Charlton Athletic in the summer of 2023.  

The midfielder has represented England at many of the youth age groups, and scored a goal to secure the 2-0 win for England in the Nationwide under-17 Tournament final against Scotland.  

Brianna Westrup

Sunderland

Above: Sunderland skipper Brianna Westrup. Photo: Sunderland AFC. 

Playing as a defender, the Scottish international joined Sunderland in 2022 and has thus far made 23 appearances for the club, scoring three goals. During 2019-2020, she played for Newcastle United, before moving to Rangers in 2020. She stayed there until the end of 2022, when she won the club’s Player of the Year, before moving to Sunderland.  

The 26-year-old was selected to be part of the Scotland squad in 2021, due to her mother being born there. She made her international debut that month during the game against Northern Ireland where they won 1-0. Since then, she has two caps for Scotland.  

Aimee Everett
Above: Crystal Palace’s 22-year-old captain Aimee Everett. Photo: Crystal Palace.  

Everett joined Crystal Palace in the summer of 2021 after leaving Leicester City, having won the Championship with them. During her first season at the South London club, she won Palace’s Player of the Season award. The midfielder made 18 appearances last campaign, and since the start of this season, has made 11 appearances and scored two goals.  

After first signing for Crystal Palace, Everett stated: “Personally, I’d like to get as many minutes as possible, to gain lots of experience and improve my game. As a club, I’d like to help us win games and improve on where the team finished in the league last year and show how good of a club Palace is.”

Rosie Parnell

Southampton

Above: Southampton’s Rosie Parnell. Photo: Isabelle Field for Southampton FC.

The 27-year-old defender joined Southampton in 2019. Parnell started her journey out at Townhill under-10s, while also representing Southampton’s Centre of Excellence between the ages of nine and 12. After that, the defender moved to Reading’s Centre of Excellence to represent them at the under-14s level, before moving to Oxford United at 19 years of age singing for four years. Parnell joined the Saints and played a crucial role in the team winning the promotion in the 21/22 season.  

Sarah Wilson

Durham

Above: Durham captain Sarah Wilson. Photo: George Ledger Photography.

Sarah Wilson joined Durham in 2014 and currently stands as one of the longest-serving players at the club, she received the captain’s armband not long after she joined. The 32-year-old centre-back is currently very close to reaching 200 appearances for the North-East side, and in the 2020/21 season, she led the club to the runners-up spot in the Championship.

Don’t miss Part Two of Emily Evans’ profile of all the Championship captains on the site tomorrow (Thursday 28th December).

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Vidosic: “There’s still a lot further we can go”

by Ben Gilby (27/12/23)

Above: Melbourne City boss Dario Vidosic addressing the media today. Image: Melbourne City.

Melbourne City head coach Dario Vidosic believes he has a potential Championship winning squad assembled ahead of tomorrow’s game with Brisbane Roar at AAMI Park, but knows his team still has to make improvements in order to reach their potential.

Reflecting on his team’s win in the pre-Christmas Melbourne derby that put them clear at the top of the A-League Women, Vidosic said: “It was a great game…for us to walk away as winners of that game with a dominant performance, it didn’t really reflect our dominance on the scoreboard, but we’re starting to put things together…it’s just putting the ball in the back of the net, and that’s the most important thing.”

Conversion rate is just one area that the City boss believes his side can improve in. He is also looking for his side to be a bit “smarter” at times.

“There are quality teams and quality players (in the A-League Women) and we are going to give away chances. We are cleaning things up, and learning how teams adapt to us. Many are deciding to drop off and wait for those transitional moments. We just need to be a bit more smarter in how we conduct our play and how much risk we play to that and how we organise those moments. It’s about improving each week and I think there’s a lot further we can still go.”

Once work on those areas begins to bear fruit, Vidosic believes his side are more than capable of bringing silverware back to Melbourne.

“I think we do. We lost Holly (McNamara) early…but we have been able to adapt. We are still creating so many chances and it’s going to continue to evolve. The girls are taking in all the information and are able to apply it. We had a much more complete performance against Melbourne (Victory last time out) and we are looking to take that even further against Brisbane.”

City go into tomorrow’s game with the Roar with no injury concerns. The game begins a period of three matches against sides currently outside the top six. However, Vidosic doesn’t see this period of fixtures being any easier than their previous games which included encounters with top-three rivals Perth Glory and Melbourne Victory.

“When we go to teams, or when they come to us, we know we come with a large target on our back, especially being league leaders at the moment. I don’t think there are any weak teams. If you don’t show up it’s going to be a very tough game.”

Whilst it’s been a season of ups and downs for Brisbane Roar, the City boss sees real progression in the Queensland side since the arrival of new head coach Alex Smith.

“With the coaching change, they’ve gone a bit more possession-based. They did very well against Sydney (last time out, a 1-1 draw) they caused them problems. They are a little bit more direct, but they still want to have the ball, and they counter-press, so we’re expecting a good tussle tomorrow and they will be up for it.”

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A-League Women Weekly Awards

Members of the Impetus team of contributors covering the competition unveil their choices of player, coach, and event of the week. We’ll keep a tally of all the votes and just before Finals, reveal which player and coach have received the most votes across the season to be named the Impetus A-League Women Player and Coach of the Season (24/12/23).

Player of the week:
Above: Chloe Logarzo celebrates her goal for Western United on Friday – it capped a superb personal display from the Matilda. Photo: Liberty A-League.

BEN GILBY: Chloe Logarzo. The Matildas star put in a hugely influential display, especially in the first half of Western United’s win over Perth Glory on Friday. Logarzo lined up magnificently with Hannah Keane, making intelligent runs, and finding perfectly weighted passes, and the icing on the cake was a goal on her birthday to seal the win.

KIERAN YAP: Mariana Speckmaier. The Venezuelan is the striker that the Phoenix have been missing for the last few seasons. Against the Jets yesterday, she was an electric presence. Her confidence spread through the side and her penalty was emphatically struck.

BEN CAREY: Rylee Foster. She was crucial in Wellington Phoenix’s victory over Newcastle Jets. Six saves and a clean sheet against a very attack-minded Jets. Absolute brick wall. Macca would be proud.

Coach of the week:
Above: Western United head coach Kat Smith, who received two votes this week. Image: Western United.

BEN GILBY: Kat Smith. The new Western United head coach had certainly done her homework on Perth Glory. Smith constructed her team to ensure that Glory’s key creative midfielders Susan Phonsongkham and Sofia Sakalis were largely nullified. Grace Jale was completely wrapped up, and Millie Farrow was forced deeper and deeper to look for attacking opportunities. This, plus her dynamic attacking duo of Chloe Logarzo and Hannah Keane were key to Western United downing the league leaders.

KIERAN YAP: Dario Vidosic. It’s hard to go past a win against a local rival that he had never beaten as a coach in a match to reverse a slight blip. A strong result.

BEN CAREY: Kat Smith. Leading her team to victory over the league leaders was a huge effort. Her work at the team is finally paying off. Not only did Western United defend well, but their attacks were strong and relentless. They might be back to last season’s form before too long thanks to Smith.

Moment of the week:
Above: Emina Ekic – her winning goal in the Melbourne derby was huge in the context of what it has done to the ladder. Image: Melbourne City.

BEN GILBY: Emina Ekic’s winning goal in the Melbourne derby. It ensured that City went into the holiday period three points clear at the top of the ladder. Defeat for Ekic’s side would have led to a three-way log jam between City, Victory, and Perth on 17 points. The goal and the resulting win were huge.

KIERAN YAP: Annalee Grove’s last-minute save from Sophie Harding for Adelaide United at Western Sydney Wanderers.

BEN CAREY: Ash Brodigan’s long-range strike for Brisbane Roar that beat Sydney FC keeper Jada Whyman at the near post. That doesn’t happen very often. What an effort.

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The Phoenix fly past Jets in Wellington

Wellington Phoenix 2-0 Newcastle Jets

By Jonathon Hagger at Sky Stadium (23/12/23)

Above: Mariana Speckmeier and Hope Breslin celebrating. Photo: Imrayssnaps.

The Wellington Phoenix women versus the Newcastle Jets promised to be an interesting matchup with both teams starting the ninth round of the Liberty A-League in very different form.

In the previous round, the Phoenix blew an opportunity to go top of the table whereas the Jets had a big win over Western United. Just one week later how would the teams fare? With the departure of Emily van Egmond after her four week cameo with the Jets, questions were raised about how well they would go without her. 

After their disappointing performance the week before, coach Paul Temple rang the changes for the Phoenix. Nix supporters were surprised by the decision to move set piece specialist Michaela Foster, usually a defensive left back, into the midfield. This opened space at the back for the very in-form Zoe McMeeken to start and show why she is a hot talent prospect.

The Jets came out firing and put the Phoenix under pressure immediately with an attempt on goal from outside the box by Sarina Bolden. The pressure continued with Lorena Baumann and Libby Copus-Brown’s shots being cleared away by the Nix. Had any of the Jets early four shots been successful the energy of the match would have been different but it wasn’t to be. Cass Davis’ shot from outside the box curled nicely towards the goal however the Nix goalkeeper had the ball in her sights and made a strong bat away. 

A breakout run and some fancy footwork by Macey Fraser put her in wide open space in the Jets goal area. Her cross towards two Nix players, Speckmeier and Breslin, didn’t find either player and the best chance of the match to go ahead with the early goal was missed. 

The momentum in the matched swung entirely to the Phoenix when Hope Breslin was fouled in the Jets goal area after being brought down unnecessarily. Mariana Speckmeier coolly slotted the ball past Isobel Nino to go up 1-0 at the 34 minute mark. 

Just five minutes later in the 39th minute, the Phoenix secured a second goal to widen the score line to 2-0. Once again it was Speckmeier beautiful cross found the left foot of Breslin who was standing unguarded with an unobstructed view of the goal, who thumped the ball into the Jets net. Not even the very classy Jets defender Claudia Cicco was able to stop the goal. 

The Jets did not relent and attempted to fight their way back into the match searching for their first goal before halftime with shots on target by Copus-Brown, Barbieri, and Cicco all being denied. 

The teams went into the sheds at halftime with the score at 2-0.

Following the halftime break, a light rain started falling resulting in the Sky Stadium pitch becoming greasy, affecting both teams ability to stay upright. The slick surface took quite some getting used to. 

It was the Phoenix who attempted to close the match out in the 52nd minute as the ball pin-balled around in the Jets goal area however the back of the net was not to be found on this occasion. 

In the 56th minute the Phoenix brand new import signing, Isabel Cox, came into the match for her first appearance. Cox displayed all the qualities of a talented player and slotted into the team with ease. Everyone had to wait until the 71st minute for Fraser to slot through a slick pass to Cox giving her a clean shot at the Jets.

However, visiting goalkeeper Nino shut down the play. The Jets then quickly progressed the ball down the pitch to get a shot on the Phoenix goal that was well saved by Rylee Foster however in the motion of falling, Foster’s head collided with the goalpost after a diving save resulting in a considerable delay of play.

Phoenix players and supporters collectively held their breath in the 86th minute as Kate Taylor went down clutching her knee following a high-speed collision with Jets defender Milan Hammond. Thankfully the knock to the knee did not result in a serious injury and Taylor resumed play after a couple of minutes.

The remainder of the match was uneventful with both teams having chances to press with neither team managing to score. The Phoenix secured the three points for the win and the Jets return to Newcastle thinking about how to plug the gap that van Egmond has left. 

The game stats tell the story of how the match went with the Phoenix dominating possession and being far more accurate with their passing. The Jets had more shots on goal but the quality of the shots taken didn’t really trouble the Phoenix too much.

Wellington Phoenix ended the match as the deserved winner. Quality performances with Speckmeier on attack and Rylee Foster on defence saw the Phoenix win whereas in seasons past the match would more likely have finished in a draw.

Performances of note for the Jets – Claudia Cicco is a future talent of the senior Matildas team. She is very quick, versatile and knows where to be when on the pitch, both in attack and in defence. Lorena Baumann is also a quality player who is confident to shoot the ball when she sees an opening. SarinaBolden is a very classy striker who knows how to score goals but the Phoenix defenders were better than her on the day.

Both teams had plenty of chances to win this match but what ultimately separated the two teams was the quality of possession and shots taken. Gary van Egmond, Jets coach, will be putting his thinking cap on in the next few days as the Jets search for a way to bounce back from an underwhelming performance.

Paul Temple, Phoenix coach, will be able to enjoy his Christmas lunch without having to think about football, knowing that his team has a deep quality of depth that should see the Nix playing finals football.

Teams: WELLINGTON PHOENIX (4-3-3): R Foster, Davidson, Barry, Lake, McMeeken, Longo, Taylor, M Foster, Breslin, Fraser, Speckmeier. Substitutes: Edwards, Whinham, Cox, Robertson, Elliot.

Scorers: Speckmeier 34’, Breslin 39’.

NEWCASTLE JETS (3-1-2-1-3): Nino, Cicco, Prior, Wilson, Davis, Baumann, Copus-Brown, Hoban, Allan, Bolden, Barbieri. Substitutes: Rochaix, Huynh, Karipidis, Dundas, Hammond. 

Referee: Mikayla Ryan.

Attendance: 2,614. 

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Great Wall of Grove wins the day for Adelaide United

Western Sydney Wanderers 0-1 Adelaide United

By Kieran Yap (23/12/23)

Above: Adelaide United celebrate Dylan Holmes’s goal. Photo: Adelaide United.

A second-minute Dylan Holmes strike was enough to give Adelaide a 1-0 win against Western Sydney, but the three points did not come easy in an entertaining and dramatic match.

Adelaide came into this round looking for their second win of the season. They defeated the high-flying Wellington Phoenix in Round Eight, and another three points would give supporters hope that the season was starting to turn around.

Western Sydney had not lost in three matches, thanks largely to the scoring form of Sophie Harding. The mobile and dynamic striker had scored in each of those games to propel her to Golden Boot favouritism.

The game began in fast fashion and did not slow down from that point on. Nanako Sasaki cut off an attempted Wanderers clearance and threaded the ball into the path of Holmes. The Reds midfielder fired across goal and into the bottom corner to put Adelaide in the rare position of having a lead to defend.

That early goal meant that the game immediately opened up. Western Sydney pushed forward almost immediately in hopes of levelling the scores. This sort of match suits Adelaide United’s style of play and it made for an entertaining if low-scoring afternoon.

Harding was at the heart of everything good for The Wanderers. She has the size and strength to play with her back to goal, but the mobility and pace to turn and immediately trouble defences. Her movement across both flanks makes her a hard player to mark, and ultimately the entire back four’s responsibility.

When Harding spun free, surged forward, and played in Danika Matos, a goal looked certain. However, Adelaide’s goalkeeper Annalee Grove produced perfect timing and positioning to deny the goal.

Grove would prove to be the deciding factor in this game by the end of 90 minutes, but Adelaide United were unlucky to not extend their lead. The visitors repeatedly threatened with long quick passes from deep as the Wanderers continued to push upfield.

The Red’s back four were regularly being tested, but for the most part, were able to repel the Wanderers’ attacks with a safety-first approach. They prioritised getting the ball to the midfielders and strikers in the quickest way possible. Lateral passing in the backline was rare from either side.

Harding continued to threaten and after another run, she set up Holly Caspers for a one-on-one with Grove. Once again, the Australian Under 23 representative prevented an almost certain equaliser.

Adelaide United coach Adrian Stenta doubled down on his attacking philosophy and introduced Alana Jancevski and Emily Condon to the proceedings, followed later by Katie Bowler. The attacking trio’s arrival meant that there was little chance of Adelaide focussing on protecting the lead. They wanted to keep the pressure on the Wanderers and perhaps reduce the influence of playmaking centre back Amy Harrison.

Condon came closest to scoring a second. Her curling effort from the edge of the box looked headed for the bottom corner, but it skimmed past the post to the relief of goalkeeper Kaylie Collins.

Adelaide’s all-out attack style almost backfired when defender Ella Tonkin was sent off for a second yellow card. Sasaki dropped back, but they looked more vulnerable in the dying minute without a crucial player.

Wanderers substitute Ella Abdul-Massih almost set up a late reprieve after delivering a beautiful long pass behind the Adelaide defence. As Harding ran onto the pass, two possible stories began to emerge.

In one, Harding solidifies her place as the league’s in-form striker and enhanced her reputation as a potential match-winner. In the other Grove was the hero for a second week in a row.

Against any other goalkeeper, the first possibility would have been the likely result, but Grove was in no mood to be beaten in this match. She provided the late heroics to deny the Wanderers a point and secure her side three on the road.

Teams: WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS (3-4-3): Collins, McComasky, Harrison, Bruce, Rue, Apostolakis, Ferris, Matos, Morris, Caspers, Harding. Substitutes: Brooking, Breier, Abdul-Massih, Keir, Segavcic.

ADELAIDE UNITED (4-3-3): Grove, I Hodgson, Tonkin, Waldus, E Hodgson, Holmes, Sasaki, Morgan, Dawber, Lee, Blake. Substitutes: Condon, Holtz, Bowler, Jancevski, Jenkins.

Scorers: Holmes 2’.

Referee: Bec Mackie.

Attendance: 548.

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Wurigumula sets the stage for Central Coast Win

Canberra United 0-3 Central Coast Mariners

By Ryan Miller-Woods (23/12/23)

Above: Wurigumula for Central Coast Mariners. Photo: Central Coast Mariners.

Central Coast Mariners achieved their third win of the season with a 3-0 win against Canberra United at McKellar Park. Once more, for Canberra, despite having created chances, it just wasn’t their day, and they remain at the bottom of the ladder.

Within the first 10 minutes of the match, Canberra were the ones that had made the most dangerous of the chances in attack as well as the majority of possession in that period of 55.4% but Central Coast looked strong defensively at that time. Overall it was an even encounter early in the proceedings.

In the 19th minute, Bianca Galic from outside the box had a great opportunity to open the scoring for Central Coast as her shot was saved by Canberra’s goalkeeper Coco Majstorovic and tipped up and off the crossbar. Despite the shot not going in, Galic’s control of the ball that set herself up for that chance at goal was very impressive.

Four minutes later, Vesna Milivojevic came very close to scoring her ninth goal of the season as her shot just went wide of the goal which kept Central Coast’s goalkeeper Sarah Langman on notice. Milivojevic’s control of the ball and eventual shot was yet another example of just how great she has been this season for Canberra with her making the simple things look brilliant.

In the 29th minute, Isabel Gomez provided an integral pass to Wurigumula who made a great run with the ball provided towards goal. She saw her chance and went for it as her powerful shot from outside the box went sailing past Majstorovic and into the top left corner for the opening goal of the match.

As the half progressed, the more it felt like Central Coast was slightly more dangerous in attack with the chances they had made as they could have gone further ahead if they weren’t denied by the crossbar.

Something that was apparent in the first half and continued into the second half was how Central Coast built up their passages in plays which really was good to watch and was a massive benefit to them with the chances created.

In the 69th minute, Central Coast doubled their lead thanks to a great through ball by Paige Hayward which was mistimed by Canberra’s Cannon Clough and found Wurigumula. She went around the goalkeeper in the box and slotted the ball into the back of the net for her third goal both of her A-League career.

Five minutes later, Central Coast all but sealed the three points for themselves as Peta Trimis made a great run into the box from a fast break and her shot went past Majstorovic and into the bottom right corner. It was the Mariners’ third goal of the match and Trimis’ first goal in the A-League Women.

Teams: CANBERRA UNITED (3-5-1-1): Majstorovic, Ilijoski, Nathan, Grove, Christopherson, Clark, Clough, Milivojevic, Flannery, Stanic-Floody, Heyman. Substitutes: Ritchie, McKenzie, Rojas, Jackson, Bertolissio.

CENTRAL COAST MARINERS (3-4-1-2): Langman, Wardlow, King, Irwin, Hayward, Gomez, Quilligan, Bryson, Galic, Badawiya, Wurigumula. Substitutes: Dumont, Rasmussen, Karrys-Stahl, Karambasis, Trimis.

Scorers: Wurigumula 29’, 69’. Trimis 74’.

Referee: Isabella Libri.

Attendance: 1,285.

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