Report by Emily Brown, exclusive photography from Suvadeep Biswas, both at Villa Park for Impetus (27/11/23).
Above: Aston Villa’s Ebony Salmon (facing away from camera) looks to beat her marker. Photo: Suvadeep Biswas for Impetus.
Aston Villa’s mistakes led to a physical Everton gaining reward, securing them the win at Villa Park.
Before the game commenced, the Toffees already found themselves in an unfortunate position, with their Italian striker, Martina Piemonte, absent from the matchday squad. Heather Payne coming in as her replacement.
It was revealed mid-week that the 26-year-old (who scored her first goal for her new club last week) would serve a three-match suspension after being charged with violent conduct following an ‘off-the-ball incident’ that occurred during Everton’s game against Bristol City last week.
Everton boss Brian Sørensen was further forced to leave out the side’s second Italian international, Aurora Galli, following a knock she picked up mid-week affecting a “ligament in her foot”, as the Toffees’ head coach confirmed post-match.
In the Blue’s midfield, a slight change was made. Australian midfielder, Clare Wheeler took a central midfield position in comparison to her wing-back role seen so far this season.
The only change Aston Villa manager Carla Ward made to the squad that beat West Ham was swapping out young midfield maestro Laura Blindkilde-Brown for the experienced Jordan Nobbs.
The first half ended with a tie between both sides. As the game progressed it revealed to be a tight physical battle. Both sides drew good chances but couldn’t connect with the net, with many shots on goal being spectacularly saved on either end.
Villa defender Sarah Mayling looked very positive in the first half, facing a tough physical duel against Everton’s Sara Holmgaard who wasn’t afraid to wrestle for possession. However, it was Villa who came out on top with the most possession overall. Mayling connected well with both Jordan Nobbs and Adriana Leon, leading to progressive runs forward.
Everton had two early chances with Katja Snoeijs’ strike reaching the hands of Villa’s dependable Daphne van Domselaar. Hanna Bennison also looked in good form despite her set pieces falling to the same fate.
Above: Aston Villa goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar yesterday. Photo: Suvadeep Biswas for Impetus.
The partnership between Nicoline Sørensen and Sara Holmgaard proved difficult to overcome with Holmgaard having a very determined first half, looking exceedingly dangerous on the left-hand side.
However, Everton had a close call when Villains’ winger Kirsty Hanson ran away with the ball, driving a cross into the Toffee’s side netting.
Frustrations built up fairly quickly with emotions boiling over following an off-the-ball incident between Villa defender Maz Pacheco and Everton’s Justine Vanhaevermaet. A shortly followed yellow card was shown to the Toffees for a bad foul on Kirsty Hanson by Karen Holmgaard.
For Villa, it became more and more apparent that Everton’s hunger for their first win since the Merseyside derby earlier this season came at a detriment to the West-Midlands side, that even Rachel Daly couldn’t counter.
It wasn’t long before a second yellow card was shown to the Merseyside team after Snoeijs tugged on the shirt of Kenza Dali, just after Snoeijs had had a strike on goal punched out by van Domselaar.
Coming into the second half, a substitution for Everton meant that Nathalie Björn took the place of Karen Holmgaard who is still only able to play 60 minutes due to her recovering injury.
Unfortunately for Villa, the opening goal of the match was an own goal, conceded by defender Anna Patten. Previous to this mistake she’d made some excellent blocks in the first half denying Everton’s efforts goalward.
However, it wasn’t long before the equaliser from Rachel Daly actualised. From Dali to Hanson, the hard work along the right side finally connected in the final stages of play.
Villa’s movement along both sides of the touchline proved relentless. However, a penalty conceded by Hanson saw Everton substitute, Björn, convert the opportunity, sending Villa’s goalkeeper in the opposite direction.
It looked promising for the hosts as substitute Ebony Salmon quickly strove towards goal causing Everton’s defence to blunder before regaining composure, resetting the phase of play.
Everton came back with the same energy as Sørensen made an exciting run forward, leaving Villa in the dust. However, once again, the Dutch number one made a heroic save.
Above: Celebration time for Everton. Photo: Suvadeep Biswas for Impetus.
With just short of five minutes to go before full time Villa’s desperation couldn’t outweigh their tiredness. It looked at one point that Northern Irish striker Simone Magill would save the day for Villa. The forward having made her return to the WSL this match since missing out through injury the past couple of weeks.
Nevertheless, her shot was denied by goalkeeper Sarah Brosnan who was tested in quick succession during the last few moments of the game. The last chance for Villa stood with a Dali corner. An exciting passage of play followed between substitutes Alisha Lehmann and Lucy Staniforth, with Lehmann going goalward. Brosnan remained focused, coming off her line to grab it, keeping the score line in her favour.
Speaking at the post-match media conference, Villa manager Carla Ward said her team’s performance was: “Disappointing. I don’t think we played with any sort of intensity or any rhythm… Ultimately, we lost the game rather than (Everton winning) the game…
“It’s an own goal and a penalty that’s won them the game, but did we do enough to win it? Absolutely not. Did we deserve to lose it? Probably not…. we’ve got to be better than that.”
The away side’s manager Brian Sørensen’s thoughts on his team’s performance were as follows: “… we knew that we really (needed) to stick together, work hard, and yeah I think we did that.
“I’m really happy for the win of course and then also the performance that we put behind it… Everybody chipped in despite us having many… key players (out).”
Above: Rachel Daly ((hand raised) may have been on the score sheet once more for Villa, but it was not enough. Photo: Suvadeep Biswas for Impetus.
Teams: ASTON VILLA (4-3 -3): van Domselaar; Mayling, Patten, Turner, Pacheco; Dali, Corsie, Nobbs; Leon, Daly, Hanson. Substitutes: Staniforth, Lehmann, Magill, Salmon.
Scorers: Daly (55’).
EVERTON (3-4-1-2): Brosnan; K. Holmgaard, Finnigan, Veje; Vanhaevermaet, Bennison, Wheeler, S. Holmgaard; Snoeijs, Sørensen, Payne. Substitutes: Björn, Olesen, Campbell, Bissell.
Scorers: Patten OG 54‘, Björn (pen) 74’.
Referee: Stacey Pearson.
Attendance: 4,203.
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Impetus’ team of contributors covering the competition reveal their choices for player, coach, and event of the week. Every vote for player and coach of the week is kept and tallied up just ahead of Finals when our Player and Coach of the season will be announced (27/11/23).
Player of the week:
Above: Emily van Egmond, seen here in action for Newcastle Jets in 2021, gained two votes this week for her influential display for the Jets at Canberra United. Photo: Ashley Feder/Getty Images.
BEN GILBY:Emily van Egmond. A hugely influential performance once more as Newcastle Jets got a fantastic win at McKellar Park.
KIERAN YAP: Sarina Bolden. Surprise signing, instant impact. The Philippines international scored within minutes of her return to the league and was a menace throughout the match. She finished the round with a brace, and after just 90 minutes looks set to be one of the signings of the season.
BEN CAREY: Emily van Egmond. Her goal and assist were crucial in getting the Jets over the line in an absolutely thrilling game against Canberra United. Van Egmond’s impact since returning to the Jets has been absolutely immense. They’ll be sad to see her go in a few week’s time.
Coach of the week:
Above: Paul Temple – a full house of votes this week. Image: Wellington Phoenix.
BEN GILBY: Paul Temple. Another superb performance and win for Wellington Phoenix, as they became the first team to defeat Perth Glory this season. Temple got his tactics spot on – reduce the influence on Susan Phonsongkham and force Perth’s other creative forces Hana Lowry and Georgia Cassidy to play longer balls under a rapid press. Both of these tactics reduced the amount of ball that Millie Farrow and Grace Jale saw and, combined sparkling attack play, got a brilliant win.
KIERAN YAP: Paul Temple. Wellington have genuine belief in themselves and the game plan this season. To some extent, Temple is building on the foundations laid by the two coaches before him, but he is excelling and so are The Nix. They are hard to beat.
BEN CAREY: Paul Temple. His side, Wellington Phoenix, put in a sensational performance to dispatch the league leaders, Perth Glory, and earn their biggest victory of the season so far. Temple and the Phoenix are truly proving to be a force to be reckoned with.
Event of the week:
Above: Emina Ekic (11) celebrating for Melbourne City with her team mates at Sydney FC yesterday. Photo: Melbourne City.
BEN GILBY: Emina Ekic hitting an Olympico as Melbourne City gained a superb win over Sydney FC to hit the top of the ladder.
KIERAN YAP: Kurea Okino’s goal. More specifically the celebration by her and the rest of Melbourne Victory. The Japanese striker has finally broken her goal drought with a confident close-range finish, but the way she was mobbed by teammates and the jubilation (and dancing) of those on the bench was a delight to see.
BEN CAREY: Emina Ekic’s fabulous Olympico goal in the 31st minute against Sydney FC. What a banger!
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Above:Brisbane Roar’s Mia Corbin celebrates her game equalising goal.Photo:Brisbane Roar.
Brisbane Roar played out a scrappy 1-1 draw with Adelaide United on Sunday evening in front of a healthy crowd at Suncorp stadium, the site of the now infamous Matildas penalty shootout against France at this year’s Women’s World Cup. It was a historic occasion, because it was the first time the Roar women had played at Suncorp in almost five years. The match was the second in a double header, with the men pulling off a tight win over Perth Glory beforehand. In other words, the men’s match warmed up the crowd nicely for the main event.
It was a scrappy first 10 minutes, neither side being particularly efficient with their possession of the ball. In the 13th minute, a clever forward flick from the newly re-signed Chelsea Dawbercaught the Brisbane Roar defence sleeping. The ball skipped past the Roar defenders and was picked up by US international,Mariah Lee, who outmanoeuvred the Roar’s keeper, Jordan Silkowitz, and tucked it in the back of the goals from a fairly tight angle.
The rapid pace ⚡️ The composed finish 😎
Mariah Lee opens the scoring for Adelaide United at Suncorp Stadium in style!
Adelaide’s goal sucked the air out of the stadium for a moment, but the Brisbane Roar fans bounced back quickly. In the 38thminute, as Hollie Palmer was preparing to take a corner kick, there was a huge surge of enthusiasm from the home crowd. The majority of the stadium was chanting, clapping, or banging their seats to show their undying support for their team. It seemed to have worked. Palmer’s high, floating cross was headed away from the box, but Ayesha Norrie quickly passed out to US international Leah Scarpelli, who whipped in a wicked cross to find her countrywoman, Mia Corbin, in the box. Corbin’s finish was exquisite. Brisbane Roar now had the equaliser.
A goal four years in the making 🤩
Mia Corbin scores Brisbane Roar's first goal at Suncorp Stadium in four years to level the score 1-1 against Adelaide United.
The Roar definitely had the better of the chances in the second half. They came out firing, creating a number of excellentopportunities, mostly through Sharn Freier, Norrie, and Corbin. However, the Adelaide keeper, Annalee Grove, was always equal to their efforts. Adelaide had their chances as well, butSilkowitz smothered their every attempt. The game wrapped up as a 1-1 draw after a lengthy stoppage time.
Brisbane Roar played a decent match, but they were often too slow, and their positioning was too disjointed to make a consistent impact on Adelaide’s defensive line. There were moments of individual brilliance, but rarely did it look like they were playing as one, cohesive team. The goal they did scorecame about from an excellent piece of teamwork: quickintentional passes, good positioning, and clinical finishing. If the newly appointed head coach, Alex Smith, can find a way to reproduce that over 90 minutes, he will have built a winning team. Scarpelli put in a great shift in the backline, defending well, and also bagging an assist. Further up the pitch, Corbin and Freier had a great day at the office too, both causing Grove a lot of headaches. Corbin’s energy and physicality and Freier’s speed and tricky footwork both made for some very entertaining build up play.
Adelaide United also played a reasonable game, but their passing accuracy was fairly low, and they also lacked clinical finishes in the final third. Grove played a fabulous game between the sticks, asserting her authority inside the box and shutting down a number of dangerous Roar attacks. Dawber played an exceptional first match back after spending the last eight months playing for IFK Norrköping in Sweden. Dawber create several big chances and bagged a crucial assist. Lee also had a great game, showing her speed and technical ability to score the goal that ensured that her team didn’t walk away empty handed.
Both teams will now have a two-week break during the international window. Adelaide United will next play Western United on Saturday, December 9. The next day, Brisbane Roar will face Canberra United.
Teams:ADELAIDE UNITED (4-2-3-1): Grove, I. Hodgson, Tonkin, Waldus, E. Hodgson, Holmes, Sasaki, Dawber, Morgan, Jancevski, Lee. Substitutes: Condon, Holtz, Jenkins, Panagaris, Taylor.
Scorers: Corbin 38’.
Referee: Isabella Libri.
Attendance: 3278
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Above: Daniela Galic (left), Emina Ekic (11) and Taylor Otto (right) for Melbourne City. Photo: Melbourne City.
In what was truly a game of two halves, Melbourne City held out against Sydney FC to win 3-2, securing their pole position on the ladder and leaving them three points clear.
Despite losing young star Holly McNamara to an ACL injury, City dominated the opening 45 minutes, scoring three times to all but run away with the game.
Julia Grosso found City’s first of the afternoon, collecting a deflected shot and shooting while spinning to face goal. The shot was driven low to the far post, with Sydney FC goalkeeper Jada Mathyssen-Whyman unable to do more than dive in the general direction of the ball.
The second goal to come for Melbourne was one of complete individual brilliance by Emina Ekic. A corner won after a shot from Leticia McKenna was deflected over the goal line, saw Ekic score a stunning Olimpico from the corner flag. This marks Ekic’s first goal for City after ending her season last year early due to injury.
Rhianna Pollicina came close being the third City scorer, but Sydney FC defender Tori Tumeth made an incredible goal-line save to deny her after she had initially lured Mathyssen-Whyman off her line. Tumeth’s clearance landed right at the feet of Daniela Galic, who made absolutely no mistake lifting the ball into the corner of the net, out of Mathyssen-Whyman’s reach, and over Tumeth who was lying in the goal having just made the clearance.
While the first half was all Melbourne City, the second half saw Sydney FC wrestle back the reins and deliver an entertaining half of football for their home fans.
A shot from outside the crowded City box by Taylor Ray caught a needed deflection off defender Jordan Thompson, scoring her first goal in the A-League Women’s, after only having been in the country for a week.
While it looked like Sky Blue was readying to launch a comeback, the Sydney skies had another idea entirely, as a lightning storm meant the game had to be delayed for about half an hour.
After the lightning had passed, and a gorgeous double rainbow too, play was able to resume, and Sydney FC were raring to go.
The second Sydney goal came again from a long shot, this time from Charlotte Mclean (which may have been helped on by a slight deflection from Aideen Keane inside the box), with City keeper Lysianne Proulx rushing low in the correct direction, but ultimately unable to stop the ball from crossing the line.
Unfortunately for Sydney FC, they were unable to find an equaliser in the remaining 10 minutes of regular time, nor in the extra five minutes of stoppage time.
Melbourne City are now the only team left in the A-League Women’s 2023/24 season that are yet to record a loss.
Now heading into another international break, Melbourne City return to the pitch on the 9th of December facing Perth Glory at home, while Sydney FC travel to face Newcastle Jets on Sunday 10th of December.
Sydney FC (4-3-3): Mathyssen-Whyman, Tumeth, Mclean, Seaman, Lemon (46’ Thompson), Ray, I. Dos Santos (46’ Saveska), Hollman (56’ Kruger), Connors (67’ Keane), Worts, Ibini-Isei
Scorers: Grosso 23’ Ekic 31’ Galic, 45+3’
Melbourne City (4-4-2): Proulx, Chinnama, Otto, Stott, Grosso, Galic (55’ Wilkinson), Hughes, L. McKenna (67’ Davidson), Torpey, Ekic (76’ T. McKenna), Pollicina
Scorers: Thompson 74’ Mclean 80’
Referee: Rebecca Durcau
Attendance: 3,937
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Above: Emma Whitter, Millwall’s top goalscorer this season. Photo: Tom West.
Myles Thornton reports from St Paul’s Sports Ground as Emma Whitter and Shannan Drewe help Millwall progress into the Adobe Women’s FA Cup third round.
Millwall had beaten Denham United ladies 3-2 in the last round to get to the second round whereas Bromley had beaten AFC Portchester 3-2.
Millwall had a great chance to take the lead after 13 minutes, with Drewe beating 2 Bromley defenders before hitting it with power off the crossbar, being cleared away by the Bromley defence before Millwall could pounce.
After dominant pressure in the first half, Millwall finally broke the deadlock around the 30-minute mark. Poppy Payne played it to Drewe, who found Whitter who tapped home.
Some good chances for both sides throughout the first half, with Bromley unable to convert for an equaliser and Millwall unable to get a double.
With 8 minutes left of the first 45, Bromley’s goalkeeper Megan Taylor made an excellent save to stop Ellen Napper from doubling Millwall’s lead.
A strong start to the second half by Millwall as only 2 minutes in, Chloe Burr came close to doubling Millwall’s lead as her shot went just over the bar.
Whitter then came close with 30 minutes left of the game. She ran straight through the Bromley defence but Taylor in goal said no to a Millwall second. Another great save was added to Bromley’s goalkeeper’s record as she stopped Drewe from finding the back of the net just a few minutes later.
Just into 8 minutes of added on time, Drewe sealed Millwall’s place in the third round, finding the ball at her feet on the edge of the area, striding through the Bromley defence, and hitting the back of the net.
Millwall have won the women’s FA Cup twice in their history and now they head into the third round, where they could potentially face off against a Championship side.
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Above: Sarina Bolden (right) and Libby Copus-Brown (left) for Newcastle Jets. Photo: Newcastle Jets Twitter.
The Newcastle Jets won an entertaining match against Canberra United and showed that they are more than just the Emily van Egmond show.
Newcastle went into this game buoyed by the announcement of a new signing. Prior to kickoff, fans were treated with the news that Philippines international Sarina Bolden had arrived at the club and would make her debut. For a team that scored twice against Melbourne City last week and were still missing Melina Ayres through injury, this was a huge coup and one that had the potential for immediate impact.
It was Canberra United who started off on the front foot and barely five minutes had passes before Michelle Heyman muscled her way goal side and produced a composed finish past Izzy Nino.
Newcastle responded almost immediately through after Bolden raced clear at the other end and beat a stranded Chloe Lincoln in the one one-on-one.
The Jets were looking confident and soon had the lead. Emily van Egmond lifted the ball over Lincoln from the edge of the box to make it 2-1 with a touch of trademark class.
Canberra were behind on the scoreboard but not on their heels. Sasha Grove and Mary Stanic-Floody started to impose themselves on the midfield. The two youngsters began creating chances with quick passing and fast feet and Grove’s surging run was almost finished by Vesna Milivojevic, who was denied by Nino.
Milivojevic levelled the scores in the 58th minute with a classy free kick. But Bolden restored the Jets lead almost instantly with a similar goal to her first. Cass Davis supplied the pass for Bolden to finish with a brilliant chip, and the Jets legend almost scored one herself as the game became increasingly open.
Lauren Allan made it 4-2 with a well-struck effort across goal in the 81st minute and it looked like that was enough to settle the result, but Milivojevic forced a mistake from Nino with an effort from 18 yards that slipped through the keeper’s hands.
The arrival of stoppage time did nothing to slow down events. Both teams continued to attack and Bolden almost scored a third but her shot was hit over the bar. Canberra may have been lacking the presence of Michelle Heyman who had gone off injured but were not lacking belief as they continued to look for an equaliser.
The game eventually ended after an unbelievable seven goals. The Jets have three points, but perhaps more importantly, they have a striker that will give them belief that they can compete against any opposition even after van Egmond’s guest stint ends.
Teams:CANBERRA UNITED (4-4-2): Lincoln, Bertolissio, Clough, Ilijoski, Grove, Christopherson, Murray, Stanic-Floody, Flannery, Heyman, Milivojevic. Substitutes: Mckenzie, Nathan, Jackson, McNulty, Majstorovic.
Scorers: Bolden 5’, 61’. van Egmond 13’, Allan 81’
Referee: Caitlin Williams
Attendance: TBC
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Above: Kurea Okino, left celebrates after scoring her first goal for Melbourne Victory. Photo: MVFC Twitter.
A late goal from Mackenzie Weinert has secured Melbourne Victory a 2-1 win against the Central Coast Mariners in a close contest at The Home of The Matildas.
The subplot to this encounter was the return of Casey Dumont to the A-League Women. The Victory legend signed for Central Coast following a stint in the AFLW and has spoken in the media about her exit from Melbourne being less than acrimonious. That she is back in The Dub once again is great news for Australian football, that it was against her former team was an occasion with the potential to make headlines.
Of the two keepers, Dumont had the quieter first half, but her defence was busier. Lydia Williams was forced into two good but comfortable saves from Izzy Gomez and Wurigumula. Victory were moving the ball marginally better out of the two teams but looked hesitant in the final third. Rachel Lowe looked the most likely but had her shots blocked by a deep-sitting Mariners defence.
The Mariners have looked right at home immediately in this league and were up to the task organizationally and physically against Victory. However, the combination of Elise Kellond-Knight and Alana Murphy grew more comfortable through the first half and Jess Nash found lots of space on the right, as the home side started to probe.
It took until the 60th minute for Victory to break through the stubborn Mariner defence. Murphy hit her corner deep to the back post where Tori Hansen nodded toward goal. The Mariners were well positioned to block it but Kurea Okino turned well to lash the ball into the goal from close range.
Okino arrived at Victory amid much hype following an NPLW Victoria season where she scored more than 30 goals. She has taken a few weeks to adapt to the next level, but this was a goal that showed to rest of the competition that her instincts remain undiminished. The goal capped off one of her best displays for her new club. Okino was mobile in attack and excellent in linking play from central areas.
She created Victory’s best chance of the game in the first half with a good cross that Weinert almost turned in.
The celebrations were buoyant but short-lived. The Mariners hit back just over 10 minutes later. Wurigulmula turned Hansen skilfully and played a through ball into the path of Faye Bryson who took it in her stride and finished off the slick move with a side-footed finish past Lydia Williams to make it 1-1.
With the game in the balance, Victory made changes. Ella O’Grady entered the game and Paige Zois was brought on with 10 minutes to play. Despite this, Victory still struggled to create clear-cut chances. The Mariners centre-back pairing of Taren King and Ashley Irwin were rarely found out of position. They stayed goal side of any Victory players and it was always going to take something special to find a winner.
Weinert delivered that in the first minute of added time. The ball into her path was cut off, but the ricochet bounced up between her and the onrushing Dumont. Weinert combined a delicate touch with her trademark tenacity to get to the ball and loft it into the back of the net to make it 2-1.
Victory sat deeper for the remaining minutes, content to launch long balls to nowhere and run down the clock. When the whistle blew it was enough to push them into the top four and it may be turning point in their season.
With a starting 11 featuring six new faces, and a bench with an average age of 19, this was an important win. The two goals were scored by new signings in attack, and the young substitutes were able to close the game out professionally. Okino played perhaps her most complete and confident game since arriving from the Boroondara-Carey Eagles and the goal has silenced some of the creeping doubts about if she could deliver in the A-League Women.
Central Coast were as competitive as always. There is a lot to admire about this team, but currently not enough to fear. They looked dangerous on the counterattack for most of this match, but if they can start to control parts of the game as they did against Adelaide United, they will be a much more challenging side.
They were beaten by a moment of class late in this game but frustrated Victory for the majority of it, this was a strong performance from the visitors.
In the end, the day belonged to Victory. They started the season slowly, but are now unbeaten in their last four matches. There is still plenty of football left in this season, and Jeff Hopkin’s team is just getting started.
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Above:Chloe Knott, Wellington Phoenix’s match winner. Photo: Wellington Phoenix.
Wellington Phoenix produced a sparkling performance as they came from behind to become the first team defeat A-League Women leaders Perth Glory this season to win the Distance Derby in Auckland.
Paul Temple’s side played some excellent football and used a rapid-paced angled passing game to break through the Perth defence. This, combined with an ability to keep the visitors’ key creators quiet for much of the night, ensured that the Kiwi outfit maintained their outstanding start to the campaign.
Wellington Phoenix welcomed Annalie Longo back into the starting line-up from a long-term injury with Perth fielding a familiar line-up.
Chloe Knott won the first corner in the opening 20 seconds which flew into the far post and caused a bout of head tennis followed by a playground-style scramble that the referee finally brought to a halt with a Perth free-kick. Seconds later, the Nix were pushing once more as Manaia Elliott ran through the right of centre, cut in, and let fly with a rocket that went over the top.
Elliott was at the heart of much of what was good about the hosts in the early stages, combining well with her fellow attackers Mariana Speckmaier and Hope Breslin as Phoenix played some beautiful angled passing to dissect the Glory defence in a high-quality opening to the encounter.
As the game inched past the quarter-hour mark, Glory gradually began to settle, but it was still the Nix who were the stronger of the sides. Yet, as has been one of the key aspects of Perth’s development this season, when chances come, they are put away.
That was the case in the 21st minute as a square ball from Michaela Foster as the Nix played out from the back was picked up by Sofia Sakalis who played through a well-weighted pass to Millie Farrow in the box who directed the ball over the line despite losing her balance.
The goal rocked Wellington in the immediate aftermath, but they would regain their focus. Paul Temple’s side were working hard to nullify the impact of key Perth creator Susan Phonsongkham, with the additional consequence that the dangerous wider attacking threat of the Western Australian side was reduced more than at any previous time this season so far.
With seven minutes left in the opening half, the Nix were on the front foot again. Longo turned and shot, blocked brilliantly on the line by Lowry, it rebounded out to Elliott at a rapid pace giving the youngster no time to prepare and her resulting shot went over the top.
Within seconds of the half-time whistle, Phoenix got free and Breslin got a pacey ball across the six-yard box which couldn’t quite be reached by the diving Speckmaier.
However, within three minutes of the re-start, Wellington were level. Elliott dispossessed Perth’s New Zealand international Liz Anton on the right-hand touchline and played a pass inside for Knott to supply a perfectly angled pass for Hope Breslin to sweep home inside the box.
Calm, composed finish from @HopeBreslin earlier on! 🤩
Phoenix responded by sitting deep in a bid to reduce the space available to Perth’s attackers. Whilst this reduced the percentage of possession that the hosts had during the middle third of the second half, it forced the likes of Hana Lowry and Georgia Cassidy to look for longer-range passes in a bid to free Jale and Farrow. With the traffic heavy, it was a tactic that largely worked for the hosts.
It also allowed the Nix to get players further up the pitch rapidly when they gained possession, and the excellent Elliott looked to benefit when she was able to launch a long-range effort that Perth keeper Morgan Aquino had to push over the top.
Moments later, just after the hour mark, Wellington hit the front. Mackenzie Barry’s high ball into the box from just inside the Perth half was flicked on under pressure by Lowry with Knott heading against the bar, but the rebound fell perfectly for the same player to head home.
Chloe Knott nods us in front! We lead Perth by 2-1! #COYN! 🔥
Just over 20 minutes before the end, a Nix break along the right saw Knott feed Speckmaier who hit a powerful angled drive across the box that needed Aquino to fly across her goal to ensure it stayed out.
Five minutes later, it was Perth’s turn to come close. Jale played a pass back to Izzy Dalton to hit a powerful drive from the edge of the box that Foster pushed over the top spectacularly.
Despite eight minutes being added on at the end of 90, there was no real opportunity for the Glory to emulate their late heroics of last weekend when they hit back to earn a point at home to Melbourne Victory in the sixth minute of stoppage time. Wellington Phoenix were able to keep the visitors at arm’s length to record an excellent victory and keep their grip on third place on the ladder.
Teams: WELLINGTON PHOENIX(4-3-3): Foster, Davidson, Barry, van der Meer, Foster, Longo, Taylor, Knott, Breslin, Speckmaier, Elliott. Substitutes: Brown, Edwards, Lake, Main, McMeeken.
Above: Sophie Harding celebrates her opening goal for Western Sydney Wanderers. Photo: A-Leagues.
Despite only having had 38.7% possession come the end of the match, Western Sydney Wanderers achieved their first win of the season against Western United with goals from Sophie Harding and Cushla Rue late in the second half. With this result, the Wanderers have climbed off of the foot of the table.
United were the ones that created chances early in the match as their style of play and build-ups with the ball kept the Wanderers on alert – but they defended well and grew into the game the longer the half went on. Yet Western United had the control.
Seven minutes into the second half, United had a very good opportunity to open the when Jaclyn Sawicki made an interception before setting up a shot towards the goal that just went out of play.
In the 65th minute, Western Sydney came close in front of goal as Harding made a great run on the wing as she cut into the box but unfortunately, her pass that was intended for Rue was blocked by United’s Alana Cerne.
It may have taken 81 minutes for a goal to be scored but it was Western Sydney who finally did so. It came via an unfortunate mistake by United keeper Hillary Beall took too long to clear Alana Cerne’s backpass, and Harding pounced on it to slotted into the back of the net for her third goal of the season.
Three minutes into stoppage time, Holly Caspers provided a beautiful through ball with the outside of her boot that found Rue on the break. Her pace allowed a rapid approach on goal to shoot into the top left corner. It was Rue’s first goal in the A-League Women and Western Sydney’s sealer.
As Wanderers celebrated their first win of the season at the sixth attempt, last year’s Grand Finalists Western United have work to do, having lost three of their opening six games.
Teams: WESTERN UNITED (4-2-3-1): Beall, Papadopoulos, Cerne, Maher, Sardo, M. Taranto, Sawicki, Johnson, A. Taranto, Logarzo, Keane. Substitutes: Dall’Oste, Robers, Richards, Prakash, Hieda.
Impetus had writers in five WSL media conferences this week ahead of another vital weekend of action. Their club-by-club reports of who said what is below(24/11/23)
Arsenal
by Rebecca Hall
Above: Jonas Eidevall (centre) at today’s Arsenal media conference. Photo: Rebecca Hall for Impetus.
After a Thursday night Continental Cup clash against Southampton, Arsenal already looked to their Sunday WSL preparations against London rivals West Ham. Gunners boss Jonas Eidevall shared his thoughts on the high level of competition in the WSL, injury updates, and the impressive progress of current loanees.
As expected, Thursday’s fixture saw Arsenal heavily rotate their squad butEidevall spoke of the quality throughout the squad, explaining that he “enjoys every opportunity to see them (the players)” and he also declared that “we don’t have any permanent team selection at Arsenal, we select for each game what we think will be the best team.”
Further discussing rotation and striking the right balance between flexibility and familiarity in a squad that now boasts substantial depth, Eidevall got almost philosophical sharing the proverb “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”.
He explained “The way forward is with a larger squad, otherwise you’re not going to be able to handle all competitions and the challenges that poses. But then comes that question to say how fast can you go now when you try to implement things, and you don’t only have to worry about 11 players that play with each other week in, week out”
Arsenal are currently on an impressive run of form, with seven consecutive wins across all competitions. “To win football matches, from a results perspective, is the most important thing. That doesn’t mean that just because you win, everything is good. And it’s the same thing when you lose football matches. So, our focus needs to be on how we do things, and there is always room for improvement. To find ways to win football matches is really important and to get that winning culture”.
On the occasion of the London derby with West Ham United on Sunday, Eidevall agreed that “every derby is special but as a coach, its three points and that’s the important thing. It’s a really competitive league, it’s a 22-game season”. The Arsenal boss specifically drew attention to West Ham’s performance against Aston Villa, which saw the East London side lose 3-2, describing them as unlucky to come away with nothing.
With discussions of London Derby’s, thoughts naturally turned to the 10th of December when Arsenal take on Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal have already sold an impressive 50,000 tickets but the Arsenal boss wants to push for more, joking to fans to “bring a friend, bring a family member, let’s get a sell-out”. Arsenal have sold out the Emirates before in a Champions League fixture, but selling out this would be a first for the WSL.
Eidevall also shared how pleased he is for Beth Mead as she is set to play for England for the first time since suffering an ACL injury last season, drawing poignant attention to the “highs and lows” and “individual hopes and dreams” of the player.
Lionesses fan-favourite Lotte Wubben-Moy did not travel to Southampton on Thursday but Eidevall assured fans that she was simply being rested and will be available for the WSL fixture. Captain Kim Little is still undergoing assessment but is not ruled out and the Arsenal boss is “hopeful”. Sweden’s Stina Blackstenius “picked up a very minor injury against Brighton and that will be a game-day decision” based on her progress.
Many Arsenal loanees have been shining in the Championship, with several being called up to the Under 19’s England squad. Eidevall shared how he maintains relationships with on-loan players, sharing that “we follow them on a weekly basis, watching their games and so on. With the majority of them, we also have them continuously training with the first team when it fits their schedule. They come in at different times, but that means that we have both the personal and the football contact with them”.
Aston Villa
by Emily Brown
Above: Carla Ward on today’s Aston Villa Zoom media conference. Image: Aston Villa Women.
Aston Villa manager, Carla Ward, and her side are under “no illusion of the task ahead on Sunday” as they face Everton at Villa Park. However, she believes her team is “in a good place.”
The claret and blues will be going into the match this Sunday, against the Merseysiders hoping to achieve their fifth win in a row after successfully winning their last two games in the WSL against Bristol City and West Ham United. They have also found success in the Continental Cup group stages, comfortably winning both matches so far in the competition.
The Conti Cup matches have been vital in building Villa’s confidence and momentum after a tough start to the season with Ward remarking: “We can’t underestimate the importance of the timing of those two games as well. I think it’s been between (these two) games that’s allowed us to get people’s confidence, get the team confident, implement the way we want to play, it’s been massive this year for us… It’s a cup competition we want to take seriously this year and we’ll continue to do so.”
Another positive coming out of their midweek game against Blackburn Rovers was that forward Simone Magill, made her return from injury. Not only did she make her return, but she made sure she didn’t go unnoticed, scoring her first goal for her club of two years.
On her performance, and as a player, Ward said: “She’s been excellent since she came in. Obviously, the first year was really tough for her because, coming to a new club and before she’s been in the building, (she) got injured. That was tough for her, and I think the way she was in that first year was brilliant and during pre-season, she was nothing short of sensational, putting herself in the mix. Then obviously we’ve been a bit gutted not to have her available for more games…”
“We knew that we could get her on the pitch for 30 minutes on Wednesday night and we did and obviously, she did what she does best and that’s score goals. But I think it’s a good moment for her to get her first goal.”
It just gets better for Villa as Ward confirmed that the previously injured Lucy Parker “is back on the grass today with the team, which is excellent news, but Sunday will be too soon” for her to be in contention. However, Magill is now “back available for more minutes.”
Looking ahead to their opposition and Everton’s manager, Brian Sørensen, Ward commended their performances so far amidst their rough run of results: “You can see what he’s trying to do. They’ve got a way of playing. I think that they’re better than their league position suggests. They’ve played some good stuff, I thought they were excellent against Chelsea.
“And what I would say is I think it would be very very very naïve to think that this is going to be an easy game because of their run. We know what football’s like, we know what momentum swings are like, but I think since Brian’s come in, he’s implemented a way and they’re never an easy team to play against, but they’ve got a lot of quality so we’re going to have to absolutely be at our best and we’ve said that to the group this morning. It’s really really important that we take this as a big challenge because that’s exactly what it’s going to be.”
Overall, after Villa’s recent change in performance the team seem to be getting ready to progress even further up the table, with Ward stating: “If we win at the weekend and results go our way then all of a sudden, you’re sitting seventh, knocking on the door of the top six.”
Everton
By Emily Brown
Above: Everton boss Brian Sørensen at today’s media conference. Image: Everton FC Women.
Everton manager, Brian Sørensen hopes his side become more “clinical” ahead of their upcoming matches before the Christmas break looking forward to an “exciting” game against Aston Villa at Villa Park this Sunday.
After the Toffees drew with Bristol City last weekend, it was announced that Danish forward, Nicoline Sørensen will be making an early retirement from both domestic and international football by the end of the year. The 26-year-old has spent two years with the Blues after taking the plunge to travel over to England to play in the WSL, leaving former Danish side Brøndby ahead of the beginning of Everton’s 2020/21 season campaign.
On the news, Sørensen said: “Yeah I was surprised… Nico’s a very smart girl and she’s a thinker so of course it’s something she’s been thinking about for a while and I think if you’re not happy… you need to do what makes you happy and of course, it sticks out because not many people make that choice (of early retirement) but as I said, she’s a very smart girl and she reflects over things and that big injury she had, (she) was out for 15 months and that changed something in her.
“She’s been trying, because football has been such a big part of her life, to find the motivation to get back but ultimately, she couldn’t. Every day here she gives everything she has because she’s a professional and I’m also starting the games with her because she’s just doing good still.
“She made her decision and we’re sad that she’s leaving but it’s her life and her choice and at the end of the day we can only back that up even though we don’t think it’s a good thing for us of course but we will respect her and wish her all the best.”
Everton have had a tough start to the season so far and have had a large string of injuries. As for those available to play this weekend both Elise Stenevik and Lucy Hope will remain out of contention through injury.
There was some positive news regarding those injured as Sørensen confirmed that Stenevik is “back on the pitch” so hopes remain high for a quick return for the defender. However, Blue’s number 17 is still “months away from being ready.”
It was disclosed that Aurora Galli received a knock in training yesterday so she will be assessed before the weekend to determine whether she will be available for the match on Sunday.
As a result of the injuries that the squad have picked up, many players have had to step up and make up for those absent. One of these versatile players is young Australian international Clare Wheeler. The 25-year-old has appeared in every game the Toffees have played so far this season and has taken up a new role in her position as a wing-back.
Her development at club level has already made an impact on her international performances. Playing for the Matildas over the international break, the Blue’s number seven scored her first senior international goal in Australia’s match against the Philippines in their first set of Olympic qualification matches.
After frustrations over the Bristol City game, the squad have come together and been “focused and spot-on” in training. The side has built up a lot of “hunger to come in and (have) a good game against Villa.”
Aiding this hunger is the fact that, a positive result to take from last weekend’s game, Italian striker Piemonte got her first goal for her new club Everton, adding to the team’s confidence.
Both Everton and Aston Villa are in similar positions this season and so Sørensen claims: “It’s going to be an exciting game on Sunday (at) Villa Park, in a good stadium. We normally do well in a good stadium, which I’m sure they also will so yeah we’re looking forward to (the game) it’s going to be a fun and exciting game and both teams really want to show what they’re made of and go for a win.”
Leicester City
By Genevieve Henry
Above: CJ Bott in Leicester City’s media conference. Image: Leicester City Women.
Leicester City manager Willie Kirk and defender CJ Bott spoke to the media ahead of Sunday’s test against Chelsea.
“We’ve gotta keep being us.” Kirk said when asked about his tactics against Chelsea. For this team that has scored in eight out of nine matches this season, a major improvement from the past few campaigns, it’s all about focusing on themselves and what they can do against the proven champions.
Kirk said, “I don’t really look at Chelsea tactically. They’re the best team in the country and they’re the best team in the country because they can win in so many different ways. They can build from the back, they can go direct, they can high press, they can low block. Emma (Hayes) and her squad have got everything under the sun in terms of ways to win a game. I think it’s pointless to look at Chelsea tactically, we’ve just got to focus on us.”
However, the Leicester City manager wasn’t the only one full of praise. Chelsea manager Emma Hayes has reflected on Leicester’s style of play to the media in the previous days, saying that Leicester are a fun team to watch. For Kirk, that compliment is indicative that he is doing something right.
This season, Leicester have stuck it to some of the best teams in the competition. Unfortunately for them, that success has more often than not come in the first half only. Going in with a two-goal lead against Arsenal at half-time, then conceding six goals in the second half was disappointing, to say the least, for the Foxes, but Kirk says that critics are missing the point.
“Everybody is missing the massive positive of actually being in the lead against these teams at half-time and that’s not just scoring a quick goal after five minutes and losing it, it’s being the better team in the first half.”
One thing that has been both Leicester’s weapon and downfall is a high press. “We’ve let teams high-press us.” Kirk said, remarking that it was strange because that is their style of play as well. The Foxes boss spoke of how his players train against a high press every day, so the way they handle that particular tactic needs to be looked at and improved.
On that tactic, Bott shared that “it’s a risky style of play, but we’re embracing it.” The environment at Leicester has been one that has pushed and nurtured Bott to evolve as a player, with her describing it as a “high-performance environment” but also as a family, “without sounding too corny”.
As a team that has undergone many changes in personnel, this season is one full of firsts, or, as Kirk described them, “little landmarks on the way of the journey we’re on.” With new talents and personalities in the squad, the club has looked like a new team this season, capable of achieving high and competing with the best teams.
Against Chelsea, Bott and the whole Leicester defence will be in for the tough task of containing Sam Kerr, along with a plethora of other attacking talents Chelsea possess. “(Sam Kerr) is a great player. She’s incredibly strong on the ball and off the ball. She provides difficult challenges.”
But these are challenges Bott relishes. “We know how to eliminate players like her. We’ve got a team of incredible defenders, and we’re definitely all up for it…Strikers enjoy scoring goals and we enjoy stopping them.”
As a player with experience against many top players, Bott brings experience and strength to her defence, especially in games like this. “I love a challenge and I really show up against world-class attackers. I’m definitely ready for it.”
Luckily, for Leicester, no new injuries plague the squad, with a strong team ready to face Chelsea. For Kirk, there’s even a bit of a selection headache with the amount of hard-working, talented players on board. With players like Australian striker Remy Siemsen putting her hand up after returning from injury, the team is sure to be competitive and ready to prove their mettle.
Tottenham Hotspur
by Rachel Cohen
Above: Robert Vilahamn speaking to the media today. Image: Tottenham Hotspur.
In his press conference ahead of this weekend’s game with Manchester City, Spurs manager, Robert Vilahamn talked about why clean sheets are not his focus, his excitement at going toe-to-toe with City, and confirmed that Spurs will be getting new players for Christmas.
The North London side are now on a nine-game unbeaten run, with their only defeat of the season coming on matchday one against defending champions Chelsea, at Stamford Bridge.
The last three WSL games have been 1-1 draws, but this was punctuated on Wednesday by a very comfortable 3-0 home win in the Conti Cup over Bristol City.
On Sunday the team goes away to Manchester City and Vilahamn is relishing the prospect. “I think we are ready for the next step. Can we actually compete against the top four teams? …They are a good team with really high-quality players. But you can also see that this league is more competitive. They lost against Brighton and they have had a few draws, so I think we have a chance and if we have a good day we can actually beat them.”
Reflecting on the two teams’ styles of play he identified both opportunities and risks. “I like to play against teams who want to have a build-up and try to have short passes because then you know that you can press them and if you’re good enough, you’re going to win the ball, right? So, for me, I kind of like to play against the top clubs that play that way. But then on the other hand, they press really high and really tough so we need to be really sharp there, otherwise they are going to score against us.”
Expanding on Spurs style of play and his aims for the team Vilahamn, asserted that he would rather the team won 3-2 than 1-0 and that for him the issue is how to score more goals, not how to keep a clean sheet. “You’re going to build self-confidence when you score goals or create chances and you feel the flow.”
Looking back at the midweek Conti Cup, game Vilahamn noted that Rosella Ayane, who scored a brace and won a penalty has some “X factors.” Namely “If you look at her GPS on her back when she is running, I’ve never seen anybody do those sprint meters in the game that she did the last game.” It was, however, Ayane’s “consistency to score” that has been “the thing”. In that context, he suggested that Wednesday’s game demonstrated potential.
Vilahamn also praised Ramona Petzelberger who played her first 90 minutes for the club after joining in the summer of 2022 but then enduring a series of injuries. “She worked so hard to get back in the squad and to get those minutes and she’s a great footballer and she’s a great person. She brings a lot of good stuff to this team. Like it’s really tough competition in those positions. But it was really nice to see those 90 minutes against Bristol and she almost scored in the last second as well. She’s a great baller.”
Finally, Vilahamn reflected on the ongoing role of Vicky Jepson, who was previously Assistant Manager under Rehanne Skinner and then Interim Manager at the end of last season. “She helps me a lot on off the pitch. She knows the league, she knows the country, she knows the players, she knows the opponents, she knows the stadiums. So having Vicky close to me is very much important to me to make sure I’m I can be myself.”
“She makes sure that all the staff members know what to do. She knows how I want to do it so she doesn’t really need to run to me all the time. She can actually take decisions and I know that she going to take the right decisions. She’s running sessions, she’s running feedback, she’s running set business. So for me, Vicki is a brilliant coach and I’m very happy to have her on my side.
In terms of injuries, Beth England and Olga Ahtinen are still out. In addition, Ellie Brazil was injured in a duel last week’s game at Leicester and will not be available for a few weeks and Drew Spence is “getting closer” but not yet back.
Thinking about personnel in the near future Vilahamn was clear that Spurs would be doing some business in the next international transfer window. “There’s going to be players in at Christmas. Absolutely.”
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