Above: Kirsty Fenton celebrates her impressive goal to open the scoring for Sydney FC. Photo: Sydney FC Twitter.
Over 11,000 fans came to Allianz Stadium for Sydney FC’s season opener against Western Sydney Wanderers. Goals to Kirsty Fenton and Fiona Worts secured a 2-0 win for the defending premiers, but after a slow start, Western Sydney showed some signs of promise in an improved second half.
It was a new look Sydney FC for 2023/24. The midfield stars Sarah Hunter and Mackenzie Hawkesby have departed for France and England respectively, and Fiona Worts started in attack for her first appearance at her new club.
Western Sydney’s biggest change from last season was in the dugout. Kat Smith was surprisingly replaced by former Canberra United coach Robbie Hooker. Goalkeeper Kaylie Collins started after her transfer from Orlando Pride.
Sydney FC started in control of possession and dominated the scoring chances. Cortnee Vine electrified the enthusiastic crowd with every touch, and threatened whenever she was on the ball.
The opening goal ended up arriving from a surprising source. Fullback Kirsty Fenton fired home a volley from the edge of the penalty box. Collins was able to get a hand to the strike, but the power behind it was too much for the American custodian to stop.
Young midfidler Zara Kruger impressed early, and was unlucky to not have a goal to her name after her shot skidded wide of the post. Shay Hollman was everywhere in midfield.
Sydney’s front three were mobile and creative. Worts, Vine, and Princess Ibini switched positions and dropped deep to test the Wanderers defence. Ibini’s perfectly weighted pass set up Worts for a delightful, clipped finish over Collins to double the lead.
Sydney’s win was tempered by a potentially bad injury to Nat Tobin. The captain went down after a collision in defence, and the home side seemed slightly rattled by the sight of their skipper being stretchered off.
The second half saw the introduction of Mel Caceras for the Wanderers and the number 10 had an instant impact. Suddenly they had a creative outlet who could dribble past defenders and link the midfield with Sophie Harding in attack.
Caceras came closest to scoring but could not beat Jada Whyman in goal, although the prospect of her starting in combination with the injured Millie Clegg is something for Wanderers fans to look forward to.
Sydney’s title defence started off in strong fashion. It was a comfortable win in the end, and had Sienna Saveska or Cortnee Vine’s chances been taken, they could easily have had more. With Shea Connors to come into this side, they are looking dangerous, but with Nat Tobin out, they will need a reshuffle in defence.
Western Sydney recovered well after a start that seemed ominous.
As an occasion, this was fantastic, the 11,471 fans set a new record for an attendance at a domestic women’s football match and most would have left delighted at what they had seen.
In conjunction with the previous match between Central Coast and Newcastle, the all time attendance record for a round was already broken just two games into the weekend.
WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS: Collins, Matos, Bruce, McComasky, Apostolakis (Price 90’), Chessari, Harrison (Ferris 83’), Breier (Caceras 45’), Gordon, Rue (Morris 83’), Harding.
Referee: Casey Reibelt.
Attendance: 11,471.
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Above: Mackenzie Weinert celebrating for the University of Washington. Photo: Instagram
Melbourne Victory has been busy in the off-season. Some big names have been signed and among the returning Matildas and former rivals is a player that is unfamiliar to Australian fans, but may not be for long.
Mckenzie Weinert is the latest American striker to wear the Melbourne Victory shirt. Like LynnWilliams, Darian Jenkins and Catherine Zimmerman, who came before her she is a wide, quick and inventive forward who can create goals, score from any range and enjoys a battle.
Her highlights reel from The University of Washington shows a dangerous, two footed footballer who thrives in one-one-one situations with or without the ball. Weinert’s off the ball movement allows her to beat defenders by ghosting into the box, or after a combination of passes with teammates. The footage also shows a strong finisher and a hunger for goals matched by composure in traffic.
Weinert looks like the prototypical Victory player, the type that Jeff Hopkins has historically built his game plan around.
“It’s been great,” Weinert said to Impetus Football about her time in Australia so far.
“It’s very different to Portland Oregon. The weather is actually kind of similar though, rain and cold, so I’m used to that. I’m looking forward to summer, but I’ve really enjoyed it so far.
“It was definitely a football move. It was a great opportunity to keep playing and really develop here.
“It was my first experience with jet lag. That was my biggest difficulty when I got here.
“On top of that, being far from family and trying to learn to new system was difficult…but the team has been super welcoming, everyone’s been great. The adjustments I’ve had to make haven’t made such a big impact.”
Weinert’s eye catching displays in the College system caught the eye of NWSL recruiters. She signed with OL Reign during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup as a national team replacement player. It was a decision that would have immediate benefits and eventually lead her to Melbourne.
“It was amazing. Laura Harvey, the head coach, she has a great football mind. I developed a lot there, but I’m very excited to continue here and to develop under Jeff.
Reign’s current roster features a number of names that have made a big impact in Australia, during her time in Seattle, Weinert shared a locker room with the likes of former A-League Women stars like Jess Fishlock, Nikki Stanton and Veronia Latsko.
The conversations she had there, helped her decide to move across the world to further her career.
“Quite a few people played in Australia during the off-season, and I heard nothing but great things about the league and Australia in general.
“It where everyone says I could go and develop, it aligns perfectly with the NWSL season, and it was a good opportunity.
“I listened to what they had to say and thought about what they experienced in the league. It kind of made it a no brainier to come and try here.”
Having never been to Australia before, the A-League Women also provides an opportunity for Weinert to travel around the country. She is looking forward to visiting some cities she has heard a lot about, and hopefully heading back to Victoria with a few goals to her name.
“I’ve heard great things about Perth. You hear a lot about Sydney, and we play a NZ team, I’m looking forward to going there as well.
“I truly think it’s a great opportunity to explore the country… ultimately I’m here for football but the little perks on the side like travelling aren’t too bad.”
Weinert forms part of a new-look Melbourne Victory attack. She is one of five new signings for the final third alongside Emily Gielnik, Kurea Okino, Rachel Lowe, and Ella O’Grady.
Beattie Goad, Ava Briedis and Lia Privitelli will also return making for an enviable set of options. Although they have not played a competitive match together, Weinert says that they are all learning each other’s games quickly.
“It’s been good. That’s one of the difficulties you face, learning people’s styles and what they look for when they’re on the ball. This pre-season that’s what I’ve been focussing on.
“Overall, I feel like we’ve meshed together pretty well. I’m looking forward to season starting and seeing how that all comes along.”
One of the attributes that sets Weinert apart is her power and ability off both feet. It makes her a difficult striker for opposition defenders to close down, and her speed on the dribble means that she can open up space to shoot on either side.
When asked if she is left or right footed, Weinert has to pause and think for a moment.
“Growing up my dad was very strict with using both feet.
“Ever since my dad instilled that in me, I feel pretty equal on both feet.
“I think I prefer shooting on my left, but if somebody asked me I’d say I’m right footed. I’m thankful for my dad for making that happen.”
Footballers in the USA are not short of role models, and as a striker Weinert has some of the game’s best to look up to. She credits Alex Morgan as one of her favourites and looks to emulate the World Cup winner’s style of play and ability.
“I thought ‘oh I’m fast I could be like her.’ That’s where it started.
“She uses her strength that she has in her game really well.
“That’s kind of something I admire. You know your strengths and you know how to use them.
“I think what people can expect from me is competition. I’m a hard tackler and hopefully they can expect some goals.”
Weinert is ready to be involved in Melbourne Victory’s Round One match against Brisbane Roar. A win would start off the season in perfect style, and Weinert hopes to help the team reverse a recent trend.
Brisbane has not lost to Victory in the past two seasons, but Weinert was unfamiliar with that statistic and is only concerned with what comes next. The overall feeling is of excitement to get started in front of what is anticipated to be a huge crowd.
“I feel great, I think we’re very fortunate to have the facility.
“Everyone is really looking forward to the game and firing on all cylinders. It’s going to be a tough game, but we’re definitely up to the fight.”
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Five WSL clubs, five Impetus writers attended their media conferences today. They report below (13/10/23).
Above: Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall, who spoke to the media, including Impetus’ Morganna King, today. Photo: Arsenal.
Arsenal
by Morganna King
Arsenal preparations are in full swing ahead of Sunday’s home game with Aston Villa with over 33,500 tickets sold for the WSL match at The Emirates.
In his media conference today, Gunners boss Jonas Eidevall revealed that Beth Mead could be about to return: “We have one more training session to go, if she goes through that training she should be 100% ready for squad selection.” Her return is highly anticipated after sustaining an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury last November.
Another highly anticipated return is the likes of Dutch forward Vivianne Miedema. It’s still unclear when she will be making her return to the matchday squad but Eidevall was keen to iterate that “at the end of the day everything is going to be unique to you as an individual and things need to be tailored towards you as an individual as well”. As both Mead and Miedema ruptured their ACLs at a similar time there is often a pressure for them to be at the same stage in their recovery however it’s important to note that every injury is unique.
With Arsenal’s Lionesses’ captain Leah Williamson still also in recovery mode, with Eidevall revealing that she is “not close to playing but is progressing well”. She is back on the pitch doing basic ball work but it is completely certain that we won’t see her return until after the Christmas period.
In terms of Arsenal having a number one goalkeeper, Eidevall doesn’t believe in that philosophy; “We don’t think like that, it’s not a permanent jersey that we stick upon one player” he revealed. “But of course, there’s always competition and to see which one will be in our best starting XI”. Manuela Zinsberger started in goal against Liverpool whereas Sabrina D’Angelo started against Manchester United, so it will be interesting to observe who will make it onto the field against Aston Villa.
Scheduling is still a prominent issue in women’s football as it’s known that the turnaround after the World Cup was a very short period before the season commenced. When asked about how this is impacting the players at the club Eidevall answered “When you step in and you train with Arsenal I demand 100%, there is not room for coming in and saying oh i’m having a 90% day today. That’s not the environment for you to be here at Arsenal.
“So when you step in here we want 100% but that also means more from a mental side of playing a big tournament and getting too little time to reset, that we manage time individually with the players that were staying long in the World Cup and they’re getting complete time off from the training ground.”
In the previous match Arsenal played at the Emirates Stadium, they were defeated 1-0 by Liverpool on the opening round. “We are not a finished product” Eidevall affirmed. One of the flaws in the squad that day was the lack of reciprocation of energy from the crowd by the players, but also their ability to take the chances to counter press at every opportunity.
Going into Sunday’s match and every match from there on out, there’s confidence that the Emirates will become a fortress as more games are played at the main stadium, which will subsequently result in building on their winning mentality.
Aston Villa
by Emily Brown
Above: Aston Villa boss Carla Ward. Photo: Suvadeep Biswas for Impetus.
This Sunday Aston Villa will face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. As of yet, neither team have come out with a win so far into this WSL season. In the Villains’ last match against the Gunners, they shocked with a 2-0 win with goals from Rachel Daly and Alisha Lehmann, ending Arsenal’s rollercoaster of a season with a dramatic loss.
Ward firstly confirmed that Kenza Dali will remain unavailable for this weekend’s match, with her anticipated return realistically being expected following the conclusion of the upcoming international break. She further expressed, without confirming who, that there are a “couple of illnesses in camp which will be assessed today but other than that everyone’s good to go”.
The potential of Dali being available to play any sooner looks unlikely with Ward mentioning that it is “really important that we don’t rush Kenza, she’s such a big part of what we’re trying to do” adding that the club will be sure to “make sure that when she does come back, she’ll be ready to go.”
There continues to be a slight ambiguity surrounding precisely the extent of Dali’s injury towards the media, but Ward explains that after Dali picked up a “couple of niggles”, during and in the space after, this summer’s World Cup, the club have “assessed and scanned and realised she needs a bit of rest and rehab”. In short, it is clear that Dali is suffering with a “knee problem” but is fortunately “close to being at the end of her rehab”.
On the impact of the continued absence of Dali and Kirsty Hanson, Ward recognised it as “huge” but remains positive and has faith in her squad to rise above it:
“Kenza and Kirsty were pivotal in everything we did well in last season. Kenza links the front-half and back-half very, very well and obviously, Kirsty’s pace and power is something that’s rare in our game. We’ve missed them massively but the group’s tight-knit and honest. We’re disappointed but we’ll keep working like we always do”.
After Manchester City manager, Gareth Taylor, spoke out about the officiating of the match between his side and Chelsea where two of his stars Alex Greenwood and Lauren Hemp were issued with red cards, with a surprising number of players receiving yellow cards across both halves, Ward seems to be in agreement saying, “I would echo Gareth Taylor’s comments, I think he’s hit the nail on the head.”
Much controversy has surrounded Greenwood’s red card with many contesting that her actions were undeserving of one. Aston Villa too have had a lot of talk around Hanson’s three-match ban after her red card. There are thoughts in particular that a three-match ban is perhaps too harsh, with both incidents begging the question of how sound the officiating of matches in the WSL have been recently.
Following on from this, surrounding the topic of officiating matches Ward was asked her thoughts on the potential for the introduction of VAR technology into the WSL:
“I think we can’t run before we can walk. I think we have to professionalise referees within our game first, I think that’s really important because we’re going to be asking those officials to work on VAR and VAR is a hugely complicated technology. I think it’s really important that we have professional people working that.”
Understandably, Ward believes that the focus shouldn’t be on VAR just yet and that there’s “areas in the game that certainly needs improving and needs a lot of focus before we even think about VAR.”
Villa were “disappointed” with their performance against Liverpool last week, but Ward chooses to focus on the “bigger picture” and asserts that “there’s no problem with losing to a Liverpool side that’s just beaten Arsenal.”
With matches coming up against Tottenham Hotspurs and Emma Hayes’ league-winning Chelsea, Ward remains calm: “There’s no panic here whatsoever. I think it’s clear that we’re very focused on what we want to try to achieve. The focus and the aims haven’t changed from what we set out in pre-season. We’re only two games in and we’ll continue to work and go after those targets.”
In regard to Jonas Eidevall’s team, Ward commends them: “I really enjoy watching Arsenal play. They were excellent against Manchester United. They’ve got a world-class squad and a top manager. We’re under no illusions, they’re a top side and we’re going to have to absolutely be at our best”.
“We’ve got to try and dominate the ball as much as we possibly can. In both games last season, we matched them in areas. We set up in a way that allowed us to get on the ball a lot more and it will be the same again this weekend.”
Overall, Ward seems to have a quiet confidence in her team at Aston Villa and described her squad as an “honest group” focussed on doing “everything” they can do to pick up points and reassures that it “won’t be long” till they do just that.
Brighton and Hove Albion
by Genevieve Henry
Above: Brighton and Hove Albion head coach Mel Phillips. Photo: Sky Sports.
The media heard from Brighton and Hove Albion head coach Melissa Phillips and their Lionesses star Katie Robinson ahead of their clash with Tottenham Hotspur this Sunday.
Phillips and the squad are feeling prepared for their tough clash against Tottenham. Although they are aware of the attacking talent they possess, Phillips feels that there are weaknesses Brighton can capitalise on, but they are focusing on what they can bring as a team, saying “Ultimately we know we can put out a team and a performance out on the pitch that makes our fans really proud.”
It will be a tough matchup between two highly organised teams, but Brighton are feeling confident going into the weekend. The team is looking forward to playing at the men’s team’s Amex Stadium and are hoping for a good atmosphere. When asked about her feelings on playing there again, Robinson was excited and hoping to get on the scoresheet again, as she did last season. Coming off of the women’s World Cup, Robinson was thrilled to be a part of such a successful England squad and is looking forward to more growth from the league.
In terms of grounds, the Brighton city council are considering a new stadium for just the women. Phillips spoke of the club’s communication with the council saying, “We’re just really focused on the football side of it.” Robinson said she was excited for the potential to have a ground to call home. The club is proud to be a part of the growth of women’s football and feel exceptionally lucky to have a great training facility at home, but are excited by the potential of more growth. They are very focused on making an environment and team for the fans to be proud to be a part of.
Brighton went through some rebuilding over the summer, and while losing many influential players, they gained some promising and experienced new ones. Robinson spoke of the team getting along well, with the relatively fresh squad growing together and hoping to achieve big things this season. One to pay attention to in particular is recently appointed captain Vicky Losada. Phillips spoke highly of her, saying “She has a really uncanny ability to relate to all sorts of different people and that is what put her in positions to wear the armband across multiple squads.
Two players that have impressed Phillips are the young Australians Charlize Rule and Mackenzie Hawkesby. One thing that gives them an edge is the desire to fight to get onto the senior national team, which Rule has now done for the Olympic qualifiers. “They are both very exciting players in the attack. They are very competitive and work incredibly hard. They’ve shown a lot of quality for their young age.” According to Phillips, the Aussies slid into the squad seamlessly, adding value both on and off the pitch.
Manchester United
by Ruby Perry
Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner revealed to the media today that he has no new injury concerns ahead of their home game with unbeaten Leicester City on Sunday.
Aoife Mannon and Emma Watson remain unavailable and Geyse Da Silva Ferreira had a little knock against Arsenal a week ago but is back in full training and after coming on as a sub in midweek, and could play a fuller part on Sunday.
The Red Devils boss recognises that it will be a tough game with the Foxes winning both their opening games. He particularly pointed to Leicester’s greater attacking intensity and confidence this season.
Skinner believes that his players need to find the intensity that they generated against Paris St. German in midweek as they managed to recover from a tough start and a 1-0 deficit to draw 1-1. If they can do that, they can find the spaces necessary to break down Leicester and get the all-important three points.
Tottenham Hotspur
by Rachel Cohen
In his pre-Brighton and Hove Albion press conference, Spurs manager Robert Vilahamn provided some insight into his squad selection decisions.
After two games in charge, Robert Vilahamn’s Spurs are on track. They have played well but lost to a team they were expected to lose to (Chelsea) and beaten a team they were expected to beat (Bristol City). Vilahamn then made ten changes and the team put six past second-tier Reading in the Conti Cup. So this Sunday’s game against Brighton will be a good indicator of where his team are on their “journey”, not least because Brighton were many people’s picks for potential surprise package in the WSL this season.
Talking to the press before this game, Vilahamn praised the improvements that he has seen in his squad since he joined as manager:
“I think they are really good players with the really good attitudes. I’ve been impressed with how they actually can take the tactics, the strength, the conditioning training and try to take that on the field.”
We also got some insight into how Spurs’ existing players are fitting into Vilahamn’s high-pressing attacking style of play. Vilahamn offered fulsome praise for Molly Bartrip, who has worn the captain’s armband for the first two WSL games of the season, in Beth England’s absence.
“I think I quite soon realized both as a person when you meet her and speak to her, she’s a really good person and she’s a really good, you know, calm leader in the, in the squad. And then when she plays, she never loses the ball. She wins every duel. She have a really high potential. I think she’s been brilliant, and she has even more potential. So for me, she’s possibly a next national team centre-back.”
Vilahamn also explained one of his tactical changes that has seen Angharad James starting at fullback – a new position for her. “When I came here, I was supposed to start with the build-up and see how we can improve and dictate games. And for me, I need the players that can keep the ball.
“For me, James was one of the best ones actually keeping the ball. And then you had Evelina [Summanen] and Olga [Ahtinen] as well. And then I’m like, Okay, I have a problem here. If I just need to put one of those on the bench, right.
“So I played a little bit with her position and I thought, James, had a good, friendly game at right back. And she’s stayed there for a while. And now she was back as a six last game so I know she can play both. And now, Asmita [Ale] is taking steps to show me that you really want to play as well. So now I’m ending up having problems or actually very good stuff to work with. But for me, bringing James down as a right back that’s because I want to dictate the game and I want to have good players on the ball.”
Focusing on the other wing Vilahamn confirmed that, long-time fan-favourite, Ashleigh Neville will be remaining as a fullback for the foreseeable future. But we will still see her getting forward.
“My fullbacks are very offensive and hopefully in in the long run, they can be even more offensive and overlapping those wingers. So I think you will see her as a fullback but she will quite often and be up there anyway, so I think you will kind of see her as a winger, but she’s a fullback for me.”
Wednesday’s game was the first sighting of new signing Zhang Linyan, who scored ten minutes into her debut. Vilahamn revealed that Zhang has been a long-term target for him as a manager – a player he had previously tried to sign for BK Häcken. He praised her effusively as “a really big talent.
“She’s gonna be great in the long run. She’s a different kind of player. I don’t think it’s so many players who can play in the pocket, who can do those smaller movements with the ball and actually never lose the balls. I think she has something extra.”
Looking forward to next opponents Brighton and Hove Albion, Vilahamn took positives from a behind-closed-doors friendly the teams played this summer. “We had we had a good game, one of the best at the friendly game stage, where we actually dictated the game and so on, but we didn’t score any goals.”
But the Spurs boss noted that Brighton have switched formation since then in league games “so we don’t really know how they’re gonna play. So we just need to be really sharp and take steps in our journey.”
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With the season kicking off tomorrow, Impetus writers have had access to five of the teams’ media conferences this week. They report below (13/10/23).
Above: Sydney FC lift last season’s A-League Women title. Photo: Kris Goman for Impetus.
Canberra United
By Ryan Miller-Woods
Above: Cannon Clough in action for Brisbane Roar last season – the new Canberra United arrival spoke to the media this week. Photo via: Canberra United.
Ahead of their opening-round match of the A-League Women’s season against Adelaide United on Sunday, the media heard from Canberra United Head Coach Njegosh Popovich and defender Cannon Clough.
Towards the end of last season, Canberra came very close to making finals as they finished in fifth, just missing out on goal difference by just two goals to Melbourne Victory. Despite the improvement from the season before, United would have felt disappointed knowing just how close they came.
With how last season went for the club and how it ended, Popovich was asked about building upon that in the first few rounds of this upcoming season of the A-League Women.
“You’re always building aren’t you, you’re always looking to improve…You don’t go into a season thinking you’re not going to make the top four.”
When asked about whether Canberra is focusing on themselves going into Round One rather than what Adelaide will bring to the match, Popovich said, “It’s always about us. I’m a firm believer that if we do what we need to do well, then it doesn’t matter what the opposition does.”
Going into this season, the thing that is the most apparent with Canberra is just how youth-oriented the team is with an average age of 21.45 years throughout the entire squad which shows that United is looking towards the future.
Clough being one of the squad’s older members at 27, will be an essential player not only in the backline but also with players such as Michelle Heyman, Maria ‘Cote’ Rojas, and Nicki Flannery will play major roles in the development of some of Canberra’s youngest players that are yet to make their debuts in the A-League Women.
When asked how she feels about the role of bringing some of the younger players through, Clough said, “I think the young girls bring a lot of energy. For many of them, it’s their first chance, their time to debut and show what they have. Getting to be one of the older girls that supports them, I’m excited just to be there and be a part of it.”
The match on Sunday between Canberra and Adelaide looks set to be an exciting encounter as Canberra will want to make a statement on why they should have made the finals last season and Adelaide will want to emphatically show that last season was a one-off and make a serious charge towards finals this season.
When asked what she thinks Adelaide is going to bring to the table on Sunday, Clough said: “I always think they are a good team, well-coached but again, the league looks so different this year, so I’m not even sure what they’ll look like. Hopefully a good match-up but I think going into it, we’re focused on ourselves and what we bring.”
Central Coast Mariners
Above: Taren King – revealed as Central Coast Mariners’ captain for their A-League Women return. Photo: Central Coast Community.
Central Coast Mariners have revealed that Taren King will captain the club on their return to the A-League Women this season.
The central defender will lead the side this Saturday evening at Industree Group Stadium against Newcastle Jets. The 26-year-old has played in the A-League for the past six seasons, making her debut for Canberra United in 2017.
After three years in the nation’s capital, King moved to Newcastle where she featured for the Jets across 34 matches, including being a part of their leadership team. The defender has since traded those colours for Yellow and Navy, becoming an integral part of the Mariners squad.
She is joined by vice-captain Kyah Simon, as well as a leadership group comprising Bianca Galic, Faye Bryson, and Annalise Rasmussen.
King spoke of her pride in being the club’s first captain for their big return. “It is a super proud moment for me to be given the captaincy for this season. We have such an incredible group at the club and to be able to captain and lead them makes it all the more special.
“I can’t wait to lead the girls out in our first match against the Jets, in front of a big home crowd. Since the first day of pre-season, we have been working incredibly hard to prepare for this season and especially the first game against Newcastle, so we are all really looking forward to it.”
Central Coast Mariners Head Coach Emily Husband was pleased to have someone like King leading the side. “Taren is an extremely experienced A-League player now and she is someone you can always rely on as a coach. She has led previous team’s including Sydney University where she has captained the side for the past few years,” Husband said.
“She has fantastic leadership skills and embodies the values that we hold most important as a team. She is the perfect choice for the role.”
Melbourne Victory
By Kieran Yap
Above: Jeff Hopkins speaking to the media today. Image: Melbourne Victory.
“We’ve got players coaching players,” Melbourne Victory Jeff Hopkins revealed as a consequence of his side’s Matildas contingent ahead of their season opener.
Hopkins remained tight-lipped about who will be in the first starting lineup for the season. The Victory boss named a full squad on Thursday night, but admitted to the media that some players may not be available for a full 90 minutes against Brisbane Roar.
“I never tell any lies,” Hopkins said with a smile. “Everyone is training, there are one or two that might not make it but we’re keeping that to ourselves.”
Victory recruited aggressively in the off-season. They have brought in experienced senior Matildas such as Emma Checker, Lydia Williams, and Emily Gielnik, and added some rising stars such as Jamilla Rankin and Ella O’Grady. They will join an already enviable group of returning names like Alana Murphy, Paige Zois, and Jessika Nash to name a few.
Victory’s attack will look noticeably different this season, as Catherine Zimmerman and Melina Ayres have departed, but Hopkins is confident in his recruitment and was buoyed by Gielnik’s displays on the training pitch. However, he revealed she may be one who starts in reserve.
“She was flying today, absolutely flying….as an impact player to have her coming off the bench could be pretty special. I’m being held back by our medical people. We’ll put all our heads together in the morning and come up with how we go on Sunday.”
One big name who is unlikely to feature is Lia Privitelli. The Grand Final-winning captain of 2021/2022 did not feature at all in the NPLW during the off-season but is nearing a return from injury.
“We’ve had some good news about her this week that we can start to push on with her training,” said Hopkins. “She’s been really frustrated and we feel for her. She just wants to get out there and work and train.
“We’ve been holding her back. She’s had some good news now… she’ll be back in full training straight away, hopefully we’ll be able to see her back in the squad and back in the starting 11.”
Privitelli’s impact has always been undeniable but Victory are well stocked in her absence. Mackenzie Weinert has joined from OL Reign in the NWSL and Japanese striker Kurea Okino scored in the pre-season hit-out against Western United.
Hopkins said that the short pre-season was less than ideal, but he was “very happy” with how the team was shaping up ahead of Sunday afternoon.
“It is a short pre-season,” he lamented. “It does put quite a lot of pressure on us. More games, more weeks to train to have a five-week pre-season puts a lot of pressure on us to bring players in and get them ready physically for one, and to understand the way that we play is another thing as well.
“It’s maybe something that’s got to be looked at. It’s easy to push a little bit too hard in a short pre-season and you find you’ve lost four or five of your key players. We’re not quite there,” he said of the team’s chemistry.
“But everyone’s got an idea of what we want to do and how we want to play. Over the next four to six weeks or so we’ll be chipping away at that day by day, game by game.”
With everybody coming back after experiencing the World Cup to different degrees, there is an excitement around the league and Victory. Far from basking in the afterglow of the tournament, the experienced players have been driving the standards at training.
“You see Lydia, KK (Elise Kellond-Knight), you see Emily pulling players to one side, and then having little chats with them. It’s really pleasing to see. That kind of fast forwards everything really. We’ve got players coaching players as well.”
The depth and versatility at Hopkins’ disposal are enough to keep any opposition coaches guessing, but although the players are capable of a number of formations and tactics, Hopkins said they will be keeping things simple this weekend.
“We’ve got the ability now to play three or five at the back. We could play five across the front as well,” he half-joked (although they actually could.) “It’s (developing multiple formations) something that we haven’t had time to do. We just needed to nail our number one formation and make sure that we’re right against Roar this week.”
Perth Glory
By Ben Gilby
Above: Perth Glory captain Tash Rigby speaking to the media this week. Image: Perth Glory.
Perth Glory captain Tash Rigby and head coach Alex Epakis spoke of their drive and commitment to ensure the Western Australians make the Finals this season after coming painfully close for the last two campaigns.
Speaking at the club’s season launch event at the city’s iconic Kings Park, Rigby outlined the hard work that has gone on behind the scenes to give the squad the best chance of hitting the ground running.
“Every year the characters (of the players) are different and it’s an honour to be captaining the team again. We have an amazing team and an amazing group of staff and Alex (Epakis, head coach) is incredible, so we’re ready to continue the charge.
“The preparation that has gone into the planning (for the season) and the tactics is really showing. Every single player has come in with an incredible level of fitness and we can now focus on the football.”
Last season, Glory were hamstrung by making a slow start to the campaign, which, with hindsight, was one of the major contributory factors in them missing out on a spot in the Finals. With the plethora of new faces at the club, both with international experience, and fresh from the NPLW WA, Rigby feels the squad won’t make the same mistake again.
“We’ve had a whole lot of new players come in and that has brought a whole new level of intensity and drive to the team. We really feel that we have been building the last few seasons towards something special and it feels like it’s coming together at the right time.
Perth has a tough opening examination against Western United at Macedonia Park this weekend, but the captain is inspired by the challenge and sees it as an opportunity to lay down a benchmark.
“It’s an awesome opportunity to play Western United, who were in the Grand Final at the end of last season so it will be a really good test for us,” Rigby asserted.
Above: Head coach Alex Epakis outlines his feelings about the season ahead to the media. Image: Perth Glory.
Head coach Alex Epakis is now into his fourth season in charge. Having been in virtually all of his media conferences in that time, I detected a distinct change in his manner. This is a more bullish Epakis. A head coach who is confident in the ability of his players to win football matches.
“We’re building on a daily basis and I’m really liking what I am seeing.
“Every season is different and you do a review, looking at everything from the bottom up. You have to self-process what worked and what didn’t, and if you are honest in that process, that’s a powerful thing. We identified a few things we wanted to do differently from a recruitment point of view and a training point of view…and we’re reaping the rewards of that.”
Whilst in previous seasons, Epakis has spoken about the team having internal targets, this time round he was far more expansive about his demands.
“Winning is important and I wanted to come into this season knowing that winning is everything and we have to live by that…we’re setting really high expectations of ourselves but it’s because of the group we have. They are not unreal expectations, they are expectations.”
The Glory boss also highlighted the huge benefits of having former Matildas head coach Alen Stajcic as head coach of the club’s men’s team. The pair, who teamed up as part of the Philippines coaching staff at the World Cup, are working closely together for the benefit of both Perth’s women’s and men’s teams.
“I’m clear about what I want to do and how to go about it, but to have a sounding board with so much experience in the room next to me is a pretty remarkable thing. It’s priceless. We’ve had some great conversations and I’m growing every day because of that.”
Epakis feels that the challenge of last year’s beaten Grand Finalists Western United in their opening game this weekend is a real chance – and despite being aware of the visitors’ threats, he wants to see his exciting attacking players take it to the Victorian side.
“They had a really strong season last year and are really well coached, so that’s the perfect opportunity for us to start the season and test ourselves. I’m looking forward to that challenge and I know the players are too.
“They are a very experienced team, a very powerful team. We look at the profile of their team and you know it is going to be a physical challenge. They are really effective going forward, so we have to be really mindful of managing that. But the priority is on our attack and the focus is we’re going out there to win.”
Sydney FC
By Genevieve Henry
Above: Kirsty Fenton (black kit) in action for Sydney FC last season. Photo: Kris Goman for Impetus.
The media heard from new American striker Shea Connors and returning defender Kirsty Fenton ahead of this weekend’s Sydney Derby to open the two team’s A-League Women campaigns.
Fenton is delighted that their first game is against Western Sydney Wanderers, saying it is the perfect fixture to get started off on. As both teams had a lot of squad turnover, it will be quite an interesting match, with both teams anxious to prove a point. Fenton and the team are aware of the target on the champions’ back, with Sydney under a lot of pressure to repeat the double but the focus is always on the game at hand.
Connors is looking forward to the season with a squad she is excited to be a part of. When asked about being their new token American striker, she said, “I’m gonna do my best to score some goals. I think I’m just going to continue on the end of last year’s form (for Brisbane Roar).”
Connors thinks that the attack will be fun to watch this year with the connection they have and all the different attacking profiles Sydney has claim to. Alongside Connors will be Cortnee Vine, Princess Ibini-Isei, Fiona Worts, and a few other notable forwards. The former Roar attacker has known and played with some members of the squad before and is fitting in well.
Fenton is thrilled about the new players coming in, saying they have all gelled well. “That’s what’s good about Sydney; you always have a good culture and environment.” Coming from Brisbane along with Connors is youngster Zara Krueger. Connors is quite familiar with her, not only for Brisbane, but in the NPL too. “She is a really exciting young player, but she works really hard and is creative when given the opportunity and playing time.”
All of the A-League Women will be riding high on the post-World Cup buzz. As this first round of fixtures is a standalone weekend for women’s football, players and fans alike are excited to see what this season will bring in terms of both football and atmosphere.
Connors said, “It’s not the end just because the World Cup is over. The World Cup inspired not only the little boys and girls, but the players on the fringes as well.”
With one of the Matildas’ World Cup heroes playing for Sydney, the club is excited to harness the energy and visibility Vine brings to not only their team but the whole league. Fenton said, “She brings so much excitement for young girls and to all the fans…we can really bring in a crowd. She brings a lot of confidence to us. She has so much experience and talent. We really learn a lot from her.”
Connors spoke highly of the winning mentality Sydney possesses, saying everyone is focused on the same goal: repeating the double from last year.
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Above: Home town hero – Sam Kerr is coming back to Perth. Photo: Hindustan Times.
The Matildas’ final squad has been named for the Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Asian Qualifiers Round Two which will take place later this month in Perth.
Australia will start their path to Paris 2024 with Head Coach Tony Gustavsson naming a squad featuring many familiar faces for the training camp and three Asian Qualifiers matches.
Captain and hometown hero Sam Kerr and vice-captain Steph Catley headline the squad of 22 players who will travel to Perth to take on Iran (26th October), the Philippines (29th October) and Chinese Taipei (1st November) in Group A action.
Off the back of a historic World Cup tournament, the squad features 21 members of the team that captured a nation and claimed fourth place at the global showpiece.
World Cup duo Aivi Luik and Kyah Simon are both unavailable as they return from injury, with U-23 Women’s National Team captain, Amy Sayer, rewarded for her recent strong form in Sweden and with the U-23 Program. Forward Charlize Rule will also travel to Perth with the 20-year-old returning to the senior national team environment for the first time since November 2021 in a train-on / development squad position.
Tony Gustavsson reflected on the return to the pitch for the national team following the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
“It’s hard to believe that by the time we take the field in Perth it would have been over two months since that exhilarating and unifying month of football in Australia,” Gustavsson said.
“While we have had some time to reflect on the impact of this remarkable team on and off the pitch, the special trait of this group is that they are always looking to embrace the next challenge and that is now qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“With just over 285 days to go until that opening kick-off in France, we have called up players that we know are ready to take us forward to the next phase of qualifying, while looking to reward a couple who have performed strongly in the U-23 Program,” he concluded.
U-23 Women’s National Team Head Coach and CommBank Matildas’ Assistant Coach Melissa Andreatta expressed her pleasure at the reward for two members of her Program.
“I couldn’t be more pleased for Amy and Charlie’s return to the Matildas for this upcoming training camp and Olympic Qualifiers as it is recognition for not only their incredible work in our U-23 Program but also the developmental strides they have both made in the last two years,” Andreatta said.
“Both players have been impressive in the manner they have applied themselves at club football and then brought that same focus at U-23 level. It reiterates the importance of our U-23 Program as a bridge between club football and the senior team.”
This month’s Asian Qualifiers will mark a highly anticipated return of the Matildas to the West Australian capital for the first time since 2018 and will be the first opportunity for Australians to see the team on home soil since this year’s World Cup.
The Asian Qualifiers will see six matches played across three different match days with the group winner joining the winners of Group B and Group C, as well as the best-ranked runners-up, in Round Three which will take place on 24th and 28th February 2024 with the winners of the two home-and-away series progressing to Paris.
“We are excited about the next chapter and continuing to build on the legacy for this team and it all starts in Perth,” Gustavsson stated.
“We understand the importance of high-quality performances and know these will be challenging matches against teams who will also be committed to continuing their journey to Paris next year,” he concluded.
Player
Position
Club
Caps (Goals)
Mackenzie ARNOLD
Goalkeeper
West Ham United FC
42 (0)
Ellie CARPENTER
Back
Olympique Lyon
69 (3)
Steph CATLEY (VC)
Back
Arsenal WFC
117 (5)
Alex CHIDIAC
Midfielder
Tigres UANL Femenil on loan from Racing Louisville
Impetus’ Matthew Appleby was pitch side at the Leigh Sports Village to capture this superb set of images from the debut of Manchester United in the Champions League and Clare Hunt for Paris St. Germain (12/10/22).
Above: Paris St. Germain’s Clare Hunt looks to escape Manchester United pressure. Photo: Matthew Appleby for Impetus.
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Above: Clare Hunt in action for PSG against Manchester United. Photo’s by Matthew Appleby, pitch side for Impetus
Clare Hunt played every single minute of Australia’s World Cup campaign. She did not achieve this significant feat by simply being good at football. She had trust put in her.
From the moment Tony Gustavsson brought Hunt into the Matildas squad, it was clear that he had faith in her. This was followed by an incredible debut, and a consistent starting spot ever since.
Jocelyn Prêcheur has not given Hunt that same opportunity for stardom. She was thrown in the deep end, her first appearance being as an injury substitute in Paris Saint-Germain’s all-important UEFA Women’s Champions League clash against Manchester United.
Hunt started off undeniably rough. But she built her confidence back up and held strong even as the home side attempted to exploit her inexperience. She used her strength and skill to retain possession with the likes of Geyse and Lucia Garcia up against her. As the game went on and PSG’s defensive line improved communication, Hunt grew into her role. As a player with excellent distribution, she became PSG’s go-to player to marshal the game. Her impact was clear, marking players out of the game for periods, consciously keeping opponents offside, and sending her attackers near-perfect through balls.
PSG need to play her, whether it be in league or cup games, or both. The 24-year old Australian has the ability to give 110% for 90 minutes, week in, week out. For Hunt to avoid mistakes and cement herself as a reliable defender, she needs to be given that chance. She has proven that she can go toe-to-toe with the worlds’ best and come out on top. She can surely replicate her international form for the French giants.
As was displayed for Australia in the past year, Hunt’s ability to strengthen a side is not to be ignored. She is the future of Australia’s defence, and if PSG play their cards right, she could be the future of theirs, too.
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As Impetus gears up for our fourth season of comprehensive coverage of the competition, eight of our writers – Ben Gilby, Kieran Yap, Ryan Miller-Woods, Denise Duffy, Emma Burke, Ben Carey, Genevieve Henry, and Kris Goman provide a detailed preview for every team in the league (11/10/23).
Adelaide United
By Ben Gilby
Above: Adelaide United’s new signing Alana Jancevski in spectacular action for Perth Glory last season. Photo: Tom McCarthy.
This could well be a crossroads season for Adelaide United as they look to return to the upper reaches of the ladder.
After the continued improvements in their final ladder positions, culminating in a first-ever spot in the Finals for 2021/22, last season will have to go down as a major disappointment for the South Australian side, who finished down in eighth, just five points above bottom-placed Wellington Phoenix.
Head coach Adrian Stenta has seen the departure of key attackers Chelsie Dawber and Fiona Worts, and the goals and opportunities that this pair have previously provided have played a major part in the Reds’ previous upward trajectory.
The impact of their loss has been softened by the arrival of one of the league’s most talented young attackers. Alana Jancevski has moved to South Australia after two years at Perth Glory. Jancevski is a player who is never afraid to try the unexpected and the inexplicable. Nine times out of 10 it comes off.
Outrageous skill, the ability and confidence to hit long-range screamers from both open play and set-pieces, she is one of the players to watch in the competition. Her departure from Perth is a considerable loss to the Glory – but for Adelaide, her arrival is potentially a real coup.
Up top, Jancevski is joined by another former Perth Glory attacker in Hannah Blake. Signed by the Western Australians as an injury replacement for Rylee Baisden after the American suffered an ACL injury, Blake had an impressive run of form for Perth, scoring three goals in six appearances. The forward has also got international experience with New Zealand, playing at the U17 World Cup (in 2016) and the U20 World Cup (2016 and 2018).
The two former Perth players are joined up front by the hugely promising Young Matilda Emilia Murray, a local product. Murray has a big future ahead of her, and fans should look forward with relish to her potential partnership with Jancevski as two next gen stars with outrageous talents team up.
At the back, Adelaide can call on the reliable presence of Emily Hodgson and Maruschka Waldus, with the additional creativity of Emily Condon and Dylan Holmes in midfield.
This is a Reds side that have real potential, but the challenge for them is to pick up points, particularly away, against the teams who they are likely to be challenging for a top-six spot with.
At the present time, whilst they have a well-organised back line and lots of creativity up top, with Dawber and Worts gone, they lack players who have consistently scored 10+ goals a season, and that could prove to be their undoing.
Brisbane Roar
by Ben Carey
Above: Tameka Yallop, one of the Matildas’ heroes during the World Cup is back at Brisbae Roar this season. Image: Football Australia.
Last season was an extremely tough one for Brisbane Roar. The midfield was generally quite strong, but they struggled in both attack and defence which resulted in a lot of draws (the second most in the league).
It appeared like the Roar might make a miraculous late-season comeback after beating the league leaders, Western United, 2-0 at home. But their massive win was overturned by the APL due to a technicality. After that, the Roar’s spirits were crushed, and they ended up finishing ninth in the table. A very underwhelming finish for the two-time champions and three-time premiers.
This season will likely be another transitionary season for Brisbane Roar as there have been a huge number of changes to their squad. The Roar have lost many talented players since the end of last season.
American goalkeeper, Hensley Hancuff, who was outstanding for the Roar last season has moved to Sweden. Jamilla Rankin has signed with Melbourne Victory, and experienced defender Jessie Rasschaert has retired, which is a shame as last season was arguably the best of her career. 2023 Women’s World Cup star Katrina Gorry, is currently playing in Sweden, and there has been no announcement of her return to the Roar. Finally, Shea Connors, Brisbane Roar’s top scorer last season, has signed with Sydney FC.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. Roar has made some fine additions to the squad as well. American goalkeeper, Jordan Silkowitz, has been signed on loan from Kansas City Current. Following Hancuff, she’ll have big gloves to fill. Two more Americans who play their football in Europe have also signed: central defender Leah Scarpelli from Sporting CP in Portugal and forward Mia Corbin from Parma in Italy. Newcastle Jets forward, Ashlee Brodigan, has also joined the squad. But the biggest and most impactful signing is vastly experienced Matilda, Tameka Yallop, who returns home after playing in Europe for the past two years.
Brisbane Roar face a number of issues this season. Firstly, they are going to struggle to find goals without the likes of Gorry in the midfield and Connors to finish them off. Hollie Palmer did perform well last season alongside Gorry, hopefully, she will be able to do some good work in her midfield partnership with Yallop this season. Corbin, who scored three goals and bagged two assists in the most recent season of the Serie A in Italy, will also have an opportunity to shine in front of goals.
Secondly, without the youthful flair of Rankin and the vast experience of Rasschaert and Swedish defender Kajsa Lind in the back line, Roar are going to find it very difficult to shut down attacks from the very best teams in the league. Teams like Sydney FC, Western United, and Melbourne Victory will surely shred their defences if they are not dynamic, well-organised, and disciplined, which are very difficult things for inexperienced defenders to be. At the very least, it will be an opportunity for young talents, such as Holly McQueen to step up and show what they can do.
Lastly, it’s possible that tactical (or administrative) issues could rear their ugly head again. Head coach Garrath McPherson is very lucky to still have his job considering that his team slipped from sixth place to ninth last season. Certainly, McPherson is not the only one to blame for Brisbane Roar’s lacklustre results last season, but he played a large part.
The APL’s decision to reverse the win against Western United was the nail in the coffin for Brisbane Roar last season, and although officials should never have allowed it to happen, McPherson is still responsible for making the ineligible substitution that resulted in the win being overturned and Roar losing three valuable points. His tactics also allowed the Roar to lose or tie matches they were leading, most famously the match where they led a 10-player Wellington Phoenix at home 2-0 and then ended up tying the match 3-3.
Hopefully, McPherson has learned a lot from last season and will be able to deliver the goods this time around. There is no room for administrative errors or poor late-game management if the Roar want to improve on their standings in the table.
This is a transitionary season for Brisbane Roar, a season of building and adjusting to new players and tactics. It’s very unlikely that the Roar will take home any silverware this season. I think a successful season would be significantly improving upon their ninth-place finish from last year and qualifying for the Finals series, which has been expanded to the top six teams this year. And as the NWSL has shown us, once knockout football begins, anything can happen.
Canberra United
By Ryan Miller-Woods
Above: Michelle Heyman – looking for another top goalscoring season for Canberra United. Photo: Canberra United.
Two goals were all the difference between Canberra United and Melbourne Victory at the end of the regular season as Victory finished in fourth and went one game away from making a third consecutive Grand Final while United just missed out on making the Finals in fifth.
Canberra last season when they were on were outstanding and hit the fourth most goals in 2022/23 with 35 that kept them in the Finals fight until the final round but when it wasn’t their day, it really wasn’t as they also conceded the fourth most goals with 30 which when compared to Victory who conceded 22, goal difference was crucial when the season concluded.
Njegosh Popovich will remain the Head Coach at Canberra for a second season. Popovich was a very stable head throughout the season and had the right attitude for whatever the situation was which for any player under his management would find a significant positive in the way they play. His guidance will play a significant role in how the club progresses this season.
Chloe Lincoln remains at United for the second year of her current deal. The 18-year-old played in 14 of United’s 18 matches last season where she kept four clean sheets and conceded 22 goals for a 1.58 average.
Lincoln, is an incredibly bright goalkeeper with the future very much ahead of her where a standout season could see rival clubs jump at the prospect of having her in their squad, so it’ll be important for Canberra to keep her at the club at all costs.
In defence for Canberra, Tegan Bertolissio (Macarthur Rams) and Cannon Clough (Newcastle Jets) join alongside Emma Ilijoski, Holly Murray, and Hayley Taylor-Young.
What is most apparent with United’s defenders is that youth is very prominent amongst the ranks with an average age of 20.8 years with Bertolissio (17), Murray (19), Ilijoski (20), and Taylor-Young (21).
The latest addition to the backline Clough is in the prime of her career at 27 with further A-League experience with Brisbane Roar and Newcastle Jets which also fills a gap that has been left by the retirement of Ellie Brush.
With these players, the quality and potential that they have will be incredibly vital in front of Lincoln as should a goal be conceded and how they react to it, could be the difference between making the Finals or not.
Canberra’s midfield will see Mary Stanic-Floody join from A-League Premiers Sydney FC alongside Sasha Grove and Vesna Milivojević. When Grove played for extended periods last season, she was impressive which with star players Grace Maher and Laura Hughes no longer at Canberra, provides her a golden opportunity this season to shine and make the midfield her own.
With Milivojević, there aren’t enough superlatives that can do her breakout season in the A-League enough justice as with eight goals and three assists the role she played, in my opinion, was the most beneficial towards the entire squad and arguably was Canberra’s best player in the 2022/23 season.
If she plays exactly like she did last season and then some, it isn’t out of the question to say that she’ll be the Julie Dolan Medallist at season’s end or at the very least one of the favourites to take it out.
In attack for Canberra will see Nicki Flannery, all-time leading A-League Women’s goal scorer Michelle Heyman, and Maria Cote Rojas who returns to United after last being there in 2019 commanding the goal-scoring opportunities alongside new additions to the club in Deven Jackson (Eastern Suburbs) and Ruby Nathan who both come from New Zealand.
Heyman had another impressive campaign up front as the runner-up in the A-League Women’s Golden Boot with 12 goals. She was integral towards chances having been converted when they were made and was just one goal behind eventual winner Hannah Keane (in the Regular Season).
Heyman is only seven goals away from 100 A-League goals and will be extremely hungry to achieve the feat this season. If she does so, she would become just the third player in the A-League era (Men’s or Women’s) to do that.
The main objective for Canberra this season is first and foremost to make the Finals which with it being an expanded format for 2023/24, provides United with a great chance of doing so but with the very high standards the club commands, simply making Finals won’t be enough, comfortably making it will be the minimum.
With the star power that they have in their entire squad, I can see United finishing a very close fourth or fifth making the Finals in the process for the first time since the 2020/21 season.
Central Coast Mariners
By Ryan Miller-Woods
Above: Kyah Simon’s signing for Central Coast Mariners is a key signing. Photo supplied to Impetus by: Central Coast Mariners.
The return of the Central Coast Mariners for the first time since the 2009 W-League season has been highly anticipated since the announcement of their re-entry on 3rd September 2021.
The club’s head coach, Emily Husband, comes from NPLW NSW side Sydney University where from 2020 to 2023 achieved two Minor Premierships in 2020 and 2022 and also won the NPL NSW 1 Coach of the Year.
She is no stranger to the A-League Women as in the 2020/21 season (previously the W-League) was Vicki Linton’s Assistant at Canberra United which saw United finish fourth in the regular season and one match away from making the Grand Final when they lost to Sydney FC 3-0 in the Semi-Final.
Their goalkeepers will be Chloe Carmichael (Nepean FC) and Sarah Langman (Perth Glory). With Carmichael, she comes from FNSW League One Women’s club Nepean FC where the 20-year-old played in all but two of Nepean’s matches in their most recent campaign as she kept five clean sheets and conceded 33 goals in 24 matches with a 1.38 average goals conceded.
As for Langman, she comes from A-League Women’s side Perth Glory whilst having had further experience with Adelaide United and Western Sydney Wanderers. In Langman’s only season with the Glory, she played in 11 of Perth’s 18 matches, kept two clean sheets, and made a grand total of 52 saves with a 77.6% save rate.
Langman being at the Mariners, will be great having an experienced goalkeeper between the sticks but will also be extremely helpful towards the development of Carmichael.
In defence the Mariners will have Faye Bryson (Reading), Ash Irwin (Sydney Olympic), Taren King (Newcastle Jets), Maya Lobo (FNSW Institute), Annabel Martin (Sydney University), Sophie Nenadovic (the club’s FNSW League One side), Peta Trimis (Bulls FC Academy) and Jazmin Wardlow (Fiorentina).
It is a good and solid backline with A-League experience with King, Nenadovic and Martin, European experience with Bryson and Wardlow, and the potential of youth that exists with Lobo and Trimis who are stars of the future currently within the Young Matildas set-up and were impressive this season in the NPLW NSW.
The signing of Bryson, in particular, is great for the Central Coast not only the fact that she’s played for Everton, Bristol City and Reading in the WSL but has played 93 matches amongst those three clubs which with the quality and style that English football possesses, bodes very well for the Mariners backline and will go a long way for them this season.
Central Coast’s midfield will consist of Bianca Galic (Sydney University), Isabel Gomez (Wellington Phoenix), Tiarna Karambasis (Lions FC) and Tess Quilligan (Sydney University).
Galic’s return to the A-League after missing the 2022/23 season due to an ACL injury with Western Sydney Wanderers the season prior makes for a great addition to the Mariners as the role she’ll play will be essential towards chances being made in the final third and in general, overall build-up in play amongst the squad.
Gomez is a bright talent at just 21 years of age. The way that she plays the game, her tenacity on the ball, her toughness, and how she makes everything look so effortless out on the pitch, makes for a brilliant signing all-round and will massively benefit the Mariners in more ways than one.
The forwards for the Mariners include Rola Badawiya (Sydney FC), Shadeene Evans (Northern Tigers), Paige Hayward (Adelaide United), Annalise Rasmussen (the club’s FNSW League One side), Kyah Simon (Tottenham Hotspur) and Wurigumula (Changchun Jiuyin Loans). Central Coast’s attack is arguably the strongest of the entire squad with years of A-League experience between Hayward and Simon.
Simon’s return to the league is a full-circle moment given the Mariners were her first club in the competition back in 2008. The experience that she’ll bring with 111 caps for Australia and 108 A-League appearances with the Mariners, Sydney FC, and Melbourne City respectively, will take everyone within the squad to another level in how they play and conduct themselves as individuals.
Given it has been 14 years since the Mariners were last in the league, it provides some unknowns as to how they’ll go this season but it might be more of an advantage than some people may realise as while teams will have data on the Mariners as the season progresses until you play each other competitively, you simply won’t know what to expect with your style of play compared to theirs.
With the players they’ve signed and Husband being in charge, I can see the Mariners finishing anywhere between sixth and eighth this season.
Melbourne City
By Emma Burke
Above: Rebekah Stott is back at Melbourne City for the new season. Photo: Melbourne City.
While Dario Vidosic’s side has seen some significant losses in players such as captain Emma Checker moving back to cross-town rivals Melbourne Victory, Cote Rojas returning to Canberra United, and New Zealand defender Katie Bowen making the move to Europe after signing with Internazionale (Inter Milan) following the World Cup, the signings and re-signings that have been made in the off-season offer the promise of a longer-term project for the four-time League Champions.
City have brought back club legend Rebekah Stott for what will be her seventh season with the club. Her signing sees her return to Melbourne following her World Cup campaign with New Zealand and a Club stint with Brighton & Hove Albion in England’s Women’s Super League. Stott’s contract is penned for two years, keeping the fan favourite in City Blue until at least the 2024/25 season.
Last season’s leading scorer for City, Rhianna Pollicina has also re-signed for two years, and she’s joined in doing so by Kaitlyn Torpey, Leah Davidson, Holly McNamara, and Leticia McKenna. City have also signed McKenna’s younger sister Tijan McKenna, a midfielder who played with Heidelberg United in the NPLW this year and was previously with Perth Glory.
Other new signings include Canadian goalkeeper Lysianne Proux, American defender Taylor Otto who most recently played with Celtic, and Laura Hughes, a midfielder and formerly a Canberra United favourite.
The club’s player of the season, American International Julia Grosso has also extended her stay down under with a deal that will see her play a further two seasons for Melbourne City.
City will ultimately be pushing to play in finals football once again and look to go a step further than last year when they were knocked out by Melbourne Victory in a thrilling 3-3 semi-final that ended in a penalty shootout and Victory moving on to the final.
In the last season and a half under Dario Vidosic, City has played mostly possession-based football, choosing to send the ball along and around their backline before looking to move forward in attack. You can hardly get scored on by a team that doesn’t have the ball, can you?
They will likely look to utilise the quality of their midfield in Pollicina and Grosso when building up to strike, before releasing New Zealand international Hannah Wilkinson who returns to City for another year.
Having Holly McNamara back in full form after only playing five games last season while still on the return from an ACL injury gives City another powerful attacking option, while the likes of the McKenna sisters offer a different angle in scoring as neither are afraid of attempting scoring from a distance.
Finishing anywhere other than in the top four by the end of the regular season will be seen as a step backward for the club who made their return to finals last season and will not bode well for their future given the longer-term plan Vidosic seems to have in mind for the team.
Melbourne City face Wellington Phoenix, Canberra United, Western United, Sydney FC, and Newcastle Jets in the opening five rounds of the Liberty A-League Women’s schedule, and they’ll be after a start that is in stark opposition to the last five games they played last season where they failed to win a game.
Melbourne Victory
By Kieran Yap
Above: Emma Checker – a key signing by Jeff Hopkins ahead of the new season. Photo: Keep Up.
Melbourne Victory have recruited strongly to bridge the gap and reclaim the championship.
Melbourne Victory’s 2022/23 season finished with a semi-final knockout to Sydney FC. Although they finished in the top four once again and knocked out Melbourne City in an epic penalty shootout, they were not in peak form at the end of the campaign in the same way as the two Grand Finalists.
Some of this was bad luck, late season injuries to Paige Zois and Elise Kellond-Knight, depleted their midfield stocks, Catherine Zimmerman similarly missed most of the first half of the season with a leg fracture, and Alex Chidiac had to return to the NWSL at the end of her loan spell.
In the offseason, Victory has looked to address the squad’s needs with high-profile talents. Emily Gielnik, Emma Checker, and Lydia Williams have all signed on to replace fan favourites Claudia Bunge, Casey Dumont, and Catherine Zimmerman.
Former Sydney FC playmaker Rachel Lowe has come in to take up creative duties alongside Beattie Goad. The departure of the brilliant but injury hit Melina Ayres has been addressed with the signing of Kurea Okino. The Japanese striker scored 31 goals in the Vic NPLW for Boroondara-Carey and looks ready to step up to the A-League Women.
Most importantly, Jamilla Rankin has been enticed down from Brisbane Roar. Victory struggled at left-back last season. Gema Simon was unable to play many games, Nat Tathem is better suited to midfield, and moving Goad there took too much away from the forwards.
Rankin is one of the most highly regarded fullbacks in the country and will make a huge difference to this team. With Jess Nash on the opposite flanks, only the best opposition wingers will have any fun against Jeff Hopkin’s new-look defence.
Things are promising, although not everything is ideal. The club has not officially announced it, but it appears that Amy Jackson and Tiffany Eliadis will not be returning this season.
The pair are not the biggest names in the league but have been vital to Victory’s success in the last three seasons. Both are prepared to play wherever they are needed and have the experience to fix any problems that arise in or between games.
Jackson’s positioning and competitiveness was the key to Victory’s defeats over City’s star-studded midfield last season, and Eliadis was a key component to Hopkins’ game plan throughout the campaign.
The absence of either leaves a big hole in the line up, and removes Victory’s historical backup plan for any and all crises.
Victory will likely look to the youngsters in their list more often this season. Ella O’Grady is an exciting attacking talent, The Young Matilda has impressed in the national team setup and will thrive with opportunity. She is a good finisher with a creative eye and impressive off the ball movement for her age.
Alana Murphy ended last season in top form and looks likely to continue her steady upward trajectory. Zois has fully recovered and enters this season after helping to drive Bulleen Lions to an NPLW premiership and Grand Final.
Tricky, 17-year-old winger Ava Briedis was thrown in the deep end last season but impressed enough to excite fans. She has obvious talent but may need to bide her time behind the likes of Lia Privitelli, Goad, and Gielnik.
It is a longer season this time around. Victory have a good mix of youth and experience. The only risk to a squad boasting so many Young Matildas and Under 23 stars is that they may be called up to camp and temporarily deplete playing stocks.
However, Victory have recruited as strongly as possibly could be expected. The rewards of acquiring the best young players in the country outweighs the risks of them missing a few games as a direct result of that talent.
With the amount of new faces, Victory’s biggest hurdle will be the squad adjusting to each other. There is familiarity between many of them at senior and youth Matildas level, but the attackers will be almost entirely new to each other, and the midfield will have a very different look to the last four seasons. The arrival of Americans Tori Hansen and Mackenzie Weinert adds more depth, and both look suited to the league, but things will take time to gel.
There will likely be some early season rustiness to the performances as they look to find their best lineup and develop chemistry, but with the competition changing to a top-six final series combined with the extra rounds of games, there is more room for error and experimentation than ever before.
Overall, this looks like a strong Victory squad and one that has addressed the shortcomings of last season while replacing the departed stars as well as could be expected.
In every third of the field there is a star, an international or a club icon. At their best, Victory will score goals and be hard to score against. The only question is how long it will take to get to that level.
It was another frustrating campaign for Newcastle last season, recording wins against only against Western Sydney Wanderers, Adelaide United, Western United, and Wellington Phoenix. On top of this they conceded a total of 53 goals in just 18 matches with 2.94 goals conceded on average.
Despite that, they still finished two points ahead of Wellington Phoenix in second last on the table at the end of the regular season, which for the Jets gives them an uphill battle to make Finals for the first time since the 2017/18 season.
Being appointed full-time Head Coach after Ash Wilson’s departure towards the back end of last season, Gary van Egmond remains in charge of Newcastle for 2023/24. Given van Egmond’s experience, especially with the Jets in many different roles throughout the years with both the men’s and women’s teams, he is a very important appointment for the club not only in the short-term but in the long-term as well.
Newcastle’s goalkeepers this season are Isabel Nino (University of Michigan) and Kiara Rochaix (Blacktown City). Rochaix comes from the FNSW Women’s League One side Blacktown City made 28 appearances in total last season as she kept six clean sheets and conceded 49 goals for an average of 1.75 goals conceded.
With the retirement of Clare Coelho, Nino and Rochaix have big shoes to fill in between the sticks this season and they will have to go above and beyond to block out the dangerous attacks that exist in the A-League Women.
In the defence for the Jets this season will be Swiss international Lorenna Baumann (S.F. Damaiense), Claudia Cicco (Wellington Phoenix), Sophie Hoban (APIA Leichhardt), Alex Huynh (Macarthur Rams), Natasha Prior (APIA Leichhardt), Maggie Shaw (Chattanooga Red Wolves), Gema Simon (Melbourne Victory) and Josie Wilson (Northern Tigers) join alongside club veteran Cassidy Davis who will be in her tenth consecutive year at the club.
The signing of Claudia Cicco is an absolute steal for Newcastle. The Young Matilda who in the off-season with APIA Leichhardt in the NPLW NSW was crucial towards their success in the season, has a lot of potential at just 19 years of age and with a second season of A-League experience under her belt, will be an important player for the Jets.
Experienced players Alex Huynh, Cassidy Davis, and Gema Simon will all be integral to how the season potentially shapes up for Newcastle in the backline as the experience they have will be massively beneficial to the development of the younger players within the Jets squad. It also gives hope to an improvement in their defensive record this time round.
Within the midfield, Newcastle will have Rebecca Burrows (Canberra United), Libby Copus-Brown (Lewes), and Lara Gooch where all three players mentioned will be essential towards how chances are made and build-ups in play for the attack. Burrows will be looking to make up for lost time after she tore her ACL before the commencement of the 2022/23 A-League Women’s season.
Copus-Brown returns to the club where she made her debut for back in 2013 after having played for Western Sydney Wanderers as well as a stint in England with second- tier side Lewes.
Gooch also returns to Newcastle where the 17-year-old currently has 13 games of experience and is a prospect for the future.
Despite the lack of depth in attack, both Melina Ayres (Melbourne Victory) and Lauren Allan are great players to have if they can link up instantaneously, then that will be incredibly beneficial towards the number of goals that they are to score this season.
Ayres when she was at Melbourne Victory in 84 appearances scored 30 goals with a goal every 2.80 matches, which with those numbers will play arguably the most significant role of any player at the Jets and a potential run for the Finals.
Newcastle need a combination of more goals scored and far fewer conceded. Whilst this could be a tall order within an even more competitive A-League Women competition, should it be achieved, a position of eighth or ninth is possible.
Perth Glory
By Ben Gilby
Above: Prolific Western Australian striker Tia Stonehill will be looking to bang in the goals in the A-League Women. Photo: Fotoenzo.
After missing out on Finals football by the smallest of margins over the last two seasons, Alex Epakis has assembled another talented young squad in Western Australia – but this time they have lost the services of several key players.
At the end of last season, experienced defensive rock Kim Carroll, former Matilda, brought down the curtain on her glittering career. However, on the positive side of the ledger, there is the welcome return of youngster Claudia Mihocic who missed the whole of last season through injury.
Elsewhere at the back, local star Izzy Foletta returns. As well as providing strong cover in defence, Foletta formed a hugely impressive partnership with Cyera Hintzen in connecting with the American forward in creating key attacking moves for the WA side.
Philippines international defender Jessika Cowart has also arrived to add ballast to the backline along with the experience of captain Tash Rigby and New Zealand international defender Liz Anton, along with the locally produced youngster Bella Wallhead.
The midfield is stacked with exciting young talent, a number of whom are both new to the club and the A-League Women. In terms of the local teenage talent in that midfield, Georgia Cassidy has been a key part of the teenage NTC squad. A local who has a sensational record of scoring jet-propelled long-range free-kicks, Cassidy can also pick out perfectly judged crossfield passes and release her strikers with sumptuous passes. She also loves a crunching challenge.
Grace Johnston has played alongside Cassidy in the NTC side in recent years, and is another teen who has a footballing brain way beyond her years. Johnston does a lot of the hard yards off the ball.
Alongside this pair are three further local stars, Hana Lowry, Sarah Cain, and Abbey Green. Lowry has been the jewel of the locally produced players’ crown in recent years, and continues to evolve in her ability to play a range of roles across the middle. Green has been in the NPLW WA this year with Fremantle City with her twinking toes, sparkling feet, pacey runs, and clinical finishing.
Perth can also point to the returning talent of Sofia Sakalis and Susan Phonsongkham. Sakalis has got better each season that has gone by. She has dancing feet, superb vision, and her continued development will be key. I don’t think we have yet seen the best of Susan Phonsongkham. A player who has had bad luck with injuries, the 22-year-old needs regular football in a bid to push on and become the player that many have predicted she can be.
Two outstanding attacking talents have also departed after two seasons in Perth. First, last season’s joint Impetus A-League Women player of the season, Cyera Hintzen is currently in the NWSL with NY/NJ Gotham. Potentially, there is a window for her to return after duties in North America. Hintzen’s vision, strength, and sharpness in front of goal were a big part of the club’s push for Finals last season.
Also gone is the outrageous talent of Alana Jancevski who has moved to Adelaide United. A player who could reach into her magic wand and create the most incredible pass or long-range screamer out of nothing would be a huge loss for any side. But with Hintzen also potentially gone as well, this could well prove to be the decisive factor in whether they come close to Finals football once more.
To potentially replace the pair in an attacking sense, there are a number of new forwards. Millie Farrow, former England U19 and U23 striker has had WSL experience at Reading, Bristol City, and Leicester City. Farrow scored a hat-trick on her Perth debut against an NPLW WA XI, and Epakis will need her to keep her scoring boots firing into the new season.
Also arriving is former Wellington Phoenix and Canberra United striker Grace Jale, who will be looking to hit the ground running. There’s also the Philippines’ record scorer Quinley Quezada who has 23 goals from 52 international caps.
Potentially the most exciting attacking talent comes in the shape of local stars Tanika Lala and Tia Stonehill. Lala is the best teenage Western Australian striker I have seen since Sam Kerr. Lala has pace, strength, and confident finishing. Her stock in trade is the run through the centre, holding off would-be tacklers and hitting low, powerful shots into the net. How much game time Lala gets this season is questionable, but having received offers from Scottish Premier clubs highlights the potential this starlet has.
Now 26, Tia Stonehill is a player with a sensational backstory. The striker has been one of the best goal-scorers in the state league over the past five years. Stonehill missed the whole of the 2022 season after suffering a potentially career-ending injury as she fractured the bones in her spine that connect muscles to her back. It led to her needing 24/7 care.
Yet the striker is made of stern stuff and made a sensational comeback during the 2023 NPLW WA season with Balcatta Etna where she an absolute shoo-in to Impetus NPLW WA team of the season. An all-action forward with blistering pace, powerful finishing, and real confidence in front of goal, Stonehill really deserves this opportunity, and I expect her to grab it with both hands. If Perth can fire through the midfield to provide her with chances, she will fly.
There are so many “ifs, buts, and maybes” to confidently predict Perth Glory’s season. If the kids can come together and flourish on the biggest stage of Australian women’s football, then Perth’s potential is endless. They could be one of the most attractive sides to watch anywhere in the competition. However, if the large number of players with minimal or no A-League experience find the step up too big, then Epakis’ team could find themselves further down the ladder than they would like.
Sydney FC
By Genevieve Henry
Above: Cortnee Vine (left) a hugely successful World Cup for the Matildas and now back to Sydney FC. Photo: Kris Goman for Impetus.
Australia’s most successful women’s side should come into this season high on confidence. They won both the premiership and the championship last season, for the fourth and fifth times respectively, but the first time in the same season. Their resounding 4-0 win over Western United was the biggest Grand Final win in the competition’s history. Ante Juric has a special team and they will be looking to take on new challenges this season.
Unfortunately for Sydney, they lost a group of core players to international opportunities. Prolific scorer Madison Haley, midfield maestro Mackenzie Hawkesby, and young gun Charlize Rule all departed to Brighton and Hove Albion in England. Deborah Anne de la Harpe and Sarah Hunter left for European clubs as well. Sydney had a huge loss in Rachel Lowe signing for title rivals Melbourne Victory. Other players departing to different A-League Women clubs include Rola Badawiya, Shadeene Evans, Anika Stajcic, and Mary Stanic-Floody. Another loss for Sydney is the retirement of Anna Green.
However, through all of these losses are sparks of hope. Sydney have gotten massively lucky to retain Matildas star Cortnee Vine, who was thought to be departing the club after the World Cup. The forward had interest from many top clubs, but chose to stay at home to support and grow Australian football. Princess Ibini and Abbey Lemon are still with the club as well, putting the front line in talented hands.
The injury-ridden Taylor Ray will hopefully make an impact this season if she stays fit in the midfield. In the heart of defence, captain Nat Tobin, Charlotte McLean, and Kirsty Fenton have all stayed with the Sky Blues. The Dos Santos sisters have also remained with Sydney, likely to have bigger roles this season. In the net, all three keepers have stuck around, so one can expect to see some healthy competition between the highly acclaimed Jada Whyman, Katie Offer, and Tahlia Franco.
Some new signings for Sydney are also indicative that they will be pushing to continue their streak of success this season. Young defender Tori Tumeth is a great steal from Melbourne City who will surely strengthen the Sky Blues’ defence. Promising midfielders Zara Krueger and Sienna Saveska will add much-needed bodies to the midfield, while the experienced Shea Connors will bring something special to the attack. Former Adelaide United star and Julie Dolan Medallist Fiona Worts will be an excellent attacking addition to this already talented squad.
An area that could prove to be Sydney’s Achilles Heel is the midfield. Losing Lowe, Hunter, and Hawkesby is a real blow. For a team that had such a strong midfield full of depth last season, the lack of this will be an adaptation.
The mix of youth and experience in this squad gives the Sky Blues an advantage over many opponents. The fact that the young players are so well-versed in the game is remarkable. With young Matildas and senior Matildas amongst the squad, the desire to grow and succeed should overwhelm the losses they have endured. Many of Sydney’s squad are the future of Australian football, with Whyman, Ray, Ibini, and Fenton among the players making names for themselves on the big stage. This personal pressure alongside the knowledge and leadership of players like Tobin, McLean, and Vine should form the perfect blend of energy, passion, and steadiness.
Juric and his coaching staff have a tough task ahead this season as women’s football grows in Australia. This team has consistently been ahead of the curb, but can they emerge triumphant once again?
Wellington Phoenix
By Denise Duffy and Ryan Miller-Woods
Above: Chloe Knott fires in a shot for Wellington Phoenix. Photo: Wellington Phoenix.
You wouldn’t think that the Wellington Phoenix, who finished last for the second season running, had improved in 2022/23 but were quite competitive against many of their opponents.
Matches such as a 5-0 win against Canberra United, which was their first win of both the season and in New Zealand, a 1-0 win against Sydney FC, and a 3-1 win against Adelaide United showed definite improvement. However, it was unluckiness that defined their season, particularly in the second halves of matches.
Wellington has had a different coach for every season so far in the competition. While the quality of play has been high in the previous seasons, with upsets occurring, the results have led to the departures of Gemma Lewis and Natalie Lawrence who have since pursued opportunities in Europe. New Head Coach Paul Temple has stability with a two-year contract and less pressure scrambling for talent in the pre-season with rule changes made for signings.
The Phoenix faced constraints in seasons prior and could only sign overseas players at the expense of New Zealanders. Coupled with a quota of Australian players, made team composition challenging. This season marks a pivotal shift as Antipodean players are now counted as domestic for Wellington, which puts them in line with every other A-League club and doesn’t restrict them on who they can bring in as Visa players.
“Our goal this year is to put the puzzle together and to be able to finish these games that we want to win” states Hailey Davidson, a Texan-born visa player, who will be joining the Phoenix as a right back. Defensive anchors Mackenzie Barry, Michaela Foster, Zoe McMeeken, Marisa van der Meer, and Kate Taylor remain at the club. Rebecca Lake adds depth and physicality to the ranks at Wellington.
First-choice goalkeeper Brianna Edwards aims to capitalise on her A-League experience this season. She’s been within the New Zealand senior squad on and off for over a year most recently on the tour in Chile.
Former Canadian youth international at the U17 and U20 levels as well as Liverpool goalkeeper Rylee Foster has also joined Wellington. She comes back to football almost two years after a major accident in October 2021 left her neck broken in seven places as well as other life-threatening injuries.
The midfield will include last season’s captain, Chloe Knott who for the majority of the last season led Wellington in Lily Alfeld’s absence. Knott’s experience as captain and being well-integrated within the club will be crucial this season. Additionally, if you have Knott playing in the position that suits her best and getting the absolute most out of her, will be a massive benefit for the Phoenix.
Annalie Longo, who originally signed for Wellington last season before suffering an ACL tear that ruled her out will now fill the void left by Betsy Hassett. Longo comes to the Phoenix with both A-League experience with Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory and 131 appearances for New Zealand.
Wellington’s biggest signing for the 2023/24 season is Hope Breslin, a former standout player at the University of Illinois. In the 2022 NWSL Draft, Breslin was Angel City FC’s top pick and spent a season with them before moving to Houston Dash. The A-League has been a valuable proving ground for Americans. Last season, for instance, with Hannah Keane and Hillary Beall at Western United and Madison Haley at Sydney FC the A-League offered them ample playing time to showcase their talent and sharpen their skills.
The Phoenix will rely on Breslin’s New York grit, intelligence, and athleticism to make a significant impact on the field.
The attack will include the rapid and skillful Michaela Robertson as well as Emma Main who shined when given the opportunity towards the end of last season. Robertson and Main will be important for Wellington this season. Kelli Brown returns after a season away where in the most recent NPLW NSW season for Macarthur Rams scored 30 goals in 31 appearances as the Rams won a second consecutive NPLW NSW Grand Final.
Brown was one of Macarthur’s most important players and if she continues that form into the A-League, Wellington have potentially resolved their goalscoring issues in attack.
American-born, Venezuelan international Mariana Speckmaier also joins Wellington this season. As a World Cup replacement player in 2023 with the Washington Spirit in the NWSL, she scored arguably one of the best goals of the season against Orlando Pride from outside the box. It both won Spirit the match and was her first goal in the NWSL.
If she can be a game-changer and score goals such as that from anywhere on the pitch, then the Phoenix will have a much-needed dynamic offensive threat.
Recruitment and the rule changes with the players that the Phoenix have been able to sign, benefit them significantly (and deservedly so) for the season ahead. One area that was their Achilles heel was defending in their box from opposition set pieces. If they can get that under control and connect offensively through their lines, they will be a formidable force in the league. A realistic charge towards Finals is a possibility if everything can firmly fall into place.
Western Sydney Wanderers
By Kris Goman
Above: Liv Price celebrates a goal for Western Sydney Wanderers against Newcastle Jets last season. Photo: Kris Goman for Impetus.
Western Sydney Wanderers commence their twelfth season in the A-League Women in a state of flux after the shock change of coach just ten days before the season starts.
Kat Smith guided the team to a respectable seventh position last season and had been busy recruiting players in the lead up to the new season. The bombshell dropped on Wednesday 4th October that Robbie Hooker was to replace Smith for the 23/24 season. He admitted he was struggling to just remember the players’ names at that stage but also said he’d trust the current coaching team to assist his knowledge and maintain some balance.
It’s not all bad news though. Hooker is a very experienced coach and player being an ex-Socceroo and the inaugural coach of Canberra United in the 08/09 season. He was also an assistant coach of the Matildas under Tom Sermanni and will be working closely with him again as he’s the Head of Women’s Football at the Wanderers.
Two stars of the World Cup have left the team: Sarina Bolden who represented the Philippines appears to have not been re-signed and defender and last year’s captain, Clare Hunt, has been signed by Paris Saint Germain (PSG) to play in Europe. Three other internationals in Jitka Chlastakova (Czech), Jordyn Bloomer (USA), and Malia Steinmetz (NZ) have also departed the club for this season. Sheridan Gallagher changed codes to Rugby League and a premiership win with Newcastle Knights. Sienna Saveska was signed by Sydney FC for the next two seasons.
However, Hooker inherits a solid team with the right mix of experience and youth and while it looks like all the key players have left, there’s still a very strong core from last season along with a couple of impressive new signings.
Returning are goalkeeper Sham Khamis; defenders Lauren Kier, Cushla Rue, Gemma Ferris, and Ella Abdul Massih; midfielders Amy Chessari, Amy Harrison, Liv Price, Mel Caceres, Danika Matos, Alexia Apostolakis, and Beth Gordon. Among the forwards Sophie Harding and Holly Caspers. Harrison, Price, Matos and Keir were all on the starting team last season and bring a wealth of experience and a number of years playing together. Both Matos and Keir roam the sidelines with attacking runs and very solid defence. Harrison and Price control the midfield and are not shy about scoring either and will take any opportunity presented.
Chessari, Caceres, Apostolakis, Ferris, Rue, Abdul Massih, Gordon, Harding, and Caspers are mostly all in their second season at the Wanderers and many of them are Young or Junior Matildas. There’s plenty of genuine talent and enthusiasm among that cohort and they’ll all be vying to make the starting eleven each week.
There’s a number of interesting new signings this season too. Number one keeper Kaylie Collins is on loan from Orlando Pride for the season. Although she’s only played one match for Pride during the Challenge Cup, she had a very successful college career with USC Trojans. This stint with the Wanderers should be a great opportunity for match time.
Maliah Morris also hails from Orlando Pride and was signed there as an injury and national team replacement player. From Clemson University, the striker is described as “A powerful striker who can carry the ball, hold up play, is strong in the air and works hard for the team”. She was a regular starter at Clemson every year and a prolific scorer which bodes well for the Wanderers if she can find the same form.
Vicky Bruce arrives in Sydney from Bristol City and winning the 2023 FA Women’s Championship which saw City promoted back into the WSL. She comes as a very experienced defender having played in Scotland, Iceland, Cyprus, Sweden, Denmark, Germany and England and being selected for the USWNT U14, U15, and U16 teams. She should be a significant amount of experience and leadership to the team.
Maddy McComasky and Keely Segavcic are both transfers from Canberra United. Maddy is a defender and Segavcicis a keeper. India Breier, Talia Younis and Ischia Brooking are all junior Matildas in their first ALW season. Brooking is only 14 years old and comes fresh from an outstanding season in the NPLW WA with Hyundai NTC..
Finally, Milly Clegg is a Football Fern and was with the NZ team during the World Cup. She’s a prodigious talent and a natural striker and one of very few people that have attended an U20, U17 and senior Women’s World Cup within 12 months. She came from Wellington Phoenix and is on an amateur contract so she can still potentially play in the US college system.
The Wander Women have always had a formidable defence but have been let down up front by not having a consistent striker. This team seems a bit more balanced and while they are both still young, there’s two genuine strikers in Morris and Clegg and it could represent a change of fortune if they live up to their promise and can gel with the team. The team shows the right mixture of age and enthusiasm, experience and passion and skills and natural ability. If Hooker can bring it all together, there’s a huge opportunity to make the finals for only the second time ever.
Western United
By Kieran Yap
Above: Grace Maher (right) another impressive addition for Western United. Photo: Canberra United.
They took the competition by storm in their first season but fell agonizingly short of the dream. However, all signs point to Western United being able to go one better this time.
Consistency and quality are the key components of any successful A-League Women side. After finishing runners-up in the Grand Final and ending the campaign in second place on the ladder, Western United has seemingly found the balance between sticking with what works and improving the team significantly.
Missing from last season will be Jess McDonald, Hillary Beale, and Angela Beard. But they have added one of the biggest signings of the off-season. Grace Maher has joined from Canberra United at will add class and experience in a variety of roles.
Maher can be a difference maker whether she is deployed in defence or midfield, and it was an early sign that Western United were not satisfied with second place last season. Joining Maher as a new arrival is Japanese speedster Kiwa Hieda and promising young goalkeeper Natalie Picak, both from Calder United.
Although Western’s midfield still boasts Chloe Logarzo and Jacylyn Sawicki, they have significant depth beyond that. Emma Robers was decisive when called upon, and the Taranto twins, Melissa and Adriana were excellent in their return to the top flight.
Up front, Hannah Keane has stuck around, and although her speed, height, and technique make her a problem for any defence, it will be interesting to see how she manages without the early season support she enjoyed from McDonald. Last season, she was a brilliant surprise package. This time, other clubs will have had six months to come up with a way to stop her.
What was most impressive about Western United last season was their ability to adapt their gameplan depending on the opposition. They were not merely a version of Calder United in the A-League, but a team that could play without the ball as easily as with it.
When they were in form, Western United always had the game on their terms, Mark Torcaso’s side were adept on the counterattack, and could dominate possession when needed.
Their record against the other top three teams was bettered only by Sydney FC, and they beat all three of their fellow contenders throughout the season.
The question coming into 2023/2024 centres around if they can replicate their stunning debut. Other teams have strengthened on paper and recruited well, but Western needed the least amount of improvement of all.
Alana Cerne’s first A-League season propelled her into the Australia Under 23’s setup, Kahli Johnson developed a level of consistency that has made her a talisman of the Young Matildas, and the likes of Stacey Papadopoulos will enter this season with as much confidence as hope.
Western United still have some gaps in the side. It will be hard to replace a goalkeeper as dominant as Beale. Angela Beard leaves big boots to fill at full-back and the club has not signed an exact replacement.
The probable solution is to move Tyla-Jay Vlajnic back into defence, but they will then be reliant on the untested Hieda or Ava Groba to play significant roles. Catherine Zimmerman’s arrival from Melbourne Victory has been another boost to the club’s attacking stocks.
A first-choice attack of Zimmerman, Keane, and Johnson is an exciting mix of forwards who can all interchange positions, score or set up goals.
Western United will also enter this season as one of the hunted. Their underdog status is gone, they have become a destination club and will be seen as a title contender from Round One.
There is no more curiosity about this side, they are one of the teams to beat and a benchmark side. Breaking down their defence is not easy, stopping them from scoring is a whole other problem. Teams will be at their best when they meet Western, it will be interesting to see how they handle their new status.
Having said that, mentality was never an issue for them last season. Even in the Grand Final defeat, they did not look to suffer from stage fright on the big occasion, and they remained consistent both home and away.
Only the bare minimum has changed since they collected their runners-up medals, not much needed to. In this competition that is a good thing. Western United have all the ingredients for success, and the desire to go one step further.
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by Ruby Perry at the Leigh Sports Village for Impetus(11/10/23)
Above: Melvine Malard celebratesher goal that levelled the scores for Manchester United against Paris St. Germain last night. Photo: Manchester United.
Manchester United overcame a challenging first half and a one-goal deficit to earn a draw in the home leg of their Champions League Second Qualifying Round tie against Paris St. Germain.
Eleven minutes into the encounter between two star-studded teams, PSG had the first real opportunity as Lieke Martens headed over. United goalkeeper Mary Earps was also called upon to block an effort with her foot. Manchester United were struggling to match the attacking intensity of the French side and also found it challenging to build much in the way of attacking momentum.
Just after the quarter-hour mark, PSG’s Oraine Jean-Francois was stretchered off, leading to a long-awaited debut for Australia World Cup star Clare Hunt. The former Western Sydney Wanderers defender played a comprehensive part in the game bringing her trademark ballast and rumbustuousness. There was there odd occasion when United were able to intercept her attempted passes, but given the upward trajectory Hunt is on, this will just be growing pains and she looked the part overall, working hard to keep United quiet.
Above: Matildas star Clare Hunt (left) on her Paris St. Germain debut. Photo: Franceinfo.
In an attempt to find a way into the match, The Red Devils noticeably upped their communication levels, which clearly aided their ability to gain more possession and create more forward opportunities.
In the second half, United showed real intent, however it would be PSG who broke the deadlock when Sandy Baltimore played an intelligent ball for Tabitha Chawanga to direct a shot past Earps.
But United were now made of sterner stuff and were growing into their Champions League status – they upped the ante and possession count. Eventually, it paid as Melvine Malard’s close-range header levelled the scores with 20 minutes left.
Manchester United can be proud of their comeback, as can Hunt be of her debut – but with the second leg to come in Paris, it will be the French side who will consider themselves as favourites to make it through to the group stage.
Above: Melbine Malard (9) heads home Manchester United’s equaliser. Photo: Manchester United.
Teams: MANCHESTER UNITED(4-5-1): Earps, Blundell, Le Tissier, Turner, George, Riviere, Naalsund, Zelem, Toone, Galton, Garcia. Substitutes used: Malard, Miyazawa, Geyse.
Scorer: Malard 70’.
PARIS ST. GERMAIN(4-3-3): Picaud, Le Guilly, Jean-Francois, De Almeida, Karachaoui, Geyoro, Albert, Groenen, Baltimore, Chawinga, Martens. Substitues used: Bachmann, Calligaris, Hunt, Katoto.
Scorer: Chawinga 53’.
Referee: Frida Klarlund.
Attendance: 4,827.
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Above:Inverness Caledonian Thistle (blue) get the ball away against East Fife. Photo: Donald Cameron / Sportpix
SWF Championship
East Fife came from behind at Millburn Academy to beat Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3-1 and climb up the SWF Championship (tier three) table.
Caley Thistle came into the game in third place and were due to play the fixture at the Caledonian Stadium, but yellow weather warnings had relocated it to the astro at Millburn Academy. Iona McArthur had the Highlanders in front early on, but second half goals from Kerys Blyth, Brodie Rigby Wilson, and Liz Corke saw the Fifers move up to fifth in the table, just three points behind their hosts in fourth.
Championship top two Rossvale and Ayr United won comfortably on the road 6-0 and 4-0 against Morton and Edinburgh City respectively, while Northeast side Westdyke climbed into third place with a 2-1 home win against Renfrew Ladies.Dryburgh Athletic beat Hutchison Vale 7-0 at home to climb to sixth.
SWF League One
Above: Celebration time for Falkirk against Dundee West. Photo: Alex Todd / Sportpix.
There were emphatic 8-1 home victories for Falkirk and Edinburgh Caledonia against Dundee West and Giffnock SC respectively, while St. Mirren were 6-2 winners over high-flying newcomers Queen of the South.
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