Above:Hannah Keane embraces teammates after scoring for Western United.Photo:Yahoo Sport.
Western United recorded a 2-0 win over Brisbane Roar on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Tasmania. A very good local crowd of over 2,000 spectators watched the match, which was the first part of a doubleheader.
Brisbane started off the more aggressive of the two sides, with Katrina Gorry, Larissa Crummer, and Shea Connors all involved in promising half chances in the first couple of minutes. Just before the 10 minutes mark, Crummer made a good physical challenge on a Western defender to steal the ball, and took a shot on goal, but it was easily collected by the Western United keeper, Hillary Beall.
A few minutes later, Connors won an excellent ball in the midfield, passed to Gorry, who whipped it out to Roar captain, Ayesha Norrie. Norrie ran at the goal and struck a good shot, but Beall made a diving save to deny the shot.
The first real chance for Western United came in the 19th minute after a defensive mistake from the Brisbane backline led to Hannah Keane having possession of the ball. She took a shot on goal, but Hancuff was equal to it.
Just before regulation time for the first half expired, Adriana Taranto found herself in a dangerous position with the ball. She drilled it low and hard to the bottom left corner. The shot had Hancuff beaten, but just faded wide.
Taranto was disappointed; however, she wouldn’t have to wait long before being rewarded for her hard work. Two minutes later, she was an essential part of Western United’s first goal of the match. Taranto hit a good through ball to Jessica McDonald, who crossed it into the box, drawing a favourable deflection from a Brisbane defender that found the feet of Keane, who found the back of the net, with assistance from the inside of the goalpost.
Hannah Keane 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙! 😤
An instinctive finish from the @LibFinancial A-League's top scorer to give @wufcofficial a half-time lead! 🎯
The Roar started out the second half just as strongly as in the first half, with lots of great build-up, usually involving Gorry, Connors, and Crummer, but in every instance, the finishing product was not there. Brisbane’s best chance of the match came in the 49th minute when a great long ball from the midfield found Crummer in enough space to land a 747. Crummer ran at the Western keeper, with easily enough time to shape up a good shot but ended up kicking it straight to the keeper in the middle of the box.
Just before the hour mark, on the counterattack from one of Brisbane Roar’s attempts, Western United struck again.
McDonald made an amazing run past two Brisbane defenders and delivered a solid ball into the box. T.J. Vlajnic hustled hard to win the ball, putting it against the inside of the post. It bounced back out right in front of the goals and before anyone could clear it Vlajnic had successfully followed up for Western’s second goal of the day.
Western United managed to close out the remaining 30 minutes plus a long injury time without too much drama. The win ensured that they would stay at the top of the table, two points ahead of Melbourne City, and with one game in hand over their nearest rival.
Western United showed again why they are the team to beat this season, with a consistent performance all round. McDonald performed exceptionally well in her last game for Western United before returning home to the States. Her quick, dynamic movement and great passes helped set up one goal and create a bunch of other opportunities throughout the match.
Keane put in a solid shift as always, scoring the initial goal and creating other dangerous chances for her teammates. Beall defended the Western United goals very well, making six saves to record her fourth clean sheet for the campaign.
For Brisbane, the attacking mindset was definitely there. The Roar had 18 shots during the match. But poor passing accuracy, lack of intent, and an inability to convert chances let them down.
That said, Connors was excellent. Her speed, willingness to make challenges and win the ball was perhaps the best it has been all season. She took several shots on goal and created good opportunities for her teammates as well. Gorry worked her magic in the midfield as always, but there’s only so much one woman can do. Hollie Palmer and Crummer had some good moments in the match as well.
Western United will face Canberra United next weekend and Brisbane Roar will take on Wellington Phoenix, buoyed by their first win of the season today.
Teams: WESTERN UNITED (4-3-3): Beall, Papadopoulos, Cummings, Cerne, Medwin, M. Taranto, Robers, A. Taranto, McDonald, Keane, Vlajnic. Substitutes: Dall’Oste, Beard, Sawicki, Steer, Johnson.
by Denise Duffy at Eden Park for Impetus (21/1/23)
Above: New Zealand’s Ali Riley wins a header against the USA’s Ashley Sanchez. Photo: NZ Football.
It was a historic day for women’s football in Aotearoa / New Zealand. For their second match against the USWNT, a record-breaking 12,721 people came to Auckland’s Eden Park to watch the Ferns. They got thumped by the world champions by a scoreline of five goals to nil.
“It’s so unique for New Zealand. We are so thankful that we can play in front of a home crowd that is so supportive. Knowing that we are playing against number one in the world, knowing that they are such a strong team. I had goosebumps. When I could hear the fans I knew was a huge motivation for our players to keep working hard, keep connecting, and keep looking for those little wins on the field,” said head Ferns head coach Jitka Klimková in the post-match media conference.
Above: The scene at Eden Park as New Zealand hosted the USWNT in front of a record crowd. Photo: Denise Duffy for Impetus.
In this non-FIFA window, club teams were not obliged to release their athletes. It left the Kiwis without many of their stalwarts.
The Ferns’ depleted squad was no match for the likes of speedy and talented Trinity Rodman, Rose Lavelle, and Mallory Swanson. Forward Ashley Hatch, who replaced Alex Morgan just before kickoff, got on the board first at the 22nd minute with a textured assist from Trinity Rodman.
Lavelle, who was captain for the day, added two goals herself, one in each half. Swanson continued her red-hot form with another one in the back of the net. Finally, Taylor Kornieck used her 6’1” frame, and went unmarked in the box to score a header from a corner.
Instead of focusing on the scoreline, the Ferns decided to make this campaign against the world’s number-one team as a way to connect with their domestic fans and build their team culture.
Above: New Zealand head coach Jitka Klimková and Anna Green speak to the media after the match. Photo: Denise Duffy for Impetus.
Speaking afterwards, Anna Green commented: “It’s always disappointing to lose five nil but we’re not going to dwell on that. And as a group it was about holding on to the positive and staying in touch with what our game plan was.
“It was trying to get better at every training session, every game, and every chance that we’re together. The beauty of this tour is that we’ve done that and we’ve done that with 10 to 12 people that might not normally be part of the squad. That’s something we should be proud of as a team and as a nation as well.”
Above: Jayde Riviere in action for Canada. Photo: Manchester World.
Manchester United Women have announced the signing of 21-year-old Canadian international defender Jayde Riviere on a contract running until the end of the 2024/25 season.
Riviere made her full international debut at just 16 years old and has since gone on to make 36 senior caps for Canada and was part of their Olympic Gold winning team at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games, as well as securing two silver CONCACAF medals for her country.
Speaking after signing for the club, Riviere revealed that the move is the culminationm of a dream coming true: “I am a huge Manchester United fan, so this is a dream come true for me to sign here. I’m really looking forward to developing and learning at this huge football club, and I can’t wait to use all my playing attributes to help us achieve our joint goals on the pitch.”
United head coach Marc Skinner believes that the signing of the Canadian underlines his club’s commitment to developing young talent: “Jayde is an exciting young player who matches the long-term version of Manchester United, and our continued belief in nurturing the best young talent in the game.
“We have been monitoring Jayde for a long time and believe she has the attributes to become an excellent footballer. We are delighted she has signed her first professional contract with us and look forward to seeing the quality she will add to the group.”
Above: Alex Chidiac (left) jumps for joy after scoring her equaliser for Melbourne Victory as Beattie Goad looks to join in the celebrations. Photo: Keep Up.
Melbourne Victory ended their run of three straight draws after coming from behind to defeat Adelaide United at ServiceFM Stadium today.
Second-half strikes from the influential Alex Chidiac and Kayla Morrison were reward for a greatly improved showing from Jeff Hopkins’ side after the break.
Whilst the visitors return to winning ways, Adelaide United’s finals hopes remain in real danger after their run without a win extends to five games – a spell that has seen them assemble only a single point since 17th December.
Victory head coach Jeff Hopkins made five changes to the team that gained a draw at Western Sydney Wanderers on Wednesday. Casey Dumont, who has been in superb form all season, missed out due to illness, with Miranda Templeman taking her place in goal. Also coming in were Tiff Eliadis, Paige Zois, Elise Kellond-Knight, and Maja Markovski, who made her first start of the season after injury.
Adelaide took the lead with eight minutes on the clock. Claudia Bunge was adjudged to have punished Emilia Murray in the back out on the right outside the box. Mindy Barbieri floated in the free-kick and last season’s A-League Women’s top scorer Fiona Worts was left unmarked to head comfortably into the far left-hand corner of the net for her first of the campaign.
Above: Adeliade United celebrate after Fiona Worts put them ahead. Photo: Adelaide United.
The South Australians had built their first-half performance around winning the midfield battle and created a number of half chances to increase their lead which Victory were able to scramble away. Adelaide achieved this despite only having 40% of possession. Therefore warning signs were there for Adrian Stenta’s side. Creating chances and not taking them when having less of the ball is a recipe for longer-term problems in a match.
As the half ticked on past the half-hour mark, the visitors began to assert themselves far more offensively. Beattie Goad’s influence was increasing with jinking runs and deliveries from the left.
Adelaide were becoming more disjointed and inaccurate with their passing, with Victory increasing the pace of their press on any red shirt with the ball. They did though manage to create another excellent opportunity as Worts beat Kellond-Knight along the left of the box and pulled a low ball across for Chelsie Dawber who couldn’t get sufficient power into her shot to worry Templeman.
As the half came to an end, the momentum was shifting towards the visitors as their possession time in the final third increased incrementally.
Chidiac stepped it up from the restart. A marauding run with a swift injection of pace eased her through the Adelaide defence before offloading to Goad who fired in an effort that Grove dealt with. It was a warning sign.
Just moments later, Goad escaped from the close attentions of Yuyi Xiao and Isabel Hodgson on the left and pulled a low ball into the centre of the box for Chidiac to take a touch and fire home a low half volley.
Victory were now dominant with Chidiac pulling the strings and a combination of Goad and Eliadis threatening the Adelaide defence. With the battle of the midfield now clearly going the way of the visitors, Jeff Hopkins’ side were energised. They were quicker in their press, more rapid in their attacking, and more creative in their attacking ideas.
Above: Alex Chidiac shows her delight after equalising for Melbourne Victory. It was a sensational second-half performance from the Matildas midfielder. Photo: Keep Up.
When the home side did offer something offensively, it was noticeably more ponderous in its construction. They did offer a glimmer with Worts’ low long-distance shot being claimed by Templeman, but it only served to provoke Chidiac into another creative surge.
The Matildas midfielder showed great pace to run between Barbieri and Sasaki and driving a high ball in that was directed by a defender onto their own crossbar with Markovski unable to force the rebound in.
Markovski saw another opportunity go agonisingly wide when Rikke Madsen’s pass across to Kellond-Knight was played across to the attacker who sent the ball trickling past the left-hand post.
Goad created once more along the left and escaped from Paige Hayward to send in a high ball for Lia Privitelli at the back post, but the header was just over the top. Chidiac then saw a deliberate Olimpico attempt just fail from the right within seconds. A goal was coming for the visitors. It was just a matter of when.
It came within moments. Chidiac stepped up once more with a corner on the left which came high into the mix and was met by Morrison with a looping header from the edge of the six-yard box.
Seconds later, Chidiac was within centimetres of doubling her side’s lead with a moment of outrageous skill. She lifted the ball over McCormick just outside the box and as it came down, headed against the bar.
There was time for one final opportunity for Adelaide to save a point. Worts’ ball in from the left was met by the head of McCormick, but Templeman made a superb diving save.
Adelaide United are now at a crossroads. They are creating chances, but cannot convert them as they did last season. The Reds’ current poor run of results also comes with a statistic of only two goals in five matches. Things won’t get any easier next weekend when they travel to Melbourne City. Their season is very much on the line.
Teams:ADELAIDE UNITED (4-3-3): Grove, I. Hodgson, McCormick, Waldus, Hayward, Barbieri, Sasaki, Dawber, Xiao, Murray, Worts. Substitutes: Bowler, Coorey, Farrow, E. Hodgson, Westland.
Above: Hannah Wilkinson looks to round diving Western Sydney Wanderers goalkeeper Sham Khamis. Photo: Keep Up.
Melbourne City are back on the winner’s list with a close 1-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers at Casey Fields.
The only goal of the match was scored by New Zealand international Hannah Wilkinson who has now hit the back of the net in consecutive matches. It also ended Western Sydney’s four-match unbeaten streak in the A-League Women.
Wilkinson was a menace from the earliest stages. Within five minutes, she jumped on a back pass made by Western Sydney Wanderers’ Lauren Keir but goalkeeper Sham Khamis was able to block the effort with Danika Matos clearing the ball away from the box.
City continued to press, and with 14 minutes gone, hit the front. A corner by Rhianna Pollicina found the head of Kaitlin Torpey which deflected off the back of a defender, sending the ball up into the air. Khamis was able to get a touch on it but it directly went towards Wilkinson who didn’t really need to exert any energy at all as she headed the ball into the back for the opening goal of the match.
Wanderers responded. Sophie Harding intercepted the ball from Katie Bowen and advanced before seeing her shot being brilliantly saved by Melissa Barbieri.
Above: Melbourne City’s Naomi Chinnama looks to get away from Cushla Rue of Western Sydney Wanderers today. Photo: Keep Up.
Western Sydney wasn’t out of the match by any means and Harding created another great opportunity just before the break as she slotted a great through ball to Sarina Bolden who advanced and fire a shot that Barbieri repelled for a corner.
Chances were fewer in the second period. The visitors had an opportunity just after the hour mark as a link-up between Torpey and Pollicina led to the latter getting away a shot at goal from outside the box that went just going too high.
Western Sydney could have levelled with eight minutes remaining as Malia Steinmetz’s through ball found Danika Matos whose shot at goal in the box was comfortably saved by Barbieri.
Two minutes later, City came agonisingly close to scoring a second goal thanks to Leticia McKenna whose through ball found Wilkinson who then ran onto it with her shot on an angle in the box just went wide of the goal.
Bryleeh Henry had the final opportunity to confirm City’s win as Wilkinson went down the right-hand side, then crossed the ball to Pollicina who laid the ball off to the former Wanderers star, but her shot from the edge of the box went over the bar.
Johnathan Stack and Rachel Lara Cohen joined the Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur media conferences as Gareth Taylor and Rehanne Skinner looked ahead to battles ahead this weekend (20/1/23).
Manchester City:
Above: Manchester City head coach Gareth Taylor – believes his team are still in the title race. Photo: Manchester City.
Manchester City are back in WSL action tomorrow as Gareth Taylor’s side takes on Aston Villa at the Academy Stadium.
City’s 1-0 win in the Conti Cup against Leicester City in midweek extended the Sky Blues’ run to 11 wins in the last 12 games – a run which has seen them clinch a place in the quarter-final of that competition and rise rapidly up the WSL table.
Taylor spoke to the media ahead of the clash with Villa, and the City boss thinks that his side’s recent run of form has helped to maintain belief in a Barclays Women’s Super League title push.
Taylor said, “We’ve always spoken about that belief within the team and even if you’re far away from your objective it can feel like a big difference but having the belief to do it comes from winning games. That’s really important and the margins are so tight in the WSL, the difference between winning and drawing a game can be crucial.
“That draw last week helped us gain a couple of points and gave us momentum, we just have to concentrate on the next game.
Ahead of tomorrow’s home game, the City boss Taylor said: “We’ll try our best tomorrow. If we win the game [against Aston Villa], fantastic, but if not, we know we’re not out of it. There’ll be some more movement with teams going up against each other in the games coming up as well.”
In the WSL’s only game tomorrow, City will be looking to keep up with pace-setters Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal in what will be City’s first home game of 2023.
City lie in fourth position three points behind third-placed Arsenal, with leaders Chelsea a further three points in areers.
Tottenham Hotspur
by Rachel Lara Cohen
Above: Tottenham Hotspur manager Rehanne Skinner had a wide ranging media conference today. Photo: Tottenham Hotspur.
In her press conference Tottenham Hotspur manager Rehanne Skinner, talked about new signing Manu Iwabuchi, suggested there may still be more transfer news, discussed Spurs’ defensive issues, the team’s next opponents, Leicester City, and provided some injury updates.
New signing: Mana Iwabuchi
Skinner outlined the qualities that she believed Mana Iwabuchi, Spurs’ new loan signing, from Arsenal brings. She highlighted the Japanese star’s on-field intelligence and identified ways that she and Beth England, will improve Spurs offence:
“I think what she, what she brings is that she’s very calm. She’s very composed. She’s technically outstanding. And so when you’re in possession of the ball it helps to give you an opportunity to build in a way that helps develop the possession in your favour, because of how good she is at managing the ball and those situations. Out of possession, she understands and reads the game very well. So it enables her to be more effective out of possession, to help to obviously work within a team [to] essentially make it more difficult for the other team to break you down because of her positional awareness.
“She’s a fantastic character as well, and anybody that’s ever been in a team with her would say that about her, you know. So she brings a lot to the team, you know, on and off the pitch. I think that’s going to be a huge asset to us alongside her experience. Collectively, we want to make sure that we’re looking after possession in a way that helps us to develop the game with a purpose really. And recognizing the right times to do the right things. And she’s certainly got an awareness of the game that’ll help us to add value to that, as with Beth.
And Beth’s timing and movements are excellent, and she wants to be in and around the box, and she wants to get goals. So I think when you add the two of them, they’re two really important players that are going to help was to be more effective in different areas.”
While Iwabuchi is likely to bring much-needed creativity to Spurs, it’s not entirely clear where she will fit within the Spurs line-up and Skinner gave few clues “She’s just been in the door couple of days, really, and we need to make sure that we find the best fit for Mana within the squad”.
Iwabuchi has often played as a 10, but Drew Spence has started in this role most games this season. Sharing game time with Iwabuchi might be an answer to this. Or perhaps we’ll see her taking a wider attacking role. It’s also possible that Skinner switches from the double pivot she’s been using to a single defensive midfielder, playing Iwabuchi just behind Drew.
It may be, however, that we don’t see the club’s newest signing getting a lot of game-time in the upcoming three game week (when Spurs face Leicester in the WSL, Chelsea in the Conti Cup Quarter Finals and then London City Lionesses in the FA Cup, all at home). Having played just 29 minutes in the WSL this season (as well as some Champions League minutes), she is likely to be a little rusty. Skinner emphasised that it is “really important, that we manage [training and game time] properly for her in the next few weeks to make sure that she’s at the best possible condition, she comes up to speed and it doesn’t put her at any kind of risk.”
Above: Mana Iwabuchi – Spurs’ latest impressive signing. Photo: Tottenham Hotspur.
Additional Transfers
Having already made two high-profile transfers in this window, Skinner was asked about whether there would be any more incomings. She suggested that the club were not ruling out another signing in the final two weeks of the transfer window.
“I think we’re always looking at our options. And there’s still a few weeks left in the window, so we need to keep being aware of what’s available. And obviously we’ll see what happens within that I think it’s a never say never. Because again, if the right players are available and we managed to make that work, then we would definitely try and do that.”
She also noted that doing well last season enabled Spurs to “target certain players in a different way.” But that the aim was long-term, to “build a squad for the future, and a club for the future that’s sustainable, and that’s doing a job at a really high level. So there’s a lot going on constantly within the club, and obviously transfers within that have been really important.”
Fixing defensive issues
If England and Iwabuchi are, potentially, key to Spurs scoring more goals. There have also been issues at the other end of the pitch. In response to a question about what they might do to shore up what’s become a leaky defence, Skinner said that it was not about new personnel, but rather….
“The biggest thing for us is we’re constantly trying to work on being the hardest working team and making ourselves hard to beat. And we were too expansive in certain situations pre Christmas. And obviously we’re trying to rectify that. So that’s a big focus area for us. And it’s not about personnel. It’s about ensuring that we’re all working on the same page.”
The upcoming game: Leicester at Brisbane Road
With regard to Sunday’s opponents, Skinner highlighted the physical side of Leicester’s game: “They’re operating in a way that’s helping them to get results. They’re always physically challenging and they make life quite difficult for you in that sense. And I think in terms of how they’re cohesive now, that’s probably more than what it was last time we played them I think it’s going to be a tough test for us and one we’ve got to be ready for.”
Injury updates
Above: Tottenham’s Amy Turner, who Rehanne Skinner had positive news about. Photo: @amy_turner4 Twitter
Spurs fans will be less pleased to hear that the injury crisis at the club isn’t entirely over. The club started last week’s game against Aston Villa with four outfield players on the bench (and then brought all four on as substitutes). The Tottenham boss said that “We’ve had some players with some areas, that means that they’re not available for a full 90. So that the squad numbers might be the squad numbers, but they’re not necessarily always available for the full minutes. But we’re trying to move everybody back in that direction as quickly as possible.”
There was good news about Amy Turner, who went off against Aston Villa. “Amy wasn’t well [but] is now in a position where she’s been back training in today, and she’s looked great today. So she’s just needed a few extra days really, to try and get herself back on track as loads of things going around.”
Jessica Naz has not been seen since the game against Everton on 16th December. Skinner said that “Jess has obviously had an injury that’s kept her out last week, and she’s been partially training today. So we’ll see where she is by the weekend.”
Ramona Petzelberger, hasn’t played since late September, and her return seems a way off. “She’s not back on the grass at the moment. So that’s going to take a little bit longer for her to come back into the team.”
Ahead of this weekend’s matches, Ben Gilby, Denise Duffy, and Ryan Miller-Woods report the views of head coaches and players around the A-League Women (21/1/23).
Adelaide United
by Ben Gilby
Above: Adelaide United head coach Adrian Stenta speaking to the media today ahead of his team’s game with Melbourne Victory on Saturday. Photo supplied to Impetus by: Adelaide United.
Adelaide United host Melbourne Victory tomorrow with head coach Adrian Stenta determined that his side will end their winless run which stretches to four matches.
The South Australians’ last win came on 17th December when they won 1-0 at Wellington Phoenix. Since then, they suffered three straight defeats, failing to score on each occasion, before claiming a 1-1 draw at Brisbane Roar last weekend.
Reflecting on his team’s performance in Queensland, Stenta felt that there were signs that things were moving in the right direction. “There were a few positives. We felt like we could make some strong chances and we scored one as well. We came back from being a goal down on the road as well, considering the rough run that we’ve been on too. We finished the game strongly, which is a good sign of our conditioning.”
With his team having a full week of preparation ahead of this weekend’s visit from Melbourne Victory, the Reds’ boss outlined the focus that he and his staff have been doing in the lead-up to the match.
Above: Action from Adelaide United training this week. Jenna McCormick (right) is in with “a chance” of playing some part in tomorrow’s game against MelbourneVictory. Photo supplied to Impetus by: Adelaide United.
“It has been good to get more tactical work (done) ahead of a tough game against Melbourne Victory. We expect them to come here and be up for the fight. We need to match their intensity and effort if we are going to get something from the game.”
Tomorrow’s match sees two sides strongly backed to finish in the top four in the midst of a sticky run of form. The defending champions are on a run of three straight draws, and Stenta knows that Jeff Hopkins’ team will be as keen as his own side to get back to winning ways.
“They are a very experienced side with good players, experienced players at every level. They are well-coached and difficult to score against. We feel like there are areas we can exploit though, to gain an advantage.”
The media conference concluded with some positive news in terms of returnees from injury, with the Adelaide United boss revealing: “Katie Bowler and Jenna McCormick are both in with a chance of coming back. They could have returned last week but with the closeness of games, it was harder (for them). We’re hopeful they will be able to play a part in the game tomorrow.”
Above: Dario Vidosic sharing his thoughts with the media ahead of Melbourne City’s game with Western Sydney Wanderers. Image: Melbourne City.
Melbourne City head coach Dario Vidosic is looking for his team to learn the lessons from the last time they played Western Sydney Wanderers for tomorrow’s return game between the sides.
With the previous encounter just 12 days ago ending in a 2-0 win for the Wanderers, Vidocic is well aware of what went wrong that time and what his players need to do in order to put it right.
“We’re a young team, and it felt like we wanted to put the result to bed. Everyone knew we had three games, they are a dangerous team to play at Wanderers and the table wasn’t a fair reflection (of them). We forced the issue too much. We’ve looked at it and we’ve learned from it.”
That result kicked off a superb run for Western Sydney, which has seen them subsequently become the first side to defeat Western United, and then claim a draw against defending champions Melbourne Victory. The City boss recognises that: “They have momentum and some dominance. We’ll just look to put right what we didn’t do last time (against them).”
Sarina Bolden has been a key part of the Wanderers revival, and Vidosic admitted that his side were not as well prepared to nullify her threats as they might have been. But it is a mistake they will not repeat.
“We watched a bit of her (in action) for the Philippines, but there wasn’t too much footage. She’s a good player, quality, that we know we have to be aware of. If we can dominate the game, then we can eliminate that threat. If we are careless with the ball, then it becomes a problem.
“When you play teams the first team the first time it’s harder as you’re not sure how they will match up against you. This time, especially Western Sydney when we played them not long ago (12 days), it’s different…you have a good understanding of what they want to do…our biggest focus is on ourselves. We want to play our style and keep developing that style.”
Vidosic then touched on his side’s possession-based game which has been hugely successful in their progress – but he now wants them to maintain those percentages, but in more offensive areas.
“I don’t want us to have 70 or 80% of possession around our penalty area, it’s now about increasing the amount of time we play in the opponents’ top third of the pitch…we want to get better now. It’s not easy to want to receive the ball under pressure. I want the team to want the ball and want to play, and I can’t fault the players in that respect this year. How we play is how we train.”
The City boss also revealed that player availability is good for the encounter: “Everyone is available with the exception of Holly (McNamara) and Cote (Rojas). Cote is with the Chile squad for their World Cup play-offs. Holly and Cote should be back and available for the period around 3rd or 4th March.”
Above: Emma Checker talking to the media today Image: Melbourne City.
Emma Checkeris determined that Melbourne City have all the structures in place to ensure there will be no repeat of the “off day” that saw them defeated the last time they faced Western Sydney Wanderers.
Speaking to the media today, the Matilda said: “We didn’t show up in the way we wanted. We want to be a team that doesn’t have an off day. Our performance wasn’t to the standard that we set ourselves or the way we trained for the game. That is not our normal baseline and if we show up to our best, we have full confidence in what we will bring. The reality is a good team bounces back from that and we did.”
Checker has recently returned to the City starting line-up after a combination of a knee injury and COVID – a period that she admits finding exceptionally tough.
“It’s been hard. I had to go back to basics, so its been mentally hard (too). I was ready to come back and then I tested positive (for COVID). A positive was that it gave me a chance to get my knee to a greater strength than it would have been otherwise.”
Asked whether it was even more frustrating being a spectator when her side were winning so many matches, the defender replied: “I’d rather be on the sidelines while (we)… are winning. It also showed the great strength in depth we had. We had a few players missing, but others came in (and we kept winning). For me, it was really pleasing the other girls in the team who got opportunities rise to the challenge and prove we have more than 11 who are good enough to play.”
As to the development of her side’s playing style this season, Checker reflected the views of head coach Dario Vidosic stating: “One of our greatest strengths is our ball retention. It’s great to keep the ball, but you also have to score. However, the more you have the ball, the less energy you use.”
If City can maximise ball retention tomorrow, this and their overwhelming desire to right the wrongs of their last performance against the Wanderers, could go to make it a hard 90 minutes for Kat Smith’s New South Wales side.
Wellington Phoenix
by Denise Duffy
Above: Chloe Knott speaks at today’s Wellington Phoenix media conference. Image: Wellington Phoenix.
As the Wellington Phoenix prepare for this weekend’s matchup against Canberra United on Sunday, current captain Chloe Knott and Michaela Foster reflected with the media on where they are as a club and how they are going to get their first win.
“We work so hard in the background to play a style of football and, every training session, we’re getting closer and closer. I think every game, we’re getting closer, I think we have hiccups here and there. But, I still trust what we’re trying to do. And I think at one point it is all gonna come together and we’ll put in a full 90-minute performance. We won’t let in silly goals. And we’ll score some hopefully too soon.” said Knott.
The midfielder has become more comfortable and confident in her role on the team. She enjoys her leadership role, and her mentality has developed during her time as a professional player. “I’m making sure I’m trusting the process, and still sticking to what I’ve been told to do, and trusting what we’re doing. I think that’s been really important for me.”
Above: Michaela Foster speaking to the media ahead of Wellington Phoenix’s home game with Canberra United on Sunday. Image: Wellington Phoenix.
Foster, who originally joined the team as a scholarship player has played every minute of the season. She admits that the team has been challenged in the first couple of months of the season but they are determined to keep pushing and improving.
“It’s been tough, I think seven games now and only getting one point from it. But in saying that, we know that we can get points. And we know that we’ve let something slip. It’s kind of our own fault that we’ve maybe lost some of those points in some of the games. But we have so many great moments in every single game.
“It’s just kind of putting more of those into each game and for 90 minutes. And I think getting that draw (against Western Sydney Wanderers), that first point kind of lifted us up a little bit. And obviously, we want three points. And we know that it’ll come. We just got to kind of keep putting those puzzle pieces back together a little bit.”
In team news, midfielder Betsy Hassett will be returning to the squad after training and playing for the Football Ferns this past Wednesday against the USA.
Artwork: Charlotte Stacey, founder of On Her Side.
Nathan Edwards reports from Manchester United head coach Marc Skinner‘s media conference ahead of their game with Reading on Sunday(19/1/23).
Above: Manchester United boss Marc Skinner, who spoke to the media yesterday. Photo: Manchester United Women.
Marc Skinner still believes Manchester United women will remain a “key focus” despite the rumours of new ownership taking over Manchester United.
United lie in second place, after Chelsea and Arsenal battled out a 1-1 at The Emirates last weekend, giving Skinner’s side a perfect opportunity to put pressure on the London clubs, which they did when they thrashed rivals Liverpool 6-0.
And as they prepared for their match with Reading on Sunday, INEOS’ Chief Executive, James Ratcliffe, announced he would bid for Manchester United. If the 70-year-old’s bid is successful, he will take ownership of both the men’s and women’s teams, but Skinner only wants to see progression, whoever the owner.
The head coach said, “In all honesty, I can only comment on the actions I see every day. The reality is we are looking at investment and growth. We aren’t looking at standing still, so even this window we are looking at potential deals, we just don’t want to stand still.
“I don’t know about the ownership, but what we do well here is that they give you the information you need to know so there are no distractions. “I have no doubt that if our club does change hands in the future, then the women’s team will be a key focus.
Above: James Ratcliffe who is bidding to take over Manchester United. Photo: The Week UK.
“We have come way too far to just turn around now, from all the conversations I have had, it is always about how we move forward, not how we go back. I see that as a positive, regardless of who the owner is, and I am comfortable in understanding we are in the Club’s big plans going forward.”
Whilst the rumbles of new ownership carries on around United, Skinner wants to continue to invest in this coming transfer window but has also faced challenges in recent years caused by the new rules surrounding work permits.
The Red Devils’ boss said, “It is very difficult to get players in now. There are many very good players overseas, that you can’t get into the country. It is difficult and I think the structure of how we allow players to get in and the point tallies are too high for a talented player.
“We are still protecting the younger English players; just look how many English players we have in our team. But it isn’t just about that, it is about adding the right players, and if we want our league to be the very best then I think we need to look at how the ceiling of the points is a little bit too high.”
In his 18-month spell in charge of the club, Skinner has created one of the top teams in the division and is keen to stay on as the head coach once his two-year contract, with an optional third year, comes to an end.
The United boss said, “The whole reason we sign the option is that’s in the club’s prerogative to do that. There are conversations, of course. If you know me, I’m very simple and straight over what I want to do, which is to win here. I’m hoping that the qualities we’re putting out on the field, the consistency, the clean sheets, the goals, the way we perform, the fan growth, hopefully, there are a lot of indicators as to why we should be here for a long time.
“I’m really easy on that – I trust the club wholeheartedly; I trust everything we do here. It’s not about me, it’s about this team and us being focused on what we’ve got to do, which is perform against Reading and try and take another win.”
Above: The Young Matildas squad last year. Photo: Football Australia.
Australia’s U20 female squad will head to Werribee in Melbourne this February as the Young Matildas embark on their first training camp for 2023.
Head Coach Leah Blayney will select a 28-player squad to take part in the 10-day assembly hosted by Wyndham City Council from 13th February 2023 – 22nd February 2023.
For Blayney, it is the next crucial step in the team’s preparations for Round 1 of the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup Uzbekistan 2024 Qualifiers to be held in March 2023.
Conducted last year, the qualification draw has seen the Young Matildas selected in Group C alongside group hosts Kyrgyz Republic, Guam, and Iraq. The group winner will progress to Round Two, which will be played from 3rd-11th June 2023, where the four best sides will earn a spot in the Finals.
“Since we started with this new cohort of Young Matildas in October 2022, our focus has been around setting the foundations with the AFC qualification process at the forefront,” Blayney said.
“With the support of the federation, we have been able to undertake two training camps, as well as three international matches against senior women’s national teams delivering higher quality match minutes for our young players. This camp is the continuation of that process ahead of an important trip in March.
Above: Leah Blayney, pictured at the 2022 U20 World Cup. Photo: Football Australia.
“We are grateful for the support of Wyndham City Council for the use of their top-quality facilities to enable the players and staff to have an ideal training environment for the assembly.”
With the training camp taking place during the February women’s FIFA International Window, it will also include two matches against Liberty A-League Women competition in ladder leaders Western United FC and second-placed Melbourne City FC.
“Being based in Melbourne at this time of the year, along with an ideal location and facilities that meet our high-performance needs, it provides us with access to two quality opponents as we continue to build invaluable match minutes into the playing group,” Blayney said.
“Western United and Melbourne City present an opportunity for us to really test this new contingent of CommBank Matildas. United and City are two teams who possess some exceptional older players for our youth national team to come up against as a collective in what will be a challenging trial.
“We would also like to acknowledge the collaboration with both clubs in working with us to ensure higher level games on home soil during a critical time in our preparations,” Blayney concluded.
The 28-player squad will be announced in early February ahead of the commencement of the training camp.
Ryan Miller-Woods reports on Canberra United’s media conference with A-League Women all-time top scorer Michelle Heymanand Emily Roach with both players positive about their team’s second half to the season (19/1/23).
Above: Michelle Heyman speaking to the media today. Image: Canberra United.
Canberra United will be looking to win their third match in a row to further boost their finals ambitions on Sunday at Wellington Phoenix.
One of the feel-good stories of this A-League Women’s season has been the triumphant return of Nicki Flannery who has returned after missing the entirety of the last campaign due to an ACL injury.
This season, she has been one of Canberra’s best players. Against Newcastle Jets last time out, Flannery produced arguably her best performance so far this season with two assists in the first half aiding her team’s comprehensive win against the Jets.
Canberra captain and all-time leading goalscorer in the A-League Women Michelle Heyman revealed her joy at seeing her strike partner come back from all those adversities.
“It’s been awesome, she’s one of my best friends. To see her just playing with confidence, it’s everything that I want for her. I think coming off a knee injury like did, she’s built confidence within her game and she tells herself before every game certain things that she wants to improve on and she’s going out there and she’s doing it and that’s big, that’s a mental game and I think she’s just overcoming all the fears and is starting to feel more like herself.”
Focusing specifically on Canberra’s upcoming match against Wellington, Heyman observed: “They’ve got a pretty solid pressing team, they press really well, they’re all young so they can run for days. So I think we’ve just got to make sure we’re aware of that and we’ve got to try and beat that press, so that’s being calm on the ball, making sure we move it and try and step them out of positions.
“They did really well against us (when the two sides met previously in round four), we were just lucky to finish (our chances), so I think that’s something that’s improved in our game, we’re finally starting to score goals, so we’ve got to continue to be ruthless and first 15 minutes come out firing and scare them.”
Above: Emily Roach looks ahead to this Sunday’s game with Wellington Phoenix. Image: Canberra United.
Emily Roach goes into Sunday’s game at Wellington Phoenix looking to add to her two appearances off of the bench.
The pre-season signing from NPLW Victoria side Heidelberg United has featured in her side’s last two games against Adelaide United and Newcastle Jets, feels she can definitely add to her team’s offensive opportunities.
“I think more like an attacking (number) 10 role, just coming in and kinda helping the team in the last minutes is handy whenever (I get minutes),” she said.
With Canberra United making their first-ever trip outside of Australia to play an A-League Women’s game, Roach outlined what she expects from the New Zealanders: “I feel they’ll be buzzing cause they do play really well in (their) home field cause they’ve got a good crowd but like Michelle (Heyman) said they can run for days cause they’re all pretty young (Wellington Phoenix’s average age is 21.70 years) but we’re (as a squad) pretty fit, so it should be a pretty good match up.”
For Canberra, with three wins on the bounce, it feels like they are finally finding their feet this season. Roach believes the team are ready for a major assault on the top four in the second half of the season: “Definitely! I think having two wins, back-to-back, is really shown everyone what we can do and what’s coming this season, so it’s (a) really exciting time.”
Artwork: Charlotte Stacey, founder of On Her Side.
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