Wiegman: “We have the chance to write a new chapter in our story.”

By Freya Hiscott (11/02/25) 

Above: Sarina Wiegman at the England squad announcement press conference ahead of upcoming Nations League fixtures. Photo: Lionesses on X  

England head coach Sarina Wiegman has announced her 24-player squad for the upcoming UEFA Women’s Nations League fixtures in February against Spain and Portugal.  

The exciting two fixtures begin with a trip to Algarve to face Portugal on Friday 21st February, before the European Champions return to Wembley to face World Champions Spain for the first time since their defeat in the Women’s World Cup Final in 2023. This fixture will take place on Wednesday 26th February. 

The first notable change to the squad is the return of Brighton and Hove Albion’s Forward Nikita Parris. Parris has scored six goals since completing her move to Brighton in the Summer from former club Manchester United. This is the first time Parris will be joining the Lionesses since November 2022. Wiegman explains, “She is doing well and is in good form I want to see her in this environment and taking this opportunity.”

Some Key names missing in this month’s squad are Georgia Stanway, Alex Greenwood and Lauren Hemp who are all missing out on a call up due to various knee injuries. Fran Kirby is also amongst the players who are out because of an injury, which she picked up in England’s last game at Wembley against the USA, but Wiegman reassures that “she is almost back.” 

Chelsea duo Lauren James and Niamh Charles both return following injury, having not made an appearance for England since July and April of last year respectively. Wiegman exclaims that James “is in a good place and it is good to see her fit fresh and playing for club.” This squad also sees the return of Ella Toone, adding more attacking options to the squad, after missing out on the previous camp while rehabbing a calf injury that she suffered back in November.

When discussing the upcoming matches, Wiegman said: “These are two big games to start 2025. It is exciting that we have the chance to write a new chapter in our story months ahead, especially with the Euro’s this summer, but we will focus first on what is right in front of us which is a very important Nations League campaign.”

“I hope to win these fixtures as they will get us in the best position for the Euro’s and upcoming World Cup draws, but these are two very competitive games”. 

Talking about the first away fixture of the year against Portugal Wiegman says: “I’m expecting a high-level game, and it is also good to experience a different environment for our first match abroad since last summer.”

Chloe Kelly has been left out of the squad due to a lack of game time at Manchester City before moving to Arsenal on loan in the January transfer window. When asked about her absence, Wiegman stated her reasoning being that “she hasn’t played enough,” although she reassures that “she is not out for the Euro’s, and once she gets minutes at Arsenal, it will be revisited.” 

Young talent Laura Blindkilde Brown and Ruby Mace also retained their places in the squad, having been called up to the senior team for the first time in November after having a positive first half of their season with their respective clubs. 

“What we’ve seen is that it’s really valuable that we’re really closely aligned with the Under-23s,” she said. “We already have a lot of the young players in our squad, and of course, it’s all about quality, but many of them are in our squad now.” 

After this February camp, England have more fixtures in their Nations League group before the Lionesses head to Switzerland in July, hoping to retain the European Championship title for the second tournament in a row. 

Young Matildas squad named, and it looks like an A-League All-Stars team

By Kieran Yap 10/2/25

Above: Wanderers and former Junior Matildas star Sienna Saveska has been named in the Young Matildas team. Photo: Football Australia

The Young Matildas squad for the upcoming Four Nations Tournamament in Canberra has been named. Interim U20 coach Kory Babington has named 26 players to host The Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Thailand and although this is the start of a new cycle for the program it is stacked with A-League Women and International experience.

Josie Allan, Tegan Bertolissio, Maya Lobo, Avaani Prakash, Sienna Saveska and Mary Stanic-Floody all bring with them trophy winning experience after lifting the U18 AFF Championship as Junior Matildas in 2022.

Peta Trimis, Indiana dos Santos, Alexia Apostolakis and Madeline Caspers featured in  the U20 Women’s World Cup last year where they were joined by Prakash and Bertolissio in the squad.

The first impression of this squad is that it has goals in it, and the attention is clearly to play attacking football.

Saveska is in the A-League Women Golden Boot race with seven goals so far for Western Sydney Wanderers. Apostolakis has two from full back for Melbourne City, Claire Adams scored a vital goal for The Newcastle Jets and Tianna Fuller has burst onto the scene with four with Central Coast Mariners.

Indiana dos Santos has been a shining light in a tough season for Sydney FC, Peta Trimis has only enhanced her reputation since scoring three goals at the U20 Asian Cup for Australia in 2024.

Mary Stanic-Floody has been playing the best football of her career and has starred for Canberra United in a creative role. The hero of the AFF Championship Final has delivered on that early potential this season with two goal of the season contenders in the A-League Women.

Josie Allan’s call up comes after fast developing a reputation as a neutral’s favourite. Her tricky footwork and love of a nutmeg will be something the home fans are eager to see.

Amber Luchtmeijer and Caley Tallon- Henniker have found opportunities limited at Sydney FC this season, but are both excellent finishers. Prakash was a late call up to the U20 World Cup but did enough to show that she was the real deal, and it will be exciting to see her development continue in Green & Gold.

Grace Kuilamu has earned her first U20 call up after a breakout season with Brisbane Roar. Recovery from an ACL injury has not slowed down the 17 year old. She has returned to the A-League women to lead the line for her hometown club and scored some brilliant goals so far including a run from halfway that recalls some of Sam Kerr’s best efforts.

“After some time away from each other and with the start of a new exciting two-year cycle, the PacificAus Sports Four Nations Tournament presents an exceptional opportunity to assemble a talented group of young Australian footballers for invaluable international experience, Babington told the media.

“They have been on a football development journey for many years with their local grassroots clubs, Ninja A-League clubs and CommBank Junior Matildas, with the ultimate goal of being elite senior footballers capable of being CommBank Matildas. 

“This squad is a strong mix of players, many with experience at the AFC U20 Women’s Asian Cup™ and FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup™, paired with rising talents identified through the National Youth Championships, Member Federations, and the Ninja A-League, where many of them are already making key contributions for their respective clubs.

“This tournament marks the beginning of an important two-year journey towards the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Poland 2026™ and provides all players with the opportunity to showcase their technical, tactical, and physical qualities against senior opponents. 

“Our immediate focus is to create an environment where these footballers come together as a cohesive unit that plays dynamic, fluid football while embracing the winning mentality that Australians are renowned for,” he concluded.

Entry for all games is free, and for Australian fans, they will be broadcast on the Football Australia Youtube Channel.

Australia U-20 v Vanuatu
Date: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Kick-off: 15:00 AEDT
Venue: Viking Park, Canberra

  

Australia U-20 v Solomon Islands
Date: Saturday, 22 February 2025
Kick-off: 18:30 AEDT
Venue: Viking Park, Canberra

Australia U-20 v Thailand U-20
Date: Tuesday, 25 February 2025
Kick-off: 18:30 AEDT
Venue: Deakin Stadium, Canberra

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Western United rebound with win against Sydney FC

Sydney FC 1-2 Western United

By Alyce Collett 9/2/25

Above: Chloe Logarzo shoots from the penalty spot. Photo: Ryan Miller-Woods for Impetus

Western United has picked up  very important win for its A League Women’s finals aspirations, downing Sydney FC by two goals to one.

It was a milestone match to remember for defender Julia Sardo, as Western United looked the stronger side for most of the afternoon, and took the victory thanks to goals from former Sydney FC players Chloe Logarzo and Kahli Johnson. The home side was able to counter with a goal of its own through Mackenzie Hawkesby but it was not enough as the Sky Blues did not really look in the match.  

Both sides had chances in their respective attacking final thirds, but from the outset Western United looked like the more threatening side in attack. The visitors looked physically stronger than their hosts when with ball in possession, able to push past the defence with a lot more ease than the Sky Blues were. Sydney was left trying to toe poke the ball through the Western United defence at times, which just was not working. 

It did not take long for Western United to be rewarded for its confidence, when in the sixth minute Logarzo snuck one past Sydney keeper Beth Mason-Jones to give her side the lead. 

Not even 10 minutes later though, the teams were back level again as Hawkesby scored for the home side. Hawkesby may have been playing out of her usual position but it did not matter as she found herself with a touch of space and on the end of a Jordan Thompson toe poke forward, and then managed to guide the ball around Western United keeper Chloe Lincoln. 

The goal seemed to give Sydney a bit of extra confidence as their attacks had a bit more threatening energy and strength after the goal.

But crucially for the visitors, they did not drop their heads either as the likes of Aimee Medwin and Sara Eggesvik were continuing to try and come up with creative ways to get around the Sky Blue defence. 

As the first half progressed, both sides had some dangerous corner plays, but neither side could find a way to get a second goal on the board. 

That was until about a minute and a half before extra time, when Johnson went whack from the top of the box and smashed a shot past Mason-Jones. 

The first half could truly be summed up by the stats around shots and shots on target. 

Western United had more shots overall but less shots on target than their hosts, but ultimately both of their shots on target went in the back of the net, whereas only one third of Sydney’s did. 

But alongside, Western United dominated possession in the first half, having 60 more passes which culminated in over 15% more of the possession.

Western continued to earn the ascendancy early in the second half, racking up the attacking plays on goal. 

Things went from bad to worse for Sydney when Millie Farrow barely lasted 10 minutes on the field after coming off the bench before copping another injury concern and being forced from the field. 

Not even assertive runs from defence from players like Natalie Tobin could get things going for Sydney as nothing seemed to be working for the Sky Blues. The Sky Blues didmanaged to decrease the gap between the size in terms of the percentage of possession they both had, but Western again finished with more shots for the half, and they actually managed to get one on target, which Sydney was unable to do, although the Sky Blues did have some narrow misses from corners. 

It could have been even worse for Sydney if Mason-Jones had not stopped a penalty from Logarzo, but at times the Sydney attack looked really hidden amongst the Western defendersand really struggled to stand up and be available to make an impact. 

Check out Ryan Miller-Woods’ set of images from the game for Impetus over on our Instagram page, @ImpetusFootball

Teams: SYDNEY FC (4-3-3): Mason-Jones, Lemon, Tobin, Thompson, Tumeth, Hollman, Johnson, Caspers, Ibini, Hawkesby, Dos Santos. Substitutes: Black, Bryson, Farrow,Luchtmeijer, Tallon-Henniker.

Scorers: Hawkesby 14’

WESTERN UNITED: (4-3-3) Lincoln, Sardo, Mihocic, Maher, Grove, Eggesvik, Dehakiz, Logarzo, Medwin, Johnson, A.Taranto. Substitutes: Dall’Oste, De Domizio, Prakash, Hieda, Cerne.

Scorers: Logarzo 6’, Johnson 43’

Referee: Rachael Mitchenson

Attendance: 1,572

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Wanderers roar to victory over fading Brisbane

Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 Brisbane Roar

by Jonathon Hagger (9/2/25)

Above: Western Sydney Wanderers (hooped shirts) and Brisbane Roar battle for possession today. Photo: Brisbane Roar.

Western Sydney Wanderers claimed only their second A-League Women victory of the season thanks to Maddie Caspers’ goal two minutes from the end of regulation time – a strike that condemned Brisbane Roar to a fifth defeat in their last six matches.

Having been on the receiving end of a lot of bad luck so far this season, the young Western Sydney Wanderers players absorbed pressure, converted their chances, and achieved a well deserved win.

The Roar were, at one stage this season looking to be Grand Final contenders as they swept into the top three. But their run of results over the past six weeks are just a pale shadow of those opening months of the season.

Fast paced and high intensity are the accurate words to describe the opening exchanges of the match. Wanderers’ precision passing while in possession created space for them to fire the opening shot in goal. Not to be outdone, Brisbane quickly countered with two chances attacking the opposition’s goal. Despite all the early shots on target, neither team were able to score but they signalled their intent for the next 85 minutes of play.

The opening goal in the sixth minute resulted from excellent pressure on the Brisbane defenders. Sienna Saveska collected the ball at the edge of the box and coolly slotted it into the bottom left-hand corner.

One goal was never going to satisfy the Wanderers, and their intent on scoring again almost came to fruition just three minutes later as another loss of possession by the Roar, saw some fancy footwork and a shot by Olivia Price that goalkeeper Olivia Sekany collected.

Brisbane were not going to let the match be one way. A free kick taken by Chelsea Blissett sailed to the far post of the goal, bounced around in the six-yard box, followed up by an attempt to score blocked from two yards out with a clearance coming eventually.

The momentum of the match was heavily in favour of the visitors as the Wanderers struggled to break out of their half. Brisbane set up camp and launched wave after wave of offensive attacks.

Again, in the 17th minute, the Roar had a clear chance to score as an unconvincing throw found their attack around the six-yard box. But it was quick reflexes and well-placed defenders that once again closed down the offensive threat. How long could the Wanderers hold out the Roar attacks?

While the second half started with the heat of the day easing up as cloud cover took the sting out of the sun, the fierceness of the football being played rose significantly. Western Sydney set out their stall to frustrate Brisbane by parking multiple defenders in the 18-yard area to smother wave after wave of Roar attacks.

In a ‘what could have been’ moment in the 55th minute, a beautifully placed cross slid cleanly through the Wanderers goal area. Roar midfielder Alicia Woods launched herself at the ball, and even at full stretch, was just unable to get a toe on the ball. One of the better chances for the Roar to score went unconverted.

The Roar finally equalise in the 67th minute as a lovely layoff pass from Laini Frier found Zara Kruger unmarked at the top of the Wanderers goal area. A wonderfully struck right-footed shot cleared the outstretched arms of Sham Khamis to net the leveller.

Western Sydney responded by bringing on young gun Talia Younis, who had an instant impact with a long pass up the field in the 72nd minute, squared up, and saw a shot fired by Saveska which rebounded to the feet of Younis whose shot was deflected away.

The Wanderers initially thought they had restored their lead goal from the corner as Amy Harrison’s header went into the net, however offside was called.

On the defensive side of the ball in the 77th minute, Isabela Hoyos showed that despite her being only 16, she has incredible strength and positional awareness. In a strong challenge with the experienced Holly Capsers, Hoyos used her physique to shield the ball out of play.

In an unfortunate event, Roar attacker Laini Freier, was involved in a heavy clash that saw her match come to an end. After her first call-up to the Matildas earlier this week, it will be hoped that this is not too serious.

With five minutes of regular time remaining on the clock, both teams decided that they weren’t going to be satisfied settling for a draw. The Roar upped the ante and started applying an increasing amount of pressure and the Wanderers rose up to meet the challenge.

Having won the ball at the halfway mark in the 87th minute, a lovely ball from Danika Matos midway on the left-hand side of the pitch directly to the feet of Caspers who played the ball calmly into the far right-hand corner of the net.

Brisbane had one half chance to secure a point shortly afterwards. A slew of bodies ended up laying on the pitch in the goalmouth. With attacking and defensive players coming together in a confined area, a few players will be nursing bumps and bruises. But it the Western Sydney ones wont mind that as the spoils of victory.

The Roar will now go back to the drawing board after a run of average results. They remain in the top six of the table but have absolutely no margin for error with three sides beneath them within four points of them.

The Wanderers have pride to play for – but cross-town rivals Sydney FC are well in their sight in the bid to avoid bottom spot. Perhaps it is time for the footballing Gods to start smiling on the Western Sydney Wanderers.

To view Kris Goman’s superb set of images from the game for Impetus, check out our Instagram feed – @ImpetusFootball

Teams: WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS (4-3-3): Khamis, Buchanan, McComasky, Harrison, Matos, Harada, Price (70’), Chessari, Rue, Trew (75’), Saveska. (93’). Substitutes: Segavcic, Kapetanellis (93’), Younis (70’), Caspers (75’), Bennett.

Scorers: Saveska 6’, Caspers 88’.

BRISBANE ROAR: (3-4-3): Sekany, Blissett, Hoyos, McQueen, Pringle, Woods, Kruger, De la Harpe, Freier (81’), Kuilamu (66’), Yallop. Substitutes: Richards, Levin (81’), Popadinova, Ern, Morris (66’).

Scorers: Kruger 67’.

Referee: Georgia Ghirardello.

Attendance: TBC.

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City stay dominant as Jets’ struggles continue

Newcastle Jets 0-2 Melbourne City

by Isabelle Campbell (8/2/25)

Above: Bryleeh Henry on the attack. Photo: Melbourne City

Melbourne City secured a 2-0 win over the Newcastle Jets at McDonald Jones Stadium.

The Jets fought hard to break their winless streak, but City’s dominance saw their unbeaten run extend further.

Melbourne City arrived at McDonald Jones Stadium to take on Newcastle Jets, with the two teams entering the match with contrasting runs of form. City unbeaten in 15 consecutive matches, meanwhile the Jets, desperate to break an eight-game winless streak. 

The visitors made just one change from their mid-week game, with Bryleeh Henry coming in for Holly McNamara. Despite only returning from an ACL injury in December, McNamara has already netted six goals, making her the team’s top scorer.

Melbourne City wasted no time asserting their control, dominating possession from kickoff and pushing forward in search of an early breakthrough. Mariana Speckmaier was the first to test the Jets defense, but her shot flew high and wide, allowing Newcastle to escape unscathed. Lourdes Bosch then came agonizingly close to giving City the lead, letting loose a powerful shot that rattled the crossbar.

While City made a strong start, Newcastle were not content to sit back. Libby Copus-Brown made a dangerous run on the counter and fired for goal, but her attempt failed to trouble the goalkeeper. City remained persistent, with Rhianna Pollicina trying a daring long-range strike after spotting keeper Danielle Krzyzaniak off her line, but the Jets keeper reacted swiftly to gather the ball. Speckmaier continued to be a constant threat, forcing a save with another well-placed shot as City still searched for the opening goal.

Newcastle’s best chance came when Sophie Hoban found herself in a dangerous position, but she failed to find her target and Rebekah Stott made a crucial clearance to deny the home side. Both teams created plenty of opportunities, yet despite the attacking intensity, each side managed only three shots on target by the halftime whistle.

The teams came back out for the second half still on the hunt for an opener. Sheridan Gallagher received a well-weighted pass from Libby Copus-Brown and her strike seemed destined for a goal, but Malena Mieres was quick to react, making a brilliant save to keep the score level.

Gallagher was later flagged offside, but the action didn’t stop there. Just a minute later, Gallagher was shown a yellow card for a foul on Lourdes Bosch. She wasn’t the only Jets player to be booked; Tash Prior followed soon after, also receiving a yellow for a foul.

Melbourne City finally capitalised on their dominance when Laura Hughes struck a brilliant long-range shot that found the back of the net, giving City a hard-earned lead. Mieres continued to shine making a crucial save to deny Claire Adams’ attempt at leveling the score.

Despite Newcastle’s efforts, City kept the majority of possession. Holly McNamara showcased both her speed and skill, winning a foot race against her Matildas teammate Tash Prior to slot in Melbourne City’s second goal of the night, extending their lead.

Mieres, refusing to lose her side the clean sheet, continued to put in stops. Jets defender Lorena Baumann made a perfectly timed tackle to deny McNamara’s attempt at extending the visitors lead further.

As the final whistle blew, it confirmed the continuation of two streaks: Melbourne City’s 16-game unbeaten run and Newcastle Jets’nine game losing streak. The match ended with City showcasing once again their attacking prowess, while the Jets were left to reflect on another difficult result.

Next week will see the Newcastle Jets travel to Western Sydney to take on the Wanderers and once again fight to get some points on the table. Melbourne City will return home to face Sydney FC.

Teams: NEWCASTLE JETS (3-4-3): Krzyzaniak, Wilson, Davis, Breier, Dundas, Copus-Brown, Gallagher, Hoban, Baumann, Prior, Allan. Substitutes: Hammond, Walandouw, Robertson, Adams, Collins.

MELBOURNE CITY (4-4-2): Mieres, Apostolakis, Stott, Otto, Roestbakken, Hughes, McKenna, Speckmaier, Bosch, Pollicina, Henry. Substitutes: Barbieri, Vlajnić, McNamara, McMahon, Harvey.

Goals: Hughes 69’, McNamara 85’.

Referee: Molly Godsell

Attendance: 2,583.

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GoFundMe: Can You Help Millie Take Her Next Steps?

by Stuart Barker (8/2/25)

Above: Millie with the Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson. Photo: @theposhwomen

Millie Blair is no ordinary 11-year-old. A natural leader, fierce competitor, and unstoppable sports enthusiast, she has spent her life chasing dreams on the football pitch and in the showjumping arena. From captaining her local girls’ football team to competing in British Show Jumping, Millie has always pushed herself to new heights.

Her family describe, “Millie’s dreams were sky-high – she wanted to play for Chelsea and the England Lionesses. And why not?”

But in the summer of 2024, everything changed. What started as a routine football injury turned into a life-altering diagnosis—Osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer. By January 2025, Millie had undergone life-saving surgery that resulted in the amputation of her left leg above the knee.

Despite this unimaginable challenge, Millie’s determination remains unshaken. She refuses to let cancer define her future. Instead, she has set her sights on new goals—playing for England’s Women’s Amputee Football Team and competing in the Paralympics. But to make that dream a reality, she needs a high-performance prosthetic leg that will allow her to run, jump, and play again.

The family hoped that surgery and chemotherapy would be enough, that the doctors could remove the affected bone and that she could return to the game and sports that she loved. But as the tumour grew, there was no other option.

In January 2025, Millie’s left leg was amputated above the knee.

To this date, Millie has had seven operations, blood and platelet transfusions, and over 70 nights in hospital so far, with many more to come.

“Her dreams were shattered. But Millie is not the type to give up.” The family add.

This is where we can all help. The family have set up a Go Fund Me campaign to give Millie the mobility she needs to pursue her passion and reclaim her future.

You can find it at https://www.gofundme.com/f/making-millie-mobile-help-her-take-her-next-steps

They are raising £130,000 to fund:

  • A high-performance prosthetic leg that will grow with her.
  • Specialist rehabilitation to help her regain strength and mobility.
  • Adaptive sports equipment so she can continue to chase her dreams.

The amount required is not for just one leg but as Millie grows she will need component parts such as knees and sprockets for her future.

The best prosthetic leg for Millie at the moment to grow into would be the Genium X4 microprocessor knee with a price of £134,000.

Every penny raised will go directly to Millie’s mobility, prosthetic leg and rehabilitation. If we are fortunate enough to raise additional money this will solely go for Millie so that she has a leg for life.

This is not about luxury or extras. This is about giving an incredible young girl the chance to live life to the fullest again.

As a father to a four-year-old daughter, this resonates greatly with me, and so I’ll be getting behind this campaign if you would be able to donate anything, even small donations of £1 make a big difference.

Find out more and follow Millie’s journey over on her Instagram account.

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Honours even between Canberra and Mariners in tense stand-off

Canberra United 1-1 Central Coast Mariners

by Alice de Koster Kitto (8/2/25)

Above: Canberra United celebrate Michelle Heyman’s equalising goal today. Photo: Canberra United.

Central Coast Mariners and Canberra United have shared the points in a well-fought battle at McKellar Park on Saturday. 

The meeting was a crucial one for both sides, with Central Coast Mariners looking to maintain their current fifth-place ranking, whilst Canberra United fought to make their way into the top end of the table. 

While the Mariners were the favourites to take the match and held the majority of the possession throughout, it was a fairly even pairing that could have gone either way. 

The majority of the action took place in the midfield, with few opportunities presenting themselves early on. It was the Mariners however, who were responsible for most of what few shots on goal there were. 

An excellent chance from Brooke Nunn, assisted by Jade Pennock, almost saw the Mariners take the lead early on, but Nunn was just out of position when taking the shot. Though the strike was missed, the attempt brought the visitors further into the attacking line, and was the start of a series of great attempts from Emily Husband’s side. 

Although Central Coast maintained their dominance, Canberra put up a good fight, retaliating with a dangerous run from Maja Markovski that was intercepted by Mariners captain Bianca Galic. 

Hayley Taylor-Young proved to be a crucial part of the home side, making several ambitious strikes that could have gotten the hosts in front in the first half. 

The scoring was finally opened in the 39th minute when Nunn ran the ball to Pennock, whose strike bounced off the post and into the back of the net, leaving Central Coast Mariners with a 1-0 lead at the break. 

The scoring continued less than a minute into the second half, when Markovski delivered the ball directly to Michelle Heyman, who shot home, earning Canberra United their equaliser.   

The goal shifted the momentum for the hosts, as Markovski looked to set up another goal almost immediately, but was caught offside. 

Although Canberra settled into their attack during the second half, the Mariners continued to dominate on both possession and shots, while their almost impenetrable defence kept their opponent out of the box. 

As stoppage time approached, Canberra’s attack became more aggressive, as they seemed to finally find and capitalize on the Mariners weaknesses. Heyman looked desperately for a brace and it looked as though her unrivaled scoring history, combined with a seamless link-up with Markovski might prove fruitful – but it never quite happened.

The final minute of play saw one last attempt from the hosts when an extremely close-range header from Emma Robers was saved down at the bottom corner by Sarah Langman. 

Round 16 of the Ninja A-League will see great pressure for both of these sides, as they head on the road to face two of the league’s top teams. Canberra United will take on i-form third place side Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium, while Central Coast Mariners will travel to the Home of The Matildas, to take on Melbourne Victory, who currently hold second place on the ladder. 

Teams: CANBERRA UNITED (4-3-3): James, Anton, Satanic-Floody, Robers, Taylor-Young, Christopherson, Markovski, Heyman, Malone, Bertolissio, Gordon. Substitutes: McKenzie, Ayson, Dos Santos, Keane, Majstorovic.

Scorer: Heyman 46’.

CENTRAL COAST MARINERS (3-4-3): Langman, Seaman, Nash, Martin, Pennock, Galic, Ray, Fuller, Rowe, Quilligan, Nunn. Substitutions: Carmichael, Rasmussen, Kraszula, Puxty, Trimis.

Scorer: Pennock 39’. 

Referee: Caitlin Williams.

Attendance: 1,376.

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Phoenix sparkle but Victory character earns a point

Wellington Phoenix 1-1 Melbourne Victory

by Ben Gilby (8/2/25)

Above: Maya McCutcheon celebrates after putting Wellington Phoenix ahead against Melbourne Victory today. Photo: Wellington Phoenix.

Wellington Phoenix produced an impressive offensive display against Melbourne Victory at Porirua Park but were left to rue a combination of an error and loss of concentration that denied them all three points.

This was a hugely enjoyable match and the action started with a bang. With just 90 seconds on the clock, Annalie Longo’s corner from the left came in high to the near post where Maya McCutcheon came in running to nod the ball back behind her and into the net to give Wellington the lead to scenes of huge joy.

However, Victory hit back hard. Just over a minute later, only two superb saves from Carolina Vilão kept them from levelling.

First, Sara D’Appolonia took advantage of a defensive switch-off to break through into the right-hand side of the box which brought about a diving parry. Then, Alex Chidiac’s shot reared up after taking a deflection off of Alivia Kelly which caused the Phoenix keeper, already down on the floor, to twist and sweep her legs at the ball to keep it out.

The hosts came close on the 26-minute mark when a knife-through-butter move ended with Lara Wall’s glorious high ball into the mix from the left which found Manaia Elliott who got up between two Victory defenders, but directed her header narrowly wide of the near post.

With the Nix holding their lead into the break, they came out confidently and another clever move saw another close shave for the visitors six minutes into the second half. It was another set-piece from Longo’s that caused the danger.

This time, her free-kick caught Victory off guard as she took it quickly and it came in low from just outside the box to the right of centre for Elliott to run onto in a pre-planned move to force a save from Courtney Newbon.

Above: Wellington Phoenix captain Annalie Longo (right) had a hugely impressive game against Melbourne Victory today. Photo: Wellington Phoenix.

However, as ever when playing a champion side, when you don’t take advantage of opportunities and momentarily switch off, you get badly burned. This was the case on the hour mark.

A loose pass across from the left flank was gobbled up by the onrushing Holly Furphy who advanced to find Emily Gielnik on the edge of the box. Tiana Jaber rushed in to extinguish the danger, but the defender didn’t look up to see where she was placing the ball. It fell perfectly for Nikki Flannery on the left-hand edge of the box to chest down, run onto and fire home a rocket from 10 yards out to level the scores.

Shortly afterwards, another easy on-the-eye move from the hosts forced Newbon into another save when McCutcheon played a perfectly weighted low pass with the outside of her foot into Olivia Fergusson on the right-hand edge of the box, who was facing away from goal. The attacker turned Kayla Morrison and hit an effort goalwards that the Victory keeper got down to.

Phoenix produced another excellent opportunity with 10 minutes remaining thanks to another classy pass from Longo who rolled the ball forward into the path of Emma Main whose first touch wasn’t quite perfect enough which allowed Laura Pickett sufficient time to hold the substitute off and deny her.

The final word went to Victory on the counter with five minutes left as Flannery advanced down the right to bend a pass into the path of Gielnik who rounded Vilão but couldn’t direct her shot on target.

This was a match that Wellington Phoenix felt that they should have won. They played some sparkling creative football, and, in the end, the outcome came down to a couple of losses of concentration as head coach Paul Temple reflected when speaking to the media afterwards.

“I think we’ve probably come away from it disappointed with a point to be honest. I thought we controlled the game from start to finish. We had more possession, more of of the ball, made more passes, looked the more likely. 

“Ultimately, they got a goal off a mistake of ours, and that’s a horrible way to concede. For the players involved, they’re really frustrated with themselves, we’re frustrated as a team, but it’s just part of football as well…after that we responded quite well, and the team was probably going to score the winner if there was going to be one.”

Teams: WELLINGTON PHOENIX (4-4-2): Vilão, Jaber, Kelly, Barry, Wall, Whinham, McCutcheon, Longo, Jale, Elliott, Fergusson. Substitutes: Abbott, Brazendale, Jerez, Main, Neary.

Scorer: McCutcheon 2′.

MELBOURNE VICTORY (3-4-1-2): Newbon, Curtis, Morrison, Bunge, Jančevski, D’Appolonia, Murphy, Pickett, Lowe, Chidiac, Gielnik. Substitutes: Candy, Flannery, Furphy, O’Grady, Sakalis.

Scorer: Flannery 61′.

Referee: Kelly Jones.

Attendance: 1,015.

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Skinner: “The biggest respect we can give to Wolves is to bring our very best”

By Catherine Mackenzie (07/02/2025)

Above: Marc Skinner (Manchester United’s manager) Photo: The Guardian

Manchester United face Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup on Saturday

In their bid to retain the FA Cup title, Manchester United have so far faced opposition from well below them in the English football pyramid. Earlier this month, they beat third-tier West Bromwich Albion 7-0, scoring six goals in the last twenty-five minutes of the game. However, West Brom held United to a 1-0 for most of the game, making life difficult for the Red Devils with a low block and defensive play.

This weekend, United again face a team from third-tier National League in Wolverhampton Wanderers. Asked what he has learned from previous encounters with opposition from the third tier, United manager Marc Skinner spoke about the need to respect their opponents, asserting that “we have to treat them like a WSL opponent” and “I expect them to be a big challenge for us”. He added that he hopes United bring their best, and that he will not underestimate Wolves’ potential to be a difficult opponent to break down.

He also provided an update on the squad. Forward Geyse has returned from compassionate leave and is available for selection. Midfielder Dominique Janssen has taken part in team training and may be available, however is expected to be assessed again before the game.

Skinner was also asked about Grace Clinton. Clinton played a large role for United in the early stages of the season and has recently earned plaudits for her performances for the national team as well.

Due to injuries in the England national team, Clinton is expected to play a role when England face Belgium and Spain in the Nations League later this month. However, she has had limited game time for United since January, and did not feature in the Red Devils’ game against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

Speaking about her role in the team, Skinner again asserted that she has an important role and will continue to do so moving forward, suggesting that she may be involved against Wolves.

United signed goalkeeper Kayla Rendell from Championship side Southampton in the January transfer window, and Skinner was asked whether he sees cup games as an opportunity to give the keeper matchday experience. He asserted that the focus for Rendell in the coming months is to adapt to the step up from the Championship to the Women’s Super League, highlighting that she is developing for the future.

A win on Saturday would see United progress to the Quarter-final, a big step towards retaining the FA Cup winner title.

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Adelaide extend unbeaten run with win over Perth

Adelaide United 3-0 Perth Glory

By Emma Burke 7/2/25

Above: Adelaide United celebrate their win. Photo: Adelaide United

Adelaide United’s win over Perth Glory at Coopers Stadium furthers the Club’s record breaking undefeated streak, which now sits at eight games.

Adelaide’s American import Erin Healy opened the scoring for the home side with a shot that beat Perth keeper Casey Dumont before she had realised what had happened. Emily Condon supplied the assist.

With continued pressure applied to the Glory, Adelaide doubled their lead when Chelsie Dawber received a cross from Lucia Leon inside the six-yard box. Dawber was cleverly able to lift the ball up and over her defender and the waiting keeper.

United continued pushing for a third goal to seal the win, while doing everything they could to ensure they did not have a repeat performance of last week’s game against Sydney FC where they let go of their 2-0 lead.

Perth had a few decent opportunities on goal, but they were no match for Adelaide keeper Claudia Jenkins, who put in another impressive shift between the sticks for the Reds.

After multiple missed chances, Adelaide finally found their third and final goal, in the third minute of stoppage time.

Healy collected her brace by pouncing on a loose ball in the box that had not been effectively cleared, smashing the ball into the left corner and collecting all three points for her side.

Adelaide’s win now sends them up to second on the table only four points away from the top, and leave Perth seated in ninth with their finals hopes slowly dwindling away from them.

Adelaide United (3-4-1-2): Jenkins, Tolland, McNamara, Tonkin, Leon, Sasaki, Morgan, Hodgson, Condon, Dawber, Healy. Substitutes: Dewey, Condon, Worts, Karambasis, Grove

Scorers: Healy 16’, 90+3’, Dawber 31’

Perth Glory (4-3-3): Dumont, Johnston, Thomas-Chinnama, Zogg, McKenna, Tathem, Wainwright, Dalton, Doeglas, Sunaga, Wynne. Substitutes: O’Donoghue, Foletta, Brown, Abdul-Massih, Templeman

Referee: Bec Mackie

Attendance: 1,859.

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