Above: Bryleeh Henry celebrates her first goal for Australia.Photo: Football Australia
A trio of debutant goals lead the Matildas to a 3-1 victory over Chinese Taipei at AAMI Park in Melbourne last night.
Defender Tash Prior and forward Sharn Freier scored their first international goals for the Matildas just two minutes apart from each other.
Prior’s goal came delivered to her on a silver platter of a cross from Chloe Logarzo, while Freier found the back of the net with her head after Emily Gielnik’s first time strike came to her off the crossbar.
The joy was short lived for the Matildas as they were forced into an early change with Chloe Logarzo leaving the pitch in tears after a nasty head collision with Chan Pi-Han. Logarzo’s start today was her first in three years after battling through injuries and falling out of preference.
Minutes after the change, Chinese Taipei scored their first goal against Australia since 2007. Chen Jin-Wen made an incredible effort to beat both Charli Grant and Clare Hunt, before slotting the ball into the back of the net past Mackenzie Arnold who was far off her line.
Chinese Taipei’s head coach, Chan Hiu Ming said “I told her before, you owe me a goal, I told her when she scores she has to come celebrate with me.”
The second half of the game saw the Matildas create opportunity after opportunity, with none of them coming to fruition.
It wasn’t until a string of substitutions were made that the Matildas were able to find their third and final goal of the evening.
Bryleeh Henry, in her third appearance for the Matildas, scored a header at the far post, despite nearly losing her footing after having raced down the right side of the pitch to give Tameka Yallop an option in the box.
Following the game, Sermanni spoke to the media saying “[we] made life difficult when we gave away the goal.”
He also noted that the squad had “had one training session with a significantly different group of players,” before the game.
The Matildas will now head to Geelong for a rematch against Chinese Taipei on Saturday at 7:30pm at GMHBA stadium, where they will have one more training session under their belts before their final game of the year.
Chinese Taipei (4-5-1): Wang Yu-Ting, Su Sin-Yun, Hsu Yi-Yun, Pu Hsin-Hui, Chan Pi-Han, Wu Kai-Ching, Chen Jin-Wen, Su Yu-Hsuan, Chen Ying-Hui, Lin Hsin-Hui, Huang Ke-Sin Substitutes: Tseng Yun-Ya, He Jia-Shiuan, Li Yi-Wen, Teng Pei-Lin, Yu Wen-Chieh, Lin Ya-Hsuan, Ting Chia-Ying
Above:England’s changed starting XI to face Switzerland.Photo:Natalie Ovenden for Impetus.
By Ava-Marianne Elliott at Bramall Lane for Impetus.
England 1-0 Switzerland
England achieved a 1-0 victory over Switzerland to conclude 2024 with a win in an engaging friendly, holding onto an early lead from Manchester United’s midfield maestro, Grace Clinton.
After a goalless draw with Emma Hayes’ USA side last Friday, Sarina Wiegman opted for a fresh approach heading into the clash with Switzerland. 10 changes were made to the starting lineup, with new call-ups Laura Blindkilde-Brown and Ruby Mace debuting for the senior squad.
With a busy year ahead for the Lionesses, this friendly match was a crucial way to trial many of the inexperienced members of the squad. Wiegman had her sights set on identifying areas of development ahead of the Euro’s selection for next summer and aimed to conclude which elements of play needed tweaking before the major tournament.
The youngsters set the tone for the half in the early minutes of the game. Inevitably, it was Grace Clinton in the eighth minute who opened the scoring, adding another goal to her tally and showcasing her brilliant form. After Millie Turner’s chance went begging, Clinton pounced on the rebound and scored a tap-in from Jessica Park’s free kick.
A second chance followed after a clever pass cutting through the Swiss defence from Park put a sharp Aggie Beever-Jones through on goal. Keeper Elvira Hergoz was just ahead, claiming the ball seconds before the Chelsea forward was able to take a shot.
By the 30-minute mark, England looked comfortable both in and out of possession. For a side consisting of some players relatively inexperienced in the senior setup, the connections on the pitch seemed to be working well.
Switzerland had their first concrete chance of the game in the 39th minute when pressure on the England defence allowed Sydney Schertenlieb to shoot from distance. Hannah Hampton was forced down to make a simple save, successfully keeping England’s advantage ahead of the second half.
Above: England celebrate Grace Clinton’s match-winning goal. Photo: Natalie Ovenden for Impetus.
Half time saw Wiegman make just one change for the hosts, with Park, who played a superb first half, making way for Alessia Russo. The Arsenal forward had an immediate impact. Just four minutes later, she jumped on Gabby George’s cross, and her header narrowly skipped past the near goalpost.
The level that Wiegman’s squad had displayed in a concrete first-half performance dropped off considerably in the second. Levels of creativity in front of goal and creating chances had decreased, and the team struggled to get as much of a lead over their opponents.
After her senior international debut, Ruby Mace left the field for Keira Walsh, and Gabby George was replaced by Beth Mead.
The second half entailed more defensive work from the England bbacklineas Switzerland amped up the intensity, searching for an equaliser. In the 79th minute, Meriame Terchoun came centimetres away, her shot being tipped over the crossbar by fingertips, testing Hampton to the limit.
The 84th minute saw a triple change to the England lineup. Georgia Stanway replaced Blindkilde-Brown after a well-deserved debut, played with composure, and gave the country a glimpse at the brilliance she has to offer. Beever-Jones also exited the field for Jessica Naz, and Turner made way for Jess Carter.
The half concluded with Stanway coming dangerously close to doubling the scoreline in the last few seconds of the game, but the chance went begging as the whistle signalled for full time.
With the Euro’s in Switzerland next summer fast approaching, the question now turns to who we are going to see making regular appearances within the senior setup. Although Park and Clinton both work almost seamlessly within the setup, there is debate around whether there is space for both of them in a matchday lineup in an international tournament.
With the number of strong centre-backs available for selection, the competition amongst defenders for a spot in the starting lineup is greater than in any other position. In her post-match press conference, Wiegman outlined that Arsenal defender, Lotte Wubben-Moy, is “further away from her plans” despite her incredible skillset.
Teams: ENGLAND (3-1-4-2): Hampton, Morgan, George, Mace, Turner, Bright, Park, Le Tissier, Beever-Jones, Clinton, Blindkilde-Brown. Substitutes: Earps (GK), Moorhouse (GK), Stanway (84’), Mead (63’), Walsh (63’), Naz, Carter (84’), Russo (46’), Williamson, Greenwood, Wubben-Moy.
Above: Emily Gielnik making her presence known in her first game back in over two years. Image: Kris Goman for Impetus.
By Genevieve Henry (4/12/24).
Ahead of their match against Taiwan at AAMI Park in Melbourne, Matildas head coach Tom Sermanni and forward Emily Gielnik spoke to the media on all things preparation, personnel, and purpose. Gielnik also spoke in depth about her journey back to the national team and her determination to stay in the mix.
As the third game in a four-game international window for the Matildas, there will be some personnel changes, with many European-based players returning to their clubs as well as others joining in.
Sermanni shared that “it’s been fantastic because we’ve been able now to bring in another eight or nine new players, many of them who haven’t either been around the Matildas for some time or who haven’t actually been around the Matildas at all. As a coach, it’s really exciting to give those players an opportunity.”
“These games have really given us an opportunity which hasn’t happened in the Matildas probably for many years, where we’ve got a chance to actually look particularly at domestic talent and actually assess some young players, and some more experienced players who have been out of the picture for a little while. We don’t have a lot of time with the players. That’s what you deal with.”
Although Sermanni is only the interim coach, he is focused on making sure he does what he can to expand the competition in the Matildas set-up. “I think that Matildas have had a very consistent squad for four years. What’s happened with that is it hasn’t allowed opportunities for other players. One of the key things as a national team coach is you’ve got to play for the present, but plan for the future. In all fairness, I don’t think we’ve planned for the future well enough.”
Sermanni also spoke about his term as head coach, clarifying that he will be in the position as short or as long as Football Australia wants him. He also spoke on the future transition into the tenure of the next permanent head coach, explaining that the work he is doing is valuable as the next coach will likely have the same staff and systems in place.
“We’ve got some players like, you know like Emily, experienced players, whether they’ve been in or out of the squad for a while or come back, but still very experienced. Then we’ve got another group of players, some in here for the first time. One of my aims this week is to give opportunities to as many players that I can.”
Above: Sermanni speaking to the press on his goal as interim coach. Football Australia.
Taiwan pose an opportunity for Australia to test out their tactics on a possible Asian Cup opponent. The side plays a similar style to many teams in the AFC, and it will give the Matildas a chance to practice breaking down a defensive side that employs a low block. It will also be a fantastic opportunity for less experienced players to gain confidence against a side at a lower level than the past few opponents.
Sermanni said, “this game will give us probably a different set of frustrations with a team that really sit down in a low block and make it difficult for us to break them down.”
Gielnik thinks that one area Australia has a clear advantage in is physicality. “Australia’s always been known for its physicality and I think that’s something that we can absolutely have dominance over (Taiwan), but it’s important that we deliver that and assert dominance early. That’s something that we can have over this team. We put up a good fight (against) Brazil. Unfortunately, the results didn’t go our way…I think we’ve actually learnt a lot from that, to be honest. If anything, as much as frustrating as it was, it’s actually helped us, it’s going to help us improve our game moving forward with (Taiwan).”
Having been over 800 days since Gielnik last wore the green and gold, the forward commented, “It was kind of surreal for me. I didn’t actually realise it was that long a time since I’ve last been in the jersey. Obviously, I’ve been in and out of camps and I’ve had a troubling time with injury, but trying not to look back on that. I’m here now and I felt very grateful to get out on the pitch, to be honest. “
“It was pretty special for me being back out with the girls. I am always so proud to wear the Australian jersey and represent my country…and, you know, I worked really hard to get back here and respect Tommy. I’m grateful for the opportunity for awarding the hard work and my form in the A-League. I worked hard to get here and I’ll definitely work even harder to stay.”
Gielnik’s struggles with injury the past few years have been nothing short of devastating. The forward was stuck in a vicious cycle of getting injured, coming back and excelling at club level, getting the Matildas call-up, and being injured again. Hopefully, she can turn her fortune around and make a real impact with the Matildas in the coming days, months, and even years.
Above: Gielnik opens up about her tough experience with injuries keeping her out of camp. Image: Football Australia.
“To be honest, the second I pulled up short before the World Cup, it was a burning desire to get this jersey back on, and coming back into camp and unfortunately falling short with another injury right before the Olympics put a dagger in my heart, I’m not going to lie. It was probably the most difficult time I’ve ever had in my football career.”
“I’ve been dying to get this jersey back on. I knew it was going to be a long road. It’s really tough to get back into this squad and it’s even tougher to stay.”
“The most important thing over this time was to never lose belief in myself, that I’m good enough to be back here. So it’s all about just proving to myself and taking every opportunity as it comes. So for me, I was destined to get back the second I lost it.”
Although it’s been awhile for Gielnik, she is a player that has been capped over 50 times for the national team, and with many experienced players leaving before the series against Taiwan, she gets the opportunity to be a leader, something she is familiar with at Melbourne Victory.
“We really need to step up. We need to nurture these girls, and also just give a subtle reminder that when you put this jersey on, there is a level of expectation. There is a different demand and it is a big jump…It’s just about staying positive and getting behind these girls. Those girls are here with this opportunity for a reason.”
Above: Lucy Cooper (left) and Katelyn Wort (right) unveiled at the John Jenkins Stadium.PhotoGeorge Mutter.
Moneyfields FC Women announce the double signings of Lucy Cooper and Katelyn Wort from their two biggest rivals for the top three, AFC Bournemouth and Swindon Town respectively.
Cooper is one of the deadliest finishers in the FA Women’s National League (FA WNL), she has scored twenty-three goals in thirty-seven matches for the Cherries over the last two seasons.
First Team Manager Karl Watson told us, “We are no strangers to Lucy, she has been a thorn in our side for so often [scoring four goals against us in the last four encounters]. I am much happier having her on our side than to see her lining up against us. She’s a fantastic addition to the squad.”
Reflecting on her previous encounters, Lucy said, “It’s clear how competitive and strong the side are, and they all have this warrior mentality I am hoping to develop in myself. This mindset makes them such a difficult team to play against, so I’m going to enjoy playing alongside them for a change!”
On Wort, Watson added, “We are really pleased to welcome Katelyn into the Moneyfields family. She adds further depth to our already strong squad of defenders. She is comfortable playing several different positions and any manager will tell you, that is always welcomed.”
Lucy Cooper (right) will join up with her former Cherries teammate Shannon Albuery. Photo: Tom Phillips
Twenty-one-year-old Wort arrives with plenty of experience in the FA WNL. This season she has made ten appearances this season and scored one goal against Worthing in a 4-0 victory.
Moneys occupy third position in the FA WNL Division One South West, and despite last month’s exit in the Adobe Women’s FA Cup second round against Cheltenham Town, they still have plenty to play for. Cooper advised, “Ultimately, as a group, our goal is to finish as high as we can in the league and lift some silverware in County and PDFA Cups.”
This is a huge signal of intent from Watson and the pair complement an already very talented squad of players.
Cooper and Wort aim to make their Moneyfields debuts in the upcoming league match away at Maidenhead United on December 8th. Their first chance to play in front of the home fans will come the following weekend against Abingdon United at the John Jenkins Stadium (KO 2 pm).
Above: Kyra Cooney-Cross carries the ball into attack.PhotoKris Goman for Impetus.
The Matildas have lost two games against Brazil, and pride would be as sore as some of the bodies after two bruising, intense contests. But there were things to take from these games for the short and long term. When the next permanent manager arrives, they will have some valuable information from this window so far.
Brazil, what the hell?
International football is almost always a step up from most domestic leagues. It is faster and more unforgiving even in friendly matches. However, even by those standards, the two games against Brazil felt like grudge matches that happened to be World Cup knockout games. There was nothing at stake, but you would not know that from the way both teams approached every individual contest.
Brazil set the tone for this. From the first whistle they acted like everything was at stake. It felt like something of a surprise to both fans, and the referee, but perhaps it should not have been.
Brazil are preparing to host the 2027 World Cup, they have a new coach and no time to waste. Every game is a chance to discover something about their team and in this window, it was to make a statement.
Brazil have not beaten Australia since 2016. In 2017 they lost 6-2 to The Matildas and in 2019 they were defeated at the World Cup after leading 2-0.
Despite boasting some all time greats of the game like Marta, Formiga and Debinha, Brazil could never get the job done against Australia in regular time. This was a chance to make a statement, that despite the retirement of legends it was a new era in Brazilian football.
In the same way that Australia needed to beat a European team in the lead up to the 2023 World Cup, Brazil needed to cross The Matildas off their list of unconquered mountains.
They employed every tactic in the book and plenty that aren’t, but they did it. This was no friendly to them, this was a line in the sand and an important win. Now they can move on to the next challenge on the way to their ultimate goal on home soil.
The Backline
But moving on to The Matildas. The first game in Brisbane marks the second time that Tom Sermanni has deployed a back five. On paper it looks defensive, but two of Australia’s best attacking weapons are the delivery of Steph Catley and the tenacious skill of Ellie Carpenter.
The back five theoretically allows them both to get forward, overlap with the strikers and midfielders and get into damaging positions. It makes sense, both are among the best in the world in their positions, and Australia should try basing their game plan around either or both in the same way England have long done the same with Lucy Bronze.
The problem was they both were exposed on the counterattack. The bigger problem is this was not their fault.
With a back five and three midfielders. The fullbacks should be able to bomb forward with relative abandon.
Ideally, one of three things should happen. Either the defensive midfielder should move to one of the flanks as cover, one of the wide midfielders should drop back on the open flank, or any of the three centre backs should cover.
This did not really happen. Likely it was because of minimal preparation time. A tactic like this takes many games and training sessions to drill into a team. Players have to be ready to read not only the opposition’s movements but their teammates and know when to change position.
Additionally, none of Australia’s three centre backs are known for their strength out wide. Alanna Kennedy and Clare Hunt proved excellent and defending deep and starting attacks during the World Cup, but out wide and on-on-one against rapid wingers is not their strong suit.
The good news is that Australia does have options to fill these roles, and both players are good enough to learn them in time. The likes of Jessika Nash, Winona Heatley, Jamilla Rankin, and Courtney Nevin are all adept at playing fullback or central defence making them ideal for this system when their time arrives.
Not included in this camp is Alexia Apostolakis who is one of the best exponents of playing in a back three or five in the A-League Women. Another option is moving Steph Catley to one of the centre back positions and using Charli Grant in her favoured left back role. It was the position she played perhaps her best football for Australia and dominated that flank in the friendly against England.
It is possible to play this system, and it may even be the best way for Australia to attack, but either the incumbent defenders need to learn how to deal with quickfire counterattacks out wide, or we need to wait for the younger players to develop into senior ones before relying on a back five.
What we do know is it allows Catley and Carpenter to be at their best, and when those two are flying forward, Australia looks world class.
Ellie Carpenter: Kris Goman for Impetus
The midfield
The midfield was under-strength in both games, without Katrina Gorry, Mary Fowler or Clare Wheeler from the usual squad, and with Izzy Gomez and Hana Lowry unavailable for this one, Australia had to shuffle and improvise.
Winona Heatley started in midfield for the first game and was one of Australia’s best performers. She was brave on the ball and combative without it. it is not her best position, but the way she handled her first start and big crowd will be something for the next coach to consider.
In the second game the formation shifted slightly. The defence switched to a more familiar back four, and the midfield became a less staggered three. With Kyra Cooney-Cross, Tameka Yallop and Emily van Egmond spread across the centre.
This seemed to work much better. Cooney-Cross in particular was able to have much more influence on the game and defensively they looked stronger as a three than Heatley did as a solo six.
There is no reason to think this formation would not work even better with Gorry and Wheeler in there too. It allows both freedom and defensive shape. Australia did concede in a similar manner to the first game so it is not a total solution just yet, but they did look more in control with the ball and were able to dictate the pace of the game much more in the second match.
It is a formation that really should be explored. Although the double-pivot of Gorry and Cooney-Cross was instrumental in Australia’s run to the World Cup semi-final, it looked to have been figured out by opposition at the Olympics, where both were far less effective as a unit.
Australia were unlucky not to have an equaliser in the second game. Brazil were hanging on and for much of the second half it felt inevitable. It was not so be and The Matildas have two losses from two games, but there is plenty to be taken from this window so far.
If Sermanni or the incoming permanent manager can add to or expand on these lessons, it could open up new defensive and attacking possibilities for Australia.
Above: Tom Sermanni speaking to the press ahead of Australia v Brazil. Image: Football Australia.
By Genevieve Henry(30/11/24).
Ahead of the rematch with Brazil, Matildas interim head coach Tom Sermanni spoke to the press about how Australia can improve, players that impressed him, and the “unbelievable” support surrounding the team.
Thursday’s game against one of the Matildas’ biggest rivals was a brutal one in terms of physicality and aggression. Thankfully, Sermanni confirmed there were no serious injuries to his side and everyone is ready to play again. “There were a few bruised bodies the day after the game, but everybody, like most athletes, are very resilient and everybody’s back today…got the energy back and looking forward to the game tomorrow.”
He also commented on the refereeing of the match, saying, “I think it’s fair to say that I felt the referees were either intimidated or bullied the other night. And really, if they had taken control of the game early in the game, I think it would have been a very different game and potentially a very different outcome. I felt particularly that our forwards just got no protection.”
One player that particularly felt that heat was Caitlin Foord. In Sam Kerr’s absence, Foord has been the focal point of the attack and has stepped up her game in an incredible way. Sermanni heaped the praise on, saying, “I think Caitlin, this year, has taken her game to another level. I’ve watched a lot of her club football as well as international football this season, and she just seems to have gone to a different level, both physically, her ability to dribble, her goal-scoring ability, and just generally her all-round game. She’s such a significant player.”
Above: Foord, who has been instrumental for The Matildas this year. Image: Tilly McDonald.
“She doesn’t take a step backwards, as we saw last night, and she’s got great determination to win.”
Another player Sermanni was impressed by was the still new Sharn Freier. “To be honest, apart from watching her in the A-League women, I hadn’t seen a lot of her and you’re never quite sure how a player’s going to jump from that level up to the level of the other night and I thought she did an excellent job. So it’s for her then to make sure that’s not a one-off and make sure when and if she either starts or comes on tomorrow that she does exactly the same again. She’s got some fantastic qualities. Her speed with the ball and her ability to go past players was quite exceptional.”
“Yeah, I would say without having a crystal ball that (Sharn) will certainly play some part in this game. I’d be very surprised if she doesn’t. She was excellent the other night and I think that’s exactly what we want to see as a programme. We want to see players like Sharn get this opportunity and then show us the ability she’s got.”
Sermanni has brought in many fringe and new players to camp, his focus on expanding the talent pool. He commented, “there’s certainly a very good chance that there will be somebody making a debut.” We will likely see one or more of Tash Prior, Chloe Lincoln, or Leah Davidson in this match, being in the three uncapped players in camp.
“When I came into this job, I said to the players and to everybody that my intent was to do the job as if I’ve come in to do it as a proper job, as in long term. I have to stick by that because I’ve got a responsibility to the programme. But like every international, it’s a balance between planning for the future but playing in the present and a part of playing in the present is to try and get results. So it’s a combination of all of those things and it’s trying to blend it all together so you get exposure for players, fringe players or new players. But at the same time, you try not to compromise the result.”
“You again want to get that balance between putting a team out that you think can win a game but also putting players on the field that need to get that exposure and get that experience of playing at this high intensity international level.”
Now that Australia has more preparation, Sermanni is certain they are better equipped to face their opponents. “We’ve learned how aggressive Brazil are, how direct they play, where their threats are, and how dangerous they are as a team. And now that we’ve done that, we should be going into this game with better knowledge, but also better preparation in the sense that we’ve experienced the game against them.”
“I think you have to fight fire with fire. I think the challenge is that Brazil have adopted a very different style of football to what we expect Brazil to play and a very different style of football to what most of probably the top teams play.”
Above: Sermanni in training with The Matildas. Image: Richard Haines.
“So the reality is that you need to be able to match that and play against that and you need to be able to adjust to try and play effectively against that. A lot of that is actually for us to play a similar kind of game to them where we get the ball forward early and get our one-to-one match-ups against their defenders.”
Defensively, the Matildas were broken down far too easily on a few occasions. Sermanni said, “we need to try and probably do a wee bit better against their forward runs and their early forward passing. But again, that’s something you can show the players on video, but until you actually experience it, it takes a little bit of time to adjust. So hopefully, having played against it, the players will be a bit more familiar.”
Sermanni was encouraged by the opportunities the Matildas had to get behind their defence, saying, “we were either just off the pass or they fouled us or we missed the opportunity. Hopefully we can continue to do that part of the game and do it a little bit better.”
“We need to firstly nullify their threats a little bit better. We need to have the confidence and the courage to play our style of game when we get the opportunity to do that. We have to make the most of our opportunities when we get into those 1v1 situations.”
With another sellout crowd, Sermanni said the support for the team is just unbelievable. “It’s just fantastic. It’s great for women’s sport. I think it’s great for football. I think the stuff that’s happening around the Matildas now is just kind of unbelievable, to be honest.”
Above: Jess Naz shielding the ball from Casey Krueger Photo: Lionesses on X.
By Christopher Heath at Wembley Stadium for Impetus (30/11/24)
From the sound of the whistle to signal the kick-off of the highly-anticipated clash between the top two FIFA-ranked nations in the world, the sheer force of physicality by the defending Olympic champions, the United States, was on show for everyone to witness at Wembley Stadium.
Defenders Casey Krueger and Emily Sonnett were the pair of defensive culprits, however, it would be Sam Coffey who caught the eye of referee Lina Lehtovaara shortly before the quarter-hour, with the Finnish official directing the first booking of the game in the direction of the midfielder for a tactical foul on the marauding Alessia Russo, as the Arsenal striker menacingly looked to make her way deep into American territory.
Without the services of their accustomed front three, Trinity Rodman, Mallory Swanson or Sophia Smith – with all three not in Emma Hayes’ squad that hadn’t travelled across the pond – the visitors looked to build their footballing foundations from the opposite end of the field. Their approach seemed to work, as all three shots on target in the first half fell the USWNT’s way. First, Mary Earps kept out Alyssa Thompson in the 5th minute and then replicated her earlier expertise by denying Krueger and Coffey before half-time.
That aforementioned physicality nearly built the United States a foundation immediately following the restart. Lindsey Horan – scorer of the game’s only goal against the backdrop of the Parc des Princes versus Brazil in the 2024 Olympic Games final – had the ball into the back of the net, but rightly, in terms of regulations, saw her effort chalked off for an infringement against the offside rule.
Hoping for a tale of two halves, England manager Sarina Wiegman would have arguably been disappointed – due to the fact the Lionesses managed to call visiting keeper Alyssa Naeher into action only once – throughout the contest under the arch of Wembley Stadium in front of a crowd of 78,346.
On the other boot, London-born Hayes will likely have ridden the emotional rollercoaster of frustration and disappointment when the final whistle went after registering eight attempts on goal compared to the hosts’ two. Not to forget, a combination of VAR and the on-pitch monitor persuaded referee Lehtovaara to overturn her decision to award the United States a penalty after initially judging the ball to have struck Alex Greenwood’s outstretched arm via a deflection off her midriff.
Teams: ENGLAND (4-3-3): Earps, Bronze, Williamson, Greenwood, Carter, Walsh, Stanway, Park, Naz, Mead, Russo. Substitutesused: Kirby (for Park 75’), Kelly (for Naz 75’).
UNITED STATES (4-3-3): Naeher, Fox, Sonnett, Girma, Krueger, Lavelle, Coffey, Horan, Thompson, Williams, Sears. Substitutesused: Ryan (for Sears 46’), Shaw (for Williams 73’), Thompson (for Albert 73’), Sentnor (for Horan 87’).
Above: Alexia Apostolakis (right) is congratulated for her late sealer against her former club. Photo: Tilly McDonald for Impetus
Melbourne City recorded a 2-0 win over the Western Sydney Wanderers after an early goal to Mariana Speckmaier and a late strike by Alexia Apostolakis.
The score line flattered the Wanderers who were saved on multiple occasions by goalkeeper Sham Khamis.
The defending premiers named a full strength side at AAMI Park on Saturday afternoon. The visitors welcomed back one of last season’s stars in Holly Caspers. The playmaker recorded five goals and seven assists in 2023/24 but has missed the first month of this campaign through a knee injury.
Caspers started on the bench. That was not a huge surprise, but it was cause for a double take to see her joined by Sophie Harding.
The reigning Dolan Medalist was not included in the starting lineup. Robbie Hooker opted for youth in attack, a risky decision against the experience of Rebekah Stott and Taylor Otto.
City looked in control from the kickoff. Bryleeh Henry and Spexkmaier both had early chances that were thwarted hy Khamis. City’s Venezuelan striker continued to threaten and hit the woodwork twice before finally breaking the deadlock.
Western Sydney did not look overwhelmed, but not dud they appear in the contest. Their defence was merely holding on and booting the ball clear for distance, while the midfield struggled to track the mobile Leticia McKenna who pulled the string a in the middle and attack.
Bryleeh Henry celebrated her recent Matildas call up with her best performance this season. The City winger was aggressive, tricky and creative out wide and was unlucky not to break her scoring drought after she met a near post cross.
After half time, Harding and Caspers were introduced as Western Sydney searched for hope in attack. Harding immediately added spark, but Wanderers were still happy to sit back and absorb pressure, although they were only prevented from going further behind by bad finishing and good luck.
City passed as they pleased, and created chances with ease. It was clear that Western Sydney’s intention was to counter attack, but not only is that a challenge for a youthful lineup, it also brings into question how useful such tactics are for developing promising players, or how fair it is to ask a young side to effectively park the bus.
Talia Younis was the first Wanderer to register a shot on goal , well into the second half. Sienna Saveska tried her luck from range and Caspers almost broke free but both would have taken remarkable individual efforts to score.
City played the way they wanted to, and the way they dominated without Leah Davidson was a frightening sign to the rest of the competition.
At 1-0 up, they still needed a second goal to put the result to bed and had to wait until the 94th minute to be assured of a win.
Alexis Apostolakis stepped up to take a free kick just outside of the area and the deflected effort beat Khamis to make it 2-0.
After a week’s break, Western Sydney will host Western United, while Melbourne City will face a Canberra team that will surely offer more attacking intent.
Above: Tianna Fuller celebrates her goal for Central Coast Photo: A-Leagues
The Central Coast Mariners have come from behind to defeat Canberra United two goals to one in Gosford.
Despite Canberra dominating much of the match and being rewarded with a roaring strike from Maja Markovski, two goals in five minutes from substitutes Tiana Fuller and Shadeene Evans helped the Mariners get the win.
The first half left the Mariners ruing missed opportunities, and Canberra went on to make them pay.
It was a pretty free flowing match early, with a lot of end to end football happening and both defences holding up really well.
Canberra did have more of the possession though but could not get their angles in front of goal quite right. However the Mariners had the first decent shot on goal, earning a penalty after Jade Pennock was brought down by Liz Anton in the box, but the subsequent penalty was easily saved by Sally James.
After the penalty though it was like conceding the penalty lit a fire under Canberra, who then really took control of the game and had more of the momentum, led by the efforts of the likes of Aideen Keane and Ruby Nathan. However Sarah Langman, Jess Nash and the rest of the Mariners defensive group really stood up to ensure nothing came of the several Canberra shots on goal.
Jade Pennock and Peta Trimis were trying their hardest to spark something for the home side though, but to no avail.
As the half progressed, proceedings evened up, but just as it was looking like things would remain scoreless at half time, Markovski let a shot rip from the top corner of the 18 yard box, which then sailed past Langman and into the back of the net to give those in green the lead.
Canberra almost had another goal with minutes to go in the half, but Emma Robers skewed her shot just wide of the net.
The starkest stat at half time was the shot numbers, with Canberra having 14 shots (with five on target) compared to the Mariners three (with one of those being on target).
The second half was full of surprises.
As the wet conditions worsened to begin the second half, both sides had their chances in front of goal but neither could convert. Canberra had the best of the chances early, having a couple of successive strong chances, but Langman was up to the task and kept the ball out.
As the half progressed towards its halfway point Canberra started to reassert its dominance on the game, and continued to pepper the goals but to no avail.
However, just as questions were starting to be raised about the Mariners and how they might get back into the match, 16-year-old Fuller, who was on debut and had only been on the field for about five minutes after being subbed on for Annalise Rasmussen, stood up and belted a shot into the bottom corner from a few metres out to give the home side an equaliser.
Only minutes later the Mariners had their second after Evans snuck one past James and all of a sudden the script of the match had been totally flipped.
Despite now being a goal down, Canberra did not give up their pursuit of a second goal, continuing to rack up the shots on goal. However, as hard as the visitors tried they were unable to get themselves a second goal, and ultimately ran out of time to equal up proceedings.
Each month, Impetus writers will vote to decide their best player, head coach, and U23 player in the A-League Women. Here are the winners from November.
Player of the month:
Tameka Yallop
The Brisbane Roar midfielder has been in excellent form in the first four games as her team has shot to the top of the league.
Deployed in her favoured attacking role, Yallop has scored three times already, but has also led by example as the young side have established themselves as the form team of the competition.
Yallop is back to her best, and it is a joy to watch.
Head Coach of the month:
Alex Smith
Above: Alex Smith, Impetus head coach of the month. Photo: Chris Hyde/Getty Images, supplied by Brisbane Roar.
After his first pre-season in charge, it is beginning to become obvious why Brisbane Roar appointed Alex Smith.
His team are currently the benchmark side in the league, are well-organised and thrilling in attack. Smith’s trust in Alicia Woods had been rewarded and his unshackling of Tameka Yallop has yielded spectacular results.
Only Melbourne City has scored more goals than Brisbane Roar, and no team has a better defensive record over the first month of the 2024/25 season.
Mixing experience and youth, with a fearless but structured style of play has made Alex Smith Impetus’s coach of the month.
Young Player of The Month:
Sarah O’Donoghue
Above: Perth Glory’s Sarah O’Donoghue – Impetus‘ Young Player of the Month for November. Photo: Perth Glory.
There has been a lot of changes at Perth Glory in the off-season and Sarah O’Donoghue has needed to time to adjust.
The NPLW Victoria winner with Heidelberg United has carried her form into the A-League Women and looks to be one of the best signings of Glory’s new era.
The playmaker has become something of a barometer for Perth. When she plays well, good things happen. She adds some graft and guile to the midfield and has become a fast fan favourite.
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