Above:Rebekah Stott (left) tracks PrincessIbini. Photo: Melbourne City
League Leaders Melbourne City earned a draw against a spirited Sydney FC today at the Harbour City side returned to Leichhardt Oval.
A wonder strike from the home side’s Lucy Johnson was cancelled out in the second half by Leticia McKenna’s equaliser which extended City’s lead at the top to four points.
Melbourne City missed a golden opportunity to open the scoring in what was the first real chance of the game. City’s top goal scorer Mariana Speckmaier almost turned provider, whipping in a delicious cross for Bryleeh Henry from the left. Henry reached the ball before Tahlia Franco but poked the ball just wide of the post.
Yet Sydney prospect Indiana Dos Santos had other ideas. Johnson was able to play the ball into the left had channel to locate Shea Connors. The Sydney forward took a touch and looked for options. The option she picked was Dos Santos who, from the edge of the box, hammered the ball against the cross bar.
What was to follow for Sydney was truly spectacular and will rank highly as one of the goals of the season. In the 29thminute, Connors rolled the ball into the path of Johnson. With space opening in front of her, Johnson had one target in mind. With the inside of her foot, she launched an audacious first-time effort into the top right corner, giving goalkeeper Malena Mieres no chance of denial. Sydney were deserving of their lead.
It could have been more for the hosts in the closing stages of the first half. The crossbar again proved to be Dos Santos’ worst enemy. After isolating Alexia Apostolakis in the penalty area, Dos Santos cut inside took aim, and cannoned another attempt off of the bar.
It would have been expected by Sydney that City would start the second half all guns blazing and indeed they did. Speckamier forced Franco into a tremendous save following excellent close control from half-time substitute Lourdes Bosch to create the opportunity for the visitors. Speckmaier flashed her attempt across the goal and looked likely to nestle in the bottom left if Franco had not intervened.
After getting in such a promising position, Sydney were the architects of their own downfall. A miscued clearance from Franco was pounced upon by Holly McNamara who squared it to McKenna for the simplest of finishes to draw the table toppers level.
The game subsequently became a cagier affair following Melbourne City’s equaliser with chances for a winning goal becoming few and far between. Caley Tallon-Henniker’s deflected shot in the dying stages could have gone anywhere but just flew past the post and both teams had to settle for a point.
Kris Goman’s exclusive set of images from the game for Impetus are now on our Instagram page @ImpetusFootball
Teams: SYDNEY FC (4-3-3) Franco, Bryson, Tunmeth, Tobin, Thompson, Chauvet, Johnson, Caspers, Connors, Ibini, Dos Santos. Substitutes: Edwards, Lemon, Hawkesby, Luchtmeijer, Tallon-Henniker.
Above: Greta Kraszula, who made her A-League Women debut for Central Coast Mariners today. Photo: Central Coast Mariners.
Adelaide United earned an excellent win on the road at Central Coast Mariners today thanks to Emily Hodgson’s goal after nine minutes at Woy Woy Oval.
Entering the match with just one point separating them on the table, it was a high stakes game for both sides. However, the Mariners carried confidence into the fixture, having claimed victory in their last five encounters against the visitors.
Adelaide United started the match firing, with Emily Hodgson opening the scoring from inside the penalty area following a beautiful assist from Chelsie Dawber. It was Hodgson’s first goal in eight years, marking a memorable moment for the defender. Moments later, Dawber nearly added her own name to the scoresheet, but Sarah Langman made a routine save to deny her.
Central Coast had a few attempts of their own, including an effort from Shadeene Evans that lacked direction and failed to trouble Adelaide’s defense. Taylor Ray also tried her luck but sent her shot off target. Langman was called into action again with a stop to shut down another attempt from Dawber, keeping Adelaide from furthering their lead.
Lucía León smartly drew a foul from Ray to earn Adelaide a free-kick in a dangerous position. However, the resulting effort sailed over the crossbar. Fiona Worts, looking to add to her tally of six goals this season, also had a chance but failed to convert.
At halftime, the match remained tightly contested, with possession and shots at goal fairly even. However, Adelaide United continued to look the more threatening side, recording four shots on target compared to the Mariners’ two.
The second half started slowly, with both teams struggling to find rhythm early on. In time though, the shots came flowing. Annalise Rasmussen made a strong run forward and delivered a lovely cross into the box, finding the head of Nunn, who was unable to direct her effort on target. Matilda McNamara came up big for Adelaide, making a vital block to deny Tess Quilligan’s shot, which looked destined to test the goalkeeper.
Central Coast’s recent signing from the AFLW, Sarah Rowe, fired a shot from distance headed straight toward goal but it was easily dealt with by Claudia Jenkins. Nunn tried her luck again with a long-range strike that appeared to be heading in, but Jenkins once again reacted flawlessly to send the effort away from danger. Rasmussen followed up with another attempt, only for McNamara to make another solid block and keep the Mariners at bay.
Both teams made several substitutions in an attempt to spark some life into the match during a lull in play. Peta Trimis delivered a perfectly weighted cross to Annabel Martin, whose header sailed over the bar, leaving her still searching for her first goal in the league.
Late in the game, a yellow card for Jenkins handed the Mariners a free-kick just outside the box, but they failed to convert the opportunity. Adelaide United held firm through added time, securing a 1-0 victory and ending their losing streak against the Mariners.
Next up for the Mariners is a trip to take on Western Sydney Wanderers, aiming to regain confidence. Adelaide United are now in the midst of a busy spell of three games in eight days with them now travelling to Newcastle Jets on Wednesday before hosting Wellington Phoenix next Sunday.
Above:Spectacular action from today’s game at a packed Perry Park between Brisbane Roar (blue shirt) and Canberra United. Photo: Brisbane Roar.
Brisbane Roar have been unable to back up their impressive 8-2 winning win against Western United last week, losing 2-1 at home to Canberra United in front of the league’s highest crowd for a standalone game this season of 3,612.
This result marks Brisbane’s third loss of the season, with two of the three being to Canberra United, who have only won three games this campaign themselves.
Brisbane saw Evdokia Popadoniva return to their starting XI after weeks sidelined with a hamstring injury, but the Bulgarian forward was unable to make an impact on the scoresheet for the Roar.
It wasn’t until the final 20 minutes of the game that the deadlock was able to be broken, done so by the now lead in the race for the Golden Boot with seven goals to her name, Laini Freier. All of those strikes have come in the last three matches.
An impressive hold-up play from Tameka Yallop kept an otherwise well-disciplined Canberra defence occupied in the box. Every defensive eye on the Brisbane Captain, who has been dangerous in front of goal this season, meant that Laini Freier could receive a square ball and shoot down the near post, out of keeper Sally James’ reach.
Canberra took only minutes to respond, through Emma Robers. The midfielder came charging through the centre of the park to get on top of an attempted clearance by the Roar, and then launch a long-range effort from well outside the box. The unexpected shot slipped past Olivia Sekany in goal, tying up the scoreboard with increasingly little time left in regular play.
The visitors completed their comeback and secured the win with a goal scored by none other than Michelle Heyman. The play started with Sally James’ long ball from goal that Brisbane’s defence was unable to clear. Having beaten the defenders and left one-on-one with Sekany in goal, all Heyman had to do was beat the keeper, which she did at the right post with ease.
Canberra United will now return home to the nation’s capital to host Western United on the 11th January at 5pm, while Brisbane have a much quicker turnaround and will play Melbourne Victory at home on 8th at 7pm.
Check out our Instagram page @ImpetusFootball for two sets of images from Richard Haines at Perry Park.
Teams: BRISBANE ROAR (3-3-3-1): Sekany, Blissett, Varley, McQueen, Hayashi, Yallop, Woods, S. Freier, L. Freier, de la Harpe, Popadinova. Substitutes: Pringle, Kruger, Tan, Hecher.
Above:Grace Jale (second left) celebrates her goal that gave Wellington Phoenix the lead today. Photo: Wellington Phoenix.
Wellington Phoenix continued their push for a maiden place in the Finals with a tactically astute win over Perth Glory at Porirua Park today.
Goals from Grace Jale and Olivia Fergusson secured the Phoenix’s fourth win in nine games this season, and the honours in the ‘Distance Derby’ between the two clubs located the furthest apart in world domestic club football at over 5,200 km.
Whilst Paul Temple’s side were not really spoken about in the discussion for the Top Six shake-up ahead of the season, they are now coming in under the radar. Their mix of hugely talented youngsters and those who have been part of the Nix’s A-League Women journey from the start, are revelling under the Temple’s guidance.
Temple made two changes to his starting lineup, bringing in Mebae Tanaka and Zoe McMeeken for Alivia Kelly and Daisy Brazendale. His Perth counterpart Stephen Peters did the same, with Izzy Foletta coming in at right back and Miku Sunaga starting up front. Nat Tathem additionally moved up into midfield from the backline. Co-captain Izzy Dalton and attacker Tanika Lala dropped down to the bench, where locally produced striker Ella Lincoln came in for the first time along with Claudia Valletta .
Phoenix were fastest out of the blocks and conjured up the game’s first opportunity with three minutes played. Lara Wall, who has stepped up impressively from New Zealand’s domestic women’s competition with Cashmere Technical, made ground up the left and played in a high cross to the back post which caught the strong breeze for Tanaka whose shot was blocked by Grace Johnston.
The home side were playing it smart, using their knowledge of the conditions at Porirua Park to loft passes through along with consistently dangerous curling set pieces from Annalie Longo which kept the Glory on the back foot.
Whilst Perth began to even up the possession share, Nix were working hard to stop them from making much progress in an attacking sense. They had their focus on the Glory’s key midfield creators, denying them time on the ball. Whilst the visitors earned a number of corners with the advantage of the wind, they were largely denied any sustained forward momentum by these Wellington tactics.
The hosts were continuing to experience joy along the left. With 23 minutes gone, Longo drove along the flank to send in a teasing ball for Tunaka to head goalwards, but Casey Dumont in the Perth goal made the save comfortably.
Longo was producing a stand-out performance, looking for channels to dart into, this time on the right as she again linked up with Tanaka for Olivia Fergusson to send a shot narrowly wide of the right-hand post.
Perth ended the half on a high with Wynne teaming up with Sunaga along the left. It remained goalless at the break.
However, with less than two minutes of the second period played, Wellington struck. Goalkeeper Carolina Vilão’s clearance kick bounced over Foletta and into the path of Grace Jale. The former Perth player controlled the ball instantly and danced away from the attentions of her defender to crash home a low shot from around 25 yards, slightly to the left of centre, bouncing just in front of Dumont and in.
It was a particularly sweet moment for Jale, who never quite found her best form in a Perth shirt last season.
Moments later, Glory attacker Gabby Hollar was forced from the pitch with what initially looked to be blood coming from her nose. With Sarah O’Donoghue and Kelli Brown also missing long-term from the team’s striking stocks, this was the last thing head coach Peters would have wanted.
With 21 minutes remaining, things got worse still for the visitors. Wall was played in along the left and had space to advance before floating a ball into the box for Fergusson. The attacker got up highest around the penalty shot to get her head onto the ball which bounced down and in near the left-hand post.
Perth responded by bringing on Valletta and Lincoln for their first A-League Women appearances for the club. The Glory then came close twice in quick succession with five minutes remaining. Lala burst through and saw her shot repelled by Vilão, only for the ball to fall into the path of Sunaga who hit a powerful shot from 20 yards against the bar.
That was largely it as the home side ran out comfortable winners. Wellington will aim to cement their top six ambitions over the next eight days, with trips to both Western Sydney Wanderers and Adelaide United.
Perth host Sydney FC on Friday night which now looms large as a vital game between two sides who are lower down the ladder than they would like to be.
Above: Sydney FC in a huddle at Leichhardt Oval. Image: Sydney FC.
by Genevieve Henry(1/4/25).
Sydney FC are having a historically rough season. How could a team that won the Championship last season be at the bottom of the table?
To massively oversimplify – they just can’t score. Defensively, they’re not shipping tons of goals, but the middle of the park is also a problem area. Not only can the Sky Blues not find the back of the net, they’re struggling to create chances.
Sydney have scored an abysmal five goals this season, compared to finals contention teams’ range of 11-27. After round nine last season, they had scored 11. Even then, they were seen as struggling with finding the back of the net. This is on another level of struggle.
The most obvious issue is the lack of a striker. Shea Connors is a great player, but she is not the kind of forward a team can be built around. Previously, she has excelled as a winger, and she’s just not hitting her straps in the position she is being played in.
The lack of a striker was evident last season as well, but the Sky Blues were still being spoiled by a high-scoring winger in Cortnee Vine. Princess Ibini hasn’t hit form in a while either. It’s imperative that Sydney look for a striker during the transfer window, or they may just stay at the bottom of the table. The attack is rudderless.
The acquisition of Kyah Simon was supposed to preemptively fix that. Simon is one of the finest players in the country when she hits form. Unfortunately for both her and Sydney, that doesn’t seem to be often lately, as she can’t seem to shake the injuries.
Simon is the kind of player who can transform an attack and most certainly turn a season around. Sydney will be desperate to get her on the pitch. Juric shared that her injury still “doesn’t look so good” and that “it keeps getting pushed back”.
Other attacking signings such as Hana Lowry and Millie Farrow looked very exciting, but unfortunately for Lowry, she devastatingly tore her ACL right after her maiden Matildas call-up. Juric said of Lowry, “The big loss was Hana. She was a key player for us and everything was sort of set around her in preseason and the first couple of weeks.
“To lose her in that way was quite sad for her and bad for us.” Farrow has looked promising and full of energy but has not transferred that into goals. Young gun Indiana Dos Santos can be great, but she is still developing and cannot be the focal point of the attack, as would be expected of any 17-year-old.
Defensively, Sydney don’t seem to be struggling too much. The loss of Charlotte Mclean is noticeable, but captain Natalie Tobin has returned from her ACL injury looking strong.
Tobin is building a good partnership with American Jordan Thompson, picking up where McClean left off. Tori Tumeth on the right is excelling, as is Faye Bryson when played on the left. When Abbey Lemon is on the left, teams tend to attack that side harshly due to her relative inexperience, but she has shown much promise.
Moving forward into the midfield, a major issue is the lack of consistency. The midfield was supposed to be built around Lowry, but since her injury, the most constant player is 17-year old Maddie Caspers. Caspers has been good, but with the right combination of players around her, she could be great.
Above: Caspers speaking to the media about her faith in the team. Image: Sydney FC.
Speaking to the media, she said, “Last season was a great season for me. I did come in when we were high, but this challenge is gonna make me grow as a player.” She has played alongside variations of Margaux Chauvet, Shay Hollman, Lucy Johnson, and Mackenzie Hawkesby.
Last season, Hawkesby came in and turned things around for Sydney but has not yet hit her groove this season. Once Hollman returns from a small injury, she, Caspers, and Hawkesby could establish a great pattern and connection. If some consistency can be established in the midfield, it could go a long way in spurring Sydney on.
Caspers is confident that they can turn their season around. “We’ve got to keep pushing, working, and training, and I think the results will come.”
Sydney has always been known for being a nurturing environment that allows young players to become stars while still finding success, a rare balance in football. On a positive note for the Sky Blues, Caspers says this culture has not shifted with their current struggle. “It hasn’t been the best start to the season, but the vibes and the culture of the girls is still good.”
All over the field, it’s as though Sydney had forgotten the basics. More often than not, their games seem like kickball. Players who have previously excelled technically look lost and incompetent at times.
Even in their one win of the season, against Western Sydney Wanderers, Sydney looked rough. The passes were off and most players seemed to be kicking the ball big and to no one, just out of panic. By no means does this denote that their players are not up to the task.
The Sky Blues have some of the best players in the league, from young and promising stars to experienced veterans. They are good players going through a slump. This squad has the capability to turn their season around, and they have been improving.
“Sometimes it doesn’t turn around straight away, but you can’t give up.” Juric said, “I’m not fussed with where we are. There are 42 points left…We’re not in a desperate situation at the moment. I’ll be honest with you, it doesn’t look great, but I definitely have belief in this team and so do the players. I can see it, I can feel it.”
Juric is one of, if not the, best coaches in the league. He has won countless titles and trophies. But, what’s happening at his club is mystifying.
Is it the departure of Vine? Is it the injuries to Kirsty Fenton and Hana Lowry? Is it the loss of Jada Whyman between the sticks? Is it Juric’s fault? Sports fans famously love to look for someone to blame. But, it’s impossible to pin it all on one individual. It’s surely a combination of all of these, as well as a million other tiny, behind-the-scenes factors.
Above: Juric speaking to the media this week. Image: Sydney FC.
“Over the last four years, we’ve lost everyone. We’ve got four or five going every year to Europe, which is a credit to the club, but eventually that hurts you and this year has shown a little bit of that.”
Top-of-the-table Melbourne City have not lost a single game this season and look a frightening for Sydney on Sunday. Juric stressed that his Sky Blues will be approaching this game like any other, doing everything within their power to turn their luck around.
One thing that will bring confidence to Sydney is that they arguably played their best football of the season against City in a 1-1 draw in November. The game will be held at Leichhardt Oval, a fortress in recent times for Sydney. While the pitch itself has not been quality this season, the fans and environment will hopefully spur last season’s champions against the premiers.
Sydney needs a reset. Whether it comes in the form of new signings, a shift in tactics, or a change in coaching, the Sky Blues desperately need something to change. Finishing outside of finals contention seems out of the question for a team with Sydney’s history and calibre. If they can get a result against Melbourne City, success will seem possible once again.
Above: Kahli Johnson shields the ball. Photo: Adrian Geremia for Impetus.
Western United has bounced back after a historic 8-2 defeat against Brisbane Roar last week, in an electrifying meeting against Newcastle Jets Ironbark Fields.
Both sides went into the match looking to redeem themselves after suffering heavy defeats in recent weeks, making it a contentious meeting from the first touch.
It appeared early on that it would be Newcastle who were more likely to control the proceedings. High pressure from Western United maintained the intensity and kept their visitors on edge despite having a slight upper hand at the start.
Melissa Taranto’s defensive interception prevented Sheridan Gallagher from opening the scoring in the ninth minute, with an extremely close shot that seemed it would almost certainly reach the back of the net.
After a concerted effort from both sides, with fairly equal passing accuracy and continuous shots that made for an intense first half, the match officials called for two minutes of added time.
Newcastle’s tactical and aggressive defense meant that although a Western United goal seemed imminent, the match remained scoreless at halftime.
The top of the second half saw Western United take control of the ball. Although the hosts became increasingly dominant, Newcastle held their own, and at this point, the match could still go either way.
Newcastle’s attempts were continually intercepted, especially by Western captain Chloe Logarzo, who was never hesitant to use her experience to intercept in difficult areas of the pitch.
The scoring was opened by Western United, when Johnson bundled the ball just over the line, after a clean delivery from Julia Sardo. There was much disagreement over the goal, however, as referee Beth Rattray pointed for a foul, although she ultimately signalled the goal.
As the half wore on, the momentum was lost by the visitors, as it became increasingly difficult for them to keep up, while searching for an equaliser.
Western United doubled their lead in the 79th minute, when Johnson’s header from Kiara De Domizio’s cross, earned Johnson a well-deserved brace.
The intensity picked up during the four minutes of stoppage time, when Newcastle Jets’ Tash Prior, received an immediate red card following an incident involving a crowd member. The penalty was followed with an argument on the pitch, which caused a delay in play, and resulted in a further three yellow cards.
The last moments of the play, saw Johnson search desperately for a hattrick, although the back of the net was not found again, and the match ended in a 2-0 victory to Western United.
To view the photo galleries from Impetus’ Adrian Geremia at Ironbark Park, check out our Instagram page @ImpetusFootball.
Teams: WESTERN UNITED (4-2-3-1): Dall’oste, Sardo, Mihocic, Maher, Grove, Medwin, Roach, M.Taranto, Johnson, Logarzo, Zimmerman. Substitutes: Lincoln, De Domizio, Ibarguen, A.Taranto, Dehakiz.
Above: Chloe Kelly (leaping highest) celebrates after scoring for Manchester City against Paris FC in the Champions League qualifiers earlier this season. Photo: Chloe Kelly Instagram.
England and Manchester City forward Chloe Kelly has had a rough start to the 2024/25 WSL season, having only started one out of the ten league games so far, and suffering with the consequences of concussion.
With four further matches seeing her listed as a substitute and her contract up in the summer, questions are being asked as to whether City may cash in now by letting her move for a fee now rather than potentially ending up losing her on a free transfer in the summer.
Back in October, the Daily Mail reported a breakdown in the relationship between the Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor and the player who scored the winner in the Lionesses’ European Championship triumph.
It is understood that the English forward wants to stay at the club however the two parties are not close to an extension agreement. Instead of playing Kelly, Taylor is choosing to play younger and less experienced players, such as Academy star Lily Murphy, who only signed a professional contract a few weeks ago.
Above: Chloe Kelly’s iconic celebration after scoring England’s winning goal in the European Championship Final at Wembley in 2022. Photo: Lionesses.
With Euro 2025 ahead this summer, Kelly will need to maximise minutes on the field. At present, Sarina Wiegman is still calling her up to the England squad and in a press conference has stated “she isn’t in doubt for us to bring her into the squad.” But that’s not something that can be taken for granted if another player getting regular starts for her club starts hitting goals in week after week.
Kelly leaving Manchester City seems a proposition that can only cause harm to the squad and their hopes of silverware this season. With Lauren Hemp, Vivianne Miedema, and Khadija (Bunny) Shaw all injured, Taylor may now be more inclined to make sure the English forward stays.
However, another option for City would be to bring in more forwards during this transfer window, or for an emergency loan call back for 19-year-old attacker, Poppy Pritchard, who played a vital role for the Young Lionesses in the U19 European Championships last year.
With the women’s game being increasingly about the strength in depth of squads, it seems crazy to even consider Taylor letting Kelly go. After a gut-wrenching end to the 2023/24 season when City missed out on the WSL title on goal difference in the last game of the campaign, one of the key things that transpired they needed to look at was building a larger pool of players with strength in all positions.
Chloe Kelly can be an influential game-changing player when given the opportunity, however, City doesn’t seem willing to give her that chance at present.
Above: Laini Freier celebrates one of her three goals at Western United during the month. Photo: Beck Hartley for Impetus.
Each month, Impetus‘ team of writers and photographers who cover the competition will vote to decide their best player, head coach, and young player in the A-League Women. Here are the winners from December.
Player of the month:
Laini Freier
What a fairytale it’s been for Laini Freier.
Just over two years ago, the victim of a devastating ACL injury, the midfielder came back powerfully to help her Brisbane City side win the NPLW QLD Championship and Premiers Plate in 2024, scoring seven goals in the process.
The offer of a pro-A-League Women contract from Brisbane Roar followed and since making her debut, not only has she not looked back, but she’s created history.
The Roar have a frightening attack with almost a telepathic link-up within it. Freier has revelled in it showing pace, guile, and outstanding finishing. As Brisbane shoot up to second place in the ladder, the midfielder became the first player in the league’s history to hit back-to-back hat-tricks as the Roar recorded 6-1 and 8-2 wins away to Newcastle Jets and Western United respectively.
It’s certainly not be out of the question for Laini to join her twin sister Sharn in the Matildas squad for the She Believes Cup at the end of February.
Head coach of the month:
Michael Matricciani
Above: Melbourne City boss Michael Matricciani. Photo: A-Leagues.
Michael Marricciani has barely put a foot wrong since becoming coach of Melbourne City. The standards that saw them crowned premiers have remained, but he has also tinkered with style and formation and his imprint is obvious.
After another undefeated month of football, City sit atop the ladder with a three point buffer and having scored 22 goals in nine games.
In addition to their dominance, City are flexible and adaptable. They can play a number of formations, and are as strong with three at the back as they are with five.
Matricciani has been willing to rotate his squad and move players into different roles and has been cautious with the return of Holly McNamara while still giving her a chance to impact games.
Brisbane Roar are hot on their heels, but Melbourne City remain the benchmark side so far this season.
Young Player of The Month:
Tiana Fuller
Above: Tiana Fuller – it’s been an incredible start to her A-League Women career. Photo: Central Coast Mariners.
The A-League Women is very much a stage for the nation’s youngsters, but even among the best, Tianna Fuller has had a standout December.
Two goals in two games is a strong return for anybody , for a 16 year old scholarship player it is exceptional and exciting.
Fuller plays with confidence and composure beyond her experience. Both of her goals were well taken and changed the course of the match.
The Central Coast Mariners are a finals threat again this year, and much of that is thanks to Fuller’s exploits.
Impetus‘ A-League Award Winners 2024/25:
November 2024
Player: Tameka Yallop (Brisbane Roar).
Young Player: Sarah O’Donoghue (Perth Glory).
Head Coach: Alex Smith (Brisbane Roar).
December 2024
Player: Laini Freier (Brisbane Roar).
Young Player: Tiana Fuller (Central Coast Mariners).
Above: Perth Glory head coach Stephen Peters speaking to the media ahead of the team’s marathonjourney to Wellington. Image: Perth Glory.
Perth Glory head coach Stephen Peters is convinced his team is heading in the right direction – but just need to improve game management in the small percentages of a match to reach their potential.
“As a unit, we’re in a much better place,” Peters said at the club’s Fremantle HQ, “but there are those little small percentages and those small margins in games that we’re not managing 100% and we just have to be better at those to turn 1-0 losses into 1-0 wins.
“Central Coast – 85th minute goal to lose 1-0. I think it was a similar story against (Melbourne) Victory…92 actually I think it was, so that’s two 1-0 losses that I think we could have got a point (each) out of.
“Western Sydney Wanderers, I felt that we dominated the game for large periods, we conceded an 85th-minute goal and then got a 95th-minute penalty. In our opinion, that was two points dropped there.
“Canberra United, I felt like we were very good for three points in that game, we conceded a late equaliser there to draw 1-1, so we’ve left quite a few points out there. We have to maintain the positivity that we’re on the right path. The thing that has alluded us is a clean sheet…moving forward we really need to keep fighting for that clean sheet, that’s probably where our next evolution is for the team.”
Another area that the Glory are focusing on is their goalscoring. Ten goals have been scored in the club’s eight games – something which could have been significantly higher. Yet, the team’s creative midfield is producing opportunities, which is something Peters sees as a huge positive.
“Our attack actually, funnily enough, has improved, but it’s not showing in terms of the goals we’re scoring. If you look at the style we are playing, we are evolving as a team and we’re creating better opportunities, we just need to take them.”
Above: Charli Wainwright (left) – the young locally produced midfielder has stepped up brilliantly for her first taste of A-League Women football this season. Photo: Rob Lizzi for Impetus.
Perth’s progress has been hampered by a growing injury list that sees attackers Kelli Brown and Sarah O’Donoghue on the sidelines which has given opportunities to several more young locally produced players to get A-League Women minutes.
“The injuries have obviously not been very kind to us, but that’s all part of football,” Peters admitted, “It’s the next opportunity for someone to step up and put in a shift like Charli Wainwright has done in the last couple of weeks. She’s done an exceptional job, and we’ll keep looking for the next local girl who is going to give us that.
Glory now are bracing themselves to make the longest away trip in domestic world club football – 5,263 km (3,270 miles) to face Wellington Phoenix on Saturday. It will be a new experience for Peters and many of the Perth squad, with additional preparations above and beyond those for a normal game being factored in.
“We think about the football aspect and prepare the players as best we can and try and have an energetic performance, because the main concern is that you won’t travel well, and we need to do that part well.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how we adapt…Hopefully, the ones who have done it before give us a little bit of leadership from it. From all the discussions we’ve had, there’s been lots of positive feelings about previous trips to New Zealand, so we’re looking forward to it. Any opportunity we get out to fight for three points, we’re looking forward to it.
“Three points are a premium, and if we can get them…it will help us close the gap on the top six, and the teams above that – Melbourne City, Brisbane, Melbourne Victory – they’re doing very well. There’s a lot of work to do, but we’ve got to make sure we stay with the pack first.”
“Wellington is an excellent side. I think they are probably the closest team in terms of what we’re trying to do…they are in the opposition’s face a lot and causing a lot of errors in the opposition’s back third…from all reports, they are quite a physical team as well. It’s going to be tough.”
Above: Megan Wynne speaking to the media ahead of Saturday’s game at Wellington Phoenix. Image: Perth Glory.
Perth Glory’s Cymru international Megan Wynne believes that improved game management is the key to the side picking up the wins that can move them up the table.
The Western Australian side has a large group of young players in the squad this season, and Wynne recognises that as one of the more experienced heads in the team she needs to play a role in helping the decision-making process among those at the start of their A-League Women careers.
“We have a big divide in terms of ages in the group, so it’s about getting the young ones to step up a little bit, and we’ve noticed in the last few games losing 1-0 it’s been tough and there’s little mistakes in there that might not happen if you were a bit more experienced, so it’s managing games and teaching the young ones in terms of what you can do better to manage games and see out results.”
The 19-cap international has become an increasingly influential member of the Glory side this season, as the former Tottenham Hotspur player gradually settles into both a new country and a new league in a quicker time scale than she would ideally have liked.
“It seems to have been a short pre-season which has been tough, especially for those that have come in from overseas like myself. I had four months out of the game, training on my own, I feel I needed a few more weeks to get into it, but I feel things are starting to settle now. Friendships are building on and off the pitch. We’ve had a few injuries as well, so each week when the starting XI changes a bit, it’s been a bit tough.”
Wynne is starting to love the A-League Women, she is appreciative of its quality and believes it is testing her in new ways.
“You never know what you are going to get weekend to weekend,” she smiles. “Everyone seems to be beating everyone at the minute and there’s a hell of a lot of goals. I think the transitional side of it is very fast-paced and attacking – something I’m not used to as much, but I’ve been learning a lot the last few weeks. Hopefully, I continue to improve and make more of a mark than I have at the minute.
“I’ve been battered around a little bit, there’s a few bumps and bruises, but I like a physical battle so it’s been tough, but nothing I can’t handle.”
Something else that Wynne believes that she can handle is the long journey to Wellington later this week to take on the Phoenix on Saturday. Whilst there were no 5,000 km plus away trips in her career in the second tier in England, there were interminably long journeys cramped up on a bus that took longer than A-League Women away trips by plane.
“Travelling to Sunderland was six, seven hours on a coach, so for me, flying seems more of a walk in the park rather than jumping on a crammed coach. My room-mate will be Izzy Dalton and she’s done it plenty of times before, so I’ll learn off her, and learn ways to deal with the time difference (Wellington is five hours ahead of Perth).
“It’s certainly going to be different! A lot of us haven’t been to New Zealand, not alone the flight all the way there and that long trip, but we’ll be well prepared. We’re flying two days before.”
Despite the heartache and frustration of conceding another late goal to lose against Central Coast Mariners last weekend, Wynne revealed that positivity surrounds the Perth squad at present.
“We’ve had a good week of training, spirits are high after the weekend, obviously it was a tough result, but we’re looking to move on quickly, although the travel will be tough, I don’t think it fazes us, so the vibe is good.”
Wynne is aiming to continually step up her performance levels as she has the huge carrot of earning a recall to a Cymru squad who have sealed qualification for their first ever major international tournament later in 2025.
“There’s no better feeling. It’s been bittersweet – watching the girls back home, I haven’t been selected for the last couple of camps, but I’m hoping now that I’m back playing regularly and getting good minutes I can push my way in there and be in contention for a place maybe at the Euros.”
Above: The Lionesses come together to celebrate. Photo: Lionesses.
It was a mixed year for the Lionesses. A common complaint has been that they struggle to create chances and score goals, but how bad has 2024 really been? Has the country been so conditioned to expect total dominance from the team that won the 2022 European Championship, or have they stagnated and declined? Is Wiegman still the head coach to take them forward, or has her stubbornness decimated this England squad’s ability to be creative? I am going to try to answer these questions.
2024 in review
Let’s start with the big picture. In 2024, England played 12 matches: six competitive matches and six friendlies. They won seven, drew three, and lost two. The two losses came against France in a competitive fixture (2-1), and Germany in a friendly (4-3). In the same period, Spain lost three games, the Netherlands lost four, and France lost seven, suggesting that several of Europe’s top national teams struggled in 2024.
There could be a myriad of reasons for this; personally, I believe that the women’s game has progressed in the last few years to a point where the balance between an attacking performance and a defensive one is more fluid; teams are changing shapes more often, and as lower-ranked teams begin to catch up with these tactics and athleticism, they will beat top-ranked teams more often. The evidence for this is beyond the scope of this article, and something I hope to revisit.
In addition to this, I think many teams are experiencing a transition. As women’s football has grown, an increasing number of countries have developed youth programmes. England, for example, now have established teams at U17, U19 and U23 levels.
This is reflected across many of the world’s top international teams and means that there is more scope for including younger players in competitive games as they have some experience at the international level. European nations had two major tournaments (the 2022 European Championships and the 2023 World Cup) barely a year apart, and straight after the World Cup they were then pitched into the Nations League, giving teams little time to embed these younger players in a holistic way.
So, who is ‘struggling’ to score goals?
In 2024, England scored 26 goals over 12 games (2.1 goals per game); France scored 29 goals over 17 games (1.7 goals per game); Spain scored 44 goals over 18 games (2.4 goals per game), and the Netherlands scored 11 goals over 11 games (1 goal per game)[1].
Although there have been changes (notably against Sweden at home, South Africa, and Switzerland), England have used a relatively consistent front three of Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo, and Beth Mead. This front three got off to a good start in the February window, with a 7-2 smashing of Austria. Russo and Hemp appeared again in the next friendly against Italy, recording a 5-1 win. It is therefore natural that they retained their place as England’s starting forward line for the European Championship qualifiers.
In their group, England played Sweden, France, and the Republic of Ireland twice each, with three wins, two draws, and a loss.
To determine the quality of England’s attacking performance through the qualifiers, I have compared our attempts and shots on target to those of France.
England
France
Attempts
Shots on target
Attempts
Shots on target
Sweden [D]
10
3
Rep. of Ireland [W]
21
2
Rep. of Ireland [W]
9
5
Sweden [W]
13
4
France [L]
16
4
England [W]
7
4
France [W]
12
6
England [L]
10
2
Rep. of Ireland [W]
16
7
Sweden [W]
17
6
Sweden [D]
4
1
Rep. of Ireland [L]
10
2
67
26
78
20
Across the fixtures, England scored eight goals and conceded five. France scored eight goals and conceded seven. England had a total of 26 shots on target across the six games, whilst France had 20; however, France created more chances, with 78 compared to England’s 67. This suggests that the quality of England’s finishing was better than France’s throughout the qualifiers; scoring 39% of their attempts compared to France’s 26%.
As an aside – some media and fans have implied that England struggled to qualify and scraped through – which I find interesting given that the Lionesses finished three points ahead of Sweden and with the best goal difference in the group. France also lost an additional game – to the Republic of Ireland (3-1) in their last qualifier. England and other countries like the Netherlands also struggled during their last qualifier, perhaps suggesting fatigue played a role.
So, do England have a scoring problem?
Comparing recent games to those of the 2023 World Cup, the number of shots on target is similar. For example, against Denmark in the group stage, England won 1-0 with 13 total shots, four on target and an xG of 1.15. Against Nigeria, they also had four shots on target (along with a red card for Lauren James). Many hold up the Euros in 2022 as the pinnacle of Lioness performances – however in the 2-1 win over Spain, Wiegman’s team had three shots on target compared to their six, and in our first group stage game against Austria, we had five shots on target, leading to a 1-0 win.
This suggests to me that there has not been a substantial decrease in the number of shots on target; and that any decline has been to do with the quality of finishing – which could have several reasons, however the strongest reason to me is around player confidence and club form: it is impossible to underestimate the impact of player confidence on performance, particularly (I would argue) when it comes to finishing.
At Arsenal, Alessia Russo has had a relatively consistent output, but there have been periods of low confidence and a lack of club goals. Although club and country form are different, the psychological impact is arguably transferable, and I think this has troubled England because Russo and Mead – two key attacking outlets – have played for the same underwhelming Arsenal team. Now that Arsenal and Russo are scoring again, this should prove a confidence boost.
Rotation is not always the solution
The main criticism I see levelled at the England coaching team is that they are too stubborn to give youth a chance and pick favourites. This is based around one key assumption, that players should be picked based on club form.
Above: Chelsea’s Aggie Beever-Jones – a player that a number of fans would like to see more of in the England starting XI. Photo: Chelsea FC Women.
In previous competitions, Wiegman has preferred to stick to a consistent starting XI. Her reasoning for this has been that a team who have worked together extensively will have more cohesion than a team that has new players in. In tournaments, I would argue her approach has been proven to work; in appearances at four major tournaments, she has reached four finals.
I think the assertion that she picks favourites is erroneous: in 2024, (at my count) 27 different players played for England. There have been debuts for Millie Turner, Grace Clinton, Ruby Mace, Laura Blinkilde-Brown, Aggie Beever-Jones, and Jess Naz. My biggest argument is probably that Mary Earps, a longstanding Wiegman favourite, has been on the bench in favour of Hannah Hampton. Grace Clinton started in midfield against Sweden at Wembley, and in the four winter friendlies, eight changes were made between the Germany and South Africa matches; four between the South Africa and USA encounters, and 10 between the USA and Switzerland games.
Complaints around the forward line have centred mainly on the use of Russo and Mead over players like Aggie Beever Jones, despite poorer club form. Whilst I understand the impulse to suggest that club form should be prioritised, in reality there are different practicalities. Club form is different as it is a different team, potentially a different system, with different expectations.
I understand not giving a young player minutes at Wembley against Germany in front of at least 50,000 fans. Beever-Jones does not start every game for Chelsea, whereas Russo starts most games for Arsenal. I think the Chelsea youngster is a brilliant player and want to see her included in England squads. But there is a danger of utilising younger players in big games – and I would argue that due to our expectations, all England games are big games.
For example, when changes are made and an experimental lineup produced – as against South Africa and Switzerland, the response to a less than dominant performance is just as negative.
The standards we hold this England team to have become so high that anything less than total dominance is deemed substandard – which is counterintuitive as the pressure the response creates impedes the team’s ability to improve and Wiegman’s ability to experiment.
There is a need for nuance and understanding – there is always more than meets the eye to every performance, and for the good of the game, we should at least try to understand that.
[1] Important note about the Netherlands score: I omitted one result, a 15-0 friendly win over Indonesia, as it would skew results. Indonesia are ranked 97th in the world (as of December 2024).
impetusfootball.org 