Incredibly, our Liberty A-League side finds itself in an exciting second place after six games, seven points clear in a finals spot as well. Albeit impressive, this strong start to the season has not been without its troubles, with a couple of narrow wins and an undeserved loss to the Victory in December.
However, the girls will have an exciting opportunity as they take on the league leaders in Sydney FC, who has proven to be a free-scoring and dominant side, scoring 23 times in seven games and holding the majority of possession in every game this season. They are certainly a worthy opponent in any title race, and it promises to be a smashing game.
If we are to come away with a win Saturday afternoon, we will be in a promising position; 1 point below first with a game in hand. If the pendulum shifts in the other direction, we’ll be hard pressed to keep up the pace.
With so much riding on this mid-season heavyweight battle, here are the three things to watch out for this weekend:
Sydney score when they want
This will not be an easy win, no matter which way you look at it. Sydney FC have had an unbelievable start to this season, scoring in excess of three goals per game, with 15 goals coming from their last three games. To make matters worse, they’ve only conceded one goal all season. Bonkers.
Veteran María José Rojas will certainly be looking to add to her hattrick tally last time out against Canberra, where she proved her experience with some well-measured finishes and general play.
A potent attack and brick-wall defence are both fantastic assets toward winning trophies, and they will be looking at us as a routine win on their way.
But then again, they haven’t met our Hannah Wilkinson, have they?
Wilkinson needs to get on the scoresheet
This may be premature to some, but if we are to get the win against Sydney FC, our imposing striker will need to have her shooting boots on. While we do have avenues to score all over the pitch, we’re talking about a fantastic player who has already scored 5 goals against Victory… why can’t she do that against Sydney?
Only measuring two shots on goal against Adelaide, the girls around Hannah must be more supportive and clinical against Sydney. That will be the only way to get a win against the well-drilled side.
This could be a Grand Final preview
Don’t ask any Victory or Adelaide fans, but this could very well be an insight into who we’re watching come Grand Final time. Both sides boast an incredible attacking line, strong defence and an ability to win ugly, which are all key components in a title-winning side as I have stated previously.
Saturday afternoon, we will be able to see who the real deal is. There are so many players that can make a considerable impact for City, such as Rhianna Pollicina, whose winning goal against Adelaide solidified second spot. She could be paving the way for her first senior trophy.
You thought Kyrgios vs Medvedev was entertaining... Just you wait until Hannah Wilkinson slots her 5th goal in tomorrow night. This match promises to be an incredible display of the best that our domestic football has to offer.
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