Opinion
With games almost every day of the week, this round of A-League Women saw the highest highs and the lowest lows.
Kiwi history
It was the little bit of Kiwi history that had been threatening to occur for a few weeks, and finally, in the first capital city derby, Wellington Phoenix got their maiden win with a 3-0 result over Canberra United.
After back-to-back 3-2 defeats in which the Nix opened the scoring – and a 2-0 loss to Melbourne Victory – Wellington had shown that they absolutely had what it took to win a game and make their first season a memorable one.
As the weeks progressed, Canberra’s form suggested the team in green was one that the Phoenix could indeed beat.
Chloe Knott opened the scoring, lashing at the ball from just inside the box. Just as they had shown in previous weeks, Gemma Lewis’s side were able to build up their attacks, no longer hitting and hoping to relieve defensive pressure.
The young team did well to contain the likes of Ash Sykes and Michelle Heyman and, even more importantly, continue finding the back of the net. A long ball out to Grace Jale saw her beat a few Canberra defenders for pace before she coolly finished past Chloe Lincoln.
Ava Pritchard’s attempted shot hit the thigh of Ally Haran and deflected into the goal to take Wellington to three goals and made their dreams of a win become a reality.
Any first win is special and memorable but for this Nix side it feels even more meaningful. The club announced it would have a women’s team in September 2021. The team has spent the entire season in Australia thanks to border restrictions. For such a young squad to be so far from home and trying to navigate professional football and homesickness, they have shown immense character.
But this isn’t just a story of plucky underdogs. The Nix didn’t scrap and pull together a jammy win. This side have shown they can play some serious football. Up appears to be the only direction for them.
They may not win again this season, but these three points against Canberra will always mean so much to the team, the city and women’s football in New Zealand.
The higher the pedestal, the harder the fall
The flipside of Wellington’s feel-good win was the continued winless streak for Canberra United. After two consecutive 3-3 draws, Canberra appeared to be finding some sort of chaotic groove. But the team had no answers against the Nix, and so this proud club is still without a win in season 2021-22.
Canberra will feel slightly grateful that their result wasn’t the worst of the weekend, with Perth Glory copping four against Melbourne City, the Wanderers letting five slip past them and Brisbane Roar capitulating to an 8-2 defeat.
But Canberra’s and particularly the Roar’s seasons so far have been so off the mark and so far from the lofty heights expected of them both internally and externally that they will spark conversations.
Both teams have incredibly talented players among their ranks. Michelle Heyman is the reigning Julie Dolan medallist, while Ash Sykes has been a revelation in her second stint in the league. Brisbane’s attacking options include Katrina Gorry, who has the ball on a string; Shea Connors, who has all the endeavour with less of the final product than both she and the club would like; and Mariel Hecher’s creativity and tenacity.
Explaining their respective fall of fortunes on the loss of key players feels like an incomplete explanation. Brisbane are without multiple Matildas and lost mountains of experience, with both Clare Polkinghorne and Kim Carroll departing from the centre of defence. Canberra lost Nicki Flannery to injury and Kendall Fletcher and Jessika Nash.
Instead serious questions must be asked of the coaches, recruiters and administrators in the off-season as the clubs look to start fresh next season.
Wanderer woes
Another team who will have questions asked of them but whose position in the league is much less surprising than Canberra and Brisbane’s are the Western Sydney Wanderers.
Their 5-0 loss to Melbourne Victory signalled a complete departure from the team that not too long ago boasted the second stingiest defence in the league.
In fact in the first half of this season the Wanderers’ issue could be solely focused on the front half of the pitch. And while it wasn’t ideal, it was easy to diagnose and not as large a cause for concern as it could be.
But the team has lost its defensive structure entirely. They went from conceding five goals in their opening seven games to conceding the same amount in a single game. The likes of Alex Chidiac and Kyra Cooney-Cross were able to cut through the backline like a knife through butter.
The most damning evidence against the Wanderers defence was Catherine Zimmerman’s second goal. With a total lack of urgency following the recycled ball back into Victory’s 18-yard box, the Western Sydney defenders resembled red and white hooped training cones.
Zimmerman was allowed to follow up her initial efforts without the slightest amount of pressure. And with only Sarah Langman to beat, she was able to find the back of the net.
If social media is anything to go by, things aren’t particularly rosy at Wanderland, with former coaches tweeting their displeasure at the club. The club’s history-making 2018-19 season, when they played finals for the first time, has never felt further away.
Football ferns departures and what it means for clubs
The February international window won’t see any activity from the Matildas, but the Football Ferns – New Zealand’s national team – will be taking part in the SheBelieves Cup. With a plethora of Kiwis in the league, six clubs will be missing at least one player for the next couple of weeks.
Melbourne City are hardest hit, with Hannah Wilkinson and Rebekah Stott being called up. While it is a marvellous achievement for Stott, who rejoins the national team for the first time in two years, City will need to plug holes in both the forward line and the midfield.
Lily Alfeld has been a rock for the Phoenix this season, and while they have Brianna Edwards to call on, finding a third keeper to sit on the bench may prove to be more difficult, with the club’s league-imposed squad constraints adding complexity to the recruitment attempts.
Claudia Bunge has been a mainstay in the heart of Victory’s defence. Jeff Hopkins will likely have to push Amy Jackson back into centreback to fill the hole once again; it’s a role she’s had plenty of experience with this season following Kayla Morrison’s injury.
Sydney FC will lose Paige Satchell, but having recently regained their Matildas, they won’t be lacking firepower. Meanwhile, Liz Anton will be missing for Perth Glory, while the Western Sydney Wanderers won’t be able to call on Malia Steinmetz in the centre of the park.
Although it is typically only one player being lost, all of these Kiwis play vital roles for the clubs.
A table of two halves
The table is firmly split in two, with five teams vying for four finals spots and only five points separating the bottom five sides.
With Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory sitting in third and fourth respectively, both on 21 points, and Perth Glory only just behind them on 18, these three sides will battle it out to see who makes the cut.
Victory have two games in hand on both of those teams and will look to make a statement when they face Sydney FC midweek.
Down the other end of the table Newcastle Jets have seemingly eliminated themselves from the finals race. Even with two games in hand the Jets are nine points behind Perth Glory, firmly placing them on the bottom half of the table.
However, the Jets will avoid the scrap at the bottom, with Wellington Phoenix’s win seeing them draw level on points with the still winless Canberra United. The team in green sit in ninth by virtue of a better goal difference.
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