A-League Women Pride Round: Sydney FC keep finals hope alive with first away win against Canberra United in five years
Against the side that denied them the opportunity to lift the Premiership at McKellar Park last season, fallen giants Sydney FC got their revenge on Canberra United in late March with a narrow 1-0 Pride Round victory, in a match that ensured their unlikely quest for finals football would remain alive for the time being.
Contrary to recent meetings between the two opponents, the 2023/24 Champions arrived as the less-fancied side, on track to complete their worst ever A-League Women season having never missed a finals spot, and appeared in the last seven Grand Finals.
For the hosts, a victory would ensure that their race for a first finals appearance since the 2020/21 season would be firmly within their grasp, for the final three matches of the season.
The game kicked off against the backdrop of the club’s pride celebrations, prompting rainbow kit numbers to be displayed on the United players’ jerseys, and plenty of support for the initiative to be displayed throughout the extensive home crowd.
It was United who began the better of the two sides as they pressed to find an earlier opener, and penned Sydney back in their own half.
Set pieces in particular were the main threat to the Sky Blues’ goal early on, as an 11th-minute Teagan Bertolissio header found the crossbar from close range, following a pinpoint Emma Robers corner.
Sydney responded around ten minutes later with a set piece threat of their own, after Nat Tobin’s headed knock down eventually found Tori Tumeth through the crowd, although Bertolissio was there for Canberra to block the defender’s attempt on the goal line.
The match remained on a knife edge for much of the contest, and heading into the second half at 0-0, it looked increasingly likely that one goal would be enough for either side to claim three crucial points.
It was the home side that will feel as though they should’ve taken the lead on 63 minutes, as another Robers in-swinger found Madison Ayson free at the back post, and although her two scrambling efforts on goal from close range looked to have both potentially crossed the line and then hit the arm of Shay Hollman, referee Rachael Mitchenson did not signal the goal.
Canberra would go on to rue that chance on 78 minutes, as Indiana Dos Santos, playing against her sister Jynaya, found space in behind, and showing great composure, squared it to Mackenzie Hawkesby, who’s side footed effort from the edge of the area found the net, giving Sydney a 1-0 lead with just 12 minutes remaining.
Calls of offside on Millie Farrow and a foul on Ayson in the build up were not heeded by the referee.
Having taken the league Sydney could’ve been 2-0 up, although Princess Ibini’s seemingly clear-cut penalty appeal was waved away, after a mistimed tackle by Alex McKenzie.
Despite late chances for Canberra, Sydney’s defensive performance proved to be enough to carry them to victory, and keep their slim, but still mathematically possible hopes of finals alive, with a first three points in the capital since 2020.
For the Team in Green, it represented a match that could’ve looked a lot different, if some decisions were given.
“I just believe in this team a lot and it’s disappointing when we’re putting out good performances and honestly in my opinion it’s referees mistakes that are costing us games and that’s a hard one to swallow,” United Midfielder Emma Robers said post-match. “The girls put everything on the line and I don’t think we can ask for much more than that.”
Typical of the history between Sydney and Canberra, it was a high-intensity and tight contest between the two, with both sides showing immense desire to claim the three points.
“It’s passionate, you can feel the energy no one wants to go down, it’s aggressive, there’s a high press from both teams, I mean they are the games you love to play at the end of the day as well,” Robers said.
Canberra remain in seventh place, just one point off Brisbane Roar in sixth who have a game in hand, meaning that heading into the final three matches for the season, the pressure is well and truly on with five teams below them still able to clinch a finals spot.
“They’re massive, they’re do or die for us now, but as everyone loves to say pressure is a privilege, and we’ve worked so hard to get to this position so we’ll keep fighting to make sure we are in that top six at the end of the day,” Robers said.
As to how Head Coach Antoni Jagarinec will coach the squad to both manage the pressure of competing in must-win games, and emphasising the importance of getting the job done, he says it’s all about one direction.
“Every game in this league is tough,” he said post-match. “We have a range of, from a 16 year old to a 36 year old, so everyone’s got vast experiences on the football park, and they’re going to manage that themselves a little bit differently.”
“The global message is going to be, play a collective style of football, whatever the game plan might be, commit to it, and see what happens in those moments.”
Canberra turned their attentions to Perth Glory for Round 21 the following Saturday for a chance to keep their finals dreams alive, and ultimately prevailed 2-1.
Photos by Sam Watson