Adelaide City to face West Adelaide in Sunday’s women’s Premier Cup final at Adelaide Shores

MICHELLE Male hopes to help Adelaide City women match their best ever season when she leads the Black and Whites for the last time in Sunday’s Premier Cup final against West Adelaide.

MICHELLE Male hopes to help Adelaide City match its best ever season when she leads the women’s soccer powerhouse for the last time in Sunday’s Premier Cup final.

The skipper will end her 13-year career with City after the decider against West Adelaide at Adelaide Shores.

The centre-back is also aiming to take the club to its first league and cup double since 2010.

“It would mean the world and top off a great season that everyone has had,” Male says.

“We’re all so unbelievably pumped (for the final) it’s not funny.”

City wrapped up its third straight women’s Premier League championship and its fifth in six years after a 5-0 win over Fulham United a fortnight ago.

The side has continued its rich form in the cup, scoring 13 goals and conceding none on the road to the final.

“In pre-season we always work on the defence first and focus on the attacking afterwards,” Male says.

“We’re definitely not a team of individuals because we all work as a unit.”

Male, 25, joined City in 2002.

After dedicating her entire playing career to the club, the Underdale resident says the final is a fitting time to hang up her boots.

“I just want to end on a high.

“I think it’s just time for a change.”

League encounters between City and West have been tight this season.

The Black and Whites won 3-2 in April, but could only manage a 1-1 draw last month.

City will look to 18-goal leading scorer Daniela DiBartolo and the creativity of Adelaide United W-League target Georgia Campagnale to fire them to the cup.

“I don’t know if we’re favourites – we’re definitely not thinking as favourites because we know how strong West Adelaide is,” Male says.

“They’re very experienced and very knowledgeable and they are ready to play.”

West meanwhile will look to cap its first season as a top-flight women’s club with an upset win.

The side, which won the reserves competition under the Adelaide Olympic banner last year, has been the Premier League’s surprise packet, finishing third in its debut campaign.

West co-captain Chrissa Pavlomanolakos says the rivalry between the clubs, forged in the men’s game in the former National Soccer League, extends to the women’s teams.

“I prefer to go into games like this as the underdog, rather than have high expectations,” the 26-year-old midfielder says.

“Adelaide City are the benchmark for the league, but anything can happen in cup games.

“There is always a rivalry between us, and it’s a game that a lot of the players look forward to.”

The firepower of West’s top scorer Ruth Wallace, who has plundered 20 goals this year, will be crucial in the decider.

Pavlomanolakos says the creativity of midfielder, Christina Papageorgiou, and co-captain, Sandra Scalzi, both of whom previously played for City, is also key.

“If we just focus on playing our game, we’ll get the result we’re looking for,” the former state junior who hails from the Riverland says.

“To win the cup would cap off a great year, and would be extraordinary for us.”