ALW Tackle: Sydeny FC’s title hopes take a huge hit with Kirsty Fenton ruled out with ACL tear

The dreaded ACL injury has struck Australian football once more - and this time it has the potential to derail Sydney FC’s premiership campaign.–

Sydney FC’s hopes of snagging another A-League’s Women’s premiership have taken a huge hit with key defender Kirsty Fenton ruled out for the rest of the season with a ruptured ACL.

The Sky Blues are on a mission to win their fourth consecutive Premiership, if they win two out of their three remaining games.

The 20-year-old is now the ninth player this season to suffer the injury plaguing women’s football. With 20 matches having been played so far the rate of injury is almost equal to one player every two weeks.

Fenton is the second Sydney FC player to fall to the injury with captain Natalie Tobin rupturing her ACL back in Round 1.

A distraught Fenton is helped from the field. Picture: Getty

The defender had to be helped off the field, in visible pain, by her teammates during Sydney FC’s 4-2 win over Wellington Phoenix on Sunday, just 10 minutes in.

Fenton is booked in for surgery in April and will likely miss most of the 2024/25 season with the injury requiring at least 9-12 months rehab.

“It’s a kick in the guts and not something you want to hear, especially coming to the end of the season where we are aiming to make history,” Fenton said.

“It’s not ideal and I’m going to miss being out there with the girls but I know they and everyone at the club will have my back, and I’ll get this and come back stronger.

“I’ve spoken to girls who have done it recently and they’ve all said that you find yourself and you come back stronger mentally.

Kirsty Fenton in action for the Sky Blues. Picture: Getty

“That’s what I’ll focus on, myself, my mental side and coming back better than I was before.

“But obviously it hurts. Knowing that I have Nat [Captain Nat Tobin also coming back from ACL] makes me feel a lot better.

“It sucks for her as well and she shouldn’t be going through it either, but I’m glad I have someone like her to help get me through it.”

Coach Ante Juric said his heart went out to Fenton – a key player in the team.

“It’s disappointing to have her out and for the team to suffer another major injury,” Juric said.

“We’ve used these setbacks before as motivation to perform for our injured players and we’ll be looking to do that in the final matches of this season.”

Fenton will miss Sydney FC’s three remaining games of the regular season and Finals Series campaign, starting with this Sunday’s clash with Adelaide United at Leichhardt Oval – 4pm kick off.

YOUNG MATILDAS GIVE GLIMPSE OF BRIGHT FUTURE

The future of Aussie women’s football is in very good hands with a talented group of A-Leagues stars helping the Young Matildas claim third at the U-20 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

It was a tough battle with the Young Matildas finally breaking through and finding the net, off the boot of Lara Gooch, in the 79th minute to beat South Korea 1-0.

It is the best performance by an Aussie under-20s side at the competition since 2006.

A promising sign when you consider the 2019 Aussie side, which lost the bronze medal match against South Korea 9-1, featured Mary Fowler, Kyra Cooney-Cross and Courtney Nevin.

The likes of Daniela Galic, Maddie Caspers, Peta Trimis, Shay Hollman and Chloe Lincoln will be welcomed with open arms by their A-Leagues clubs next weekend as the race to finals nears its end.

If the youngsters stay on their current trajectory they could well be playing at the AFC Asian Women’s Cup expected to be hosted by Australia in January 2026.

Could Maddie Caspers be part of the Matildas 2026 Asia Cup campaign? Picture: Getty Images

Finals threat

Western Sydney Wanderers seemed to have found their form just in time for finals. They backed up from their dominant 4-1 mid-week win over Canberra United with a 1-0 win over Glory at the weekend.

Striker Sophie Harding, who missed the midweek clash with an ankle injury, was in top form- scoring a contender for goal of the season from outside the box to win the match.

The Wanderes have a tough run into the finals. Picture: Getty Images

If they can keep the form going for the remaining two weeks they will have booked themselves a spot in the finals series. Not an easy task with competition leaders Western United and Wellington Phoenix in their path.

If they keep their winning streak going the confidence boost will make Wanderers hard to beat.

BEAT THE HEAT

While it might technically not be summer yet temperatures are still soaring across most states and mid-afternoon kick offs mean players are playing in sweltering conditions.

One of the changes introduced by the APL this season was no kicks off before 3pm in the “summer period”. They defined that as being from December to mid-February.

While we are in March and it is technically Autumn temperatures in Adelaide and Melbourne this weekend hit close to 30 degrees, both games needing drinks breaks. It is far from uncommon for warm weather right up until April.

If it was possible to have schedules for the summer period with later matches why not just continue it for the remainder of the season.

Western United have had a good campaign with just two matches to play until finals kick off. Picture: Getty Images

The heat impacts the players’ ability, increases risk of injury and can also reduce the number of people who come out to watch.

Once the clock hit the 75th minute in the all important derby match between Victory and City, which ended 0-0, players started dropping to the ground, some with cramps, others with minor injuries. The quality dropped too.

To prove the impact of the heat Victory haven’t played out a goalless draw once the entire season. City doing it just once against Sydney FC.

Hardly fair with finals on the line for some teams to be playing in the heat while others have later kick offs.

Originally published as ALW Tackle: Sydeny FC’s title hopes take a huge hit with Kirsty Fenton ruled out with ACL tear