Sydney FC and Melbourne City ready to lock horns as both chase a record third W-League crown
IT’S the grand final where something has to give, and someone has to set a new landmark. Sydney FC and Melbourne City are both chasing a record third W-League title on Sunday
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IT’S the grand final where something has to give, and someone has to set a new landmark.
Sydney FC and Melbourne City are both chasing a record third W-League title on Sunday at Allianz Stadium, pitching the old-guard against the new power on the block
Sydney won the second W-League season and again in 2012-13, but City have won the past two thanks to a star-studded line-up.
If they could secure a third-straight W-League championship, captain Jess Fishlock says it would be a record that may never be matched.
In just its third W-League season, City stormed to a third consecutive grand final with a 2-0 semi-final win over Brisbane Roar on Sunday.
Since the W-League started in 2008, four teams — City, Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra — have won two championships each.
Melbourne Victory claimed the other title.
And after last year becoming the first club to achieve back-to-back titles, Fishlock said the ability to be the first to three-peat was driving this history-making team.
“Any team wants to win the championship,” Fishlock said.
“The fact that the three-peat will be on the line will be something that gives us an extra bit of motivation.
“It will absolutely go down in history and I think it will be very hard to beat.
“But we have to view it as another game of football. If we view it as anything else then the game will go out the window.”
For the second year in a row City are trying to win the title from fourth on the ladder.
But Fishlock said it was irrelevant where the team finished after the regular season.
“Whether you finish fourth or first it doesn’t matter for us,” she said.
“Our consistency has let us down at times this season, but we truly believe in our quality.
“We have one of the best back-fours and goalkeepers in the world — if not the best goalkeeper (Lydia Williams).
“We know what Sydney are about and we know their players, but we truly believe in our group and our quality.
“We’ll go into it full of confidence.”
Originally published as Sydney FC and Melbourne City ready to lock horns as both chase a record third W-League crown