A-League Women: All the latest from round 16 of the ALW
Sydney FC misfired both before and during the game against Melbourne City, blowing their chance to go top. ERIN SMITH runs the rule over the latest round of A-League Women’s action.
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The insane skills of former Matildas goalkeeper Melissa Barbieri guided Melbourne City through its toughest clash of the season mostly unscathed.
The kick-off to the close encounter was initially delayed after the Sydney FC team bus was driven to the wrong stadium.
City went into the match without several key players.
Kaitlyn Torpey and keeper Lysianne Proulx have made record transfer deals to the US league, while Rebekah Stott and Hannah Wilkinson are on international duty.
Barbieri, 43, made her first start of the season for City and didn’t disappoint.
She made eight saves, including one from a penalty, to keep a clean sheet and the score locked at 0-0.
Had Sydney FC converted one of its 19 shots and won the game, the side would have leapfrogged City to take top spot on the A-League ladder.
City managed to fire off just two shots all match.
The likes of Daniela Galic, Emina Ekic and Rhianna Pollicina will have to dig deep during the next few matches to keep City atop the competition.
HEYMAN UNSTOPPABLE
Being recalled to the Matildas gave Canberra United danger woman Michelle Heyman the extra drive to score her 12th goal of the season.
However, the striker’s effort could only help her side draw 2-2 with Perth, Canberra’s fifth stalemate of the season.
Aside from competition leader City, which has scored 32 goals, Canberra United has more goals than any other team with 30.
The next best are the Jets and Victory with 25 goals each.
Canberra’s attacking football has it downfalls because the side has conceded 33 goals, the most in the competition.
Balance is what seems to be missing.
TIGHT TUSSLE
The clash between the Central Coast Mariners and Melbourne Victory showed just how tight the race to the finals will be in the next five rounds.
The sides could hardly be separated on the pitch.
The Victory had 18 shots to the Mariners’ 21 and 55 per cent of the ball to the Mariners’ 45 per cent, while the teams had the same number of corners.
A draw wasn’t ideal in the Mariners’ bid to crack the top six but they are just one point behind Perth Glory, the Wanderers and Victory.
The Mariners face Perth next week in Western Australia, when a win could jump the side to fourth place depending on other results.
SCHEDULING WOES
Ten players were missing in action across the women’s competition over the weekend due to international commitments with the Football Ferns.
Unsurprising, the majority play for Wellington Phoenix but Perth Glory, Melbourne City and Canberra United were also affected.
With the APL expanding the league to include a second New Zealand club, surely the league needs to accommodate the Football Ferns’ international matches.
Byes could be the answer if it isn’t feasible to have extended international breaks.
The A-League stars have been smashing it in Samoa and look likely to secure their country a place at the Olympics.
The team beat Tonga 3-0 and Samoa 6-0.
The Football Ferns will face Vanuatu on Tuesday in their final round game before the semi-finals and finals later next week.
More Coverage
Originally published as A-League Women: All the latest from round 16 of the ALW
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