US import McCaskill guides Sydney FC past Glory in W-League thriller

Two goals, an assist and her two biggest fans in the stands. It was a dream W-League grand final for Sydney FC and their star American import Savannah McCaskill, the standout in Saturday's grand final.

The 4-2 triumph over Perth Glory helped vanquish some finals demons for the Sky Blues as they won their third championship, and their first in five years. Even better for McCaskill, her parents were on hand to see her win the trophy and the player-of-the-match award, having made the 19-hour trek from the other side of the Pacific Ocean just for the weekend.

Champions: Sydney FC celebrate their win over the Glory in the W-League grand final at Jubilee Stadium.Credit: AAP

"They came out for two weeks over Christmas, so I didn't think they were going to make it back," said McCaskill, who hails from Chapin, South Carolina. "But I got a text from my parents on Wednesday, I believe, saying they'd booked their flight and would be here on Friday.

Star turn: Savannah McCaskill blasts the ball past the Glory goalkeeper.Credit: AAP

"I thought my dad was joking at first. I was like, 'There's no way you're flying 19 hours out here for one game' and he was like, 'Yeah, we are'. They're amazing. They've been able to follow my entire career and have missed very few games."

The McCaskills were treated to an absolute beauty of a match, with a series of staggeringly good goals steering the Sky Blues to victory.

Sofia Huerta opened the scoring in just the sixth minute with a thunderous shot from distance, for which McCaskill provided the final pass.

McCaskill, 22, also provided her own moment for the highlights reel, with her first goal an intelligent, inch-perfect header which looped over the head of Glory goalkeeper Eliza Campbell.

She really should have finished with a hat-trick. Somehow, McCaskill managed to hit the crossbar from point-blank range in just the second minute, when the lively Princess Ibini crossed to her. "Luckily I was able to redeem myself," she said.

McCaskill's coach, Ante Juric, was singing her praises. "She's a world-class player," he said. "I'm surprised she's not in the [US] national team but I'm sure she'll get there. She's still so young."

Huerta's goal made it 1-0 to Sydney FC but with Sam Kerr lurking with intent, it was never going to stay that way. In the 22nd minute, Kerr proved she doesn't even need to touch the ball to pose a threat.

Jubilant: Caitlin Foord of Sydney holds the trophy aloft.Credit: AAP

Kerr took off in an attempt to gather a loose ball on the edge of the Glory's penalty area but before she could, she was collected by Danielle Colaprico, who tried to clear but instead kicked her Chicago Red Stars teammate on the shin. Kerr duly converted the penalty to draw Perth level.

Four minutes from the break, the Sky Blues put themselves in front once again. Caitlin Foord sent in an early cross from the right for McCaskill, who spotted Campbell off her line and popped a brilliant looping header into the back of the net.

McCaskill nabbed her second in the 61st minute with a sharp reaction goal from close range, but the Glory weren't done. Nicole Stanton's 68th-minute corner kick picked out Alyssa Mautz, who sidefooted the ball past Aubrey Bledsloe's reach. 3-2.

Suddenly, the Glory had a sniff. But two minutes later, it was snuffed out. Mautz tried to clear Perth's lines at the other end of the park but didn't do the job properly. Chloe Logarzo was there to clean up on the edge of the box, bending in an explosive first-time shot. It was a fitting way to finish an enthralling, madcap contest.