A-League Women’s round 1 likes and dislikes: tempers flare, record crowd numbers

The F3 derby exploded in the opening round of the A-League Women’s competition, as record crowds swarm to stadiums across the country. Round 1 likes and dislikes.

Erin Smith reveals her round 1 likes and dislikes from the opening fixtures of the A-League Women’s competition.

ROUND 1 LIKES

RECORD CROWDS

World Cup fever is still catching in Australia with record crowds at the opening matches of the A-League women’s competition.

A total of 5735 fans turned out to watch the Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets game- a new record for a stand-alone home and away women’s match.

Then a massive 11,471 turned out at Allianz to watch Sydney FC take on Western Sydney Wanderers.

The total attendance record for an A-League Women’s round was broken after just two games.

But it wasn’t just people in the stands they were fans- dressed in team colours, kids with their faces painted and others with their favourite players’ names on their backs and hand drawn signs.

There were doubters the World Cup legacy would flow on to the top-flight domestic league- but the numbers don’t lie.

Fans flocked to Allianz Stadium. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty

Jenna McCormick celebrates a goal. Picture: Morgan Hancock/Getty

INSPIRING COMEBACK

Car crash survivor Rylee Foster played her first game in 731 days.

The Canadian goalkeeper was in a car crash, and thrown 12m through the windscreen.

She was left with seven fractures in her neck and bleeding on the brain. Foster had surgery and a halo attached to her skull and told she would never play football again.

But the star is back for Wellington Phoenix.

Rocket shot

Sydney FC’s rising star Kirsty Fenton scored an early contender for goal of the season with a rocket volley from outside the box into the top right hand corner.

The 20-year-old defender was in the right spot at the perfect time after the ball pin-balled around the 18-yard box, but she had the composure to place the perfectly weighted volley with pinpoint accuracy slinging an impossible to save shot into the top corner.

ROUND 1 DISLIKES

TEMPERS FLARE

A fierce rivalry is what makes a derby a derby but things got a little too heated in the Central Coast and Newcastle clash.

There were 10 yellow cards shown during the match.

The tough battle, won by the Jets in the dying minutes of the game, was overshadowed by a rare double red card send off- with Jets’ Alexandra Huynh and Mariners’ English import Faye Bryson were sent to the sheds after starting a push and shove on the field after a tackle.

Both players were already on yellow cards when the incident occurred.

Sure it’s sport and a derby but all eyes are on women’s football on the back of the World Cup, these players are role models and need to keep their cool and stay professional.

Faye Bryson cops her first yellow card. Picture: Scott Gardiner/Getty

POOR CALL

Melbourne Victory were robbed of an equalising goal against Brisbane Roar after a questionable offside call.

Victory’s Mackenzie Weinert got on the end of a brilliant through ball from Alana Murphy but was ruled offside.

The commentators were adamant Weinert was onside. The questionable call changed the momentum of the game with Roar soon scoring a second.

If VAR had been available, as it is in the men’s competition, the call would have most likely been reversed.

RADIO SILENCE

The lack of a half time show is very poor.

The commentators did a great job during the matches but watching an empty field for the duration of halftime is far from a great viewing experience.

If they can’t have the commentators analysing the first half surely they could at least display some match statistics or even results from the other games played during the round.

Originally published as A-League Women’s round 1 likes and dislikes: tempers flare, record crowd numbers