COACHESCOMMENTS
Good afternoon and welcome back to McKellar Park for Round 17 of the Ninja A-League. We extend our usual warm welcome to the players, officials, and supporters of Melbourne City as they make the trip to Canberra today. We are well aware of the tough task ahead of us in this fixture, City arrive here at the summit of the league table and have yet to be beaten in an A-League match in 2024/25. A formidable task lays in store, but we will approach this match with confidence and with a plan to take that unbeaten record away from Michael Matricciani and his team. As a club we come into this contest unbeaten in the last five, and find ourselves still on the cusp of the top six and the potential for playing finals football this season. We have a massive set of matches upcoming, including an important trio of games right here at McKellar Park starting this afternoon. We need all the support we can get from our loyal band of supporters in order to help us over the line and into the top six. With games ahead against Sydney FC and Wellington Phoenix after today, we need you to be loud and proud, as you always are, to give us the best chance of success. I can personally guarantee that we will be prepared and ready to go for every game to come. Enjoy the match!
Antoni Jagarinec, Head Coach
CLUB HONOURS BOARD
PREMIERS (3)
2011/12, 2013/14, 2016/17
CHAMPIONS (2) 2011/12, 2014
SEENINGREEN:ELLYSEPERRY
Perhaps best known for her Cricket career, Ellyse Perry was once a bonafide football star plying her trade for Canberra United. She began playing the club at the start of the 2009 W-League season and went on to become the jointrecipient of the Young Player of the Year award. She also won three Canberra United awards for the season: the Players', Supporters' and overall Club Player of the Year. Perry was selected for the Matildas squad for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. In the group game against Norway, she came on as a substitute, making her the first Australian to appear in both the ICC and FIFA World Cups. She was in the starting line-up for the quarter-final against Sweden, scoring Australia's only goal in the 3–1 loss that eliminated the team.
PLAYERPROFILE
Date of Birth: 03/11/1990
Place of Birth: Wahroonga, Sydney, NSW
Position: Defender
Clubs: NSW Sapphires, Central Coast Mariners, Canberra
United, Sydney FC
International Honours: Australia (18 caps, 3 goals)
Canberra United Apps: 25
Canberra United Goals: 2
VISITINGTODAY:MELBOURNECITY
Melbourne City joined the A-League Women competition in 2015, nearly a decade ago, announcing themselves in incredible style, with a 6-0 away hammering of Sydney. Having collated a super squad, they went on to be undefeated that season, without dropping a single point, claiming the League title by ten points and completing the double with a 4-1 thrashing of Sydney FC in the Grand Final. The success they have achieved in their short history is envious. Three Premierships, tied with Brisbane Roar and Canberra United and two behind Sydney FC, and four Championships is no mean feat, especially when you accomplish that in nine seasons. In seven of those campaigns, they have made finals, and they have never finished lower than seventh on the final league table. City have recruited well in the off-season, with Venezuelan international forward Marian Speckmaier joining the side along with Young Matildas star, and one to watch in Emilia Murray. They will no doubt be there or thereabouts come the end of the season, it’s just what they do.
DIDYOUKNOW?
City joined the league in the 2015/16 season, with a perfect season leading them to a double. Some introduction to the elite level.
They won the Grand Final in their first three seasons, and would go on to be the first club to win four A-League Women’s Championships.
Under new coach Michael Matricianni, City had a perfect group stage in their inaugural AFC Women’s Champion League bow, with three wins from three.
PREMIERS (3)
2015/16, 2019/20, 2023/24
CHAMPIONS (4)
2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2019/20
CLUB HONOURS BOARD
THERIVALRYIN100WORDS
It is indeed a bit of a one-sided rivalry admittedly. In 15 games, City have won 10 times, and we have won four times. However, our most recent win over City is arguably the greatest, but that’s just our opinion. It was fairly spectacular though, with a dominant performance sending the McKellar Park crowd into raptures. 14 players have played for both clubs, which clearly means that City are obsessed with us. Understandable really, as being the Capital City is quite nice. With some recent strong results against City, expect plenty of entertainment and a proper battle for three points.
CLASSICIMAGE
ONETOWATCH
Melbourne City in the offseason. Dario Vidosic’s side have wasted little time in finding a replacement for club-record goalscorer Hannah Wilkinson following her departure, recruiting the Venezuelan international. Despite playing just one season for the Phoenix, the 26-year-old etched her name into the club’s record books, scoring 10 goals in twenty-one appearances to make her Wellington women’s all-time leading goalscorer. The 26-yearold made her professional debut for the Washington Spirit in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), before a stint in Iceland with Valur.
MATCHACTION:CENTRALCOAST
Canberra United celebrated their Heritage Round match with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against the Central Coast Mariners to take their unbeaten run in the Ninja A-League to four matches. United Head Coach reintroduced Michelle Heyman into the starting eleven, Alex McKenzie shifting to the bench, precipitating a rejig in the formation, Emma Robers dropping to centre-back.
It was somewhat against the run of play therefore when the Central Coast took the lead in the fortieth minute. Jade Pennock controlled a Crossfield ball and cut inside her marker to send a shot across Sally James that nestled into the back of the net via the base of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. It didn’t take Canberra long to respond at the start of the secondhalf. Twenty-eight seconds to be precise, as Maja Markovski found Heyman inside the area, and the former Mariner striker side-footed home the equaliser into the same corner that Pennock had scored just before the interval.
RETROROUND2025
BUSINESSUNITEDSQUAD
Canberra United extend its thanks to our 2024/25 Business United Squad members. To join our club contact: ceo@capitalfootball.com.au
LASTTIMEWEMETHERE
Sunday 4 February 2024
Canberra United 3 (Heyman 37’, Stanic-Floody 39’, Flannery 74’) Melbourne City 1 (Otto 90+1’)
Canberra United were comfortably victorious over league leaders Melbourne City in Round 15 of the Liberty A-League at home. While City continued to have the lion’s share of possession, United grew in confidence as the game drew closer to the conclusion of the first period, as Clough did well to pick out dangerous passes to the frontline, while Deven Jackson and Vesna Milivojevic picked up the ball in the pockets to try and carve out an opening. The pressure eventually proved too much for the away side, as Heyman read a looped ball in behind to beat defender Taylor Otto in the air, strolling into the box and calmly slotting the ball into the bottom right corner to put Canberra 1-0 up in the 37th minute. It took just two minutes for them to again capitalise on their positive momentum, as Flannery showed enviable pace to leave Karly Roestbakken for dead, before cutting the ball back to Michelle Heyman, who in turn laid it off for Mary Stanic-Floody to side-foot the ball home for 2-0. Inspired by a raucous McKellar Park, Canberra tripled their lead just two minutes later, as Jackson found Heyman on the edge of the box who placed it for Flannery to score her third goal of the season, a deserved third that epitomised their enduringly clinical edge. A late set piece tainted an otherwise flawless showing at McKellar Park, as Hannah Wilkinson’s header found Taylor Otto at the back post who bundled it in after another piece of Lincoln heroics.
MATCHACTION:ADELAIDEUNITED
Canberra United extended their unbeaten run to five matches with a creditable 1-1 draw against high-flying Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium in South Australia. Jagarinec made two changes to the team that drew with Mariners, as Madison Ayson made a first start since Round 11 coming into defence whilst further forward Holly Murray was deployed in midfield.
Canberra took the lead a minute before the interval.Robers sent over a corner into the area which Adelaide goalkeeper Claudia Jenkins could only punch into the air. It dropped invitingly for Darcy Malone who nodded nonchalantly into the corner of the net from just inside the six-yard box to open the scoring with her first ever A-League strike. Adelaide were threatening an equaliser, and it duly arrived with seventeen minutes remaining. Erin Healy found Worts in space and her square ball was swept with vigour high over the head of James and into the net by the advancing Chelsie Dawber for her seventh goal of the season. Both teams went close before the end, but the match ended in a draw.
HOWTHEYSTAND:2024/25
FIXTURES&RESULTS
R1: Brisbane Roar (h) W 3-2 (Markovski 15’, 56’, Stanic-Floody 31’)
R2: Wellington Phoenix (a) W 1-0 (Heyman 11’)
R3: Adelaide United (h) L 0-2
R4: Perth Glory (h) D 1-1 (Stanic-Floody 69’)
R5: Central Coast Mariners (a) L 1-2 (Markovski 38’)
R6: Melbourne City (a) L 2-4 (Heyman 12’, 89’)
R7: Melbourne Victory (h) L 0-2
R8: Newcastle Jets (h) D 0-0
R10: Brisbane Roar (a) W 2-1 (Robers 81, Heyman 88’)
R11: Western United (h) W 2-1 (Mihocic (21’ (og), Christopherson 50’)
R9: Sydney FC (a) L 0-2
R12: Western Sydney Wanderers (h) W 1-0 (Khamis 45’ (og))
R13: Newcastle Jets (a) W 2-1 (Christopherson 24’, Heyman 29’)
R14: Perth Glory (h) W 1-0 (Anton 56’)
R15: Central Coast Mariners (h) D 1-1 (Heyman 46’)
R16: Adelaide United (a) D 1-1 (Malone 44’)
MAR 1, R17: Melbourne City (h)
MAR 9, R18: Melbourne Victory (a)
MAR 14, R19: Western United (a)
MAR 23, R20: Sydney FC (h)
MAR 29, R21: Perth Glory (a)
APR 13, R22: Wellington Phoenix (h)
GOALSCORERS
6: Michelle HEYMAN, 3: Maja MARKOVSKI
2: Sofia CHRISTOPHERSON, Mary STANIC-FLOODY, Own GOALS
1: Elizabeth ANTON, Darcey MALONE, Emma ROBERS
ONTHESTAGETODAY
1. Sally JAMES
2. Alex MCKENZIE
3. Elizabeth ANTON
4. Holly MURRAY
5. Madison AYSON
6. Ivana GALIC
7. Jynaya DOS SANTOS
8. Tianah MIRO
9. Ruby NATHAN
CANBERRAUNITED v
MELBOURNECITY
1. Sophia VARLEY
5. Taylor OTTO
6. Leticia MCKENNA
8. Alexia APOSTOLAKIS
9. Holly MCNAMARA
10. Rhianna POLLICINA
11. Emilia MURRAY
12. Shelby MCMAHON
13. Rebekah STOTT
14. Laura HUGHES
10. Mary STANIC-FLOODY
11. Emma ROBERS
12. Hayley TAYLOR-YOUNG
13. Sofia CHRISTOPHERSON
17. Maja MARKOVSKI
18. Coco MAJSTOROVIC
19. Jaya BOWMAN
20. Lillian SKELLY
21. Aideen KEANE
23. Michelle HEYMAN
24. Georgia RITCHIE
25. Darcey MALONE
28. Tegan BERTOLISSIO
32. Bethany GORDON
Head Coach: Antoni JAGARINEC
15. Kiera MEYERS
16. Karly ROESTBAKKEN
17. Marianna SPECKMAIER
18. Leah DAVIDSON
19. Lourdes BOSCH
20. Caitlin KOCIC
21. Isabella ACCARDO
22. Bryleeh HENRY
23. Melissa BARBIERI
24. Melena MIERES
27. Tyla-Jay VLAJNIC
Head Coach: Michael MATRICCIANI
TODAY’SOFFICIALS
Match Officials will be announced at kick-off.