The time has come. Western United will play its historic first game at the Wyndham Regional Football Facility in Tarneit with a Liberty A-League Women clash against Newcastle Jets on Sunday.
Match Details
Liberty A-League Women Round 20
Western United
Sunday, 17 March
Kick-off: 4:00pm AEDT
Wyndham Regional Football Facility, Tarneit
Broadcast: The match will be broadcast live and free on 10Play, and on Paramount+
Western United Team News
Western United will unfortunately be without two star players for this clash, with Adriana Taranto and Chloe Logarzo both ruled out.
The Club confirmed on Friday that Taranto had ruptured her ACL in training, while Logarzo is missing with a hip injury.
Kiara De Domizio, Lucy Richards and Natasha Dakic will be hoping to regain a place in the matchday squad as a result of those absentees, while the likes of Avaani Prakash and Catherine Zimmerman will be eying their first starts of the season.
Western United squad: 1. Alyssa DALL’OSTE (gk), 2. Stacey PAPADOPOULOS, 4. Jaclyn SAWICKI, 5. Aimee MEDWIN, 7. Kiara DE DOMIZIO, 9. Hannah KEANE, 11. Emma ROBERS, 12. Lucy RICHARDS, 13. Avaani PRAKASH, 14. Natasha DAKIC, 16. Melissa TARANTO, 18. Grace MAHER, 19. Tyla Jay VLAJNIC, 20. Keiwa HIEDA, 22. Alana CERNE, 24. Julia SARDO, 31. Kathrine LARSEN (gk), 34. Catherine ZIMMERMAN
Last time out
Western United saw its six-game winning run in the Liberty A-League Women come to an end with a 3-1 defeat to Sydney FC last week.
Zimmerman’s maiden Western United goal was the highlight of the night for the Green and Black, and Kat Smith will be eager for her side to bounce back on Sunday.
The Opponent
Newcastle Jets have been one of the most exciting teams to watch in the Liberty A-League this season, thanks largely to their talismanic striker Sarina Bolden.
That the Jets have the fifth most goals scored and the third most goals conceded speaks to their high-risk, high-reward game style.
The Jets have largely battled inconsistency this season, failing to win in back-to-back weeks throughout the campaign but still remaining just three points outside of the finals places.
They have demonstrated their quality throughout the campaign, though, including in a 4-2 win over Western United in the reverse fixture.
Key Matchup: Grace Maher vs Sarina Bolden
Grace Maher continues to fly under the radar in the Liberty A-League, going quietly about her business as one of the competition’s best centre-backs.
In her first season at Western United, the vice-captain has oozed class in just about every single action on the pitch, so far playing every single minute of United’s campaign.
Her calmness and immense quality on the ball is combined with outstanding intelligence to read any potential danger while also possessing the strength to win duels against any opponent.
Maher will go face to face with Bolden on Sunday and needs to be at her very best to come out on top against the Philippines international.
With raw athleticism and remarkable finishing ability, Bolden is undoubtedly one of the league’s top strikers, with her 11 goals placing her in second in the golden boot standings.
Bolden showed her talents with a superb long-range goal against United last time the two times met, but Maher will be eager to ensure that doesn’t happen again as the Green and Black chases an historic win.
Western United Player to Watch: Avaani Prakash
At 17 years of age, Prakash appears to be getting better and better with each game she plays and has been an important part of United’s squad in recent weeks.
Of her 11 total appearances, eight have come in the last 10 minutes and her 33-minute cameo off the bench last week was her second longest of the season.
Her impact off the bench against Sydney was evident immediately as she began getting on the ball and turning the game forward to United’s advantage.
The close control, dribbling and fancy footwork of Prakash is a joy to watch and, as a local Tarneit resident, she can be expected to shine once again if she gets another opportunity on Sunday.
Words from Kat Smith
On the excitement of playing the Club’s first-ever match in Tarneit
“The girls are really excited, you can just see the joy on their faces. It will be a pleasing thing for everyone that’s been involved along this whole journey to see what’s been created for the A-League Women, the A-League Men and our pathway programs.
“To have such a facility of the professional game here in Tarneit is phenomenal. It’s going to inspire everyone that wants to be in the environment that we’re creating here at Western United.”
On entering a crucial final three weeks of the season
“There’s no better motivation than going for a Premier’s Plate. The players are hungry, they’ve got something to prove from falling short last season but I think they’ve grown and evolved incredibly.
“Our principles are strong, and we won’t lose sight of that. Although we know what got us here won’t get us to the finish line, we certainly won’t lose the sense of our foundation, and we evolve and look to get better every single day individually and collectively.”
