Western United ALW Team News: Round 12 vs Sydney FC

It’s set to be a day of milestones as Western United plays host to Sydney FC at Allianz Stadium in the Liberty A-League Women on Sunday evening.

After Chloe Logarzo reached 100 appearances in the competition two weeks ago, Grace Maher will join her as a Liberty A-League centurion.

Maher has been a revelation in a new role at centre-back in her first season for Western United, playing every single minute of the season so far.

While playing the bulk of her matches at hometown club Canberra United with additional games at Melbourne Victory, Maher will bring up this career milestone as a vice-captain and integral part of Kat Smith’s Western United team.

Maher will be joined on the day by Adriana Taranto who is line to feature in her 50^th Liberty A-League match.

Having made 18 appearances for Melbourne Victory as a teenager, Taranto returned to the league last season with Western United and has been ever-present since then, playing a part in all 31 of the Green and Black’s matches so far.

Taranto will approach her 50^th match in career-best form to date with four goals and two assists, including one of each in a tremendous display against Melbourne Victory last time out.

In more positive news for Kat Smith and her side, Hannah Keane is back in the extended squad after missing last week’s win over Victory with a soft tissue injury.

The American returned to training this week and will hope to prove her fitness to feature in the stadium where she scored perhaps Western United’s most famous Liberty A-League goal to date, the one that booked the Green and Black’s place in the Grand Final.

In fact, Keane has scored all three of Western United’s goals against Sydney FC in the Liberty A-League, going back to her brace in a 2-0 win just over a year ago to the day.

Logarzo will be fired up to play against her former side for the first time as a Western United player, while fellow ex-Sky Blue Kahli Johnson fell just short of proving her availability for the contest.

Full Western United extended squad

Western United squad: 1. Alyssa DALL’OSTE (gk), 2. Stacey PAPADOPOULOS, 4. Jaclyn SAWICKI, 6. Chloe LOGARZO, 7. Kiara DE DOMIZIO, 9. Hannah KEANE, 11. Emma ROBERS, 12. Lucy RICHARDS, 13. Avaani PRAKASH, 14. Natasha DAKIC, 15. Adriana TARANTO, 16. Melissa TARANTO, 18. Grace MAHER, 19. Tyla Jay VLAJNIC, 20. Keiwa HIEDA, 21. Hillary BEALL (gk), 22. Alana CERNE, 24. Julia SARDO

Ins: 9. Hannah KEANE (returns from injury), 12. Lucy RICHARDS

Outs: Nil

Unavailable: 10. Kahli JOHNSON (injured), 17. Raquel DERALAS (injured), 34. Catherine ZIMMERMAN (injured)