Welcome to Made With Mitre Moments, where aleagues.com.au brings you all the biggest talking points from each round of the 2024-25 Ninja A-League season.
It was an exciting Round 3, with some world-class goals, thrilling showdowns and a Sydney Derby as Melbourne City stayed top of the table.
Read on for all the biggest talking points from Round 3, thanks to Mitre.
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Western boss delivers backing as selection debate intensifies
Western United head coach Kat Smith has backed goalkeeper Alyssa Dall’Oste to bounce back from what was a challenging display against Melbourne Victory.
The 23-year-old conceded four goals on Sunday afternoon with three of those coming from the boot of CommBank Matildas striker Emily Gielnik, as Victory ran out 4-1 winners at the Home of the Matildas.
Picked ahead of off-season signing Chloe Lincoln, Dall’Oste was caught on the ball for Victory’s second goal of the game in just the eighth minute when Gielnik charged down the keeper as she attempted to make a clearance, with the ball ricocheting off the pair and into the back of the net.
MATCH REPORT: Golden Gielnik! Matildas star nets first half hat-trick as Victory thrash Western United
But while her keeper may have endured a difficult afternoon in what was Western’s first loss of the season, Smith says Dall’Oste deserves to be the current custodian, even if her back-up option has been called up for the Matildas.
“Alyssa did well for us in the back end of last year,” said Smith when asked about the current goalkeeping situation after the game.
“She was very, very good within pre season and she’s more than earned her starting position coming off the clean sheet last week.
“Look, if Alyssa was five years younger, maybe there’s a different conversation about who’s the under 20s national team keeper at this point in time.
She added: “I’ll be asking (the) national team to look at Alyssa in terms of her progress in this league, and one to watch.
“I still think she’s she’s got a higher ceiling than what we’ve seen here. And as a coach, it’s a great problem to have.”
MATILDAS LATEST: 15 Ninja A-League stars earn Matildas call-ups, including SIX possible debutants
The current Under-23 national team goalkeeper, Lincoln has been named in the senior Matildas squad for the second camp in a row by current interim head coach Tom Sermanni ahead of the upcoming four friendly matches against Brazil and Chinese Taipei.
Praise for ‘extremely talented’ Roar gun after wonderstrike
It was a night to remember for Tamar Levin and Brisbane Roar following a 3-0 win over Perth Glory.
Levin scored a goal-of-the-season contender, with her incredible long-range strike – her first ever in senior football – capping a memorable outing at Perry Park, where CommBank Matildas star and Roar captain Tameka Yallop bagged a brace.
MATCH REPORT: Matildas star’s ‘world-class finish’ in milestone match inspires Roar to dominant win over Perth
“I have a lot of time for Tamara. She’s extremely talented. Plays with both feet, physically very strong,” said Roar head coach Alex Smith of the 20-year-old.
“Her first foray into starting games consistently.
“The goal she scored was fantastic. Very talented young player.”
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Yallop opened the scoring for Brisbane with a remarkable strike from a tight angle before she completed the scoring on a night the 33-year-old made her 152nd appearance for the Roar – equalling fellow Matildas legend Clare Polkinghorne’s appearance record at the club.
MATILDAS SQUAD CONFIRMED: 15 Ninja A-League stars earn Matildas call-ups including SIX possible debutants
“Meeks is our leader on the field. She probably was last year and now it’s been made official with the armband,” Smith said.
“Her and I have a very good open, working relationship. We talk about most things. She’s our leader. She sees what’s going on.
“I listen to her often. We work really well together.”
The resurgence of a Julie Dolan Medallist
Ladies and gentlemen, Fiona Worts is back.
The 2021-22 Julie Dolan Medallist made it four goals in three matches to start the season, while helping Adelaide beat Canberra for the first time since 2022.
MATCH REPORT: Adelaide snap drought as star recruit continues return to Julie Dolan Medal form
Worts scored in that 3-1 win over Canberra two years ago before going on to win the 2021-22 Julie Dolan Medal and Golden Boot, and the Englishwoman continued her resurgence in Round 3.
She is back in Red after an injury-hit season with two-time reigning champions Sydney FC and off to her best start to a season in her career.
Emily Condon was also on target for Adelaide, who climbed to third in the standings – just a point behind reigning premiers Melbourne City.
Condon opened the scoring in the nation’s capital, making it goals in back-to-back matches.
THE NEXT MATILDA? Update on Ninja A-League star waiting to switch international allegiance
“At the moment, how we’re playing our football,” she said.
“It doesn’t really matter whether we’re home or away right now, we’re just sticking to what we do best, and playing really good football and sticking to our own DNA and football style.
“I know we’ve got three away games, but we’re just doing our thing and we’re getting the results.”
Defending champions send ominous warning
Ante Juric admitted he does not know his best starting XI but the Sydney FC head coach is certain about one thing: “Success usually follows”.
‘BEEN THE CASE I NTHE PAST’: Ante Juric’s message after super-sub inspires Sydney Derby delight
Caley Tallon-Henniker made herself a hero after the substitute scored an 86th-minute winner as Sydney FC extended their undefeated streak against the Wanderers to 10 matches, dating back to 2019 in a run in which Western Sydney have not scored a goal.
Sydney FC head coach Ante Juric has tinkered with his starting line-up through the opening three rounds of the season as the Championship-winning boss tries to find his best XI following a number of off-season departures.
The likes of Cortnee Vine and Jada Whyman departed following a second straight Championship.
Asked if he knew his strongest line-up, Juric told Network 10: “No, and probably everyone can see that.
“We have a lot of new players. I think last week we had three starters from the Grand Final.
“I know there’s a lot of talk but I told the girls at the start, we will start to hit our straps from around week five or six. That’s been the case in the past as well.
“It’s up to me to find the best solution. Today was good, wasn’t perfect but a good start and change.”
Last season, Sydney lost two of their opening four matches before going on to win the title. In 2022-23, the Sky Blues dropped their opening game.
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Juric added: “At the end of the day, we are Sydney FC but this team hasn’t won anything. We haven’t won this Championship.
“But we have good players. I brought them for a reason. Just being honest about when we’re going to hit our straps and what we need to know.
“Our first two games, we made some errors. Just be honest with it, deal with it and move forward, and ultimately success usually follows.”
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Star’s rapid rise continues in four-goal thriller
What a week it was for Isabel Gomez. In fact, what an incredible 48 hours it was.
On Friday, she was one of 15 Ninja A-League stars called up by the Matildas for upcoming international friendlies against Brazil and Chinese Taipei.
On Saturday, the 22-year-old scored to salvage a point for Central Coast Mariners in a 2-2 thriller with reigning premiers and league leaders Melbourne City.
Gomez’s 76th-minute equaliser capped her maiden international selection.
MATCH REPORT: Star’s unforgettable 48 hours and a stunning strike in premiers’ 4-goal thriller with Mariners
It also means she has now scored against two-time reigning champions Sydney FC and reigning premiers City this season as the Mariners continued their unbeaten start to 2024-25.
Gomez was not the only highlight at ctrl:cyber Pitch, where City struck first in stunning fashion.
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Alexia Apostolakis’ long-range golazo broke the deadlock before Annalise Rasmussen equalised within two minutes.
Lourdes Bosch – described as “one of the signings of the season” – restored City’s advantage with a free-kick in the 33rd minute, but the visiting Mariners managed to earn a share of the spoils.
Phoenix coach bemoans moment that ‘hurts the soul’
Wellington head coach Paul Temple believes the weather in Maitland was arguably the deciding factor in their 1-0 loss to Newcastle Jets.
Playing in temperatures of around 30 degrees, the ‘Nix struggled to find their rhythm throughout large periods of the game before Newcastle skipper Cassidy Davis put them to the sword in the 70th minute.
“The weather put paid to the game of football that I really wanted,” said Temple when speaking after the match as the Phoenix slumped to a third straight loss.
MATCH REPORT: Captain fantastic gives Jets lift off as stunning strike flattens Phoenix
“Heat was just a huge factor. You know, I think it’s probably very frustrating for a number of people watching on the TV and thinking ‘run here, and why don’t you do this, and why don’t you do that.’
“But the effort that they put in is just extremes from what we’re training in every day in Wellington and it doesn’t matter how much you can try to prepare for it. It’s just stifling, stifling heat.
He added: “So very, very difficult to play the way that we wanted to play and press the way that we wanted to press in the conditions so we we had to adapt and and play a different style of game.”
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In truth though, Temple will be disappointed to have walked away from the ground having not seen his side register a single shot on target from their 10 attempts.
In comparison, the Jets took 20 shots, 10 of which were on target, and tested Portuguese keeper Carolina Vilao several times before she was ultimately beaten by Davis’ long-range effort in the 70th minute.
“I hate those goals in this league, to be honest. There’s one or two every week, just pot shots from anywhere.
Temple continued: “It’s just one of those things where you’re not even really thinking that she’s going to shoot from that angle, from that distance.
“So yeah, we talked about moments at half time and how moments were going to win the games, and we just had to fight for those moments.
“Unfortunately, that was one where we obviously didn’t get any pressure on the ball and yeah, I mean, she hit it pretty well – I don’t know if she was aiming for it or not but sailed in and yeah, that’s the bit that hurts the soul.”
INJURY LATEST: Phoenix captain in hospital after collision during Jets defeat
What will no doubt be of immediate concern for temple is the condition of his captain, Annalie Longo.
The midfielder was taken straight to hospital after an accidental collision with Newcastle defender Claudia Cicco which left the New Zealand international with a suspected eye socket injury.
