Round 2 of the Ninja A-League season is in the books and as always, there was plenty to discuss for the panel on the latest episode of Dub Zone.
Host Amy Duggan was joined by former Sydney FC captain and two-time Ninja A-League champion Teresa Polias as well as A-Leagues commentator Teo Pellizzeri to dissect all the biggest talking points from the second weekend of the 2024-25 season.
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Dub Zone, Round 2: Watch the latest episode below!
Is Young Matildas midfielder Alicia Woods the Ninja A-League’s best player after Round 2?
Two rounds into the Ninja A-League season, Brisbane Roar midfielder Alicia Woods is making her presence known, with two stellar performances under her belt.
The 20-year-old pulled the strings for Brisbane as her side roared back into form with a 1-0 win over reigning champions Sydney FC in Round 2; Alex Smith’s side lost a five-goal thriller to Canberra on the opening weekend of the season but Woods was a standout performer in the 3-2 defeat, creating seven chances on the day – the joint-most by a Roar player in a single game through the last nine Ninja A-League seasons, according to Opta.
The CommBank Young Matildas prospect created five more scoring opportunities in Round 2, with her 12 for the season the most of any player in the league to date. Woods has played 101 passes (12th most league-wide) and taken 155 touches. Only four players have had more touches than Woods this season.
On this week’s episode of Dub Zone, Teo Pellizzeri and Teresa Polias were full of praise for both the emerging midfielder and Roar as a whole after an impressive win in Round 2.
“Roar controlled possession, they played I think largely the way Alex Smith would want them to play,” Pellizzeri said. “Evi Popadinova (got) into a bit of a scuffle with Faye Bryson in the early minutes of the game, and they have a real firebrand in her leading the line.
“I feel as though there’s the leadership of Tameka Yallop and Woods, her numbers are off the charts in central midfield.
“She is probably, I would say in any position, the best-performing player in the league so far this year.”
“The pre-season they’ve (had), green shoots are coming through.”
“I agree Teo,” Polias replied. “I think they’ve had a really good pre-season as a unit and it’s showing in the first rounds.
“I thought they were good last round as well (but) didn’t get the result, but they did against none other than Sydney FC. A very positive start from Brisbane.”
Brisbane Roar are next in action against Perth Glory in Round 3 of the Ninja A-League season. The Roar host Perth at Perry Park on Friday, November 15. Get your tickets here!
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‘We may be looking at a player who can score 150!’
Scoring goals in the Ninja A-League has become such a force of habit for Michelle Heyman, that even the milestone moments are coming as a surprise to the Canberra United legend.
Heyman bagged her 100th goal in Canberra United colours on the weekend and was completely unaware of the incredible figure until it was revealed to her by Sky Sports commentator Jason Pine post-game; it took her overall Ninja A-League tally to 111 – 31 more than any other player in the history of the competition.
Sam Kerr sits second on 70 goals.
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Heyman’s centurion strike on Sunday lifted Canberra to a 1-0 win over Wellington Phoenix and kept her side’s perfect run rolling after two rounds.
Pellizzerri and Polias marvelled at Heyman’s incredible efficiency and longevity on Dub Zone, whilst pondering how long the 36-year-old could continue playing at such a high level.
“She’s going to be well clear for years to come – maybe only when Sam Kerr, we hope, comes back to the Ninja A-League at the end of her career,” Pellizzeri said.
“Is anyone maybe even within a season or two of catching Heyman? We don’t even know how long she’s going to play for. We may be looking at a player who scores 150.”
Polias replied: “The way she’s going she could play for another 10 years!”
Heyman and Canberra welcome Adelaide United to McKellar Park on Saturday, November 16 in Round 3 of the season. Click here to get your tickets!
‘City have done it again!’ Will history repeat for premiers with ‘unstoppable’ new signing?
In late 2022, Melbourne City signed American winger Julian Grosso – a player undrafted by any club in the United States’ National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) who elected to launch her senior career in the Ninja A-League.
Grosso ended her first season in the professional game as City’s Player of the Season, becoming one of the stars of the competition.
All early signs point to history repeating for the club in 2024-25, having unearthed American collegiate star Lourdes Bosch who dominated the Melbourne Derby in Round 2 in a continuation of her sensational run of form both in the Ninja A-League and AFC Women’s Champions League.
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A tricky winger with lightning pace, Bosch put one goal and one assist on the board in City’s 3-2 win over Melbourne Victory on the weekend. After two Ninja A-League appearances, Bosch has completed eight dribbles – the most in the league.
“Melbourne Victory might have come into this game with a plan to try and stifle Rhianna Pollicina in the middle but the wide areas are where City had a lot of joy,” Pellizzeri said.
“Bosch was good against Perth in Round 1 but really outstanding in this game.”
Polias added: “I think Victory tried to manage her by double-teaming her at times – but she was just unstoppable.”
Bosch’s brilliant start to life in the Ninja A-League has come after a dream run of form in the AFC Women’s Champions League in which the highly-rated US college talent made her professional debut against Bam Khatoon before scoring three goals in two games against BGC Asian Scholars and Kaya Iliolo.
“City have done it again,” Pellizzeri said. “They signed Julia Grosso straight out of college, she was their player of the year, now in the NWSL.
“It’s a great selling point to these players who don’t get drafted in the US leagues. Now Bosch can do exactly the same thing and follow the same path.”
Melbourne City are next in action against Central Coast Mariners, at home, on Saturday, November 16. Click here to get your tickets!
The keeper Western United ‘can’t drop’ with a Matilda on the bench
Western United goalkeeper Alyssa Dall’Oste has begun the 2024-25 Ninja A-League season in fine form – and she’s keeping Matildas custodian Chloe Lincoln on the bench as a result.
Lincoln earned her first senior CommBank Matildas call-up for October’s friendly series against Switzerland and Germany, and after returning to Western United just days out from the start of the season, it made sense for head coach Kat Smith to ease the 19-year-old into her first campaign at the club.
Dall’Oste conceded two goals in a 4-2 win over Wellington Phoenix in Round 1 but retained her spot for Western’s second game of the season and in Round 2, retained her spot – and kept a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw with the Mariners.
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Now 23, Dall’Oste joined the club in Western’s foundation season and through her first two seasons in Green and Black, has routinely challenged big-name goalkeeper signings for minutes.
Dall’Oste’s early-season form led the Dub Zone panel to question if and when Lincoln will make her way into Western’s strongest XI, with game time undoubtedly a priority for the young goalkeeper with a huge four-game friendly series against Brazil and Chinese Taipei beginning in late November.
“One of the main reasons she was on the bench in Round 1 is because she’d just come back from Matildas duty,” Pellizzeri said. “But Dall’Oste kept a clean sheet.
“At the end of last year she won the battle against the import keeper (Kathrine Larsen) that Western brought in after Hillary Beall went home.
“Dall’Oste, you can’t drop a keeper off the back of a clean sheet – even if your backup is in the Matildas, can you?”
“That’s what it comes down to,” Polias answered. “And a lot of coaches don’t like to change things when things have gone well.
“At the moment she’s performing, clean sheet so she keeps her spot. I like when coaches reward good performances.”
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Pellizzerri continued: “We’ve had injury issues for Matildas keepers, we’ve had Lydia Williams go back to the Ninja A-League and in addition to being injured, she’s now retired from the Matildas. Mackenzie Arnold is not starting in the NWSL.
“You want Chloe Lincoln getting minutes but Western United’s priority is the three points and I think they really do think Dall’Oste is their best chance to win at the moment.”
One team that will be forced to switch keepers in Round 3 is Newcastle Jets, after a red card to Danielle Krzyzaniak on the weekend which resulted in a one-game ban for the off-season signing.
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The suspension has opened the door for Tiahna Robertson to come into the starting XI and, on Krzyzaniak’s current form, the Dub Zone panel predicts the Canadian goalkeeper’s suspension could be all Robertson needs to make the No.1 position her own through the coming weeks.
Robertson joined the club on the cusp of last season’s Ninja A-League Finals Series, signing for Ryan Campbell’s side to replace the suspended Izzy Nino and performing admirably in the American’s absence.
“I think it’s an opportunity now for another keeper to step up,” Polias said. “Given the mistakes that have happened, whoever steps up, plays well next round, it’s probably going to be their spot for a little while.”
“The backup goalkeeper, Ally Boertje, new to this league, exciting for a Newcastle local to come in and sit on the bench,” Pellizzeri added.
“But Krzyzaniak has only been suspended for one game, but after the first two performances, this job is Tiahna Robertson’s to keep.”
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‘If there was ever a time to play Sydney FC…’
The time is now for Western Sydney Wanderers to try and break a winless Sydney Derby run that stretches all the way back to 2019.
Not only have the Wanderers failed to beat Sydney FC in their last nine meetings (eight losses, one draw), they haven’t scored a single goal along that stretch.
But after losing their first two games to start the season, the Sky Blues are there for the taking should the Wanderers be up for a Sydney Derby boilover when the two rivals meet in Round 3.
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Sydney’s two-loss start to 2024-25 is the club’s first Ninja A-League season since 2017 to begin with back-to-back defeats.
“Sydney FC, they haven’t played a home game yet and that’s also something to remember,” Pellizzerri said.
“We know they’re a great draw at Leichhardt (Oval), but if you’re a Wanderers fan, last weekend was the flat game, this weekend is the response.
“There’s plenty of reason to think they (the Wanderers) will be up for this. They haven’t scored or won in the derby since 2019; we keep saying it’s time, it’s time. If there was ever a time to play Sydney, it’s when they’re working through issues of their own. You tend to throw out the form line in a derby, and I would especially do so here.”
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The Wanderers have put together a similarly disappointing start to the new campaign, taking just one point from games against Newcastle Jets and Adelaide United, with their most recent result being a 2-0 defeat to the Reds – last season’s wooden-spooners.
One big pre-game storyline to follow is the selection process Sydney FC head coach Ante Juric utilises ahead of the weekend’s derby, having made the big decision to drop midfielder Shay Hollman and Indiana Dos Santos to his bench for Round 2 following an opening-weekend loss to Central Coast.
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“We know that Ante Juric loves to swing the magnets whenever the team loses and he leaves the team the same whenever they win,” Pellizzeri said.
“Is this where he changes his methodology? Because it has been: winning team stays on, losing team we make changes. Is it time to move toward a starting XI, or a best XI, or is it just going to be: keep flinging until we find a combination that works?”
“Well, he’s got a lot of good midfielders out there,” Polias replied. “He dropped two amazing players – which is a surprise for me – but I think he’s just trying to find the right combination at the moment.”
Sydney FC host Western Sydney Wanderers at Leichhardt Oval on Saturday, November 16 (2.15pm AEDT kick-off). Click here to secure your tickets!
