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.
Round 2 was as exciting as you’d expect with Goal of the Season contenders, dramatic late finishes, red cards and even a player’s dog making a special guest appearance on the pitch at Porirua Park!
Defending champions Sydney FC find themselves dead last on the ladder after losing their second game of the season, Melbourne City came from behind to win a thrilling Melbourne Derby while Perth Glory and Newcastle Jets played out a barnstorming five-goal thriller.
Read on for all the biggest talking points from Round 2, thanks to Mitre.
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Heyman ‘worth her weight in gold’ as Canberra continue fine start
Canberra star Michelle Heyman is off and running for season 2024-25, bagging the only goal of the game to fire her side to a 1-0 win over Wellington Phoenix.
After defeating Brisbane Roar 3-2 in Round 1, Antoni Jagarinec’s side have now started the season with back-to-back wins and are second on the ladder, behind Melbourne City only on goal difference.
“We had to defend resolutely today,” said Jagarinec after the hard-fought victory at Porirua Park.
“The Phoenix are a fantastic football side, we saw that last week against Western United. Even though they didn’t get the points, they were probably the better team, in my opinion.
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“So we knew what we were coming into against a very hostile, fantastic crowd as well today. So to take the three points back home to the Capital, we were pretty happy with that.”
Ever the reliable spearhead at the tip of Canberra’s attack, Heyman’s decisive strike against the Phoenix also saw the Matildas forward break yet another record.
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Having become the first player in Ninja A-League history to score 100 goals in the competition last season, Heyman’s 11th minute strike also saw her score her 100th goal in Canberra United colours, a feat Jagarinec was quick to praise.
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“Look, you can’t replace Michelle Heyman. You know, 100 goals for Canberra United, and well above that in the A leagues as well.
“In a game like today when we have to defend, we don’t see Heyman for 99 minutes. But you know, when we see her, she comes up trumps.
“So to have that kind of quality and experience in the team, on the park, on the bus and in the hotel and on the trading paddock here, you can’t replace that.
“She’s worth her weight in goals and we’re very fortunate and lucky to have her.”
Speckmaier kick-starts her City career in style with double in the Derby
They may have done things the hard way so far this season but Melbourne City are currently sitting pretty at the top of the Ninja A-League.
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Having gone two goals down in their Round 1 clash with Perth Glory only to finish up with a 5-2 win, City once again came from behind in Round 2, with Mariana Speckmaier’s double handing them a dramatic 3-2 win over rivals Melbourne Victory.
“I think from the beginning we were playing some really good soccer,” said Speckmaier when speaking to Paramount+ after the game.
“We got unlucky with a couple of passes that we turned over but overall, I thought we played our City way and we kept strong and we saw it through.”
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An off-season signing from Wellington Phoenix, Speckmaier arrived in Melbourne after hitting 10 goals in her maiden Ninja A-League season and, having now opened her City account, believes Michael Matricciani’s side are perfectly suited to way she likes to play.
“I love coming to the ball but I also love running in behind and I think I’ve been able to bring a little bit of that to City and be a bit more of a threat in behind as well as building up.
She added: “I’m glad that I could fit in quite easily and the girls made it really easy to fit in.”
The win over their fiercest rivals sends City to the top of the pile with back-to-back victories to start the campaign and they’ll be aiming to make it three from three when they host an unbeaten Central Coast Mariners side in Round 3.
Brisbane give reigning Champions the blues after 1-0 win
It’s very rare to see Sydney FC sat at the foot of the Ninja A-League ladder however that’s where Ante Juric’s reigning champions find themselves after Round 2.
After they were comprehensively beaten by Central Coast Mariners in Round 1, the Sky Blues then headed to Perry Park in Round 2 for a tricky-looking clash against Brisbane Roar – and tricky it proved to be.
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Inspired by Matildas midfielder Tameka Yallop, Roar took the lead thanks to Chelsea Blissett’s goal in first-half stoppage time, with an impressive defensive display then ensuring Alex Smith’s side held on for the win.
“Really, really proud of the girls and the way they stuck to the task,” said Smith after the match.
“Some really good bits of football in there as well, especially in the first half, I thought we built up really well out of the back.
“On another day (we) would have hopefully buried a couple more chances and made it a little bit more comfortable for the coach who is getting a few more grey hairs ever year!”
For Blissett, Saturday’s goal against the Champions was a special occasion given her recent injury issues.
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Ruled out for almost the entire 2023-24 Ninja A-League campaign after damaging her ACL in Round 5 last season, Blissett is back in the starting line up this season and clearly making up for lost time.
“I’ve known Chelsea for five or six years now,” said Smith when asked about Blissett’s return.
“I had her at City when I was assistant down there so Chels and I have had a working relationship for a very long time.
“I’m really pleased for her to get the goal – I didn’t really see who scored it when it happened – but they tell me it was her so I’ll believe it.
“It was my first game in charge last year when she did her ACL so for her to come back, full 90 minutes, winning goal at home is just a real credit to her and the hard work she’s put in.”
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A-Leagues Champion identifies key cog in ‘one of the best midfields’ in the Ninja A-League
Her signing may well have gone somewhat under the radar in the off-season but Central Coast Mariners midfielder Taylor Ray is certainly proving to be quite the acquisition.
Fresh off playing a starring role in the Mariners’ 3-1 win over her former side Sydney FC in Round 1, Ray gaining more valuable minutes for her new side in Round 2 as they took on Western United.
Operating in the heart of midfield, 23-year-old Ray got through 90 minutes of hard work as the Mariners walked away from Ironbark Fields with a valuable point against the side who finished third in last season’s Ninja A-League and are once again expected to challenge for honours this season.
“I’ve always loved Taylor Ray,” said Paramount+ commentator and Ninja A-League champion Catherine Cannuli during the broadcast of the game.
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“I’ve always admired the way she plays. She’s obviously been at Sydney for many years and to see her be at the Mariners now and starting, I’m sure she’s going to be getting some great game time here at the Mariners.”
Featuring in the heart of the midfield alongside the ever-impressive Isabel Gomez and Captain Bianca Galic, Ray was deployed in a slightly deeper role than in Round 1 against her old side, and Cannuli believes the trio will be key in pushing the Mariners towards success this season.
“Those three I’ve got to say and we’ll say it early here are probably one of the best midfields in the whole A-League to be honest.
She added: “All three of them have great technical attributes, they read the game well. From what I saw last week, you can see the connection between the three already.”
Unbeaten after the first two rounds and with four points to their name, the Mariners will be aiming to pick up their second win of the season in Round 3 when they travel away to table-toppers Melbourne City.
