Ambitious City chasing all titles in ALW

Interim coach Dario Vidosic is straight to the point when asked what his goals are for Melbourne City this A-League Women season.

“We want to win. So I’m not afraid to say that. We want to win. We want all the titles,” he told reporters on Friday.

City, whose relatively young squad finished second on the table but bowed out in the semi-finals last season, have won their opening two games despite having key personnel sidelined.

Star striker Hannah Wilkinson (quad) is out for at least another two-to-three weeks, as is defender Karly Roestbakken.

Winger Holly McNamara (ACL) likely won’t play until late in the season while Emma Checker and Leticia McKenna only just returned from pre-season setbacks.

But City have carried on seamlessly regardless, beating Wellington 4-1 and Brisbane 3-0, with recruits Katie Bowen, Daniela Galic, Bryleeh Henry and Maria Jose Rojas among those stepping up.

Vidosic backed young gun Galic to find the back of the net after the prodigiously talented 16-year-old attacking midfielder impressed in City’s opening two games.

Galic starred for the Young Matildas at the U20 Women’s World Cup but Vidosic, a former Socceroos No.10,

“She’s getting herself in great positions which is (great) – for a 16-year-old already to be aware of where to be, I think she’s not far from her first professional goal,” he said. 

“But regardless of that, she’s been excellent the first two games. 

“She deserves everything. She had a fantastic World Cup. She was four years younger than everyone at that World Cup. I watched that and she was someone that stood out to me. 

“It’s only her second professional game, so she’s still got a long, long career ahead of her. So there’s no need for her to get carried away or anyone to get carried away.”

City face fifth-placed Newcastle at Casey Fields on Saturday.

The Jets have one win and two draws with an attack led by American striker Sarah Griffith, but Vidosic was confident of avoiding a scare.

“We had almost 66 per cent possession against Roar and (they had Larissa) Crummer up front who’s a top striker, in the Matildas, and we kept her very quiet. 

“It’s going to be about the same this weekend. 

“Can we control the game, can we play it in the opponent’s half, can we dominate position and then when we don’t have it, how hard can we work and the effort that we can make to win the ball back?

“If we nullify their transitions then I think we give ourselves again a great chance.”