It’s now or never for Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory as the two teams battle to progress to the Liberty A-League’s penultimate weekend.
Meanwhile, premiers Sydney FC and Melbourne City face off for a spot in the decider.
Four teams head into the first weekend of the 2021-22 finals series – but only three will remain by Sunday evening as the temperature rises in the Liberty A-League.
Your weekend Liberty A-League preview brings you everything you need to know ahead of two semi-final fixtures on March 11 and 13, including team news, the tale of the tape and all the talking points heading into week one of the post-season.
THE FIXTURES
Sydney FC v Melbourne City
Friday, March 11 2022
Netstrata Jubilee Stadium
Kick-off: 7.05pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
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Adelaide United v Melbourne Victory
Sunday, March 13 2022
Coopers Stadium
Kick-off: 4.05PM AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+, 10BOLD
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Amy Chapman previews the Liberty A-Leagues finals in this week’s episode of the Official A-Leagues Podcast. Listen below or via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
THE NEW FINALS FORMAT
It’s the new addition to the 2021-22 Liberty A-League season rewarding the two teams finishing first and second whilst extending the finals series by one week.
In a change from years gone by, first (Sydney FC) play second (Melbourne City) to decide which team proceed to the grand final.
The winner earns a weekend off to prepare for the decider.
The loser gets a second chance, returning to action next weekend against the winner of Adelaide United (third) and Melbourne Victory (fourth).
Either Adelaide or Victory will be knocked out of the finals this weekend.
HOW TO WATCH
Both fixtures in the opening round of the finals will be streamed live on Paramount+.
Semi-final two – Adelaide United v Melbourne Victory – is also available to watch LIVE on 10BOLD.
WATCH: All the games, all the action on Paramount+
MELBOURNE VICTORY v ADELAIDE UNITED
‘It was a bit of a gamble, and I think it’s going to prove costly for Victory.”
Melbourne Victory are without star midfielder Kyra Cooney-Cross through suspension as the reigning champions travel to Coopers Stadium to face Adelaide United in a do-or-die semi-final on Sunday afternoon.
It was a moment of contention lost in the drama of Victory’s 0-0 draw with Canberra United last Friday afternoon, with Jeff Hopkins’ side needing at least a point to edge past Perth Glory into the top four on goal difference; but a cynical challenge on Chelsee Washington in the second half left Cooney-Cross with her fourth yellow card of the season – and a one-game suspension heading into the finals.
Cooney-Cross was notified of her suspension in her post-match interview on Paramount+, but appeared to be unsure of the fact presented to her.
“Nothing is confirmed yet,” she said. “So I’ll treat it like I’m playing next week and see what happens.”
Hopkins then went on to confirm he hadn’t informed Cooney-Cross of the delicate situation pre-game, as Victory gunned to seal their spot in the top four which was ultimately sealed by the 0-0 result.
“We were aware of it,” Hopkins told Paramount+ “I don’t really like bringing (up) stuff like that.
“We’ve talked to her about (it), one or two of her yellow cards have been pretty petulant.
“She needs to just be careful. I think one or two of them were for dissent and it comes back to bite you further down the line.
“I feel if you put those things in player’s minds they’re playing on them and you don’t get a good performance out of them.”
Hopkins’ decision not to alert his star of her potential suspension raised eyebrows in the Paramount+ studio.
“It was a silly foul from Cooney-Cross,” said football analyst Georgia Yeoman-Dale post-match.
“It’s something that potentially if you’re not worried about cards you can make a professional foul to break up play.
“But if I’m a coach I’m talking to my players, I’m making them very aware of what a foul like that means going forward into finals.
“I know he said you put it in the player’s mind, but they should be thinking about it in a game, she should be very well aware of it, and not necessarily pulling out of tackles but not doing silly things like that.”
Fellow football analyst Grace Gill added: “It was a really interesting comment I thought from Jeff, because I think Kyra is the kind of player that when she has something like that hanging over her head it does change the way she plays.
“Today, Jeff needed a result, there was no guarantee of finals until they got either a draw or a win so it was a bit of a gamble, and I think it’s going to prove costly for Victory.”
FORM LINE (last five games)
- Adelaide United: L-W-W-W-L
- Melbourne Victory: D-L-D-L-D
Melbourne Victory are on a winless run of five games heading into the post-season – their longest streak without a win all campaign.
The Reds ended their campaign with a loss against Sydney FC, but with finals football already secure and the Sky Blues chasing the premiers plate, perhaps that defeat was to be expected.
The result prior? A commanding 3-0 home win over Victory.
Head-to-head this season
Melbourne Victory 5-1 Adelaide United
Victory ran rampant against Adelaide in Round 1, with four different goalscorers in a 5-1 rout. One of those names on the scoresheet was Kayla Morrison – the Victory captain whose season started with a bang before disaster struck.
Twenty minutes after scoring her first goal of the campaign, Morrison was substituted with what was to become a season-ending knee injury. Victory have struggled to plug the hole in defence since.
Adelaide United 3-0 Melbourne Victory
A dominant display from the Reds led by star forward Fiona Worts, who bagged all three goals on her way to clinching the Liberty A-League Golden Boot.
This was Worts and Adelaide at their best. A repeat performance on Sunday afternoon will spell trouble for the visitors.
TEAM NEWS
Adelaide head coach Adrian Stenta says key midfielder Emily Condon is “really close” to a return to action after missing the last three games due to a hamstring injury.
The 23-year-old has two goals and three assists to her name this season, including a stunning free-kick netted against Perth Glory on New Years Day.
In the Victory camp, Cooney-Cross’ absence is a tremendous blow for a team already behind the eight ball heading into finals. But amongst the drama of Victory’s final game of the regular season came the return of Melina Ayres; the striker is an intimidating force on her day, and could prove the difference maker off the bench after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Ayres was Victory’s leading goalscorer last season, nothing eight goals and five assists through 14 games.
FINAL VERDICT
It’s a tight one to call – as all finals should be. But Adelaide’s consistency through the second half of the season holds the hosts in good stead to get the job done on Sunday afternoon. 23 goals combined from Chelsie Dawber and Worts this season make Adelaide’s attack the most fearsome of any in the post-season; should either – or both – of the Reds’ stars be on song Victory’s defensive line could be in for a tough afternoon.
If Victory are to find a way through to the next round, don’t be surprised if goalkeeper Casey Dumont is the hero at Coopers Stadium.
SYDNEY FC v MELBOURNE CITY
‘We want revenge’ – Sky Blues hurt by City spoiling perfection
Sydney FC have just one blemish on their Liberty A-League record this season: a 2-1 loss to Melbourne City.
It still hurts Sky Blues captain Nat Tobin to this day.
In the minutes after Sydney sealed their status as 2021-22 premiers, Tobin made her side’s intentions for this weekend clear: “We want revenge,” she told Paramount+ after defeating Adelaide 1-0 on Friday, March 4.
“We’re very excited, we lost to City and that was the only team that defeated us this season… so yeah, we’re out to win.”
Importantly for the Sky Blues, Friday night’s fixture comes at home – the premiers’ first game in New South Wales since February 13.
Goalkeeper Jada Whyman and the Sky Blues missed home whilst on the road. Whyman’s astonishing record of 893 in-game minutes without conceding a goal came to an end in her side’s first trip outside of their home state of the season, in a 2-2 draw with Melbourne Victory on February 16.
The Sky Blues conceded four of a total six goals for the season away from home in their final five games of the regular season.
FORM LINE (last five games)
- Sydney FC: W-W-L-D-W
- Melbourne City: W-W-L-W-W
That ‘L’ in Sydney’s form line is the all-important result to take note of heading into the finals series: a 2-1 loss to City in the most recent meeting between these two sides.
HEAD-TO-HEAD THIS SEASON
Sydney FC 3-0 Melbourne City
It was too easy for the Sky Blues in January as a Rachel Lowe brace helped Ante Juric’s side to a convincing win at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium – the venue for this Friday’s finals battle.
Paige Satchell added the third in a rare start for the New Zealand international. Importantly, both Remy Siemsen and Cortnee Vine were absent on Matildas duty for this fixture; Satchell, Maria Rojas and Princess Ibini shouldered the attacking burden in the absence of the two star Sydney forwards.
Melbourne City 2-1 Sydney FC
This time it was City missing a key duo: Rebekah Stott and Hannah Wilkinson, with the Kiwi pair joining Satchell in the United States on international duty with the Football Ferns. But again it was the understrength side coming up trumps, with Rhianna Pollicina and Kaitlyn Trophy doing to damage in a 2-1 win at AAMI Park.
Princess Ibini scored from the spot with 11 minutes to play to set up a grandstand finish, but City were able to hold on to achieve maximum points and blemish Sydney’s record.
TEAM NEWS
The Sky Blues will sweat on the fitness of star winger Vine, who missed her side’s final game of the season due to a calf injury. Vine has been one of the top performers league-wide this campaign, showing devastating effectiveness off the right flank for Sydney – and the Matildas.
THE VERDICT
This one could go either way, but the premiers should have enough to edge it on Friday night.
This Sydney side simply don’t concede at home. Add in the extra motivation to enact revenge on their recent loss to City, and Ante Juric’s side have all the motivation they need to progress to the grand final.
There’s a second chance for the loser of this contest, so expect each side to be going for the jugular. Keep your eye on Rhianna Pollicina, the City star stepping up in the absence of the injured Holly McNamara who could provide the X-factor as her career-best form continues.
