The February Football Frenzy moves into another gear as 11 A-Leagues fixtures fill the weekend agenda between Friday, February 18 and Sunday, February 20.
A Liberty A-League top of the table clash between Melbourne City (second) and Sydney FC (first) is the main event on Sunday afternoon, with the victors putting crucial points on the board not just in the race for the ALW premiership, but the club championship too:
City are pressing the Sky Blues for top spot in the club championship – this season’s newly-formed competition combining the points earned by the nine clubs currently with ALM and ALW sides competing around the A-Leagues.
With City and Sydney FC’s ALM outfits playing on Friday and Saturday respectively, Sunday’s ALW meeting between the two clubs could present City with the chance to leapfrog the Sky Blues into top spot on the club championship table with a win over the Liberty A-League leaders.
Here’s what’s coming up on the A-Leagues agenda:
LIBERTY A-LEAGUE: MELBOURNE CITY v SYDNEY FC
A massive opportunity awaits for Melbourne City after Sydney FC dropped points against Melbourne Victory on Wednesday night: win this top of the table clash, and the gap between first and second closes to just two points – with City maintaining a game in hand on the league-leaders.
It’s first against second on Sunday afternoon in an unmissable A-League Women’s battle which will play a significant role in crowning this season’s premiers. Golden Boot leader Hannah Wilkinson misses out for second-placed City on international duty with New Zealand at the SheBelieves Cup in the United States.
Melbourne City v Sydney FC
Kingston Heath Soccer Complex
Kick-off: 4.05pm AEDT
TV: Network 10, Paramount+
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Elsewhere in the A-Leagues…
LIBERTY A-LEAGUE: WELLINGTON PHOENIX v ADELAIDE UNITED
Let’s try this again, shall we?
Last night’s meeting between these two sides was postponed after a hail storm hit Wollongong, preventing play from getting underway at WIN Stadium.
Wellington Phoenix and Adelaide United will now meet behind-closed-doors at 4.05pm AEDT on Friday afternoon.
The ‘Nix come into this clash off the back of the club’s maiden Liberty A-League win: a 3-0 triumph over Canberra United. But with captain and first-choice goalkeeper Lily Alfeld away on New Zealand international duty, curtailing a ruthless Adelaide attack will be a difficult task for Gemma Lewis’ side.
Reds striker Fiona Worts bagged five goals in her side’s 8-2 rout of Brisbane Roar last time out, a result which sent both Worts and Chelsie Dawber flying into Golden Boot contention whilst cementing Adelaide’s place in the top four.
The signs are positive for Wellington after the club’s historic win against Canberra – and recording successive victories would be an enormous achievement considering the calibre and form of their Friday-night opponents.
Wellington Phoenix v Adelaide United
WIN STADIUM
Kick-off: 4.05pm AEDT
Broadcast: Paramount+
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ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE: MELBOURNE CITY v NEWCASTLE JETS
It’s Jamie Maclaren against Beka Mikeltadze in the Golden Boot charge on Friday night at AAMI Park.
Melbourne City will sweat on the fitness of key players Scott Jamieson and Marco Tilio after the pair trudged off with respective injuries during their side’s shock 2-1 loss to Adelaide United in midweek.
The champions squandered the chance to surge to the top of the table by dropping all three points in a game they led through a Jamie Maclaren strike in the first half.
Tsubasa Endoh comes into contention to make his City debut after signing on a six-month contract at the start of February.
Newcastle, meanwhile, are buoyant after a stunning 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory on February 12. Arthur Papas’ side are one of four sides separated by just one point between eighth and 11th spot on the A-League Men’s table, but a win would take the Jets to within one point of the top six – that’s how close the standings are at this point in the season.
Melbourne City v Newcastle Jets
AAMI PARK
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
TV: Paramount+
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LIBERTY A-LEAGUE: BRISBANE ROAR v CANBERRA UNITED
Brisbane Roar simply must respond after a club-record 8-2 loss to Adelaide United on their home deck.
Canberra, meanwhile are buoyed by a 5-0 win over Western Sydney – the club’s first of the season. The conflicting moods around the two clubs are set to make for interesting viewing when they clash at Perry Park on Friday night.
These two clubs finished in the top four last season, making their respective positions on the table today all the more disappointing. United are seventh heading into the weekend and the Roar eighth, with neither side able to make a late push to the postseason. It’s all about pride from here on out for these two sleeping giants.
Brisbane Roar v Canberra United
Perry Park
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
TV: Paramount+
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ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE: WELLINGTON PHOENIX v SYDNEY FC
Wellington Phoenix are flying up the A-League Men’s table off the back of five games unbeaten which have taken Ufuk Talay’s side from last place to within a win of top spot.
The ‘Nix haven’t lost since Mexican midfielder Gael Sandoval debuted for the club in mid-January. Wellington have since won four games and drawn one, scoring 10 goals and conceding just three to go level on points with the Sky Blues.
Steve Corica’s side will be the ‘away’ team at a Wellington home game played at Leichhardt Oval. The Sky Blues are unbeaten in four games themselves and will fancy their chances of spoiling the Phoenix party on Saturday afternoon.
Wellington Phoenix v Sydney FC
Saturday, February 19 2022
Leichhardt Oval
Kick-off: 5.05pm AEDT
TV: Paramount+
LIBERTY A-LEAGUE: MELBOURNE VICTORY v PERTH GLORY
After Melbourne Victory’s entertaining midweek draw with Sydney FC, the door has been left slightly ajar for Perth Glory to gun for a spot in the top four.
Alex Epakis’ side are four points behind Victory in third and three behind Adelaide United in fourth as the West Australian outfit refuse to say die this season. Perth were taught a lesson by Melbourne City in their last hit-out, losing 4-0 to the second-placed side, but up to now the Glory have shown a hunger for upset results. Could they be the ones to end Victory’s five-game winless run?
Melbourne Victory v Perth Glory
Saturday, February 19 2022
AAMI Park
Kick-off: 4.50pm AEDT
TV: Paramount+
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ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE: MELBOURNE VICTORY v CENTRAL COAST MARINERS
It’s the FFA Cup final rematch between two sides experiencing respectively flat runs of form in the A-League Men’s.
Melbourne Victory are officially in a rut; a fourth consecutive game without a win confirming that fact as a 2-0 loss to Western Sydney on Wednesday night put the FFA Cup champions in a precarious position in the final slot inside the top six.
Since winning the domestic cup final against Central Coast in early February Tony Popovic’s side have lost to Wellington, Newcastle and the Wanderers after drawing 2-2 with Sydney FC in the game prior to the FFA Cup decider.
The Mariners are shipping late goals of late – a habit becoming costly this season. In back-to-back games their opponents have scored equalisers at the death to prevent Central Coast taking maximum points – those points would have put Nick Montgomery’s side in the finals hunt.
Melbourne Victory v Central Coast Mariners
Saturday, February 19 2022
AAMI Park
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
TV: Network 10, Paramount+
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LIBERTY A-LEAGUE: NEWCASTLE JETS v WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS
Western Sydney Wanderers are free-falling down the A-League Women’s table after consecutive 5-0 defeats.
Scoring just three goals to this stage in the season is a measly contribution from Catherine Cannuli’s side, who went goalless for an eighth game this season in a thumping loss to Canberra on Tuesday afternoon.
A contentious moment of drama denied Newcastle a point against undefeated league-leaders Sydney FC last time out; the 1-0 loss could have ended with points shared but a late Jets goal was cancelled out due to an obstruction on Sydney FC keeper Jada Whyman.
The Jets sit 12 points outside the top four with five games to play, meaning a win over the Wanderers – and a convincing one at that – will keep the slim finals hopes alive.
Newcastle Jets v Western Sydney Wanderers
Saturday, February 19 2022
No. 2 Sportsground
Kick-off: 5.05pm AEDT
TV: Paramount+
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ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE: MACARTHUR FC v ADELAIDE UNITED
Adelaide United are the stars of the late show this season, earning an extra nine points with goals scored after the 84-minute mark in six fixtures to date.
Their most recent last-gasp feat was an 85th-minute winner over champions Melbourne City on the road – and travelling to face a leaky Macarthur FC outfit will give Carl Veart’s side plenty of optimism about getting a result on Saturday night.
The Bulls started the season on fire, but have conceded 14 goals in their last five games, sliding out of premiership contention on the winless run (D2, L3).
Macarthur FC v Adelaide United
Saturday, February 19 2022
Campbelltown Stadium
Kick-off: 7.45pm AEDT
TV: Paramount+
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ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE: PERTH GLORY v BRISBANE ROAR
If the pattern of Brisbane Roar results holds up on Sunday, a Roar win is on the way against Perth. The Queenslanders have won, lost, won, lost, won and lost in that order in their last six games, making them one of the hardest sides to read form-wise in the A-League Men’s.
It’s potentially even harder to get a read on Perth as their stop-start season continues in 2021/22. A return from the most recent COVID-19 outbreak in the squad saw two youngsters combine to nick a point off the Mariners late on, with Adam Zimarino finding Daniel Stynes to equalise.
With consistent injury and illness concerns plaguing the senior members of Richard Garcia’s squad the onus may fall on young blood to steer Perth through yet another fixture.
Perth Glory v Brisbane Roar
Sunday, February 20
Venue: UTAS Stadium
Kick-off: 4.05pm AEDT
TV: Paramount+
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ISUZU UTE A-LEAGUE: WESTERN UNITED v WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS
For the second time in just over two weeks, Western United and Western Sydney lock horns in the A-League Men’s. United won 1-0 in the Wanderers’ home fixture on February 5, but Mark Rudan’s side will be confident of travelling to AAMI Park and building on a good win against Victory on Wednesday night.
United’s position on top of the A-League Men’s table could be taken away from them by the time this game kicks off on Sunday afternoon, but John Aloisi’s side have a one-point gap on the competition heading into the weekend – meaning their position can be restored with a three-point display.
Western United v Western Sydney Wanderers
Sunday, February 20
AAMI Park
Kick-off: 6.35pm AEDT
TV: Paramount+
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