At 22 and 41, Jada Whyman and Melissa Barbieri showed the importance of a top-drawer custodian, writes Angela Christina-Wilkes in this week’s Liberty A-League Lessons.
They don’t always get much credit, but the specialised artform of goalkeeping can be celebrated in a whole heap of different ways. The occasional spectacular stop might get the plaudits, but there’s much more to the skillset than that.
Two goalkeepers were in the spotlight this weekend, one almost half the age of the other, and their stories are inspiring in their own ways.
When Sydney FC eased past Brisbane Roar 2-0, they became the first club in the league’s history to record eight clean sheets in a row. Jada Whyman has been between the sticks for these eight matches. This achievement sees her name go into the record books as the ALW keeper with the most minutes spent without conceding, overtaking Lydia Williams, a keeper Whyman has previously cited as a role model.
This moment feels like one component in a long-term rise for for the 22-year-old. No stranger to being “one to watch”, Whyman signed with the Wanderers aged 15 and was launched straight into the number one spot. It wasn’t long before Whyman and the Wanderers become synonymous as she spent a prolific five years with the club. Her early days at semi-professional level were punctuated by spectacular shot stopping and gasp-inducing athleticism, interrupted by breathless mistakes and a tendency to be caught off her line. The raw talent was remarkable, but she was learning on the job – kind of the point of the ALW, many would argue.
A long-term knee injury – a tear in the patella tendon – saw the hype around Whyman on the pitch understandably quieten. As Sydney hit refresh, so too did Whyman, moving across town last season to step into the space held by dependable Aubrey Bledsoe. She went on to play all available minutes in both the regular season and the finals, Sydney conceding 11 goals on their premiership run – the best defence in the league by a sliver, and the fewest goals Whyman individually had had put past her in a season. In and of itself, it was a notable campaign for a young keeper at a new club, post-rehab.
However, Whyman’s ringing statement of intent, her heroic comeback moment, occurred at the end of the season. Her energetic and emotionally charged performance at the grand final kept her side in the game against an insistent Victory, earning her Player of the Match. The question coming into this campaign was could she repeat her efforts? Could she maintain focus through the humdrum of home and away when there wouldn’t always be an occasion to rise to?
The short answer (so far, touch wood) is yes. Doing the simple things well, week in week out, may not make a splash or get nominations for save of the round: directing your defence, perfecting your positioning, organising with confidence on corners and catching shots with safe hands, regardless of the risk posed. Yet, these are all facets of her game Whyman has plugged away at, pointing to her development from a young gun into a well-rounded and reliable keeper (who just so happens to still be in the early days of her career)
The tricky part – as many keepers, Whyman included, will attest to – is being able to shift gears and the clean sheet was by no means a given against an agitated Roar. The first 30 minutes was end-to-end football, with Maria Rojas scoring early and Roar resolutely clamouring for the equaliser. Shea Connors was particularly busy for Brisbane, unleashing a powerful shot towards to the near post that Whyman had to smother. The American striker followed up minutes later, turning through Sydney’s defence to get through on goal and unleashing a shot that forced a Matrix-esque leap and parry from Whyman.
Given Whyman’s consistent form and her own clear intentions for Matildas’ consideration, a move overseas to get more competitive minutes seems inevitable. Pondering the possibility of young talent moving overseas on the back of strong seasons is one of the gains made in women’s football in recent years, and, as Melissa “Bubs” Barbieri reminded ALW fans, isn’t to be taken for granted as the Melbourne City keeper celebrated 25 years since her professional debut. Clutching a bouquet and speaking after City’s 2-1 win over Wanderers, she said “We’re not where we can be. And I want to say to all those little girls out that there that want to play soccer for Australia, ‘You can play anywhere in the world. Not just for Australia.’”
Since her start in 1997, she made the transition from midfielder to goalkeeper, played club football in men’s competitions, was named keeper of the year in the first year of the W-League, captained the Matildas to winning the Asian Cup, became a mother and returned to the pitch despite a lack of structural support, retired and then returned to win a championship, amongst other achievements. The footballing opportunities that stretch out for the likes of Jada Whyman are, in part, due to the persistence of the likes of Melissa Barbieri.
In another instance of stalwarts and young talent sharing the limelight, both Tiff Eliadis and Alana Murphy scored their debut ALW goals in Victory’s 2-0 win over Wellington Phoenix. Eliadis’ goal comes ten years into her ALW career as a dedicated squad player, while 16-year-old Murphy’s goal comes in her 6th appearance.
Another notable clean sheet was Adelaide United’s 3-0 win over Newcastle Jets – the first time they have maintained three clean sheets since 2018 (and the only other time they have done so). While a more understated statistical tid-bit than Sydney’s, it points to significant building block in the Reds’ current project as they refine their patient and possession-based game plan.
In the opposite of a clean sheet, Canberra United took the adage “good things come in threes” to its limits and drew 3-3 for the third time this season. The dominant United of seasons’ past seem to be in hibernation, giving way to agents of chaos. They remain a threat, however, as they continue to steal precious points away others. This weekend, a debut goal apiece for Lauren Keir and Chelsee Washington cancelled out Perth’s 1-3 lead, seeing Perth bumped out of the top four.
