Sydney FC are in their second consecutive Westfield W-League Grand Final and, having fallen to Melbourne City at last year’s final hurdle, will have a point to prove come Saturday afternoon at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
Many marked the Sky Blues as a major contender for the 2018/19 Season and for good reason: Ante Juric built on last year’s success by assembling a squad that contains Westfield Matildas and international quality.
Sydney FC’s style of football has shown attack may just be the best form of defence in the Westfield W-League.
Pressing high with their mobile wingers, Juric has implemented a suffocating style of football that utilises his side’s pace up front and ability to catch teams unaware.
We take a look back at how Sydney’s run to the final transpired before they host Perth Glory in the game of the season.
GRAND FINAL PREVIEW: Sydney FC v Perth Glory
READ: The evolution of Princess Ibini, Sydney FC’s Grand Final wildcard
INFO: How to watch Westfield W-League 2019 Grand Final
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5996094775001
Early bumps give Sydney the blues
Sydney FC began the 2018/19 campaign ever so brightly, schooling their crosstown rivals Western Sydney Wanderers 3-0 at Marconi Stadium to send a warning shot to the rest of the competition.
However, that win was scuppered by a 3-1 loss to Melbourne City in a 2018 Grand Final replay, before Melbourne Victory put three past the Sky Blues in Kogarah.
A road trip to the nation’s capital bore no fruit for the Sky Blues as Canberra United outplayed Sydney in a 2-0 win in Round 5.
But after a loss to commence their December, Sydney FC would turn their fortunes around in the best way possible.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5853284268001
Sydney go from 0-100
Three wins in their next four games transformed Sydney from an ailing giant to a Premiership contender.
It all began with a resounding 5-1 win against fellow contenders Brisbane Roar, who were the unfortunate recipients of Sydney’s resurgence.
Four days later, another title contender would feel Juric’s Sky Blues wrath.
Adelaide United were blitzed at Cromer Park, where three goals in the last 20 minutes from Savannah McCaskill and Princess Ibini led Sydney to a 5-2 win.
A 2-1 loss in Perth halted Sydney’s run before Juric’s side turned it around with a comfortable 3-1 win over Newcastle Jets.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5979030323001
Nudging for the Premiership
Lightning would strike twice in the Sky Blues’ favour as Sydney repeated their 3-0 derby win, this time at home in front of a stellar crowd at Leichhardt Oval.
They backed that up with a 3-1 win over Brisbane before Melbourne Victory held Sydney to a 2-2 draw and halted their hopes of a third Premiership.
A 2-0 loss against Melbourne City at Wollongong Stadium was only a blip in Sydney’s progress.
10 days later, Sydney would down Brisbane for a third time in the Season, with the 2-1 win earning them a second consecutive home Grand Final.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5994943969001
Star player — Caitlin Foord
Caitlin Foord has had her best season to date, bagging 10 goals and four assists and proving herself to be a leading forward in the game.
Incredibly, those goals have been part of Foord’s 18 shots on target — so if Foord gets a shot on target, goalkeepers best be prepared for a bulging net.
The Shellharbour local has established herself a true striker, a departure from the early stages of her career where she had been tested as a full-back.
The 24-year-old, who turned out for Perth Glory in their last Grand Final back in 2014, has all the weapons in her armoury to inflict pain against her former side.
Foord has returned a passing accuracy of more than 75% this campaign and has made an astonishing 33 key passes, showing she’s as good at scoring goals as she is in creating them.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6000654655001
Record against Perth Glory
In the previous 19 times these two have faced off, Sydney FC has won on 10 occasions while Perth have been victorious nine times.
Recently, Perth have won three of the last five against the Juric’s side, including this season’s encounter where Glory prevailed 2-1 at home.
88 goals in 19 matches means there is an average of 4.6 goals per game, with 53 of those coming from the Sky Blues.
Sydney FC recorded the largest ever Westfield W-League victory when they defeated Perth 11-0 in the 2011/12 Season.
On that day Renee Rollason, Leena Khamis and Kylie Ledbrook all grabbed hat-tricks.
https://players.brightcove.net/5519514572001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5982435890001
