Sydney FC Women 3 Perth Glory 1
A game that appeared to be adhering to a familiar pattern burst into life in the second half as Sydney FC asserted their dominance and swept visitors Perth Glory aside with a fabulous display of relentless attacking. After conceding a ridiculous goal to cancel out Maddie Caspers’ classy opener, the Sky Blue fans were feeling jaded at the break and in need of a pump up. However, a marvellous double from superstar Cortnee Vine and non-stop offensive play coinciding with the samba beat of the Cove made this a night to remember at Leichhardt Oval.
A relaxing afternoon at the Orange Grove Hotel, a good ten minute walk from Leichhardt Oval, watching Sydney FC men’s team throw away a two goal lead on our mobile phones (honestly, is there any pub other than Cheers Bar that has Paramount Plus?) and grabbing a tasty bite from the Thai restaurant, was thrown into disarray as two dogs went absolutely bezerk outside the front of the pub. A passing Alsatian latched on to a poor fella’s Retriever and the owners battled to control the Inspector Rex type dog as it went in for the kill, right outside the window where we were sitting. There was shouting and growling and a big struggle.
Cue our very own Dr Dolittle, Michelle, who leapt into action with Tim and headed outside to help subdue the out-of-control police dog and prevent a canine death right on our doorstep. The owner of the Retriever, who up until then had been enjoying a late-afternoon schooner in the sun, was left with deep cuts on his hand, while the owner of the Alsatian had been dragged to the floor by her powerful dog and was in a right state. It was honestly like something you see on a shitty American show like When Good Dogs Go Bad, and was a case of an inappropriate dog for the size and strength of the owner.
As a result, we were running a little later than usual, Michelle’s adrenaline levels running high and she had to wash the blood off her arms before we left, and we came through the gates at 6.50pm under the watchful eye of membership guru Shane, with only ten minutes to see our gang on the Hill before heading around to the Cove in the far end of the main stand. They were already in good voice as we walked around to join them.
This antique boutique stadium is known to Tigers’ fans as the 7th wonder of the world, and you could see why tonight, families gathered on the hill in front of the scoreboard in the sun, a good turnout in the main stand, and Red, Perth Glory’s awayday superfan, in place in the away bay in the corner. The scene was set for a fabulous footballing occasion, Sydney FC looking to keep their momentum going
The game kicked off with Sydney FC on the front foot. They looked in total command, although there were some strange sub-plots. The referee seemed to be intent on penalising the home team in every 50/50 situation and the sky blue players seemed to be ignoring captain Princess Ibini when she was in space in favour of shooting from distance. Mackenzie Hawkesby fired wildly over, Caspers shot weakly from distance when trying to catch the goalkeeper off her line, but Sydney did get their noses in front when Vine, tormenting her defender on the right, played in a low cross that Caspers controlled and fired low into the net for 1-0. Brilliant control and finish from a brilliant player.
It was one-way traffic, and as our Cove capo MMTV asked around to confirm the goalscorer, Indiana Dos Santos wriggled into the box and was upended for a certain penalty, the referee having no hesitation to point to the spot. Up stepped Ibini as we called for Caspers to take it, and she placed her penalty too high and too close to the Perth keeper who punched it spectacularly away. Bloody hell.
Perth Glory came forward and Sydney looked a little light on numbers as play reached the edge of the box. A home team player fell on the ball and handled, it looked like it was in the penalty area, but with no VAR to study the millimetres, the referee awarded a free kick right on the edge. The protracted setting up of the wall eventually led to the impressive Hannah Lowry bending a vicious ball into the six yard box, where Jada Whyman and Shay Hollman got in each other’s way and the ball somehow found its way into the net for a dramatic equaliser, completely against the run of play.
Dos Santos gave us a bit of Brazilian magic on the left, doing a Pele flick to try and evade her marker; great entertainment but a little out of context with the scores at 1-1. Hawkesby gave us quite the opposite, frusratingly firing a corner kick behind the goal. This was turning into one of those performances.
The Cove were having a tough time too. Maybe it was lethargy, maybe it was the acoustics of where we were standing, there was something not quite right, but all credit to those in attendance, we kept on singing (rather badly it seemed) until the end of the half.
The mood at half time was one of frustration. Sydney FC had been completely on top, some poor finishing and wasteful final balls into the box had given Glory the opportunity to equalise with their first and only chance of the half. The Cove moved back to their now-traditional position, a little bit in from the north end of the main stand, and immediately the volume went up and it felt like the women’s Cove we know and love.
The home team came out with intent at the start of the second half, Vine was full of running, Ibini seemed to have more purpose, and there was a spring in their step. Hawkesby fired so far over it was hard to see where she was aiming, but then a goal of pure simplicity opened up the visiting defence. Ibini received the ball centrally and turned to play in Vine. The Matildas superhero advanced and buried a low shot into the bottom corner of the net for a fabulous finish to reclaim the lead.
Dos Santos bundled through two challenges but was beaten to the ball by the keeper as Sydney threatened to run away with it, Ibini fired just over, there were a flurry of corners from both sides ofthe field, one of them a dreadful training-ground routine that was played low into the wrong area, but it looked like only the home team would add to their tally. Vine did one of those classic ‘inadvertent touch with one foot and air swing with the other’ but made it look intentional and almost set up a third.
MMTV bravely introduced a new chant to the fray, a Vengaboys number that everyone cottoned on to pretty quickly and the main stand was bouncing to the tune of Brazil. A rocky start to the evening in a character-less void only ten metres to the left had become a seminal evening in a brilliant atmosphere.
Sydney made their usual set of subs, Caspers unlucky to make way after a stellar performance, and as she was walking around the field, Sydney struck the final blow. The goal will be remembered as being Vine’s second, but the real story was the through ball, Dos Santos picking up a loose ball in the middle of the park and playing the most intricate pass through for Vine to run on to. Vine beat the keeper but was forced wide and when she shot, she barely got any purchase on it, and the defender sliding in to block slid right past it as it rolled slowly over the line behind her for a freakish third goal. The Cove was by now in nirvana, there was some fabulous play right down in front of us, Kirsty Fenton showing us a rare glimpse tonight of her forward play (we won’t forget your time up front), Vine doing her best to hold the ball up in the corner and a couple of tasty nutmegs wowing the home crowd.
The final whistle was greeted with big cheers and the players were quick to come across and acknowledge the Cove. The players linked hands and cheered before the much-loved Super Sydney FC chant was shared between players and fans. It feels great to be connected.
This was the perfect second-half performance, Sydney had played with spirit and were so switched on; any loose ball was pounced on, and they showed street smarts in a game that could have gone a different way at half time. The players were given so much love by the fans, Vine and partner Charlotte Mclean spending all their time on the far side of the field. The players were loving it. The young fans were loving it. This was what supporting Sydney FC was all about.
Players received gifts, Cortnee was given a picture of herself as a Simpsons character, super fan Tiarna outdid herself with this week’s banner and handed out cards with each player’s name and number on a sky blue shirt on the front – very impressive. The stadium emptied very quickly once the final player had gone down the the tunnel, the seccies ushering the stubborn crowd out, and the players mingled with the fans as they left the side gate together. Mackenzie and Nat Tobin worked the crowd, while Tori Tumeth sang Super Sydney FC doing the Viking Clap as she walked to her car in the adjacent carpark. Everything was good in the world. Sydney FC women had won, but more importantly they had played very well in the second half. The belief is back.
We were back home by 10pm – I dunno maybe it was even earlier – what a great way to spend a Saturday night to wash away the Socceroos’ Asian Cup disappoint, and what a shot in the arm for all the Cove fans to have ended the game on a high and with the rest of the crowd joining in.
A day that started with a dog fight ended with a purring Sydney FC team. In Maddie Caspers we have a special talent, in Jordan Thompson we have a quality defender who has stepped in so well into the big space left by our captain, and the lack of an out-and-out striker wasn’t even noticed in the second half as the Sky Blues wrapped up a fine win to keep up with the leaders with only seven games to go in the 2023/2024 season.
Get in! Forza Sydney FC. In Ante we trust.