ALW Preview: Sydney FC v City

Our City Women will be in action once more this weekend before we head into another international break.

Currently sitting undefeated and in second on the table, Dario Vidosic’s side will be looking to go into the break on a high with another three points away to Sydney FC on Sunday afternoon.

Here are a few things to keep an eye out for come Sunday.

How do we replace Holly?

Star forward Holly McNamara went down clutching her knee after scoring the winner against Newcastle last weekend and our worst fears were confirmed on Tuesday when the news came through that she had ruptured her ACL.

She underwent surgery on Thursday and now begins the road to recovery with the City family ready to support her every step of the way.

While we’ll of course be missing McNamara in a big way, Vidosic must now focus on how he replaces the Golden Boot leader.

Earlier in the season we saw Daniela Galic used on the wing with Leticia McKenna playing a more advanced midfield role, but Emina Ekic came in for her starting season debut last week and caused a shuffle which saw McKenna move to the bench.

Vidosic could again opt to move Galic to the wing and re-introduce McKenna to the XI in midfield.

With nominal wingers Bryleeh Henry and Caitlin Karic both currently out injured, Vidosic may have to get creative with using some players in different positions in the short-term should he prefer not to move Galic back out wide.

A historically tough away trip

While earlier in our history we enjoyed plenty of success away to Sydney FC, in recent years it has been a tough trip.

Last season saw a disappointing 3-0 defeat while the season before we saw our campaign come to an end in a dramatic Semi Final.

Sunday will present the perfect opportunity to secure our first win away to Sydney FC since 2019, a day which saw Emily van Egmond and Milica Mijatovic on the scoresheet in a 2-1 win.

Given their AFC Women’s Club Championship commitments, Sydney has only played three league games so far this season.

It was an up-and-down beginning to the season prior to their departure with one win and one loss, but their most recent outing after returning last weekend saw a strong 3-1 win over Adelaide United.

Limiting mistakes at the back

Speaking to media ahead of the team’s trip across the border, Vidosic emphasised the need to limit mistakes while in possession.

Given City plays a heavy-possession game style that often sees the opposition sit back and wait to pounce on errant passes, goals from quick counter attacks can be a common threat.

While we’ve seen a dymanic attack so far this season and have been able to score plenty of goals, no team inside the top eight on the table have conceded more goals than City.

Even with McNamara now ruled out for the season, tidying things up a little defensively will go a long way to seeing us challenge for silverware.