Melbourne City has completed a perfect AFC Women’s Group Stage, rounding out Group B with a 4-0 win over Kaya FC-Iloilo.
The damage was done early with three goals inside ten minutes coming from Mariana Speckmaier, Captain Rebekah Stott on her history-making 100th Club appearance, and Lourdes Bosch.
To put a cherry on top, Bosch scored her second just before the break as City then played out a professional second half.
Team News
With a home Quarter Final already secured, Michael Matricciani made five changes to his starting XI for City’s third game inside six days.
Included in these was a first AFC Women’s Champions League appearance for Melissa Barbieri between the sticks, while Lourdes Bosch made the first start of her professional career further up the pitch.
Starting XI: 23. Melissa BARBIERI (GK), 8. Alexia APOSTOLAKIS, 13. Rebekah STOTT (C), 5. Taylor OTTO, 27. Tyla-Jay VLAJNIC, 14. Laura HUGHES, 6. Leticia McKENNA, 15. Kiera MEYERS, 19. Mariana SPECKMAIER, 19. Lourdes BOSCH, 10. Rhianna POLLICINA.
Substitutes: 24. Malena MIERES (GK), 30. Anastasia KYRIACOU (GK), 11. Emilia MURRAY, 12. Shelby McMAHON, 16. Karly ROESTBAKKEN, 18. Leah DAVIDSON, 20. Caitlin KARIC, 21. Isabella ACCARDO, 22. Bryleeh HENRY, 31. Carina ROSSI.
What happened?
It was a dream start for City, taking just four minutes for the ball to find the back of the net.
Tyla-Jay Vlajnic spotted a gap in Kaya’s set-piece defence at the first time of asking and fired the ball into the dangerous space.
Mariana Speckmaier did the rest to get her third goal in as many games, taking a touch and then nutmegging both a defender and the goalkeeper with her strike into the back of the net.
Just three minutes later it was two… and the script couldn’t have been written any better.
On the day she became the first City Women’s player to reach 100 appearances, Captain Rebekah Stott made it 2-0.
It was again a set-piece causing the danger, this time Rhianna Pollicina’s inswinging corner. Kaya failed to clear the danger at the first time of asking and Stott was perfectly positioned to smash a half-volley into the back of the net.
The dominance continued in the 10th minute as a slick bit of build-up play materialised into yet another goal.
Pollicina was the one to find the incisive pass, playing Speckmaier through on goal, the Venezuelan then teeing up Bosch at the back post.
Understandably, City did slightly take the foot off the pedal which allowed Kaya to slowly work into the game – although final third entries were still extremely rare.
Speckmaier was off for an early shower with the score on 3-0, a precautionary move after feeling a bit of tightness.
The game slowly came back onto our terms as the half wore on, Matricciani’s side getting back to our ball-dominating best.
Bosch’s big week continued in the 38th minute, the Mexican-American scoring her third professional goal less than a week after her debut.
Pollicina’s inswinging corner again asked a question of the Kaya defence, this time Taylor Otto first to the ball and heading it into a dangerous area.
While one of the smallest players in the box, Bosch read it best and rose high to head home her second goal of the half.
Although that may’ve been it for the goalscoring, City’s domination continued through the second half until the final whistle.
Melissa Barbieri was confident any time she was called to action, her trademark booming voice echoing around the stadium constantly across the 90 minutes.
Karly Roestbakken had our best chance of the second half after coming on at the break but saw her 70th minute effort blocked out for a corner.
While goalmouth action may not have been as constant as the game wore on, there was certainly plenty to like from City as the countdown to the A-League Women’s season begins.
What’s next?
Our AWCL campaign now pauses as we shift our focus back home, where we will host Perth Glory in our season opener in three weeks’ time.
The AWCL Quarter Final draw will be held in January ahead of us hosting a do-or-die fixture on home soil in March.
