The wait is almost over! Melbourne City FC are back for another season in the A-League Women competition and we’ll be getting our campaign underway on Friday night against Canberra United.
Last season’s semi-finalists will prove tough competition at home as we travel to Viking Park in search of three points to start the new season.
Rado Vidosic has had a long pre-season to prepare his new-look squad following a seventh-placed finish in 2020/21, with City bringing in several new signings with a blend of exciting youthful potential and experienced campaigners with proven quality.
The squad has played just the one pre-season friendly against A-League Women competition, but gave a strong performance when they took on last season’s Champions, Melbourne Victory, just under two weeks ago.
Kaitlyn Torpey and Holly McNamara got on the scoresheet for City to secure a 2-0 scoreline, with the full-back overlapping into the box for her opener before the young striker was later played through on goal and found the back of the net with a composed finish.
The pre-season goals will be a confidence booster for both players as they compete for starting spots in the lineup ahead of Friday’s season opener, a theme of the squad overall as the team finds itself with depth in several key positions.
Our opening round opposition will be Canberra United, who put together a solid 2020/21 campaign on their way to a fourth-placed finish and subsequent Finals berth.
Whilst they were knocked out in the Semi’s by a dominant Sydney FC outfit, the team will take confidence from last season’s performances and will hope for a return to Finals in 2021/22.
The club’s all-time leading goalscorer Michelle Heyman is back for another season, whilst leading appearance-maker and second all-time goalscorer Ashleigh Sykes will make a comeback to professional football following her retirement from the game in 2019.
The fixture represents a fantastic opportunity for the City women to test themselves against quality opposition as the team seeks to improve on a disappointing 2020/21 season.
One of the biggest storylines heading into the match is Rebekah Stott’s impending return to professional football, with 348 days having passed since the New Zealand international last played for previous team Brighton & Hove Albion as she successfully battled against Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Match Details
Liberty A-League Round 1
Canberra United FC vs Melbourne City FC
Friday 3 December, kick-off 7:45pm
Viking Park
