Several teams could be confirmed as finalists this weekend as we approach Round 20 of the A-League Women season.
Read our preview of the Matildas at Home below.
Adelaide United host Brisbane Roar on Saturday, 2.30pm AEDT. Adelaide are all but out of the finals race and are playing to stay ahead of Canberra United and avoid finishing last. The Roar are still in with a slim mathematical chance, seven points away with three games to go, but in all likelihood will be more focused on building for next season. Tameka Yallop has been central to everything good for Brisbane this season and is expected to start this weekend.
The Western Sydney Wanderers will be hoping to build on their big win against Canberra midweek as they take on Perth Glory on Saturday, 4pm AEDT. Glory need a win to keep themselves in the finals race, while the Wanderers currently sit three points clear in sixth – three points would go a long way to securing a spot in the finals for only the second time in their history, but there is no scenario this weekend for them to guarantee a place. Sophie Harding missed out on the midweek game through injury, but has been named in the extended squad for the weekend.
The Wellington Phoenix host Sydney FC on Sunday, 2pm AEDT. The Nix are coming off the back of a drought-breaking win against Perth in the Distance Derby last weekend and will be full of confidence as they make one last tilt at the top six. A win for Cortnee Vine and Jada Whyman’s Sydney FC, meanwhile, would continue to keep them on track to finish top of the table – in fact, if they win all of their remaining four games, they will be premiers for the fourth season in a row.
It will be a huge Melbourne Derby as Victory host City at the Home of the Matildas on Sunday, 2pm AEDT. Victory look like they are hitting form at the right time - with Emily Gielnik contributing six goals and two assists in their last four games – but their cross-town rivals might just be getting back to their best themselves, coming off a 2-0 win over Newcastle.
Both teams are still in the race for the premiership. City have secured a top six spot – their lowest possible finish is sixth – and a win for Victory would do the same for them. Alex Chidiac is expected to line up in midfield for the home side, while Elise Kellond-Knight has been named in the extended squad after missing out the previous two weeks with injury. Lydia Williams remains unavailable.
A win for Kyah Simon’s Central Coast Mariners over Canberra United on Sunday, 3pm AEDT would mean that they will be participating in finals in their first season back in the competition since 2009. It would be a remarkable achievement for Em Husband and her side – in pre-season, few were brave enough to predict the team pulling up any trees. Michelle Heyman will be part of the team standing in their way. While Canberra are not quite mathematically out of the equation, like Adelaide, they are largely playing for pride at this stage of the season.
Finally, Western United will host the Newcastle Jets on Sunday, 4pm AEDT, the first time that a game will be played at the Regional Football Facility in Tarneit. Western United have already secured a top six place but will be hoping for a win to keep them in contention for the premiership. They will have to do so without Chloe Logarzo, who remains unavailable through injury. For the Jets part, they currently sit three points outside of the top six, and a win is crucial to their finals aspirations.
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