Ante Juric’s Sydney FC squad will head to Porirua Park this Sunday afternoon to battle Wellington Phoenix Women for an epic round 20 clash. The Sky Blues will be hoping to keep their six match undefeated streak alive ahead of their finals crusade.
The Sky Blue Women will be entering this weekend’s match-up in high spirits after a victorious match against ladder leaders Western United during the A-Leagues Pride Celebration.
The 3-1 win against the competitions leaders has cemented Sydney FC’s third position on the ladder.
Chipping at the heels of Melbourne City and Western United, the Sky Blues need to win all of their remaining four games to add a fourth consecutive Premiers Plate to their extensive cabinetry, and a win at Porirua Park will be the first in that sequence.
Wellington Phoenix also shared a positive experience last weekend after a strong win against Perth Glory at Macedonia Park.
Wellington’s success marked their first ever win against Perth away from home and it was their largest ever winning margin against Perth Glory.
A home game for Wellington could give them advantage to steal the win with a first finals appearance on the line.
Ones To Watch: Jada Whyman and Mariana Fernandez
Sydney FC goal keeper Jada Whyman is having a career defining season after receiving a highly anticipated call up for the Matildas. The former Under 20 Matildas representative has 14 caps across Junior and Youth Squads. Currently sitting at eight clean sheets, the Sky Blue goalkeeper has accumulated the most clean sheets this season. With 66 Sydney FC appearances under her belt, Whyman is regarded as one of the most influential players on the field.
Mariana Fernandez will be a tough competitor to face. The striker for Wellington Phoenix currently holds the eighth spot for top goal scorer this season. With eight goals in the books, Fernandez holds Wellington’s record for most goals scored at the club. The Venezuelan has scored five gaols in her last four matches, including a double against Canberra United.
Head-To-Head 2023/2024 Season:
| 7-1-10 | WELL-RECORD-SYD | 9-6-3 |
| 1-0-4 | H2H | 4-0-1 |
| 0-0-2 | H2H AT PORIRUA PARK | 2-0-0 |
| 50.7% | POSESSION PG | 46.6% |
| 1.6 | GOALS SCORED PG | 1.3 |
| 1.6 | GOALS CONCEDED PG | 0.7 |
| 13.3 | SHOTS PG | 16.6 |
| 6.1 | SHOTS ON TARGET PG | 6.7 |
| 3 | CLEAN SHEETS | 8 |
| 4.1 | SAVES PG | 2.4 |
| 299 | PASSES PG | 254 |
| 1.0 | YELLOW CARDS PG | 1.7 |
| 1 | RED CARDS PG | 0 |
Team News:
Sydney FC will go without Nat Tobin and Fiona Worts due to their long term injuries. Their recovery is on track and proceeding well.
Shay Hollman, Jynaya Dos Santos, Indiana Dos Santos, Zara Kruger, Maddie Caspers and Tahlia Franco will be unavailable this week as they return from Young Matildas duty in Uzbekistan having secured a place in FIFA U20 World Cup Colombia 2024.
Wellington Phoenix will miss Kate Taylor, Marisa Van Der Meer and Grace Wisnewski who are recovering from injuries sustained in previous rounds. The New Zealand club will also forgo Rebecca Lake who unfortunately sustained a season-ending injury last weekend against Perth Glory when she obtained a high ankle sprain. She will miss the next six weeks.
Last Time Out:
The last showdown between the Harbour City Club and Wellington Phoenix took place in December 2023. The tense encounter resulted in a 1-0 victory for Sydney FC with Young Matildas representative Jynaya Dos Santos sealing the win with her first ever Liberty A-League goal. Backed by an incredible defensive campaign from Jada Whyman, the Sky Blues continued to deny their guests points at Allianz Stadium.
Match Details:
Wellington Phoenix v Sydney FC
Liberty A-League Round 20
Sunday 17th of March, 2024
Porirua Park, North Island, New Zealand
Kick Off: 2:00pm AEDT
Broadcast Live: Paramount+ and 10BOLD
