Sydney FC Head Coach Ante Juric has backed his side to respond strongly following Sunday’s 7–0 defeat to Wellington Phoenix, insisting the result does not define a team he believes will remain a contender until season’s end.
Juric admitted the scoreline was unexpected, particularly given Sydney FC Women’s position inside the top four, but pointed to a disrupted schedule and heavy travel in recent weeks as contributing factors — without using them as excuses.
“No, I didn’t expect that at all,” Juric said on whether that result was coming.
“We’re a good team and we’re going to be an excellent team until the end of the year.”
No change in standards
Despite the margin of defeat, Juric was clear that his expectations of the playing group remain unchanged.
“A loss is a loss,” he said.
“1–0 or 7–0 is the same to me. Winners and good players turn up to training and work hard regardless of results, and that mentality won’t change.”
Preventable moments the key focus
Reviewing the match, Juric identified defensive lapses as the main issue, believing every goal conceded could have been avoided.
“All seven goals were preventable,” he said.
“Some were basic errors, others were about not picking up players. Those things are fixable.”
“Everything went for them and nothing went for us, but we didn’t deserve any luck with the way we played.”
Changes and context
Juric acknowledged that changes to the back line played a role, with Sydney missing key personnel and managing the workload of young defender Willa Pearson, who at just 14 years of age continues to balance football commitments carefully.
“She’s 14, so I’ve got to take care of her,” Juric explained.
“She’s played a lot of football and with the schedule we’ve had, it was about managing her load.”
He noted that defensive continuity had been strong prior to the match, with Sydney FC having gone several games without conceding.
“We had four or five games where we didn’t concede,” he said.
“So yes, changes do impact things, and it’s something I’ll reflect on.”
Looking ahead
With the transfer window nearing its close, Juric confirmed he is comfortable with the current squad and focused on internal improvement.
“No, I’m happy with the squad,” he said.
Juric concluded by reiterating his belief in the group’s quality and resilience.
“We’ll analyse it, we’ll fix what needs fixing, and we move on.”
Sydney FC Women will now shift their attention to Sunday afternoon against Brisbane Roar at Leichhardt Oval as they conclude their 2025.
