A late equaliser from a corner has denied Sydney FC a deserved three points against Adelaide in a 2-all draw after twice being ahead.
A debut goal from Asha Sutton and a Riley Cohn strike in the second half had the Sky Blues in the lead before an own goal and Brier’s late hit levelled the tie.
Sydney FC 2 (Sutton 6’, Cohn 56’) drew with Adelaide United 2 (McLean OG 8’, Briers 88’)
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
6′ | SUTTON GOAL – A well timed through ball from Sydney FC’s own half leads to Asha Sutton, finding herself charging one on one towards the keeper with a major chance. Sutton takes a touch to cut around Melegh, who sits off her line and slots the ball into the net to create a strong start to the season.
8′ | ADELAIDE EQUALISE – Some fast footwork from Meyers on the right wing leads to a dangerous cross into Sydney FC’s box which deflects on the boot of Charlotte Mclean after trying to clear the ball and lands in the Sydney FC goal.
13′ | JOSIE WILSON INJURED – A slide tackle trying to regain the ball leads to an unexpected Josie Wilson substitution and game stoppage when Wilson goes down due to a dislocated shoulder injury.
21′ | WEBBER SHOT – A string of passes for the Sky Blues leads to Faith Webber taking aim from outside of the 18-yard box for a shot on target which looks to catch Adelaide off guard until an excellent save is made by Melegh to end the attack.
28′ | DULANEY HEADER – A corner kick looks promising as Dulaney soars at the back post for a header which falls just wide of the goal, ultimately keeping the scoreline as it was.
48′ | ROBERTSON DOUBLE SAVE – An Adelaide corner puts Robertson under pressure when a cross lands at the feet of Dawber who attempts to bury the ball past the line but Robertson is there to stop the shot and there again when the deflection leads to a second Adelaide shot which comes off the post and then is struck over the crossbar for a goal kick.
55′ | COHN GOAL – A well timed tackle on the edge of the box from Riley Cohn leads to a major chance as Cohn finds herself staring down goal with options to her left. Cohn takes the shot herself and makes it look routine as she slots the ball in the back of the net to put Sydney FC ahead.
64′ | DULANEY CROSS – A clever cut back on the right wing from Dulaney fools her defender and allows her to get a cross off which looks dangerous as Cohn jumps for the ball, falling just short and ending the attack.
72′ | DULANEY SHOT ON GOAL – A string of quick passes from the Sky Blues catches Adelaides back line outnumbered which ends with Dulaney receiving the ball in front of her for a shot which falls just left of the goal and keeps the scoreboard unchanged.
84′ | WEBBER USES HER SPEED – A well delivered ball from Caspers looks promising as Webber uses her speed to beat the keeper who leaves her box to try to claim the ball, resulting in a shot from Webber which falls just wide of the post.
88′ | ADELAIDE GOAL – A corner given away in the 88th minute results in an Adelaide United last minute equaliser as the ball finds the back of the net straight from the corner spot from Breier’s cross.
MATCH REPORT
Sydney FC’s Women have started the season with a point in front of their own fans in a 2-2 draw against Adelaide United at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre.
The Sydney FC squad saw several new players, including Poppy Channing , Kylie Dulaney, Josie Wilson, Asha Sutton, Faith Webber and Kenzie Roling, in the starting 11 to make their A-League debuts for the Sky Blues, while Liv Price returned for her second stint.
The beginning of the game made waves as Sydney FC immediately put Adelaide United on the back foot when Asha Sutton finds the back of the net after a nice through ball over the top from Cohn, puts her one on one with Melegh who sits off her line.
Sutton capitalises on the opportunity by taking a touch with her right foot to get around the keeper and slot the ball across the line and bring Sydney FC the opening goal they were searching for to start their season the right way.
No more than two minutes later and Adelaide find the early equaliser when a well-executed run on the right side from Meyers leads to a quick cross into the Sydney FC box, an attempt to clear the ball from Captain Charlotte Mclean ends in an unlucky deflection and a disappointed home crowd.
Still early in the first half and Sydney FC are forced to make an unexpected substitution when Josie Wilson goes down with an injured shoulder, taking her out of the game and forcing the Sky Blues to work extra hard to find another goal.
The big chances keep coming as the pressure is applied when Webber and Dulaney continue to test Melegh in goal but are unable to convert the opportunities into goals and the first half is seen out level at 1-1 at home.
The 3rd minute of the second half puts Robertson to the test as she is forced to make back-to-back saves as the result of an Adelaide United corner which is well crossed into the box.
Robertson makes an excellent dive to reject the first shot and stands her ground to see the deflection soaring over the crossbar.
Sydney FC works hard to regain attacking momentum and quickly sees the payoff when the 55th minute rewards the home side with the game changing goal they were searching for.
A strong tackle from Cohn on the edge of the Adelaide box leads to a Sydney FC attack with numbers led by Cohn on the right. Cohn takes the shot herself, and it pays off when she delivers a perfect shot past the hands of Melegh to put the Sky Blues ahead.
The Sky Blue’s attacks didn’t slow as major chances came repeatedly from the likes of Dulaney and Webber. Dulaney sends the ball just wide of the post in the 72nd minute after a string of quick passes ends with Caspers placing the ball in front of the path of Dulaney.
Heartbreak for Sydney FC fans comes in the 88th minute in the form of an equaliser from Adelaide United’s striker Breier, who scores directly from the corner and levels the game out 2-2 which is how it ends, securing a point for both teams and starting the season undefeated.
WHAT THEY SAID:
JAMES SLAVESKI – HEAD COACH
On the performance and result:
“We were excellent today and I couldn’t be prouder of the players. With 16 players unavailable, including seven away at the World Cup, I thought we deserved to win the game comfortably. We had opportunities to kill it off but didn’t take them. We’ll take the point and move forward.”
On the young players stepping up:
“I’m really proud of Asha, scoring on her debut, and Megan was excellent when she came on. That’s what good teams and good clubs do – when someone is unavailable, the next player steps up and takes their opportunity.”
On facing Melbourne City next week:
“We’re not afraid of anyone. In my opinion, we’re the biggest club in this country and whoever we come up against, we’ll be on the front foot and go for it. There’s a real connection and belief in this group, and when we get our players back, I think we’re going to be a really dangerous football side.”
FAITH WEBBER – STRIKER
On the opening-round performance:
“It’s been a long pre-season and we’ve put a lot of work in. I’m really proud of the way we’ve taken on the adversity we’ve faced. It’s not the three points we wanted, but getting a result today is promising.”
On the team’s ability to adapt:
“I think things will change from game to game depending on the opposition and what we need. I feel like this group has the ability to adapt, so we’ll see what next week brings.”
On her first impressions of the A-League:
“It’s early in my experience here, but I see more similarities with the US than differences. It’s a good level and there was a big crowd here today, which was great to see. I’m excited to be here.”
Sydney FC: 30.Tiahna ROBERTSON (gk), 2.Faith WEBBER, 3.Charlotte MCLEAN, 11.Kiley DULANEY, 13.Riley COHN, 14.Olivia PRICE (25.Lauren NADA 81’), 24.Josie WILSON (38.Megan MIFSUD 19’), 26.Maddie CASPERS, 27.Poppy CHANNING, 28.Kenzie ROLING, 39.Asha SUTTON
Unused substitutes: 31.Chelsea MCCREDIE (gk), 12.Natalie TOBIN, 19.Amy CHESSARI, 35.Poppy TAY
Yellow cards: None
Red cards: None
Adelaide United: 1.Ilona MELEGH (gk), 2.Emily HODGSON, 3.Claudia CICCO, 4.Holly MURRAY, 6.Melissa TARANTO (29.Daisy DRAWWATER 90+2’), 8.Paige ZOIS, 9.Kiera MEYERS, 10.Chelsie DAWBER (5.India BREIER 79’), 12.Carina ROSSI (7.Emilia MAKRIS 67’), 15.Adriana TARANTO (25.Lara GOOCH 67’), 16.Isabella YAKEL (23.Tianna HARRIS 79’)
Unused substitutes: 18.Amelie MILLAR (gk), 11.Tessa SALVESTRIN
Yellow cards: 15.Adriana TARANTO (45+4’)
Red cards: None
Referee: Noah Moss
Crowd: 776
Venue: Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre
