There are weeks in which it’s hard to find a No. 1 for our Team of the Week. Other times, only one or two make the grade so the choice is easy. This round was definitely out of the ordinary, as a slew of super goalkeeping performances across Victoria gave us a real headache.
Preston and Bulleen fought out a 1-1 draw that was eked out in sweat and tears, while Bundoora beat Heidelberg 3-0 in a much hyped contest that ultimately fizzled out as three set pieces decided the contest. Elsewhere, Altona sprang a surprise by unveiling Amy Jackson as a new signing before giving a good account of themselves in a 4-0 loss to Sandringham, while Casey Comets delivered EAP’s second loss in a row with a 5-0 demolition.
Here we give you the best performers from the weekend that was.
Goalkeepers
For a breathtaking half an hour at Lakeside Stadium, it almost seemed like nothing was getting past Candice Sallama. Cairnlea’s defence were holding out well against a much vaunted South Melbourne attack and anything that got through the cracks came up against an unstoppable brick wall in goal. Sallama was having a ripsnorter of a day, charging out bravely to make tremendous blocks from the likes of Laura Spiranovic, Selin Kuralay, Morany Chek and Tiffany Eliadis. And then almost cruelly, a penalty was won and converted and everything fell to pieces in an astonishing 12 minute spell when five more goals bulged the net. It was significant that none of them were borne out of mistakes from the Cairnlea custodian though, as she returned stronger than ever after the break to keep the scores down to a manageable level. The number of one-on-one saves Sallama made on the day was astonishing, as we saw a goalkeeper in top form.
Another goalkeeper who has been red hot in recent weeks was at it again though, as Alexandra Bogdanovski showed what an asset she was to her club. The much loved Preston custodian has made this lineup on more than one occasion and once again put in a fine performance to justify selection in these pages. While Bulleen’s finishing was wayward for much of the first half, Bogdanovski still had to be alert as a slew of corners were punched away before they could cause too much trouble. But it was not till the final 15 minutes as Preston clung desperately to a narrow 1-0 lead that Bogdanovski’s value to the team really showed. The highlight was a scrambling block on what looked like a surefire goal from Cassandra Neate, as the goalkeeper came flying out of nowhere at literally the last second after being positioned on the wrong side of the goal just a split second earlier.
Not to be outdone, Ashburton’s Ingrid Philippe provided a timely reminder of her abilities in her team’s narrow loss to Box Hill. She might have been out of place for the first goal, but more than made up for it with a stirring display in goals that kept her opponents out for most of the game. Philippe was unflappable in the midst of an under-pressure defence, calmly plucking the ball out of the air when called upon and making several important saves from the likes of Box Hill linchpin Seyma Erenli. That it took a debatable offside goal to kill the contest off was testament to the goalkeeper’s performance. The best by a mile for Ashburton on this day.
Verdict – Bogdanovski/Sallama (For the first time ever we have been unable to decide, and have declared a tie)
Defenders
If you’re looking for one of the deadliest set piece takers in the Women’s Premier League, there’s definitely no going past Bundoora’s Tyla Jay Vlajnic. Besides possessing the ability to take corner kicks with either foot, Vlajnic is also a specialist at scoring directly from the corner flag (something we appreciate very much here on this site for obvious reasons). Such was the case on Saturday as the left back opened the scoring with one of her unique olympic goals after only nine minutes. She was not half done yet though, as she proceeded to lay on another two assists for team mates Stephanie Galea and Sarah Richardson from another corner kick and a free kick respectively.
Emma Heckenberg was also proving herself handy for Box Hill over at Ashburton Park, shuttling up and down the left flank for her team. The young Heckenberg has seen increased game time this season and has responded marvellously, putting in another assured performance on Sunday. She offered plenty on the overlap for team mates Seyma Erenli and Georgia Koutrouvelis, and combined well with central defender Jessica Humble in defence.
One player who doesn’t need much of an introduction though is left wing back Stephanie Catley. The Matildas starlet played the whole 90 minutes against Altona, ending off her evening with a smashing finish into the roof of the Altona net. Catley once again looked a class apart compared to most of the other players on the pitch, though her tendency to drift far up the wing did leave her defence a little exposed at times. To put it into perspective, there were probably more offside calls for Catley compared to most of the other players on the pitch over the course of the evening.
To round off the foursome, we have a player who shouldn’t even have been in defence in the first place. Bulleen captain Emily Dolzan has been called upon to fill in a couple of different positions this season, and once again responded admirably to a mid-game switch to central defence. With her club’s attack spluttering and her coach running out of ideas, Dolzan was recalled to defense with Emily Coppock being thrown forward. The versatile player hardly looked out of place once she got settled in, making interceptions like she had been there all season, though she did show a propensity to carry the ball way out of defence and into midfield.
Verdict – Heckenberg, Dolzan, Vlajnic
Midfielders
In looking for the best performing midfielders of the week, we once again turn to South Melbourne and their premier pairing of Natalie Martineau and Morany Chek. The swashbuckling duo were at it again, turning on the style against Cairnlea and generally wreaking havoc whenever they could. Martineau looked back to her old self again after being given a defending brief against EAP last time out, providing the icing on the top of the proverbial cake with a headed goal in injury time. The sight of the diminutive Canadian rising high above everyone else to head home South Melbourne’s seventh goal of the afternoon was an astonishing one indeed, but team mate Chek managed to top that with a goal and two assists. The leggy French midfielder first provided two goals for Selin Kuralay and Laura Spiranovic with identical runs down the left flank, before showing off a burst of speed to get clear once again and fire home from an acute angle in the 42nd minute.
Spare a thought for Genia Avram, Cairnlea’s midfield enforcer on the day. Apart from trying to disrupt South Melbourne’s terrible twosome, Avram was also tasked with linking up her team’s overworked defence with its hardworking attack. Coach Jamie Monteith has obviously decided to put his best ball players in the middle of the park, and Avram fit this bill perfectly along with captain Tijen Hussein. The defender-turned-midfielder saw plenty of the ball thanks to her willingness to drop ever deeper into her own half and did not hesitate to carry the ball over long distances if necessary. Probing passes into the attacking third were often fruitless, but that did not prevent the irrepressible Avram from trying again and again all afternoon.
The Comets also easily overwhelmed their opponents with some fine midfield play on Sunday, with Alexandra Gummer and Jaymee Dudley excellent throughout. The indefatigable Gummer was once again at the heart of proceedings, controlling the midfield and contributing in both the pass and tackle columns. Possessing incredible reserves of energy, the midfielder prefers to get things going rather than sit around waiting for chances, latching on an errant pass from the EAP goalkeeper and letting fly from 18 yards for Casey’s third goal. Dudley too, was making the most of her first team start, providing the assist for the opener before showing good vision to tap in the second goal. Of note was her ability to pop up at the right place at the right time, getting into key positions whenever the Comets looked to go forward.
Our final midfield nominee came from the late Monday kickoff as Sandringham hosted Altona. While all eyes were on new recruit Amy Jackson, Altona’s Aneta Komijat went about her duties the way she knew best. The Altona captain was soon to be found throwing herself at every ball that came into her vicinity, at times putting her body on the line to get there ahead of opponents. Her full-blooded performance was not able to secure a first win of the season for her team, but their captain’s never-say-die spirit seemed to lift Altona in the second half despite the scoreline. Komijat might have looked worse for the wear as the evening drew on, but her commitment to the cause definitely could not be questioned.
Verdict – Chek, Avram, Gummer
Wingers
It might have taken awhile for her to settle in to her new team, but Box Hill’s Stacey Papadopoulos finally showed a glimpse of her undoubted potential as she had a hand in both goals against Ashburton. While the former Heidelberg starlet has yet to hit the heights of her debut WPL season, this stirring performance was a marked improvement from earlier weeks in which she seemed to struggle in her new surroundings. Papadopoulos was a constant menace on the right flank, making an instant impact as she fashioned the opener shortly after coming on at halftime with a cute lob over Ingrid Philippe. She then turned provider, coming up with an assist for Ruby Foottit to tap in and seal the win on 77 minutes.
Juliane Albuquerque was another substitute who made an impact on the weekend. Forced to make a change following Suzan Tanrikulu’s unfortunate injury, Albuquerque jogged on only to earn herself a yellow card for not informing the referee beforehand. While it was clear that the winger was not totally match fit, her footwork and technical ability shone through, providing plenty of problems for a stretched Bulleen defence. Albuquerque showed herself a willing runner on the wing, and could be just the spark Preston need if they can get her fully fit in the near future.
Meanwhile, Jessica Calder’s absence through injury opened up a slot for Jessica Au and the South Melbourne player grabbed her chance with both hands. The tiny winger has found opportunities limited since signing on for the team, even dropping down to the Reserves for some game time, but turned in a stellar display in her first start of the season. Au’s running on and off the ball was superb, as was her willingness to get forward to support the attack. It was a trip on her that led to the opening penalty, and her assist for Laura Spiranovic’s second was what finally opened the floodgates as Cairnlea crumbled. Watch this space, the former Melbourne Victory trainee looks a real prospect.
Verdict – Papadopoulos, Au
Strikers
Casey’s Brittany Dudley-Smith seems to have hit a purple patch of late, and her good form continued once again with yet another brace against EAP. The New Zealander’s strength and speed was apparent once again on the weekend, as a young EAP side struggled to contain her. Dudley-Smith can be almost unplayable on her day, and her partnership with Alexandra Gummer this season has been an integral part of the Comet’s recent run of victories. The two have struck up a telepathic understanding of sorts, and linked up once again for the striker’s second goal as a blistering run from Gummer led to a neat volleyed finish from Dudley-Smith.
We spoke of Stephanie Catley’s international pedigree earlier in this piece, but there was also some to be found at Lakeside Stadium this weekend as Selin Kuralay turned back the years with an all-action performance. The former Australian international started in place of the rested Lucrece Laverdure, and proved a more than able foil for strike partner Laura Spiranovic. Kuralay scored two of South Melbourne’s seven goals on the day, the pick of which saw her laying the ball off for Spiranovic, before sprinting to the far post and getting on the end of a drilled cross. When you consider South Melbourne’s squad depth which includes the likes of Kuralay, you start to realise how scary their unbeaten run looks.
Last but not least, Sienna Fogarty was at the heart of everything as Sandringham hosted Altona during the late Monday kickoff. The Sandringham forward was involved in the first three goals of the contest, laying on two assists before firing home from 25 yards. It was significant that in a match that boasted several Melbourne Victory alumni in the form of Stephanie Catley, Stephanie Tanti and Amy Jackson, it was still Fogarty who was the obvious standout on the night. Every pass seemed to come off and every run forward caused panic among the Altona ranks. This was a night for the Sandringham striker to savour.
Verdict – Dudley-Smith, Fogarty
Team of the Week XI: Bogdanovski (Preston)/Sallama (Cairnlea); Heckenberg (Box Hill), Dolzan (Bulleen), Vlajnic (Bundoora); Chek (South Melbourne), Avram (Cairnlea), Gummer (Casey); Papadopoulos (Box Hill), Fogarty (Sandringham), Dudley-Smith (Casey), Au (South Melbourne)
Substitutes: Catley (Sandringham), Dudley (Casey), Komijat (Altona), Albuquerque (Preston), Kuralay (South Melbourne)
Many thanks to all those who contributed to this week’s edition of the Team of the Week, including reporters Tomasz Ng, Xavier Player, Jason Turner, Daniel Baricevic, Sean Ellicott and Thomas Baldock, as well as numerous club officials and players.