Melbourne City eye A-League Women's title despite remarkable campaigns of rivals

The Guardian

21-04-2025

When Mariana Speckmaier netted an 89th-minute equaliser for Melbourne City against Melbourne Victory back on February 1, the immediate reaction was that it was a notable moment, but not a monumental one.
In heat that smothered the game and rendered an exhausted Victory defence near inert, the Venezuelan international's goal was one of eight times City salvaged points from losing positions this season, a resoluteness that proved indispensable as they made history as just the fourth invincible team in A-League Women history.
Under Michael Matricciani, who took over from now Brighton boss Dario Vidošić in the offseason, City dashed any hopes of a dramatic crescendo in the premiership race by cruising to a 5-1 win over Perth Glory on Friday, sealing back-to-back plates.
In the first year when it's been possible, their hopes of premiership, championship, and Asian Champions League treble remain in play. After falling to Sydney FC in last year's grand final, there's now an opportunity at redemption and a chance to re-establish themselves as the pre-eminent power in Australian women's football over the Sky Blues, who missed the playoffs for the first time in their 17-year history.
With overseas clubs increasingly circling, the playoffs could prove one final bow in City colours for Matildas attacker Holly McNamara, the cheat code of an attacker who won the Golden Boot with 15 goals despite missing the season's first six games.
Meanwhile, the club's new generation of talent such as Leah Davidson, Bryleeh Henry, Alexia Apostolakis, Laura Hughes and Leticia McKenna have a chance to follow in the footsteps of the galactico City sides of Steph Catley, Jess Fishlock and Ellie Carpenter. Skipper Rebekah Stott – a common link between those teams – has the opportunity to win an unprecedented 10th A-League Women trophy and further cement her legend.
Given the different eras of the A-League Women in which they were assembled, it's probably unproductive to try and rank this City side and the invincibles of the past. Canberra United's 2011–12 side and the City teams of 2015–16 and 2019-20 featured ridiculous levels of top-end talent, but they also only played seasons of 10 and 12 games.
Given players were juggling careers in North America and Europe alongside their Australian clubs back then, it's unlikely those squads could even be assembled for a full home-and-away season. Matricciani's side's success is of a different kind – excellence in a marathon, rather than sprint.
If not for Speckmaier's late equaliser, however, the narrative would be very different: hindsight revealing her goal to be the most important scored all season.
That 1-1 draw was the fourth game in what became a club-record 13-game unbeaten run that Victory ended their season on, one which featured a club-record seven-straight wins and which pushed City's to the final round of the season.
Under Jeff Hopkins, Victory grew into the campaign as it progressed and consistently found a way to win games even when they didn't play well. A case can be made that they still haven't found a way to bring their collective talents to bear on an opponent, but they're still just three games away from a fourth title.
Keep that Speckmaier leveller out and they end the season on 55 points, compared to City's 54. Such are the moments that make a season. Indeed, that City made history in 2024-25, and stand on the precipice of more, has overshadowed Victory's but also Adelaide United's historic campaigns.
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The Reds concluded last season as wooden-spooners, hammered 8-0 by Newcastle at Hindmarsh Stadium in their final game. This year, they've won 14 games, finished third and will host Western United an elimination final.
Backing coach Adrian Stenta, retaining their squad's core, and bringing back Matilda McNamara and Fiona Worts, Adelaide's faith was rewarded with 45 points, a figure that last year would have won a premiership, but in 2024-25 had the misfortune of coinciding with remarkable campaigns from the top two.
Qualifying for finals for just the second time in their history, the inexperienced Adelaide will have to do something they've yet to do this year if they're to win the title – defeat City or Victory. But a sense of momentum around the high-scoring Reds gives them a genuine hope of a breakthrough title.
Joining this trio will be Central Coast, Canberra and Western United. Given they all finished at least 10 points behind Adelaide and 20 behind City, the likelihood of them crashing the party would appear slim – especially given they'd have to win a two-legged semi-final before getting a puncher's chance in a one-off grand final.
The Mariners and Canberra, who will meet in one elimination final, are at least coming off wins — the Michelle Heyman-led United have won three straight. Western, though, were held to a draw away to Wellington, meaning that they'll need to somehow upset Adelaide in a do-or-die final.
But stranger things have happened in the ALW and chaos's proximity to any fixture is perhaps the most important historical truism of all.