WPW R16 vs Brisbane Roar | Sat 4th Mar | 5:40pm | RoF/Sky Sport Select

This feels like a winnable one? We had that fantastic draw with 10 players vs them not so long ago.

We are currently 5 points behind the 10th place Jets but with 2 games in hand. A win would at least give the team hope they might avoid the spoon.

I wish that they'd put this game on first. let them play in front of a building crowd, not one determined to leave asap.

I hope they haven't been eating too much of the potentially-contaminated hummus this week. Else, it might be known as the Salmonella Dub round.

Barry at right back.no cicco

Come on you Nix.  Make it 4 from 4!

Playing well,look a good side.
Personally, would rather have Barry in the  middle.

Not sure if Brisbane are playing down but we look the better side.

Now hopefully I don't come to regret those words in the second half.

That slap would be a straight red in the men's comp.

Outpost

That slap would be a straight red in the men's comp.

She's gotta be lucky there is no VAR because surely that's an obvious upgrade.  

End to end stuff!

Wow the ref really doesn't want to send that girl off does she. Studs up straight into the ankle but no that's ok too. 

Was worried that might happen, even though it’s been all the Nix, we just haven’t quite been composed in and around the box.

Players taking the wrong option constantly. Is amazing really…

Passing when they should be shooting, shooting when they should be passing.

Poor crosses, poor first touch.

All across the park.

Again, right there. Satchel had two options.

1. Dink over the keeper first time. Tight angle but worth a go.

2. Take a light touch, invite the contact and go down for a pen. 

Instead, she ran the ball out of play…

What a shame, hugely enjoyable game. Should've been 11 v 10 before they equalised.

We took some great shots though.  Feels like a totally different team that started the year.

Loved the spark that Whinham coming on brought.

There is some really good stuff to love in this squad.

Its not flash to watch but it's somewhat better than the start of the year. Its a pretty poor standard across the league this. There's a lot of teams below par from previous seasons.

Just don't look at the table. try enjoy last few games

Dunno who player of the match was, but Chloe Knott did some fine passing in the midfield.

Shame.
I thought they played lovely football today.
After a few iffy passes out from Taylor and Van Der Meer early on, they settled well.
The midfield shape with Knott deep and Hassett further forward works so much better.
Brisbane never got a look in. 
We are just lacking that bit of firepower to finish the game off. Pritchard looked good at time, but didnt have the composure when it really mattered. Rolston showed some good control a few times but ultimately didnt do anything to suggest shes better than Pritchard
Robertson had her best game to date I think.
We got caught out just once at the back through the middle, and it cost us. As I said before, Id rather have Barry there, but she did very well at full back, I was very impressed with her again. Made a couple of mistakes but rectified them very well.
But a very enjoyable game and a very impressive performance.

I was worrying for that sucker punch and Connors delivered. We don’t defend well against quick players- seems we try and have a foot race against them rather than drop off 2-3m so that we can beat them to the ball. You can’t rely on the AR to call an offside so just give yourself a head start to win a race to the ball. Edwards didn’t have a very confident/dominant display in goal, a few times she should have been more assertive in calling and clearing the ball. Barry always does well. I wasn’t impressed with Taylor today some pretty average passes and very big first touches, then when she dribbled forward into midfield tried to do too much and then we got caught at the back in transition. Wisnewski was pretty quiet in the first half and Knott was an option to receive the ball from the centre backs but often just passed it straight back when she could have turned on the ball and played forward. In that respect we are keeping possession a whole lot better than before. Now we have to do more with it. Hassett should stay as 10, and she’s putting in some really gritty determined performances recently. Clegg was our biggest threat again, and will only get better. Pritchard isn’t going to win us games so Rolston should start the next game if she’s fit. She has a great touch and close control and decent striker of the ball. Should have made more of an effort to stay on side with that late cross, but I feel she is more likely to score than Pritchard or Satchel so she should start. Satchel needs 2 moves to beat players aside from knocking it past them and sprinting after it. She is working hard when she comes on though. I reckon if we have the same squad next year we could be around top 4. The aim should be to try and win the league within 5 years. 
If everyone was fit I would have:                           
                         Rolston 
Clegg.              Hassett.          Robertson 
             Gomez.           Knott/Wisnewski 
Foster.        VanDM.    Barry.      Cicco
                           Alfeld 

Subs
Edwards 
Knott/Wisnewski 
Satchel 
Taylor
Whinham

I’m pleased we are competing heaps better than at the start of the season, but I still feel we can significantly improve with the players we have. 
What is the deal with having to have certain numbers of Aussies in the team next season? For next season I would like to see more kiwis in the other teams, so long as they are getting game time, so I would be fine if some of our players head to other clubs to challenge themselves, so long as we keep at least 8 starters. 

That shot in the first half from Clegg would have been a goal against most keepers. Hancuff is a very tall keeper. Hats off to the coaching staff and the players for the improvements in their game. I hope they all have long careers so get to earn good money in the future. 

massive improvement all round by this team - very unlucky not to win this. I find some of the criticism of the team and/or individuals perplexing to say the least. C’est la vie, the trajectory is looking good. 

From the squad that played last night, if you include Alfeld and Cicco we have 13 players that have or will play senior international football currently or in the future- Clegg, Whinham VanderMeer and Cicco. That doesn’t include Knott, Robertson or Gomez as internationals- but they are still very good players. That is a pretty high number for ALW, so the future is bright when they can build on what they have in terms of experience since the start of their first season. Most other ALW players don’t have that many international players.  I hope more of our players and players who have aspirations of playing ALW head to the winter club football in the state leagues of NSW and VIC to put themselves in the shop window. Futsal club teams I’ve heard can pay $300 per week(assuming you play state league you could probably play to a decent level inFutsal as well) so that and state league and a part time job should allow those aspirational players to push on and get their careers moving. 

But it's a lot lot easier to make the Ferns compared to the Matildas though. So not a game of equals when you talk about the Nix having more international (or potential international players) than other ALW clubs.

Watched the replay of the hand in the face and commentators didn't even comment that it should be a red.

Is the women's game just tougher than the men's game?  Seems like an obvious red in the men's game?

They did comment that she could have had a second yellow after a rash challenge a little later on, but before the goal.
I haven’t seen the incident, because they don’t seem to add these to the ‘highlights’ despite it being a key moment in the game. 

Bananas

Watched the replay of the hand in the face and commentators didn't even comment that it should be a red.

Is the women's game just tougher than the men's game?  Seems like an obvious red in the men's game?

Absolutely. I've seen heaps of both leagues, and both are quite poorly officiated. Generally too much gets let go in ALW, I've seen at least a few shoulda been reds across the league last few weeks that weren't. While in ALM they seem to give penalties and reds all the time, far too much. 

I prefer the former, but both need work to hit the right balance really.