Canberra United heads into a Westfield W-League semi-final with Brisbane Roar at McKellar Park this weekend with victory ensuring the club a home Grand Final.
Canberra United heads into a last four showdown with Brisbane Roar at McKellar Park this weekend in the Westfield W-League semi-final with victory ensuring the club a home Grand Final.
The Roar arrives at the home of the Premiers ready to spoil the party and defeat would end United-s season in this blockbuster knock-out tie.
Elisabeth Migchelsen-s team enters the match on the back of an unbeaten five-match run, equaling the club record set at the start of the championship winning season in 2011/2012, but in order to extend that run to half a dozen matches and book a place in the end of season showpiece for the third time they-ll need to overcome a Roar squad bristling with international talent and riding a crest of a wave having downed Melbourne Victory last weekend.
Both teams enjoyed morale-boosting victories in the final round of the campaign with Canberra securing top spot by completing the double over Sydney FC, inflicting only the second defeat of the season on the Sky Blues with a 2-1 win at Edensor Park.
Meanwhile Brisbane Roar did just enough to edge past Victory, a goal from Katrina Gorry denying the Victorians a home semi-final.
Considering the fact that both teams have been regular visitors to the semi-final stage throughout the history of the Westfield W-League competition, it-s somewhat surprising that this is only the second time that the two heavyweights have met at the semi-final stage.
The only previous clash at this point of the season was in February 2011 when the Roar triumphed in a nerve-shredding penalty shoot-out after a 2-2 draw at Ballymore.
Indeed, this will be United-s fifth appearance in the last four but only their second home match. The previous time United entertained a semi-final at McKellar Park was, of course, the 2011/12 1-0 defeat of Melbourne Victory, courtesy of a late strike from Michelle Heyman.
Heyman will again be the main threat to Brisbane this weekend with her partnership with US international Stephanie Ochs yielding thirteen goals to date.
The Roar haven-t been at their free-flowing best this season and have struggled for consistency and goals, surprisingly considering their impressive historical record of reaching four of the five Grand Final-s played.
However, with former Canberra United tyro Hayley Raso in their ranks, alongside such luminaries as Tameka Butt and Elise Kellond-Knight, there will be little chance of Canberra under-estimating such esteemed opponents.
Traditionally there is never much to choose between the clubs whenever they set foot on the field of battle and with one win apiece in the fixtures during the regular season another tight encounter is surely on the cards.
General Admission tickets will be available to purchase at the gate on Saturday ahead of the 3pm kick-off. Gates open to the public at 2pm with tickets available from the ticket box at the entrance. Make sure you also pick up a copy of ‘C U in GREEN- - the official matchday souvenir program priced at only $2.
TICKET INFORMATION General Admission (Yellow) Tickets Adult: $10 Child/ Concession: $10 Under-12 Years: FREE