She’s on the cusp of an impressive personal milestone but Western Sydney Wanderers midfielder Ella Mastrantonio's only thought is on team success against Perth Glory.
Mastrantonio will run out in her 100th Westfield W-League appearance when the Wanderers host Glory at Bankwest Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
And she will be hoping her milestone match is more memorable than her 99th game, which ended in a shock 4-0 loss against Brisbane Roar last weekend.
That defeat was the Wanderers’ first of the campaign and dealt a major blow to the club’s Premiership aspirations.
The match against winless Glory will not only be a special occasion for the combative and technically gifted midfielder but also a excellent opportunity for the Red and Black to bounce back to top form.
“It’s definitely a huge thing [to play 100 games] but this week, for me, is just like any other week,” Mastrantonio said.
SUNDAY PREVIEW: Western Sydney Wanderers v Perth Glory
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“We need to bounce back from our loss last week against Brisbane which has hurt us quite a lot.
“I’m very proud of my achievement and I couldn’t think of a better club to do it with than the Wanderers.”
Fremantle-raised Mastrantonio is in her 11th season in the Westfield W-League having started with hometown club Perth Glory in 2008.
She went back and forth between Glory and Melbourne Victory over the ensuing nine seasons before finding a new home in western Sydney for the 2019/20 Season.
And the 27-year-old has been a central figure in the club’s resurgence from last in 2018/19 to title contender this campaign, playing all seven matches for Dean Heffernan’s side.
“It’s a very special season [for the Wanderers]. When I signed the club had huge aspirations,” Mastrantonio said.
“They mean business, we all mean business this year with the squad we’ve assembled, the coaching staff we have, the backing of the club.
“The goals are still to go as high as possible, win everything we can. I think we’re doing very well so far but we’ve just gone halfway through the season.
“Hopefully come the end of the season we can have a couple of trophies in the cabinet.”
Asked about her journey from fresh-faced teenager to one of the competition’s most accomplished midfielders over the last decade, Mastrantonio said: “There’s been a lot of ups and a lot of downs, just like any other person probably.
“It’s been a journey that’s for sure. I’ve grown as a person, as a player in these 10 years now.
“I’m very proud and hopefully we can get the win [against Glory] to commemorate it the way I want to.”
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Click here to buy tickets
Western Sydney Wanderers v Perth Glory
Sunday, 19 January 2020
Kick-off: 4pm AEDT
Venue: Bankwest Stadium
Broadcast: ABC TV, FOX Sports
Stream: MyFootball Live App, Kayo Sports, ABC iView
