As Melbourne City prepares to face Taichung Blue Whale in the quarter-finals of the AFC Women’s Champions League, they carry a historic game-changing opportunity for women's football in Australia. This weekend's match at AAMI Park on March 23 has drawn significant excitement, marking the inaugural Women's Asian Champions League fixture on Australian soil.
This quarter-final will not just be a test of skill; it represents the culmination of a stellar season for Melbourne City, who recently extended their revolutionary Ninja A-League unbeaten streak to 19 games with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Adelaide United last Sunday. That win fortified their standing as they now look towards taking home a prestigious trophy.
Defender Karly Roestbakken expressed the team’s focus despite the historic context of this match. "It’s crazy to know that myself and the team have produced something that not many players can experience. It’s amazing to know that we will go down in the history books and it’s something that other teams will have to strive for,” Roestbakken noted in an interview with aleagues.com.au.
Being five points clear in the league with only four games remaining, Melbourne City is aiming for an unbeaten season. It’s a challenging goal, yet Roestbakken insists they’re not putting unnecessary pressure on themselves saying, “We’re just taking it game-by-game and we’re trying to just focus on ourselves and how we can improve individually and as a team.”
The stakes are high for City, not only in terms of gladiatorial sporting glory but also financially, as each player stands to gain up to $50,000 should they win the championship. Given that the minimum wage in the A-League Women is just over $25,000, this represents a substantial financial incentive for the players, as A-League stalwart Tyla-Jay Vlajnic pointed out: “That amount of money… for us females playing football here in Australia, it’s a huge, huge amount of money.”
Vlajnic, who has been with both Melbourne City and the Matildas, fully embraces the ambition of the championship. “We’re just like, 'all right, let’s just win' because that’s the mentality here at City. It's win as much as you can,” she said.
This quarter-final represents a step towards establishing a new normal for women’s football in Australia, following the success of the Matildas and the excitement generated from their performances at the World Cup. City not only aims to seize the moment but to pave the way for the future of the game.
On the pitch, Melbourne City’s squad boasts depth and strength, with significant contributions from players like Holly McNamara, who scored 10 goals in just 13 matches this season, and newcomers like Canadian forward Kathryn Harvey, who has also made her mark with three goals in 15 performances.
Despite the all-around energy moving toward this match, Roestbakken and her teammates are being careful not to lose sight of their singular focus. “We just try to prepare like it’s just a normal game and not, not really much was spoken about it,” she explained.
The match will kick off at 3:00 PM AEDT at AAMI Park, making it a historic afternoon not only for Melbourne City but for Australian football as a whole. Roestbakken expressed enthusiasm about the growth of the competition, saying, “It’s pretty special to think that okay, we’re actually playing in it, and we are competing against, you know, some really great teams.”
As the excitement builds for this much-anticipated encounter, all eyes will be on Melbourne City to see if they can not only continue their remarkable unbeaten streak but also capture the title that is so near yet so far. The hosts are determined to seize this opportunity, entering the quarter-finals fueled by their past triumphs and the promise of future achievements.
