Week 13
With the Westfield W-League regular-season nearing its end, the 13th round took place, seeing four members of the Orlando Pride take the field.
For the second week in a row, multiple members of the Pride found the back of the net with defender Carson Pickett scoring a brace for the Brisbane Roar in a 5-0 victory over Canberra and forward Claire Emslie converting from the penalty spot in a 4-0 victory to secure the Premiership for Melbourne City.
Pickett earned Team of the Week honors for her performance, along with Pride midfielder Emily van Egmond, who has now appeared on the W-League First XI in back-to-back weeks.
Thursday, February 20:
Melbourne City 4, Western Sydney Wanderers 0
To open the weekend, Melbourne City clinched the 2019-20 Premiership with a 4-0 shutout victory on the road at Western Sydney. Orlando Pride forward Claire Emslie opened the scoring in the 12th minute, converting from the penalty spot for her third goal in two matches. Portland Thorns defender Ellie Carpenter would go on to record a brace in the match, scoring in the 30th and 63rd minutes respectively, with Ally Watt adding another in the 86th. Emslie logged 67 minutes in the match and notched an assist, while Orlando Pride teammate Emily van Egmond played the full 90 for City. Van Egmond led City with five chances created in the match.
Saturday, February 22:
Perth Glory 2, Sydney FC 1
Saturday afternoon saw Perth Glory earn a 2-1 victory on the road at Sydney FC. Reign FC midfielder Morgan Andrews scored a brace in the match, finding the back of the net in the 41st minute and again in the 58th. Kim Carroll scored the lone goal for Sydney in second half stoppage time, with the rally coming up short and all three points going to the Glory. The Pride’s Alanna Kennedy played the entirety of the match for Sydney.
Sunday, February 23:
Brisbane Roar 5, Canberra United 0
To close out the round, the Brisbane Roar earned a 5-0 shutout win at home over Canberra United on Sunday. Orlando Pride defender Carson Pickett scored a brace in the match, now having found the back of the net three times in the last two weeks. Pickett opened the scoring on the afternoon in the 11th minute before scoring the Roar’s third goal in the 82nd minute of play. She would go on to play the entirety of the match, totaling three chances created on her way to earning W-League Team of the Week honors.
Other W-League Results
Sunday, February 23:
Melbourne Victory 7, Newcastle Jets 0
NWSL Players Rostered - Melbourne Victory: Emily Menges (Portland Thorns), Haley Hanson (Houston Dash), Darian Jenkins (Reign FC); Newcastle Jets: None
Week 14
The W-League regular season campaign came to a close this past weekend, with two members of the Orlando Pride in action for their respective clubs. Emily van Egmond helped Melbourne City to finish their unbeaten run throughout the campaign, taking a 3-1 victory over the Brisbane Roar on Sunday, while the Pride’s Alanna Kennedy took the field for Sydney FC on Saturday.
Three members of the Pride will compete in the 2020 W-League Finals Series beginning on March 13, with van Egmond and forward Claire Emslie set to host the Western Sydney Wanderers in the Semifinal Round for City, while Kennedy and Sydney FC will travel to take on the Melbourne Victory.
Saturday, February 29:
Melbourne Victory 3, Sydney FC 1
In the first of a Saturday doubleheader, Melbourne Victory took a 3-1 victory at home over Sydney FC to secure a home W-League Semifinal next week. Amy Jackson opened the scoring in the 25th minute followed by a brace from Reign FC forward Darian Jenkins, scoring in the 49th and 78th minutes respectively. Natalie Tobin scored the lone goal for Sydney in the 90th minute, with the rally coming up short for the visitors. The Pride’s Alanna Kennedy played the full 90 for Sydney, who will travel to face the Victory again in the Semifinal round.
Sunday, March 1:
Melbourne City 3, Brisbane Roar 1
To close out the regular-season, Melbourne City continued their dominance with a 3-1 victory over the Brisbane Roar. Milica Mijatovic opened the scoring in the 34th minute for City, with Hollie Palmer answering for the Roar in the 49th. A brace from Ally Watt, however, would give the home side all three points on the afternoon, with the sixth-overall pick in the 2020 NWSL College Draft finding the back of the net in the 55th and 69th minutes. Pride midfielder Emily van Egmond played the entirety of the match for City, while fellow Orlando teammate Claire Emslie missed the match due to international duty. On the other side, Orlando Pride defender Carson Pickett did not appear for the Roar. With the loss, Brisbane finishes their W-League season while City will host the Western Sydney Wanderers in the Semifinal round.
Other W-League Results
Thursday, February 27:
Adelaide United 2, Newcastle Jets 1
NWSL Players Rostered - Adelaide United: Amber Brooks (Houston Dash), Mallory Weber (Utah Royals FC); Newcastle Jets: None
Saturday, February 29:
Western Sydney Wanderers 3, Perth Glory 2
NWSL Players Rostered - Western Sydney Wanderers: Abby Smith (Utah Royals FC), Sam Staab (Washington Spirit), Amy Harrison (Washington Spirit), Denise O’Sullivan (North Carolina Courage), Kristen Hamilton (North Carolina Courage), Lynn Williams (North Carolina Courage); Perth Glory: Celia Jiménez (Reign FC), Morgan Andrews (Reign FC), Ari Romero (Houston Dash), Crystal Thomas (Washington Spirit)
Semifinal Fixtures:
Melbourne Victory vs. Sydney FC (Fri. March 13, 11 p.m. ET / WATCH)
Melbourne City vs. Western Sydney Wanderers (Sat. March 14, 10:30 p.m. ET / WATCH)
