Round 4 WPL

[Worthless Gobemouche]

Sturt Marion vs Adelaide University
8:15 PM / Fri 17 Apr
Marion Sports & Community Club

West Adelaide vs Adelaide City
3:00 PM / Sun 19 Apr
Park 27B

Cumberland United vs Metro United WFC
3:00 PM / Sun 19 Apr
Women's Memorial Playing Fields

Para Hills Knights vs Fulham United
3:30 PM / Sun 19 Apr
The Paddocks

FFSA U14/15 Girls
BYE

Some tantalising match ups ahead this weekend.

The West Adelaide v Adelaide City game being the pick of the round. Both sides look very strong on paper with Adelaide City backing up with some good early season form. West Adelaide will be looking to do both themselves and other undefeated sides at the top a favour by halting Adelaide City's good undefeated season so far and by doing so closing the gap against their traditional rivals.

Sturt host a much improved Adelaide Uni on Friday night under lights, with a close encounter expected. Are Uni close to introducing an international to the Womens Premier League in Adelaide ? If so, then this game has more to offer than just the 3 points.

The Cumberland v Metro game on Sunday pits a steadily improving Cumby side against a very strong Metro team who must feel confident after a high scoring victory over the young and relatively inexperienced FFSA side. Can Cumby produce the upset of the round and open their account for 2015 ?

The Para Hills Knights v Fulham game looks to be an even encounter and with Fulhams recent victory over Sturt in round 3, might go into the game as slight favorites.

[Fitball]

Adelaide Uni rely on internationals every year and neglect their loyal club players which is why they've never been able to have a consistent season and their team is always filled with disharmony. They can score as many goals as they want, it will never reflect quality coaching. It just means they have more money to throw around than everyone else. When miss Chille leaves again their will be a big hole left in the team as it is built around her and everyone's back to where they started with 10k less in their pocket

[snow white]

$10k for a player??? That's unheard of in the women's premier league. Must be a truly exceptional player for that amount.

[United We Stand]

I am,as always,looking forward to the West Adelaide vs Adelaide City clash. They produced some epic battles last season and both teams will be up there at the top come the end of the season.

[Fitball]

I don't see any of those two teams getting through metro this year. I know we have a long way to go but on paper they are a super team, they look really conditioned and move the ball around better than any other team so far. If they can keep away from Injury I would probably be putting money on them.

[juniorsupporter]

Was anyone at the Sturt/uni game last night? Report?

[cg1]

The B license coach out coached the A license coach on the day!
Uni defending with numbers behind the ball then quick transition out to the Chilean striker, Sturt had no answers.
Changes for Sturt with taking off 9 goal striker and their CB defender didn't seem to help.
Uni's new import striker was great, will score a lot of goals.
When do Uni play FFSA?!

[flashBLACK]

Adelaide Uni rely on internationals every year and neglect their loyal club players which is why they've never been able to have a consistent season and their team is always filled with disharmony. They can score as many goals as they want, it will never reflect quality coaching. It just means they have more money to throw around than everyone else. When miss Chille leaves again their will be a big hole left in the team as it is built around her and everyone's back to where they started with 10k less in their pocket

Worth noting is that the player contacted the club seeking to play.

Adelaide Uni do not pay players and never have.

[Coach Kermit]

Uni's new #9 had a part in all 4 goals. She opened the scoring after receiving a nice through ball into the box and 3 times she was fouled in or around the box. One time this resulted in a penalty, another resulted in a well taken long range free kick which beat the keeper and the third she converted after good ball into the box. A reasonable debut you might say.

She has some tricky touches and moves that will test most defenders in the league. I'd have to say, she's quite a handy pick up.

[Fitball]

Adelaide Uni rely on internationals every year and neglect their loyal club players which is why they've never been able to have a consistent season and their team is always filled with disharmony. They can score as many goals as they want, it will never reflect quality coaching. It just means they have more money to throw around than everyone else. When miss Chille leaves again their will be a big hole left in the team as it is built around her and everyone's back to where they started with 10k less in their pocket

Worth noting is that the player contacted the club seeking to play.

Adelaide Uni do not pay players and never have.

She contacted another Adelaide club first requesting nothing less. She could easily go play in Sydney for a local club and get paid twice as much and accomodation.. Interesting how she chose Adelaide Uni

[juniorsupporter]

Surely she is in Adelaide for another reason. She must be studying at uni, or has a partner that came here for another reason. No internationally capped player would come to Adelaide just to play football in the local premier league. And surely she's not being paid 10,000$. That's insane. Where do people come up with that rubbish.

Obviously, from all accounts, she's good. Let's hope that whatever brought her to Adelaide will keep her here through the Wleague season.

[Fitball]

This is exactly the point I'm making.. 10k is what she requested.. And she stayed at uni.. Funny that

[juniorsupporter]

Winning the Adelaide premier league is not worth that sum- never mind paying a player to play on a side that probably won't win the premier league. Somebody, somewhere, pulled that sum out of a hat. I can't believe that Uni, or any individual at Uni, is that ridiculous- to pay one player that much. Matildas playing in the WLeague aren't making that. Most WLeague players aren't making a dime.

[the barbarian]

WOW 10k? FIRSTLY IF THEY ARE GIVING HER THAT MUCH , YOU COULD PROBABLY PAY A GOOD SQUAD OF PLAYERS THAT MUCH AND LESS AND HAVE A GOOD TEAM FOR AT LEAST ONE SEASON. IF SHE IS AN INTERNATIONAL SURELY SHE WOULD NEED AN INTERNATIONAL CLEARANCE/TRANSFER REGISTRATION TO PLAY ?? PERHAPS SOMETHING TO CHECK AS THOSE TYPES OF CLEARANCES REGO TAKE A WHILE TO ORGANISE? INTERESTING SHE WENT TO UNI?? ANYWAY IF SHE IS THAT GOOD SURELY THE AU w LEAGUE COACHES /SCOUTS SHOULD BE WATCHING HER??

[Finding Sportsbird]

She is currently training with the ntc girls

[juniorsupporter]

No need to shout Barbarian.

[Stand Strong]

Para Hills Knights and Fulham scores? Anyone have these scores from today.

[United We Stand]

I don't see any of those two teams getting through metro this year. I know we have a long way to go but on paper they are a super team, they look really conditioned and move the ball around better than any other team so far. If they can keep away from Injury I would probably be putting money on them.

Fitball, are you basing this on having seen West Adelaide and Adelaide City this year? Or is it on just watching Metro? Both West Adelaide and City have some super players as well, although City did look decidedly the better team in today's deserved 2-0 victory.

[juniorsupporter]

2-1 to Fulham.

Does anyone have the full fixture list for the Cup Round next weekend?

[Stand Strong]

Was that prems. How about reserves.

[juniorsupporter]

Prems- sorry, don't know reserves score.

[BillShankly]

WOW 10k? FIRSTLY IF THEY ARE GIVING HER THAT MUCH , YOU COULD PROBABLY PAY A GOOD SQUAD OF PLAYERS THAT MUCH AND LESS AND HAVE A GOOD TEAM FOR AT LEAST ONE SEASON. IF SHE IS AN INTERNATIONAL SURELY SHE WOULD NEED AN INTERNATIONAL CLEARANCE/TRANSFER REGISTRATION TO PLAY ?? PERHAPS SOMETHING TO CHECK AS THOSE TYPES OF CLEARANCES REGO TAKE A WHILE TO ORGANISE? INTERESTING SHE WENT TO UNI?? ANYWAY IF SHE IS THAT GOOD SURELY THE AU w LEAGUE COACHES /SCOUTS SHOULD BE WATCHING HER??

international clearance is done

[BillShankly]

The B license coach out coached the A license coach on the day!
Uni defending with numbers behind the ball then quick transition out to the Chilean striker, Sturt had no answers.
Changes for Sturt with taking off 9 goal striker and their CB defender didn't seem to help.
Uni's new import striker was great, will score a lot of goals.
When do Uni play FFSA?!

[the barbarian]

sorry cap locks was on and could not be bothered changing it? Question what is the Chilean girl's Name and how old is she?? if training with ntc i would assumme she is young??

[juniorsupporter]

Barbarian, I believe she's 27- if you read other posts on previous threads, there are older girls training with ntc as WLeague training group. They're not all u17- older girls train with ntc and play with clubs in the weekend.

Obviously someone is watching.

[Fitball]

I don't see any of those two teams getting through metro this year. I know we have a long way to go but on paper they are a super team, they look really conditioned and move the ball around better than any other team so far. If they can keep away from Injury I would probably be putting money on them.

Fitball, are you basing this on having seen West Adelaide and Adelaide City this year? Or is it on just watching Metro? Both West Adelaide and City have some super players as well, although City did look decidedly the better team in today's deserved 2-0 victory.

I have seen both teams play, E R seems to be sweating a lot more this year.. There is no one special playing for city, no international, no ex matilda if that's how you want to look at it or you can look at it as City had to really work hard to get points from West Adelaide, Metro beat them convincingly. Infact.. City had to work hard to get points from Adelaide Uni without a striker. Not saying City aren't in contention to be a top 2 side but at the moment when you put all facts and statistics together Metro would collect more at the bookie

[Worthless Gobemouche]

Having seen all of the 'top 3' sides play this year, I would have to say that Metro appear to be the most complete team thus far, with City not too far behind and West trailing the group.

Agree that Metro easily accounted for West and that from reports City battled hard to earn the points against West, but i'm certainly looking forward to Round 9 when the two sides go head to head in what looks to be an enthralling encounter. Anything can happen in football, but at this stage Metro would be early favorites for the 3 points.

Results from the weekend didnt throw up too many surprises. What it did expose was that with their new striker, Uni appear to be much on the improve from last season, Sturt are perhaps a little bit too inconsistent, City are still strong but are being pegged back by their rival clubs, West are a talented side but do they have the total package to be considered strong title challengers, Metro have started off like their on a mission to snatch the title from City, Cumberland are still taking their small steps in regards to their improvement, Fulham seem to have strengthened their squad from last year and have claimed a few early scalps, Para Hills are maintaining their status quo from 2014 and the FFSA experiment appears to have hit a large bump in the road.

[juniorsupporter]

Certainly the U15's have had a very difficult start, but the purpose of that program isn't to win the Premier League it's to develop the girls, which I think it's doing. Three years ago, in the first season that the U15's were in the Premier League, they lost to Fulham at the beginning of the season 16-0 or so. They didn't win many games at all that year and got thumped more often than not. Two years later that group of girls won NTC.

In addition, believe it or not I think the Prems competition is slowly getting stronger. That combined with a young, small group of 15's has made it tough for them. But the program continues to do what it is meant to do, develop young girls to play at the highest levels of the sport.

[Worthless Gobemouche]

Certainly the U15's have had a very difficult start, but the purpose of that program isn't to win the Premier League it's to develop the girls, which I think it's doing. Three years ago, in the first season that the U15's were in the Premier League, they lost to Fulham at the beginning of the season 16-0 or so. They didn't win many games at all that year and got thumped more often than not. Two years later that group of girls won NTC.

In addition, believe it or not I think the Prems competition is slowly getting stronger. That combined with a young, small group of 15's has made it tough for them. But the program continues to do what it is meant to do, develop young girls to play at the highest levels of the sport.

I totally agree with your comments regarding the concept behind the FFSA team. I agree that the standard has improved somewhat over the last few years. One day, I'd like to be able to see that the clubs are at a stage where they are the ones developing these players and the FFSA side isnt required and that perhaps the NTC side is all thats required for the pathway to W-League and beyond.

Not quite there yet, but I say some clubs with good junior structure and a clear and defined football charter are well on the way.

Having said that, theres no accounting for the nomadic nature of alot of players in the WPL here in Adelaide.

[juniorsupporter]

Worthless- I think that's what everyone wants to see- clubs developing players that are able to transition easily into WLeague and national programs (huge steps even for girls who are in the programs at the moment). And I agree that there are clubs making great strides in junior development. I think the new coaching certification requirements will help as well- as recently as 5 years ago many junior teams were coached by parents with no qualifications, so there's been huge advances lately in this regard.

I think that players are nomadic for a variety of reasons, depending on what their motivations for playing are and what their goals are- some, yes, want to be with their mates- although the most serious players, including the ones who want to progress to WLeague or have played there in the past, don't choose their playing situation just to be with their friends. They are looking for quality coaching, but more importantly they are looking for a strong player group who all can play at a high level...It's hard to improve if you're not surrounded by teammates who take the game seriously and are accomplished and motivated enough to push each other. The player pool is still pretty uneven in the WPL and not all clubs can provide these conditions year after year.-