A-League Women’s Wrap: Two sides of the Matildas coin exposed, triumphs for teams in red, and a reminder of what really matters – ABC News

Each week, ABC Sport will bring you a Round Wrap of the A-League Women's competition, including winners, losers, and a good thing that happened on or off the field.

Sydney FC maintain their lead with 4-0 win over Perth Glory, Adelaide jump into a finals spot after 3-1 defeat of Canberra, the Wanderers get their first season win after 1-0 victory over Brisbane, and Melbourne City secure second after defeating Wellington 4-0.

The Matildas

If there wereany doubts as to why a handful of young, uncapped A-League Women's players were called up to the Matildas' Asian Cup training camp in Dubai this week, round six served as a reminder of exactly why these talented emerging players earned the nod.

On Saturday afternoon, barely six hours after Tony Gustavsson released his provisional squad list, two of the included players Cortnee Vine and Remy Siemsen starred for Sydney FC as they eased past Perth Glory to cement their spot at the top of the table.

Vine was particularly deadly in the opening half, repeatedly tearing up the right wing with zippy runs and pinpoint crosses. It was her clipped pass that resulted in the Sky Blues' opening goal by midfielder Mackenzie Hawkesby in the 10th minute, a scoreline that she added to seven minutes later after latching onto a Hawkesby pass and fizzing the ball into the far corner. Vine would then set up Siemsen just before the half hour, taking both Sydney forwards to four goals apiece so far this season.

Two other players called up to the Dubai camp also shone over the weekend, this time for another sky-blue side. Melbourne City defender Winonah Heatley scored her debut ALW goal after bundling home a deep corner, while breakout striker Holly McNamara notched yet another assist when teeing up Kaitlyn Torpey for the club's opening goal in their 4-0 routing of Wellington.

When asked about what it was about these players that earned them camp call-ups, Gustavsson said their stats and styles of play were exactly what the Matildas needed when coming up against deep-lying, defensive teams during the Asian Cup.

"When it comes to these players they have impressed every single one of us that have watched them play live this year in terms of their performances, including myself and other coaches who have seen them, but also their stats are standouts," he told media after the announcement.

"Cortnee Vine, for example,her expected goals and assists arethe best in the league. She has the most key passes in the league so far, and she has the most one-on-one dribbling. And if you look at what it's going to look like in the Asian Cup, we need one-on-one experts that may need to break down a parked bus in some of those games.

"When it comes to Holly [McNamara], she has the most assists in the league and that's impressed me because I knew she can get in behind the back line and score goals, but the way she's facilitated others and made others look good she has the third-most key passes in the league, is good in the one-on-one dribbling stats [ and] her progressive runs, meaning her forward runs with pace, she has the second most in the league with that.

"And when it comes to Winny [Heatley], one [stat] that stands out is her playmaking skills as a backline player,the amount of times she actually plays forward and breaks lines, either by dribbling to take space or her passing, both short and long.

"So those are the three players that I can mention in terms of both stats [that] stand out, but also when we watch them live.

We think they all stand out and deserve to be brought in."

With 21 players already locked in, just two spots remain open in Gustavsson's squad that these emerging Aussies will fight for during the Dubai training camp and potentially earn their first-ever competitive tournament cap for their country. And if they're able to translate their ripping ALW form into Asian Cup performances, the Matildas could be well on their way to their second-ever women's continental trophy.

Western Sydney Wanderers

It might not have been the prettiest of games, but Western Sydney head coach Catherine Cannuli would not have cared as she returned from COVID-19 protocols to lead her team to their first win of the ALW season against Brisbane Roar on Sunday.

A penalty converted by young striker Bryleeh Henry just after the hour was all it took for the Wanderers to snap their winless streak, defeating a red-hot Roar side fresh off a 4-2 win over champions Victory last week. The win takes Western Sydney up to seventh on the ladder.

It was just the second time in six games that Brisbane were kept scoreless, largely thanks to standout performances from Western Sydney defender Clare Hunt and goalkeeper Sarah Langman, who made a number of crucial touches,including tipping a Katrina Gorry shot onto the post,to keep her embattled side in the contest. Brisbane had over twice as many shots and three times as many on target as their opponents, but the visitors were able to hold on to secure all three points.

The win will give the Wanderers extra spark heading into the halfway point of the regular season, particularly after keeping runaway leaders Sydney FC to a 0-0 draw last week. They next play a struggling Victory team next Sunday, who will be without three key players, followed by a stuttering Perth two games that, based on their recent results, the Wanderers could be in with a good chance at snatching points from.

Adelaide United

Of all the clubs to emerge from round six, Adelaide United are arguably the biggest winners. Not only have they not lost any of they key players (in fact, they've gained one in the return of Dylan Holmes for the remainder of the season), but they are finding form right at the time that their most immediate opponents,namely Perth, Newcastle, and Melbourne Victory,are navigating some bumpy terrain.

Following their 3-1 win over Canberra United on Saturday, the Reds have now jumped into the top four with just a single goal separating them from third-placed Victory. It was a notable win for Adelaide, too, who faced a Canberra side that, despite having little to show for it on the ladder, continue to build and gel as the season progresses.

Indeed, Canberra were unlucky not to come away with their first win of the season over the weekend, with the Reds' goals arriving mostly against the run of play,particularly in the second half,as Canberra dominated most statistical categories including shots (18 to six), possession (58 per cent to 42) and pass accuracy 69 per cent to 57).

But there's only one number that counts in football, and the Reds are the ones who have become clinical when it's mattered most. Striker Chelsie Dawber continuedto find the back of the net, scoring Adelaide's second and taking her season tally to four, while the impressive Holmes and winger Fiona Worts added a goal each.

The win sees the Reds leapfrog both Perth and Newcastle toposition themselves for what could be their first-ever finals appearance.

The top three

While the Matildas may have come out of this weekend as the biggest winners, calling up some of the league's best performers to help Australia's charge towards a second Asian Cup trophy, there is an inevitable inverse effect from this arrangement.

As a result of COVID-19 delaying the competition start and forcing a number of games to be postponed, neither of Australia's top domestic competitions will take a break during this international window. This means clubs will be missing key players for the next few rounds as their respective ladders begin to take shape.

It's just as well that the ALW's current top three Sydney FC, Melbourne City, and Melbourne Victory began the 2021-22 season as well as they did, as these are the three clubs that will bethe most heavily impacted by the loss of players until at least early February.

All three clubs will lose two key players to international duty;Sydney FC will miss striker Remy Siemsen and winger Cortnee Vine, Melbourne City will lose Holly McNamara and Winonah Heatley, and Melbourne Victory will be without Kyra Cooney-Cross and Courtney Nevin.

In light of the impressive statistics listed by Gustavsson, the absence of these players could create holes that clubs may not be able to fill as the season reaches its mid-point.

Ladder leaders Sydney will miss not just the goals but also the assists of two of their three most dangerous players so far in Siemsen and Vine, though the pre-season recruitments of Chilean international striker Maria "Cote"Rojas and Kiwi winger Paige Satchell almost like-for-like replacements for the departing pair appear to have been part of head coach Ante Juric's season-long plans, possibly helping soften the blow over the next month of games.

City will particularly miss the creativity of top assistant McNamara and defender Heatley who has been part of a back line that's conceded just four goals so far this season, while Victory will be loathe to lose yet more depth from midfield and defence in the absence of Cooney-Cross and Nevin, particularly given the club has let slip 12 goals in the past three games, making defensively minded players all the more necessary as their title defence slips away.

Depending on the Matildas' plans after the Asian Cup rumoured to be a friendly series in Europe these players may not return to Australia at all. If so, the current top three will need to have a plan B that ensures they maintain their spot on the ladder as other clubs such as Adelaide begin to find their groove.

Loan players

The top three aren't the only clubs who have lost players this week, though. Both Newcastle and Canberra will also lose the services of some of their best players as midfielder Emily Van Egmond and defender Karly Roestbakken have both been called up to the Matildas' Dubai camp.

However, unlike the above players who could make a return to the ALW in time for finals, these players won't be coming back at all. That's because these players as well as Melbourne Victory striker Lynn Williams and, later on this season, Alex Chidiac are on loan to the competition from their parent clubs, which they are expected to return to in preparation for their respective seasons.

Van Egmond joined the Jets on a short-term loan from her NWSL club Orlando Pride, which ended this weekend following Newcastle's postponed game against Melbourne Victory. The NWSL begins its pre-season camp on February 1, a few days before the Asian Cup final, meaning Van Egmond will travel from India straight to the USA to begin preparations.

Similarly, US women's national team striker Lynn Williams will also be returning to her NWSL club Kansas City after spending the past month at Victory, where she scored three goals. Victory will also be without midfielder Alex Chidiac towards the back end of their campaign after her short-term loan from Japanese club JEF United Chiba ends at the end of February.

Finally, Canberra United will finish their season without local defender Karly Roestbakken, who will return to her parent club LSK Kvinner in Norway after the Asian Cup. Her short-term loan with her hometown club ended after United's loss to Adelaide this past weekend.

When it comes to the question of competition integrity, these short-term loan deals,which see players either arrive after the season has begun or leave before the season has ended,is one of a number of prongs that affects the quality, consistency, and marketability of the ALW. If decision-makers are serious about turning the competition into one of the top-five women's leagues in the world, ensuring it is no longer treated as a gap filler or layover point between bigger, better leagues ought to be part of the equation.

Rhali Dobson completes The Big Three Trek

It was one of the feel-good stories of the last ALW season: Melbourne City player Rhali Dobson retiring from the professional game to take care of her partner, Matt Stonham, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour earlier in the year.

At the conclusion of her final match, Stonham who Dobson had proposed to repeatedlybut was constantly rebuffed got down on one knee to ask her to marry him. The moment went viral and sent many in the Australian football communityinto hysterical sobs.

One of the fundraising initiatives Dobson has been involved with over the years is The Big Three Trek a 150km walk from Newcastle to Sydney that ends at the Sydney Cricket Ground during the iconic Pink Test.

This past week saw the conclusion of this year's Big Three Trek, which raised almost $130,000 for the McGrath Foundation. Dobson was joined by a host of athletes and entertainers for the trek. Shecontinues to use her platform to shine a light on cancer research and family support. Legendary.