The Weekly Times - TWT - 20 February 2019

20 THE WEEKLY TIMES Wednesday 20 February, 2019
Sydney FC crowned W-League Champions
AFTER almost a decade of near misses, Sydney FC has reclaimed
the W-League championship, trouncing visitors Perth Glory 4-2 in
a commanding performance in front of more than 6,000 fans at
Kogarah Oval last weekend.
It’s the Sky Blues’
third title, but a long
time between drinks -
the last close encounter
with championship
silverware for the
women was all the way
back in 2010.
Women’s football
is growing at an unprecedented
pace
and November’s FIFA
Women’s World Cup in
France, where our trailblazing
national team
the Matildas will be
vying to become ‘best
team on the planet’, is
a key source of excitement
for aspirational
local girls playing the
sport.
And Sydney FC’s W-
League triumph will
serve to only motivate
them more - in their
home city involving
players they look up
to and something they
can almost “touch”
that serves as a tangible
example of on-field
success they can have
too.
When it comes to role
models that behave
impeccably on and off
the pitch - women’s
football has an oversupply.
In the weekend’s
grand final, two of the
game’s best ambassadors
- and several
more - were on display.
Sydney FC had its
captain, 28-year-old
school teacher and
football devotee Teresa
Polias while Perth Glory
had famous, down
to earth superstar and
Matildas spearhead
Sam Kerr.
Even with her obvious
disappointment
at being on the losing
side, Kerr’s generosity
of spirit descending
down the stairs at
the rear of Kogarah
Oval was on full display
- responding to
every photo request
and every autograph
request from her young
boy and girl fans, with
a smile.
In TWT Territory we
have quite a selection
of excellent role models
that will guarantee
the women’s game
continues to prosper in
leaps and bounds.
Among them, Gladesville
Ravens’ NSW Premier
League Division
2 (NPL2) squad member
Carlie Ikonomou,
who lives locally, has
played W-League for
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Sydney FC, Western
Sydney Wanderers and
Newcastle Jets.
She’s also represented
the other local force
in women’s football,
North West Sydney
Koalas - and the icing
on the cake: she’s the
offspring of a another
Ikonomou - of the TWT
letters page celebrity
kind - you can find here
almost every week!
Working her way up
the the corporate ladder
in a prominent
Sydney law firm, specialising
in family law,
she’s articulate and
passionate about the
role football can play
in a girl’s development
and for Ravens stalwart
Janine Ligato, a
‘no brainer’ for club
spokeswoman.
“Sydney seemed to
excel on the weekend
in winning 4-2 because
generally grand finals
are closer than that,”
Carlie - who’s aware of
the responsibility she
bears in nurturing and
providing guidance
for future generations
of players - told The
Weekly Times.
“I think it’s testimony
to the level and quality
of girls we’re producing,
in NSW in particular.
“We have the likes of
Teresa Polias, Chloe
Logarzo, Nat Tobin and
Princess Ibini - these
girls all played in the
Premier League Division
1 competition
within our local area.”
She said that showed
Sydney is one of the
strongest and fastestgrowing
areas in women’s
football.
Carlie says Sydney
FC’s championship is
simply further evidence
the game is growing,
while NPL1 and NPL2
competitions have
become more competitive
and among the
best Australia-wide.
“If you think about
some of the girls this
area has produced
- including (dual international
cricketer/
footballer) Ellyse Perry
who played for the Ravens
and the Koalas
- you’ve had so many
girls come through the
ranks,” she said.
“The current crop of
Matildas has essentially
become the golden
generation of girls.”
She said the recent
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Park had been a wonderful
development for
the game.
“It just makes everything
so much more
professional,” she
said.
“I think girls realise
now that it’s not just
a kick in the park and
that you really have
to put in 100 per cent
at every training session
and sort of compartmentalise
your life
- going to work and
going to training, putting
in 100 per cent
and these girls have
been balancing that for
years.”
She cited Polias as
an example of how difficult
that balancing
act must be.
“Teresa - I can’t believe
it - she’s a teacher
all day and then
she goes and trains at
night. It’s pretty phenomenal
when you
think about it,” Carlie
said.
Standing on the podium
on the weekend,
taking in her side’s
achievement, there
was no hint of resentfulness
from Polias
over the reality of
her teaching-football
juggling act and she
thanked the role of employers
in enabling her
team to be their best
and credited them for
the victory.
Sky Blues world
class goals
Sydney FC’s American
imports did most of the
damage on the weekend
with Sofia Huerta
opening the scoring
on six minutes before
player of the match Savannah
McCaskill (41’,
61’) chimed in with two
memorable goals.
In response Kerr
equalized from the
spot on 23 minutes
before Alyssa Mautz
fired home to reduce
the deficit to 3-2 and
set hearts racing in the
stands.
But the Sky Blues
sealed the deal with 20
minutes to go with a
Chloe Logarzo cracker.
“It was a huge task
and we knew we had to
try and contain (Kerr),”
Polias said.
“I mean it’s impossible
to contain Sam for a
whole game. She’s just
incredible out of this
world. Not just that. I
think she’s been able
to rally the rest of her
Perth Glory and Matildas’ superstar Sam Kerr greets
fans post match. TWT on-the-spot PHOTO
Sydney FC’s championship-winning skipper Teresa Polias proudly displays the W-
League trophy at Sydney Harbour.
team. They’re a young
team and they’ve done
an outstanding job this
season.”
Polias also paid credit
to Sydney’s defence for
containing the dangerous
attacking prowess
of Kerr and said “the
whole backline they did
a great job.”
And after seeing her
side’s goals again later
in the evening, Polias
declared them “world
class”.
“I thought they were
great on the field but
watching them back…
they were just world
class goals,” she said.
Opportunity
squandered
And while fans had
plenty to smile about
with Sydney FC’s womens
team - the men
squandered another
opportunity to climb
the A-League ladder
after a 1-1 draw with
cellar dwellars Central
Coast Mariners.
The Sky Blues have
a bigger task ahead of
them this Saturday in
their across the Tasman
clash with Wellington
Pheonix, with
their next home match
scheduled for Leichhardt
Oval against Adelaide
United on Friday
March 1, kicking off at
7.50pm.
Former W-League star and local Hunters Hill girl Carlie Ikonomou is proving a
great role model for budding female footballers in TWT territory with her sporting
deeds for Gladesville Ravens in the NSW Premier League.(pic: DC Sports Photography)