It was a case of history repeating itself at QSAC with Brisbane Roar taking their spot in the Westfield W-League Grand Final by penalties for the second year in a row, this time overcoming a defiant Sydney FC 1-1 (4-3). However the result wasn’t without controversy.
Just like their male counterparts, the Roar ladies looked down and out before a 94th minute equalizer from Brisbane super-sub Emily Gielnik forced the match into extra time. But it was the sideline incident that erupted shortly after that really left the crowd stunned.
Soon after Gielnik’s goal and just seconds before the fulltime whistle Sydney FC’s Kyah Simon brought down Brisbane’s Vedrana Popovic.
In a rough tackle (which seemed to be a staple on the day) referee Casey Reibelt stopped the game. With Popovic wincing in pain Reibelt drew a yellow card. Being Simon's second yellow of the afternoon, the Matildas golden child was shown a red card and sent from the pitch, drawing a reaction from her coach Alen Stajcic.
So heated were his words, that he too was shown red and led away from the bench.
The firey coach continuously tested his luck as he tried to make his way back onto the pitch before being pushed back by his players not wanting to make the situation any worse. Much to the concern of officials, Stajcic refused to move from the grandstand steps, staying as long as he could within shouting distance, before he was finally escorted into the sheds.
Stajcic was unable to speak about the incident after the game. Understood to be fuming over the sequence of events, Sydney FC Community Development Officer Daniel Barrett fronted the media instead, but he too was tight-lipped.
“They’re big games and they create big moments,” Barrett said.
“I don’t want to go too much into it. There were probably a few things in the lead up to that.”
Earlier in the match it seemed Sydney would be the victors away from home. Solid in defence and presented with better chances in front of goal, after just 18 minutes it was the dream start for the visitors as Renee Rollason caught onto a Servet Uzunlar free kick from outside the box, to head it in from close range and give Sydney the 1-0 lead.
Possession was relatively equal between the two teams, but in the first half Sydney managed a whopping 14 shots on goal, double the attempts by Brisbane.
It was a busy afternoon for Roar goalkeeper Casey Dumont who was a surprise inclusion following a successful outing last week from second string 'keeper Kishi Hoshimi after injury struck Dumont.
But backed by coach Jeff Hopkins, Dumont justified her place making many crucial saves, including one in the penalty shoot-out to deny Sydney’s pocket-rocket midfielder Teresa Polias. This save gave Brisbane the advantage which allowed Aivi Luik to seal the winning penalty kick and send the home fans into a frenzy.
“There’s always been a lot of drama between us girls,” said miracle goal-scorer Emily Gielnik post match.
Saving her team from the clutches of defeat and not for the first time this season, Gielnik spoke of her uncanny ability to score in the dying moments of a game.
“It’s happening with the Brisbane boys as well!” she said.
“For some reason we get some sort of a kick,
“It feels phenomenal! You wouldn’t have thought, to be 1-0 down, under the pump and then to get a goal in the last few seconds,
“I couldn’t believe my luck that I scored!”
Into the Grand Final for a fourth straight year, Brisbane Roar will now face Canberra United in Canberra on January 28 as both compete to be crowned 2011/2012 Westfield W-League Champions.
Brisbane Roar:
DUMONT, Casey. ALLEWAY, Laura. POLKINGHORNE, Clare. SPENCE, Brooke. BURGESS, Joanne. CARROLL, Kim. CANNULI, Catherine. HARCH, Lana. LUIK, Aivi. BUTT, Tameka. POPOVIC, Vedrana.
Subs:
GIELNIK, Emily. CEBRIAN GARCIA, Olga. BEAUMONT, Ellen. KISHI, Hoshimi. PRICE, Rebecca.
Sydney FC:
LIPSHER, Allison. POLIAS, Teresa. BROGAN, Danielle. ROLLASON, Renee. JOHNSON, Estelle. UZUNLAR, Servet. FOORD, Caitlin. LEDBROOK, Kylie. SLAYTER, Thea. SIMON, Kyah. KHAMIS, Leena.
Subs:
BASS, Alisha. BURKE, Trudy. WHITFIELD, Brittany. ALLEN, Teigan. WALSH, Sarah.