Canberra United vs. Newcastle Jets : Ariane Hingst feiert weiteren Sieg

Gute Zeiten in Down Under für die 174-malige deutsche Nationalspielerin Ariane Hingst, die nach ihren Stationen Hertha Zehlendorf, 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam, Djugarden Damfotboll und 1. FFC Frankfurt im Herbst 2011 beim australischen Verein Newcastle Jets gelandet war. Anfang des Jahres wechselte Ariane Hingst zu Canberra United. Am 27. Oktober 2012 gelang ihr gegen ihren Ex-Klub Newcastle Jets ein Tor, nach dem 2:1-Heimsieg gegen Perth Glory stand nun im heimischen Deakin Stadium wieder ein Duell gegen Newcastle Jets auf dem Programm.

Gute Zeiten in Down Under für die 174-malige deutsche Nationalspielerin Ariane Hingst, die nach ihren Stationen Hertha Zehlendorf, 1. FFC Turbine Potsdam, Djugarden Damfotboll und 1. FFC Frankfurt im Herbst 2011 beim australischen Verein Newcastle Jets gelandet war. Anfang des Jahres wechselte Ariane Hingst zu Canberra United. Am 27. Oktober 2012 gelang ihr gegen ihren Ex-Klub Newcastle Jets ein Tor, nach dem 2:1-Heimsieg gegen Perth Glory stand nun im heimischen Deakin Stadium wieder ein Duell gegen Newcastle Jets auf dem Programm.

Acht Teams spielen derzeit in der australischen W-League. Neben den bereits aufgezählten Klubs Canberra United, Perth Glory und Newcastle United sind Brisbane Roar, Melbourne Victory, Adelaide United, Western Sydney Wanderers und der Sydney FC  im Oberhaus des australischen Frauenfußballs angesiedelt. 

Folgend ein ausführlicher Bericht vom Duell Canberra United gegen Newcastle Jets. Auf Englisch verfasst vom australischen turus-Redakteur Glenn Dawson:

Riding high on confidence after beating league leaders Perth Glory, in a make up game, on Wednesday evening at Deakin Stadium, Canberra United headed back to the same venue for Saturday afternoons round 8 fixture against Newcastle Jets, a team whom they have beaten in each of the previous 7 fixtures.

A warm and sunny 30 degree day provided perfect playing conditions for both teams as they strode onto the pitch for the 4pm kickoff. Vastly different to Wednesday’s game where 50km/h winds provided difficult playing conditions.

Showing no signs of tiredness from playing six games in the last three weeks, Canberra started the game strongly and immediately showed their intent with Michelle Heyman firing at goal after only 15 seconds. With blistering pace, both Nikki Washington, the new recruit from America, and Hayley Raso caused all sorts of problems for the Newcastle defense out wide with their many incisive runs.

Canberra have proven this year that they are not the one woman attacking team as in previous seasons when Heyman dominated the scoring tables, with 10 different goal scorers so far. The 2012/13 team under Jitka Klimkova have expanded their scoring options tending to use the speed on the flanks rather than the direct route to goal. 

Time and time again in the first half however the attacking play broke down deep in Newcastle territory when the final pass failed to find the mark. Ariane Hingst, the two time World Cup winning player from Germany, had the first meaningful effort in the 12th minute forcing a reflex save from Eliza Campbell, the Newcastle keeper, however the follow up shot was hit weakly straight back into her waiting arms. Campbell was forced into action again with a diving save at the feet of Caitlyn Munoz in the 23rd minute after she broke clear from her defender after a neat flick from Heyman.

In a half of few clear cut chances, Nicole Sykes brought the crowd of 794 to life in the 35th minute with a long jinking run from just inside the Newcastle half down the left hand side past several stationary defenders before cutting into the box and sliding the powerful low hit shot into the far corner for her first W-League goal and to become the 11th different scorer for Canberra this season. 

With second place on the table on the line, Canberra returned from the dressing rooms looking for more goals to improve their goal difference, which had taken a slide after recently losing two games in a row before the win against Perth on Wednesday. 

Almost straight from the kickoff, Heyman showed her intent with a 30 metre run which was stopped again by Newcastle’s advancing keeper at the 6 yard box. The crowd in the covered grandstand were on their feet shortly after, when Washington delivered a beautifully weighted 30 metre pass to the flying Heyman, whose shot went just wide of the post into the side netting. 

The pace of Hayley Raso was beginning to get to the slower Newcastle defenders, who resorted to increased shirt pulling as a way to slow her down.  In the 62nd minute boo’s chorused around the stadium as Raso was almost pulled down just on the edge of the box when she was about to fire, however it seemed that the referees were the only ones in the stadium who missed the foul, much to the disappointment of the home team and fans. 

The job for Newcastle became harder when their inspirational captain Emily Van Egmond received a second yellow card in the 64th minute for a clumsy tackle and was marched from the field. To their credit though, Newcastle never gave up chasing the tying goal, although with the increase in attacking presence they left themselves open to counterattacks from the speedy Canberra forwards.

Canberra has obviously been working on their set pieces during training, and almost found the back of the net several times in the last 10 minutes. A quickly taken penalty with seven minutes to go released Raso on a run down the left hand touchline. A quick pass to Heyman on the inside left her free in the box, unfortunately a heavy touch meant an easy cleanup for the keeper. 

A well worked move between several of the United players from a penalty shortly after resulted in a shot from the shins of Heyman going just wide from only two metres out.  Michelle Heyman came the closest to doubling the lead, just two minutes from full time when her perfectly placed header from a corner was cleared off the line by a Newcastle defender on the near post.

As the clock wound down, the crowd held their breath when Georgia Yeoman-Dale spotted Campbell of her line and attempted an audacious lob from 35 metres. The Newcastle keeper did extremely well to get a fingertip to it and push it just wide. 

The home fans were meanwhile providing a great atmosphere and plenty of noise for the players in the final 10 minutes with a constant ‘CANBERRA clap clap clap CANBERRA clap clap clap’ chant arising from the grandstand using the free clappers that were handed out by the enthusiastic staff at the entry gate.

In the end, a 1-0 win was well deserved by Canberra, although the scoreline did not indicate the dominance Canberra had.  A fine day in goals from Eliza Campbell prevented the score from being higher. At the end of the round, Canberra moved from 5th position to 3rd on goal difference, while Newcastle stay in 7th place.  A third home game in a row await Canberra next weekend in a return to their usual home in McKellar against fellow Top 4 aspirants Melbourne Victory with a win guaranteeing a top 2 spot.

Fotos: Glenn Dawson

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