It doesn't always feel like it when your team is in the depths of a slump, but no one is bad forever. All streaks come to an end -- the ones you want to keep going and the ones you wish never happened.
It's been a long time between drinks for Western Sydney Wanderers, but they finally ended some unwanted streaks with their 1-0 victory over the pace-setting Brisbane Roar.
To say the Geoff Abrahams' side needed a win is an understatement. Not only had they started off this season with back-to-back defeats, they finished last season with a single point from their last six games. This three points was their first haul of the sort in eight games.
But Sunday's win didn't just end a winless streak spanning over two seasons. Arguably even more impressive than the win; the Wanderers kept a clean sheet.
And yes, that's impressive because the Roar had scored six goals in their opening two games and looked to be an early unstoppable force. But it was more impressive because it was the first time in 27 games that Western Sydney had stopped their opponents scoring.
That streak stretched back over the entirety of last season and into the 2023-24 campaign, when the Wanderers held Perth Glory goalless in a 1-0 win in March 2024. So this win was important for the Wanderers defence, for their points total and, while it may not fix all that ails Western Sydney, it was important for morale.
All streaks, even the bad ones, come to an end. A huge effort and an equally huge reward.
Adelaide United
Stocks Up: Emily Condon has always been one of the best, most technical players in the league and her talents were on full display as Adelaide defeated Canberra. Condon got the Reds back on level pegging, dinking past defenders on a long run which ended in a perfect strike beyond the outstretched glove of Sally James. Her set pieces caused havoc on more than one occasion and it was her corner which found the head of Matilda McNamara for the winning goal. A fit and healthy Condon is a huge positive for Adelaide.
Stocks Down: The only sour note in the Reds' victory was an injury to midfield stalwart Dylan Holmes. She went in for a challenge and was left worse for wear, clutching her leg. Players from both teams checked in, waving for the medical staff to come onto the pitch. Holmes is such a crucial part of this Adelaide team so any serious injury could be destabilising.
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Brisbane Roar
Stocks Up: The Brisbane Roar Stocks Up section isn't exclusively reserved for Bente Jansen. However, she was once again the leading attacking force for the Roar. The only difference between this week and the last two was that her plethora of chances didn't find the back of the net. The Dutch youth international had some of Brisbane's best chances to score and finished the afternoon with a team-high four shots.
Stocks Down: The Wanderers aren't really associated with being a hard to break down defence. In fact, the team failed to keep a single clean sheet last season. And considering how hotly the Roar had started this season with their six goals in two games, it was surprising that they could not find a way past the Western Sydney defence. The Wanderers do deserve credit for keeping Brisbane out, but the home side will be disappointed that none of their many attacking threats could find the back of the net this week.
Canberra United
Stocks Up: Deep into first half injury time, Adelaide were making a serious case to go into the break with the advantage. But United keeper James had something to say about that. The Canberra shot-stopper pulled off incredible saves to ensure parity remained. In the 47th minute, she acrobatically pushed Erin Healy's long range effort over the crossbar. A minute later she punched away an inswinging ball from a short corner and scrambled to reset to stop Isabel Hodgson's effort from distance, parrying the ball onto the crossbar before collapsing on top of it to stop the onslaught of chances.
Stocks Down: While the A-League is no longer the sprint it used to be, Canberra are still looking for their first win of the season. The frustrating thing for those in green is, they've scored first in each of their three games this season. All three of these opening goals have occurred in the first 20 minutes to boot. However, in every single game, Canberra has gone on to concede, forced to share the points or not take home any at all. Holding onto a lead is the next step for Canberra.
Central Coast Mariners
Stocks Up: While it wasn't Central Coast's day against Melbourne Victory, Avaani Prakash was a bright spark for the reigning champions. The former Western United player was on the park for 61 minutes but was a workhorse in the midfield and had a hand in many of the Mariners' limited chances. Her two tackles and two blocks rounded out what was a good performance in a disappointing result for the Central Coast.
Stocks Down: It's still early enough in the season to preface opinions with the small sample size of games played but it's fair to say the Mariners' championship defence isn't going according to plan. After a 3-0 win in their first match, they haven't scored in the following two. The more concerning thing for the Mariners is that they're barely registering shots or testing their opponents; they posted eight shots against Victory and only two were on target. They need to start generating some attack to get back in the win column.
Melbourne City
BYE
Melbourne Victory
Stocks Up: Scoring any time is a good thing in a game of football (in case you didn't know) but there's something extra special about scoring in a milestone game. And for Rhianna Pollicina, her strike to secure Melbourne Victory the win came in her 100th A-League game. The Western Sydney product made a name for herself in the league dazzling in the light blue of Melbourne City, winning trophies galore and etching her name into the history books. Her move across town to get more match minutes has proved fruitful so far and the 100-game club gains another worthy member.
Stocks Down: A quiet outing from Kennedy White was a surprise simply because of the incredible standard she set in her opening three games for Melbourne Victory in the A-League. She wasn't able to add to her four goals so far this season and didn't register a shot against the Central Coast Mariners. She also only had 15 touches -- the fewest of any Victory player to log a full 90. It's by no means a nosedive in her stocks, just a dip.
Newcastle Jets
Stocks up: The Newcastle Jets haven't been known for having a strong defence in the last few seasons. To give you an idea, they've conceded over 50 goals in two of the last three campaigns and were the first team to concede 50 in league history. But, acknowledging that they've played only two games this season, they seemed to have tightened things up and goalkeeper Anna Leat is playing a big role in that. She's made 10 saves across the Jets' opening games and only let in two goals -- the equal fewest in the competition. The pick of the bunch? Her acrobatic denial of Alyssa Whinham in the 55th minute.
Stocks down: The Jets were lucky to come away with a point in this game thanks to Melina Ayres' converted penalty. If not for that golden opportunity to level the scores, it's hard to see if Newcastle would have found the back of the net. They rarely tested Victoria Esson in the Wellington Phoenix goal and recorded only two shots on target for the entire 90 minutes. The Jets have got to find their shooting boots if they are to continue picking up points -- and ideally wins -- as the season progresses.
Perth Glory
Stocks Up: Susan Phonsongkham came into the starting lineup for Perth Glory and played a solid game. Her four shots for the game were the most of any Glory player against the Sky Blues. The best of the lot was a curling free kick attempt. Unfortunately for Phonsongkham and Perth, Sydney FC goalkeeper Tiahna Robertson was more than up to the task, stretching out athletically to direct the ball away from goal and behind for a corner. While neither Phonsongkham nor the Glory scored on this occasion, her performance was a positive.
Stocks Down: The Glory need to tighten things up at the back. Their six goals conceded is the second most in the league, only one less than the Western Sydney Wanderers' seven. Whether it be turnovers in bad positions, a lack of marking, or selling other members of the defence into trouble, the defensive unit as a whole needs to minimise these errors because they will be punished for them.
Sydney FC
Stocks Up: Riley Tanner came into the league with high expectations, having represented Panama at the Women's World Cup and impressing against the Matildas when her national team played friendlies in Australia. Against the Glory, Tanner showed why the hype was justified. Her assist for Bianca Galic's opener was stunning, a slaloming run which saw her beat defenders left and right before teeing up Galic for an easy tap in. She then got on the scoresheet herself, receiving a Mackenzie Hawkesby pass at the edge of the area and unleashing a low strike pass Alyssa Dall'Oste in the Glory goal.
Stocks Down: It's a nitpicky thing which speaks to Sydney's strong overall game, but the Sky Blues conceded eight corners to the Glory's five. Corners are part and parcel of a game but considering how short Sydney goalkeeper Tiahna Robertson is -- 159cm to be exact -- they need to minimise the number of corners and therefore the number of opportunities for her height to become a problem.
Wellington Phoenix
Stocks Up: The spirit of the F3 Derby must have surrounded former Mariner Brooke Nunn because she had a great time playing against the Newcastle Jets, even if she was donning the yellow-and-black of her new club, Wellington Phoenix. She has a solid outing for the Phoenix, scoring Wellington's lone goal in the opening stages of the match. Nunn was often the one progressing the ball forward and could have had a second goal if not for Newcastle goalkeeper Leat.
Stocks Down: The Phoenix are still looking for their first win of the season and, despite taking the early lead in this contest, they gave the Jets a golden opportunity to get back into the game. Mackenzie Barry's foul on Lauren Allan wasn't smart at all and Ayres made no mistake from the resulting spot kick.
Western Sydney Wanderers
Stocks Up: International players can make or break an A-League season and already, the likes of Jansen and White at Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory respectively have shown that adage still rings true. For the Wanderers, South Korean attacker Kim So-Eun, known as Sonny by her teammates, put her name in lights in her first start for the club. While she didn't find the back of the net in this game, she was seemingly always in the thick of any Wanderers attack in her 62 minutes of game time. If she can keep that intensity, goals will surely follow.
Stocks Down: They didn't concede in this game, but it wasn't because the Brisbane Roar weren't trying. There were still some chances where the Wanderers backline was too slow, outmuscled, or out of position. In order to keep winning and continue keep clean sheets, the Wanderers must work on eliminating those opportunities which will be punished.