The ALW Grand Final is done and dusted! Sydney FC smashed Western United 4-0 in the A-League Women decider to snag their fourth flag. The Sky Blues slotted two goals from corners in the first 18 minutes, thanks to Madison Haley and Natalie Tobin. They chucked in two more goals in the second half, with Princess Ibini nailing a penalty and Haley scoring her second of the night. Sydney FC made it a double whammy and ended their three-year run of losing deciders.
One of the standouts of the decider was the performance of Madison Haley, who was named the Player of the Match. She was spruiked for her pace, power and finishing ability by the commentators and punters watching along. Haley is a 24-year-old Yank striker who joined Sydney FC this season from Stanford University, where she won two NCAA titles. She also played for the US under-20 national team in the 2018 World Cup.
The coaches of both teams had different reactions to the decider result. Sydney FC coach Ante Juric was stoked with his team’s performance and praised their resilience and character after losing three deciders in a row. He also singled out Haley, Ibini and Tobin for their efforts and said the team had a lot of potential for the future. Western United coach Mark Torcaso was fair dinkum in defeat and reflected on the ripper journey of his team in their first season. He said he was proud of his players, many of whom came from the NPL, and thanked them for their dedication and hard work. He also said he was keen for next season and hoped to build on the success of this year.
