Image: Australian Sporting Photos
The PS4 NPLW Grand Final will be contested by Calder United and Galaxy United at ABD Stadium, Broadmeadows at 4pm today in the inaugural showcase fixture of the new National Premier Leagues era. History is in the making as one of both names will also be first-time winners of the top-flight Victorian women’s as new entities in the league.
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Road to Grand Final:
Ladder:
Calder: 1st (premiers), 15 wins, 5 draws, 4 defeats, +32 goal difference
Galaxy: 4th, 12 wins, 4 draws, 8 defeats, +11 goal difference
Finals results:
Calder United defeated Alamein FC 2-1
Galaxy United defeated Bulleen Lions 6-0 and Alamein FC 1-1 (on penalties)
Previous encounters:
Round 3: Calder United 4 (Barilla x3, Alonso) defeated Galaxy United 1 (Komijat) at Keilor Park
Round 10: Calder United 0 defeated by Galaxy United 3 (Spiranovic x2, White) at Keilor Park
Round 17: Galaxy United 0 defeated by Calder United 3 (Meyer, Vlajnic, Au) at Banyul Warri Reserve
Club top scorers (including finals):
Calder: Rachel Alonso 17, Enza Barilla 10, Cindy Lay 7
Galaxy: Kariah White 7, Laura Spiranovic 7, Lulu Al-Huneidi 6
Calder go into the final as the higher ranked of the teams and as the current premiers. Galaxy make it as the lowest ranked finalists but bring plenty of form and adrenaline. The clash may have all the hallmarks of a tight encounter as it’s the best defensive side (Calder) against the second best (Galaxy) in terms of goals conceded in the regular season. Funnily enough, though, each previous encounter has been won by three goals, with one club opening up the floodgates. While Calder are 2-1 in the head-to-head stakes, the sequence of wins has gone Calder, Galaxy, Calder and now…
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What they said:
Calder United
READ MORE > No favourite, no underdog says Torcaso
Rachel Alonso:
On the occasion: “It’s very exciting. At training last night, I think it hit a lot of us because going into the week of training, it wasn’t too much to take. Yesterday it was definitely something we were all buzzing about and even today it hit me.”
On whether it was a surprise that Galaxy made the Grand Final: “Yes and no, I think they’re quite similar to us. They have a good ball playing team so I wasn’t surprised that they made the final and knocked off some good teams. Definitely looking forward to it, but it’s going to be a hard one.”
On who will mark her: “I don’t know as we’ve been moving around quite a lot lately. They don’t really stick to one player, they let us rotate so it’s juts about finding that space.”
On the first year of NPLW, difference between WPL: “I think the biggest thing that I’ve noticed is that the consistency within all teams is quite good where as in the past, we’ve had teams that have dropped off. You couldn’t pick a top four this year and that’s definitely something I’ve noticed.”
On having a week off: “It definitely has [been beneficial]. I think having that week off – we still trained on the weekend and a couple of session during the week – everyone is feeling fresh, but I think there is more of a clear mind knowing you can go into a Grand Final with the week off before it.
On the pressure of a Grand Final: “That’s the big thing that we have to understand. It’s all about our mindset, nothing to do with how fit we are. If we’re not fit by the end of the season, then it’s a bit of a worry. It’s about going in, being positive and trying to get the pressure happening straight away.”
Galaxy United
READ MORE > Galaxy fatigued, but full of momentum for NPLW decider
Aneta Komijat:
On the journey to the Grand Final: “It’s been a good experience, I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been tough and we’ve had games where we haven’t played our best but to make it this far is a pretty good achievement for our team.”
“[The Grand Final] felt like a very long way away. Our team did set goals to make it here and we’ve achieved that so it’s good.”
On the first year of NPLW, difference between WPL: “It has definitely [felt different]. Every team has stepped up in this league and there’s been a couple of games where it’s been easier for us but there has been very hard games as well.”
“I feel like everyone is really excited, everyone wants to win and do their best. In terms of the message, I think we just need to give it our all as a team.”
On Calder as opponents: “They’re a good side. It’s been tough when versing them. I think we really wanted to beat them after they defeated us the first time. We beat them the second time, then they won the third. Hopefully it’s our turn for the fourth.”