City Insider - Double Header Edition - Sunday 31 January

CITY INSIDER

MELBOURNE CITY FC vs BRISBANE ROAR MELBOURNE CITY FC vs PERTH GLORY SUNDAY 31 JANUARY, 2021 KICK-OFF 4.05PM/6.40PM

MELBOURNE CITY v PERTH GLORY

CITY INSIDER SUNDAY 31 JANUARY

CAPTAIN’S MESSAGE IT’S OUR FIRST DOUBLE HEADER OF THE SEASON AND BOTH EMMA AND SCOTT ARE EXCITED TO HAVE OUR LOYAL FANS HERE TOGETHER AS ONE CLUB FOR AN EXCITING SUNDAY OF FOOTBALL IN OUR CITY. Two home games at AAMI Park in a row – it doesn’t get much better than that!

While of course we weren’t in action last weekend, we haven’t forgotten just what a huge part you all played in getting us over the line against Western United a fortnight ago.

The boys really appreciated the support and loved being able to play in front of home fans once again.

A big congratulations must go to Kerrin Stokes who made his A-League debut, stepping in at centre back after Rostyn had to leave the pitch with injury.

I also have to make mention of Taras Gomulka and Naoki Tsubaki who both made their first City starts – well done lads, we hope to see many more!

Tonight is also of course a double header with our W-League team taking to the pitch before us.

Make sure to get around them and show them plenty of support as they too hunt for a very important three points!

See you in the stands tonight. C’mon City!

Scott Jamieson Melbourne City FC captain

We are all looking forward to playing in front of a home crowd and can’t wait to get out on the pitch.

Unfortunately we suffered a disappointing loss in our last fixture against Adelaide but tonight provides us with a great opportunity to bounce back as we hunt a very important three points.

Our preparations for the season were a little interrupted due to a number of our players being required to spend two weeks in a hotel completing quarantine, however, we feel like we are now positioned well to attack the rest of the season and push for finals.

So far this season we have seen a number of the young girls step up and grab their opportunities with both hands. Alex (Chidiac) returning to the club in recent weeks has been a key addition in the midfield and we have seen consistently solid performances from Teagan (Micah) in goals. Noor (Eckhoff) was welcomed to the group this week and we are all looking forward to seeing what she can bring to the team.

See you all tonight. C’mon City!

Emma Checker Melbourne City FC captain

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MELBOURNE CITY v PERTH GLORY

CITY INSIDER SUNDAY 31 JANUARY

CITY OUT TO HALT THE

WILD WILD WEST

IT’S ANOTHER WESTERN FOE THIS WEEK - THIS TIME FROM ACROSS THE NULLARBOR - AND PATRICK KISNORBO’S SIDE WILL BE OUT TO BACK UP THEIR IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE AGAINST WESTERN UNITED AGAINST A TEAM THAT HAS SCORED TEN AND CONCEDED TEN IN THREE MATCHES. Melbourne City FC will return to A-League action tonight when we host Perth Glory at AAMI Park.

After no game last week, Patrick Kisnorbo’s men will be hungry to return to the pitch with another big three points on the line in tonight’s clash.

We were last in action a fortnight ago when we were able to record a come from behind win against Western United in what was our first home fixture in over 300 days.

We went down 0-1 in the 22nd minute but a curling Craig Noone strike had us back on level terms just ten minutes later.

The youth was on full display that night with nine members of our squad being 21 or younger and many making their mark.

Taras Gomulka (19) and Naoki Tsubaki (20) both made their starting debut’s for City, while Kerrin Stokes (18) made his A-League debut after being subbed on in the first half.

The game was turned on it’s head in the final 20 minutes thanks to City substitutes Marco Tilio (19) and Stefan Colakovski (20), with the latter being credited with the assist for Jamie Maclaren’s late winner.

The future is looking very bright at City and let’s hope we continue to see the youngsters in the squad making their mark tonight against Perth.

Glory are in an almost completely different situation to City, having played three fixtures since we last took to the pitch a fortnight ago.

It has been a mixed bag of results

for Perth in those matches, scoring five goals and winning their season opener against Adelaide before conceding five in their next match against Western United and suffering a loss.

It most recently lost 2-1 away to Victory after scoring the opener in Tuesday night’s fixture at AAMI Park.

We saw a mixed bag of results last season in our matches against Perth, winning away from home but drawing once and losing once at AAMI Park.

We will be looking to improve on last seasons home form against Glory tonight as we aim to make it three wins from our first four fixtures and record a second consecutive win at home to start the season.

DANGER PLAYER

SEASON STATS - PERTH GLORY

A-LEAGUE PREVIEW

BRUNO FORNAROLI Tonight we will see former City striker Bruno Fornaroli return to AAMI Park. He bagged 51 goals in 73 games for the Club and is now in his second season at Perth Glory.

His first season in Perth saw him record 13 goals and he has started the 2020/21 season with some good early form, scoring three goals and assisting twice in Perth’s opening three fixtures.

A ground familiar to the striker, ‘El Tuna’ will be looking to make a mark on the pitch where he set the league alight.

10

10

GOALS SCORED

GOALS CONCEDED

1

9

GAMES WON

LEAGUE POSITION

A-LEAGUE LADDER

LAST RESULT

LAST TIME WE MET

VICTORY

2

PERTH GLORY

2

PERTH GLORY

1

MELBOURNE CITY

3

A-League 2020/21 - Match Week 5 Tuesday 26 January, 2021 AAMI Park

VIDEO HIGLIGHTS

A-League 2019/20 - Round 22 Sunday 8 March, 2020 HBF Park

VIDEO HIGLIGHTS

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MELBOURNE CITY v PERTH GLORY

CITY INSIDER SUNDAY 31 JANUARY

NEW KID ON THE CITY BLOCK

CITY FANS WILL BE FAMILIAR WITH MOST OF THE FACES THEY HAVE SEEN IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE 2020/21 CAMPAIGN HOWEVER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR 19-YEAR-OLD TARAS GOMULKA HAS ARISEN AND THE MIDFIELDER IS LOOKING TO TAKE HIS CHANCE WITH BOTH HANDS. Gomulka was born and raised in Adelaide which is where his football career began.

After impressing as a junior, he joined Adelaide United where he made his NPL debut in 2018 and continued to improve and make his mark over the next couple of seasons.

All of his hard work would pay off on the 19th of July last year when he made his A-League debut in a 1-0 win against Brisbane as an 18-year-old.

“It was a dream come true for me and it all happened so quickly,” Gomulka said, “The hub was announced, I was part of the team and before I knew it, I was making my debut.

“It was such a great experience for me at such a young age.”

Gomulka would impress and hold down a starting role in United’s midfield for the remainder of the season, helping the team to go undefeated in the hub.

Following last season Gomulka made the move to City which he

said he saw as the best option to help progress his development.

“I felt like City was a great fit for me because the professionalism is so high,” he said.

“I’d always heard that Melbourne City was a very professional place and now that I’ve been here for a little while, I’d definitely agree with that.”

Upon signing with City, the young midfielder said he believes he has a number of attributes in his game that he can bring to the Club to help it succeed.

“I like to face forward of the ball as much as I can and love being involved in link up play, getting others involved and keeping the ball moving,” Gomulka said.

He was an unused substitute in City’s first fixture of the season but has played a part in both of City’s last two outings.

He made his City debut against Adelaide – his former team, coming off the bench in the 83rd minute to see his first action in a City shirt.

Gomulka wouldn’t have to wait much longer for his starting debut, being named in Kisnorbo’s XI for City’s next fixture against Western United.

After started the season so well, Aiden O’Neill was ruled out with a back injury and Gomulka was faced with big shoes to fill in what was already a massive game for himself and the Club.

Despite still being just 19 years of age, Gomulka showed very little signs of nerves and stepped seamlessly into the role and was one of City’s best performers on the night.

Unfortunately O’Neill will be sidelined for the next few months but the positive out of the situation will be extended opportunities for Gomulka and the others members of the young brigade at City to make their mark at the level.

KEY STATS - TARAS GOMULKA A-LEAGUE SEASON 2020/21 MATCHES PLAYED

2

PASS SUCCESS %

77

SHOTS ON TARGET

1

KEY PASSES

2

MATCH SQUADS

HEAD COACH: PATRICK KISNORBO

A-LEAGUE

1. TOM GLOVER

2. SCOTT GALLOWAY

3. SCOTT JAMIESON

7. ROSTYN GRIFFITHS

8. AIDEN O’NEILL

9. JAMIE MACLAREN

10. FLORIN BERENGUER

11. CRAIG NOONE

13. NATHANIEL ATKINSON

14. NAOKI TSUBAKI

15. ANDREW NABBOUT

16. TARAS GOMULKA

17. STEFAN COLACOVSKI

18. CONNOR METCALFE

19. BEN GARUCCIO

20. ADRIAN LUNA

22. CURTIS GOOD

23. MARCO TILIO

33. MATT SUTTON

35. RAPHAEL BORGES RODRIGUES

36. KERRIN STOKES

37. BERNADO OLIVEIRA

38. JORDAN BOS

42. AHMED TALEB

NUNO REIS

1. TEGAN MICAH

3. TEIGAN ALLEN

4. CHELSEA BLISSETT

5. TORI TUMETH

6. NOOR ECKHOFF

7. JULIA SARDO

8. HOLLIE PALMER

9. ALEX CHIDIAC

10. CHINATSU KIRA

11. RHALI DOBSON

12. HARRIET WITHERS

13. SARAH CAIN

14. MARGOT ROBINNE

15. EMMA CHECKER

16. SOFIA SAKALIS

17. SAM JOHNSON

18. LEAH DAVIDSON

19. TYLA-JAY VLAJNIC

20. LIA MULDEARY

21. JENNA MCCORMICK

22. NAOMI THOMAS-CHINNAMA

23. MELISSA BARBIERI

HEAD COACH: RADO VIDOSIC

WESTFIELD W-LEAGUE

MELBOURNE CITY v PERTH GLORY

CITY INSIDER SUNDAY 31 JANUARY

CITY READY TO BITE

BRISBANE’S ROAR

IT’S ALREADY OUR SECOND MEETING WITH THE ROAR THIS SEASON AND SO MUCH IS ON THE LINE ALREADY AS RADO VIDOSIC’S SIDE LOOKS TO HALT A RAMPANT ROAR AND MOVE THEIR WAY INTO THE TOP 4 OF THE WESTFIELD W-LEAGUE LADDER. Melbourne City FC will be back in action in the W-League this evening when we take on Brisbane Roar at AAMI Park.

It will be our second fixture against the Roar this season after we opened our season with a gritty scoreless draw away from home, in a match that was played in hot and humid conditions.

Teagan Micah was the hero for us on that occasion, pulling off seven massive saves in what was her first ever appearance in a City shirt.

Things haven’t exactly gone to plan since that night, with three losses and just the one win to show from our previous four fixtures.

It was a very interrupted preseason with a number of players’ preparations halted after having to

complete hotel quarantine upon returning to the country.

With captain Emma Checker now having a couple of appearances under her belt and Norwegian midfielder Noor Eckhoff having joined the squad, we are now as close to full strength as we’ve been all season.

Chelsea Blissett and Sofia Sakalis remain out of action as they rehab their ACL injuries but with Jenna McCormick to return tonight – Rado Vidosic will have a full squad to select from otherwise.

We had plenty of good moments in our last match against Adelaide but unfortunately finished on the wrong side of a 2-1 score line.

Chinatsu Kira and Alex Chidiac caused plenty of problems all night

for the Reds’ defence but City couldn’t find the back of the net until stoppage time.

Hollie Palmer’s well placed free kick was nodded into the back of the net

by Checker, but with just a couple of minutes of play remaining, the final whistle blew before City could find an equaliser.

It is a massive three points on the line tonight as we look to build some momentum as we near the middle of the season. With only four points to show so far from our opening five fixtures, results are now extremely important as we edge closer and closer to finals.

DANGER PLAYER

SEASON STATS - BRISBANE ROAR

W-LEAGUE PREVIEW

EMILY GIELNIK Gielnik has started the season in strong form and is currently sitting in third place in the Golden Boot race, having already found the back of the net three times in what is her first season back at the Roar.

The 37-time capped Matilda will be hungry to get on the scoresheet again this week against City after not being able to find a way past Teagan Micah with any of her six attempts back in the opening match of the season.

1

8

GAMES WON

GOALS CONCEDED

2

4

GOALS SCORED

LEAGUE POSITION

W-LEAGUE LADDER

LAST RESULT

LAST TIME WE MET

BRISBANE ROAR

6

BRISBANE ROAR

0

VICTORY

0

MELBOURNE CITY

0

W-League 2020/21 - Match Week 5 Friday 22 January, 2021 Gold Coast Sports Centre

VIDEO HIGLIGHTS

W-League 2020/21 - Match Week 1 Tuesday 29 December, 2020 Dolphin Stadium

VIDEO HIGLIGHTS

MELBOURNE CITY v PERTH GLORY

CITY INSIDER SUNDAY 31 JANUARY

KID’S ZONE

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE SPOT THE 5 DIFFERENCES IN THE PICTURES

meet the team NAME: Jenna McCormick AGE: 26 POSITION: Defender NATIONALITY: Australian PREVIOUS CLUBS: Real Betis, Melbourne Victory, Brisbane Roar, Adelaide United, Medkila, Stjarnan, Canberra United, Adelaide United.

JUNIOR CLUB: Blue Lake SC FAVOURITE FOOD: Green Curry FAVOURITE TV SHOW: Grey’s Anatomy

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