Success an understatement for local brothers, we have a new Matilda & Archie Thompson’s Melbourne Victory kicks off the A-League season.
How many accolades can a pair of brothers win in a season? Apparently a fair few. Ex local players, Michael and Nicholas Anderson currently play for the newly promoted North Geelong Warriors. The boys were apart of the promotion campaign that wrapped up a fortnight ago that will see the team play in the NPL next season. To put a cherry on top, the brothers have now helped create history by winning the teams first National Croatian Soccer Tournament title, held in Wollongong at the weekend. The Warriors won 2 out of their 3 group matches to progress to the semi finals where they defeated Dandenong City and finally won the trophy by running over Adelaide Croatia 3-1 in the final. The win capped off a stellar year in Croatian tournaments for the team, also taking out the Victorian Croatian Tournament earlier in the year. Michael Anderson, who is also the captain of the side, managed to win the Golden Boot award for the tournament while Nicholas, who plays left back, also enjoyed some solid form.
In more exciting news, Joey Cartwright has become the newest member of an elite group to pull on the Australian Jersey. Cartwright represented the Mini-Matildas in the Under 16’s Asian Cup 2015 qualifiers this past week and she has definitely not gone unnoticed. After cruising through the opening 2 matches, which included a pair from Cartwright in a 10-0 romping of Hong Kong, Australia only needed a draw to make the finals in China. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be, going down to powerhouse South Korea, 1-0. At 14 Cartwright is tipped to be a genuine star of the future for women’s football; watch this space.
The A-league season kicks off tonight and sees Archie Thompson’s Melbourne Victory take on Asian Champions League finalists, Western Sydney Wanderers. Thompson, who revealed earlier this week that he is the team’s ‘best endurance runner’, expects to start for the opening round clash at Etihad Stadium. However it looks like it won’t be in his usual strikers role, tipped to start on the left wing. Victory will be desperately hoping for a win to briefly quash the excitement that surrounds their cross-city rivals new signing, David Villa.
Elsewhere, Josh Kennedy’s Nagoya Grampus is enjoying some needed end of season form as they came back from a goal down to defeat Vissel Kobe 3-1 in the J-League and sure up their spot for next season.
Finally, Amy Chapman has tweeted that that she is ‘#soclose’ to returning for her W-league side Brisbane Roar. The Roar currently sit 4th and will take on a 7th placed Western Sydney Wanderers side who are coming off the second worst defeat in W-league history, losing 10-1 to Perth Glory at the weekend.
(Image courtesy of David Anderson)
