A trip to high-flying Melbourne City is next on the agenda for Canberra United as they make the visit to Victoria and a Ninja A-League Round 6 clash with the perennial title challengers at AAMI Park on Sunday evening.
United head into the match off the back of a second defeat of the season, seeing a lead overturned against Central Coast Mariners at Industree Group Stadium in Gosford last time out, meaning the team from the National Capital have only picked up one point from the last nine that have been available.
In order to improve that form they will need to improve on an A-Leagues record that has seen United claim just four points from a possible eighteen in Victoria, a point gained from a 3-3 draw in April 2023, with the sole win coming all the way back in mid-December 2016 courtesy of goals from Jenna McCormick and Karly Roestbakken.
Overall, Canberra has claimed four wins in fifteen fixtures against City, a team that has claimed three A-League Premierships, and four A-League Championships, since their formation as a team back at the commencement of the 2015 campaign.
Canberra welcomed new recruit Madison Ayson straight into the starting line-up last weekend, the centre-back having arrived from Houston Dash midweek thrust into the heart of the action against the Mariners and acquitting herself well across the ninety minutes of the match, albeit naturally appearing jaded late on.
Ayson is likely to continue in that role against City, but the make-up of the team will likely be in doubt until close to kick-off as Antoni Jagarinec, returning to the dugout after missing the Mariners fixture for personal reasons, allowing Ahmed Ugool a first taste of the leadership role, ponders the ideal set-up to combat City.
Melbourne’s excellent start to Season 17 of the Ninja A-League saw them kick-start the season with a 5-2 win over Perth Glory, coming from 0-2 behind to win, followed by the three points in the Melbourne derby having seen off Victory by the odd-goal in five. Consecutive draws with the Mariners (2-2) and Sydney FC (1-1) preceded last weekend’s routine 2-0 win over Western Sydney Wanderers.
Canberra have often thrived in times of adversity and, whilst the start to the season can’t be said to be anything other than positive already given where the club was at six months ago, there will be a feeling amongst the players and staff that they can pitch a real statement of intent should they gain a positive result from one of the title favourites.
