Canberra United will seek a return to the winner’s circle when they travel to Nestrata Jubilee Stadium on Sunday afternoon for a testing challenge against Perth Glory as part of Unite Round 2024.
Defeat in football is inevitable. It happens to every club at some stage, but the key factor is in how you react to that adversity and what response you can muster. United have to face that this week as they prepare to bounce back from a disappointing home loss to Adelaide United.
Whilst there were mitigating circumstances, a gruelling trip to Wellington preceded the 0-2 reverse at McKellar Park in Round 3, Canberra won’t be seeking excuses for a sub-par performance and will be confident in their ability to get back on track against a Glory side that have won one from three to date.
Their latest reverse was a 0-3 loss to Brisbane Roar, a side that United downed in Round 1, however there are threats throughout the Perth line-up and, with the match being staged at a neutral venue, how this one might play out is anyone’s guess.
There were goals aplenty in the pair of matches the teams contested in 2023/24, Glory edging a five-goal thriller by the odd goal at McKellar Park in early November, with the match in Western Australia in the second week of February this year ending with honours even as four goals were shared.
Canberra has good memories of Unite Round, the team coming from behind to defeat Adelaide United 3-1 at Leichhardt Oval last term, Michelle Heyman grabbing a brace of goals with Vesna Milivojevic adding the gloss onto the scoreboard in front of 1,417 fans including a number travelling from the Capital.
With six points on the board from a possible nine, and a congested early season table seeing not one side completely with a 100% record, there’s an opportunity for Antoni Jagarinec and his troops to continue their admirable start to life under the new Head Coach.
The United-Perth match is the first of a brace of games at Nestrata Jubilee Stadium on Sunday afternoon with Ninja A-League supporters in for a football feast with their ticket also granting them access to the match following, as Sydney FC host Melbourne City.
