Emily van Egmond was a stand out in Newcastle Jets’ opening round 2-1 win over Western Sydney Wanderers at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Jets moved to a 3-4-3 formation for the opening game of their W-League campaign against Wanderers.
With no pre-season friendlies because of the time needed to replenish the squad this was the Jets’ first game since last season so it will undoubtedly take some time for the team to fully adjust to the new system.
Van Egmond was making her return to the Jets and the league and was deployed in a deep lying midfield role operating in front of the back three.
The 24-year-old who wore the captain’s armband for the game showed the composure and creativity that makes her so vital for club and country as she pulled the strings all afternoon.
In blazing heat the Matildas midfielder broke up play on a number of occasions as well as providing attacking intent bursting forward from deep and placing pinpoint wide balls for Newcastle’s attackers.
Van Egmond won nine out of 10 duels and completed three tackles and interceptions on the day to restrict Wanderers’ attacking opportunities.
The Jets number 10 also completed the second most passses with 60 and a 73 percent pass accuracy.
Jets coach Craig Deans was mixed in his reaction to van Egmond’s performance and emphasised the high standards she has set for herself.
“100 percent she had a good game don’t get me wrong, but she’ll know she has a lot of improvement and can have a bigger impact on the game with the amount of talent she has,” he said.
“She gave the ball away in bad areas which we can’t have with a back three.
“It’s just about learning the system and knowing when to take the risk with the pass and when not to.
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Overall however Deans was more than happy with his captain’s effort in the season opener.
“I can’t fault her performance, I think she was excellent and that’s the reason you bring players like that in,” he said.
Van Egmond and her side welcome winless Sydney FC to Newcastle this Saturday as they look to build on the first round performance and make it two wins in two.
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