We are about halfway through the ALW season, so let’s have a look at how Perth Glory is trailing so far.
Semester summary:
Perth Glory’s women had a forgetful start to the season with a 2-2 draw against Canberra United, losing their first match at home to Adelaide United, followed by another draw with the Newcastle Jets.
Unable to achieve a win in their opening few matches, frustrations seemed to boil over when midfielder Sarah Cain was sent off in a dreary 3-0 home defeat against Melbourne Victory in round four.
Things finally started to look like they were heading uphill in round five when the women in purple sought to better their previous meeting with Canberra, beating them 3-2 on home turf to mark their first win of the season.
But since then, the side have returned to their previous form, losing to both third placed Melbourne City and a second placed Western United.
Most recently however, they managed to end the Victory’s four game winning streak with a 1-1 draw at AAMI Park, but not without repercussions.
Glory’s top striker Rylee Baisden suffered a serious knee injury after blocking a pass from Melbourne Victory’s Kayla Morrison early in the second half and it is not yet clear whether she will be available for the remainder of the season.
Baisden has five goals to her name out of the Glory’s total 10 scored so far this season, without her the side could be set to continue or even worsen its current form.
With only one win in seven games you can see the side is struggling, clearly reflected in their current position on the ALW table sitting in ninth.
Area of excellence:
It’s difficult to find a component of play in which Perth really stand out. However, when it comes to choosing an element the side is fairly good at it would have to be two of their forwards.
With Baisden’s leading goal tally of five coupled with Cyera Hintzen’s leading number of assists at four, the side have the ability to find the back of the net.
Adelaide and Brisbane Roar both currently sit in fifth and sixth spot and only have five and seven goals, respectively. Perth, therefore, isn’t doing too bad when it comes to scoring goals, but without Baisden this could be set to change.
Area in need of improvement:
Finding the goal when it matters most and defending.
Although Perth might be able to find the back of the net, they often struggle to do so when they need it most.
The side currently has three draws out of their total eight matches played, which is the most of all the teams in the league.
Aside from the 3-0 home defeat to the Victory, the remaining three losses all came within a goal’s reach of a draw.
On top of this, the club has conceded 15 goals so far this season, the second highest number behind the Jets at 22.
At times, the Glory’s defence is often caught out and appears to have many leaks, often leading them to conceding avoidable goals
If they want to progress forward they’ll need to be more clinical when matches are at a stalemate.
Top student:
Rylee Baisden
Until her injury last week, Baisden was carrying the side in terms of goals scored. The other five goals scored by the side are shared among four of her teammates with one of them an own goal.
If Baisden is to be out for the remainder of the season, it seems doubtful the likes of her attacking counterparts Hana Lowry, Cyera Hintzen, Gabriella Coleman and Alana Jancevski will be able to achieve a similar goalscoring record.
Class clown:
Demi Koulizakis
The 24-year-old forward joined Perth Glory at the start of last season after a year with Canberra United.
But after 12 appearances and only one start, Koulizakis is yet to score her first goal for the club. She has had her chances on goal but has not yet been able to capitalise.
Head coach Alex Epakis will now be looking through his squad to find a primary striker and Koulizakis may finally be expected to step up to the plate and deliver.
Grade:
D-
Outlook:
Overall, Perth Glory have had a rough start to the season, struggling to achieve wins and an inability to score goals when they most need it.
The side have also been affected by illness to defender Isabella Wallhead and now the potential loss of key forward Baisden for the remainder of the 2022/2023 campaign.
It’s expected be an even tougher feat going into the second half of the season for Epakis while he bids to steer Glory towards a much brighter future.
Featured Image credit: Tom McCarthy
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