WNPL Grand Final: Adelaide City vs MUWFC

It is here. The 2018 Grand Final. Hindmarsh Stadium. The day that every WNPL club plays for all year to be involved in.

But this is the Grand Final that everyone wanted. The old rivals, Metro United and Adelaide City. The biggest rivalry in women’s football in South Australia. The game that Paul Marcuccitti from the Soccer on 531 radio show has dubbed the “Old Firm”.

It has been a long road since Round 1, way back on the first Friday in March, with our MUWFC girls picking up the Premiership for finishing 1st after 21 Rounds, while Adelaide City won the Cup competition.

These 2 clubs have always been up there in the top flight of women’s football, and they have always been tight affairs. The 2018 season has been no different.

The first meeting between the two sides saw Adelaide City come away with a 4-2 victory in Round 2 (MUWFC’s only loss of the regular season). However our Metro girls returned the favour with the same 4-2 scoreline in Round 9. The two teams met again in Round 21, in a match that would determine who would become the Premiers. That game finished 2-2 and handed MUWFC the first trophy of the season.

The two teams met again in the Qualifying Final just 2 weeks ago, a game in which lived up to it’s expectation, and the teams were only separated by a solitary Chelsie Dawber goal for City, to send the Black and Whites straight through to the Grand Final.

Our Metro girls weren’t giving up on a chance to play at Hindmarsh though, and came out last week in the Preliminary Final against West Adelaide and absolutely blew them off the park with a 4-1 win, however it could easily have been 6 or 7 goals for our girls.

So now, both teams have the privilege of playing on the hallowed turf of Hindmarsh Stadium on Saturday. An opportunity not to be taken for granted. And an opportunity that no one wants to let slip.

MUWFC Captain Ebony Kyriacou will look to keep her defence strong and attempt to keep a first clean sheet against City in 2018, which will go a long way to claiming victory. The midfield has a wealth of experience including Shelly Kuhar and Ness Reed, who scored an absolutely outrageous volley goal from 20 yards in last weeks Preliminary Final, who will look to shut down the likes of Dawber. While up the top… Well take your pick. Chrissy Panagaris won the 2018 WNPL Golden Boot, scoring 27 goals in 21 games, Stella Rigon has had an outstanding first year in the Red shirt, scoring 10 goals herself but assisting countless more, while Donna Cockayne, Rachael Quigley and Kristy Moore have more experience in big games than most others, and then you have the likes of Chanel Todino who is an ever present danger off the bench.

If there is 1 game you do not want to miss in 2018, it is the Grand Final. Especially when it’s the biggest rivalry in the state. Be at Coopers Stadium at Hindmarsh on Saturday for what promises to be an excellent showpiece event for the women’s game, and a match in which, by 7pm, hopefully our MUWFC girls will be crowned Champions!

🏆 WNPL Grand Final ⚽️ Adelaide City vs MUWFC 📆 Saturday 1st September, 2018 🏟 Coopers Stadium, Hindmarsh 🕗 WNPL | 4:30pm 🎫 Adults $15, Children U16 Free 📱 #MUWFC2018 #ACvMU #WNPL #WNPLGrandFinal 🖥 FFSA Facebook Page and FFSA YouTube channel.