With just a month left remaining before finals, which teams will seal their spots in the top six and who will fall away?
Melbourne Victory v Newcastle Jets
Friday 21/3, 7pm AEDT
Second placed Melbourne Victory look to close the gap between them and unbeaten ladder leaders Melbourne City when they host Newcastle Jets on Friday.
They are five points behind City, who have a game in hand and are on AFC Women’s Champions League duties.
Victory are also on an eight-game unbeaten streak which coincidentally started with a 2-0 win over their opponent this week, Newcastle.
They’ll be benefited having not play last weekend,(game postponed due to excessive heat) but shouldn’t take the Jets, who have banked three wins in a row, lightly.
The Jets are coming off a 3-2 win over Brisbane Roar last time out and are in the race for a finals spot.
A win over Victory will go a long way in helping them and put pressure on fellow contenders but history says they’re in trouble, having lost nine of their last 10 meetings.
Wellington Phoenix v Central Coast Mariners
Saturday 22/3, 2pm AEDT
Two teams fighting for a spot in the top six and both in some recent shaky form.
Wellington Phoenix sit in eighth place, two points behind sixth-placed Central Coast, but a win will see them finish the round in the top six.
Their form in the past five matches has not been great, one win, a draw and three losses, including an upset 2-1 loss to bottom team Sydney FC last Saturday.
With four more rounds remaining before finals, Wellington blew a golden chance to move into the top six after dominating possession in that game.
Meanwhile the Mariners have not won a game in their last five games and will be desperate to keep the gap between them and the other sides around the mark.
They’re coming off a 3-3 draw with Perth Glory that saw Glory equalise in the 93rd minute, and will be rueing they didn’t get the job done.
But now attention moves to their Kiwi opponent who the Mariners have beaten in their three previous matches.
Canberra United v Sydney FC
Sat 22/3, 4pm AEDT
It’s go time for seventh placed Canberra United.
While Antoni Jagarinec’s side have not won in five games, they are just one point off a finals place.
Last Friday, after taking the lead three times in a topsy turvy encounter, they came out on the wrong side of a 4-3 result against Western United.
Before that game, Canberra hadn’t scored more than one goal in a match since January.
Had they won they would be in the top six right now but they aren’t. But no matter, if they think themselves to be a contender, they’ll beat Sydney.
United’s remaining matches are also all against teams outside the finals picture right now, so the ball is in their park.
To say Sydney’s season has been a disappointment, is an understatement. The reigning champs are dwelling on the lower rungs of the ladder but the upset win over Phoenix last week did lift them off bottom spot.
Perth Glory v Western Sydney Wanderers
Sat 22/3, 8pm AEDT
Perth Glory host last-placed Western Sydney Wanderers in a must win game for the home side.
Last week they secured a point in 3-3 draw with the Mariners and now sit in 10th spot.
If they win this and other results go their way, they could finish the round just four points outside top six.
But the Wanderers have won five of the last 10 meetings between the two sides.
Western Sydney now find themselves bottom of the pack despite some recent good form.
They managed three straight wins then lost 2-1 to Wellington before last weekend’s match with Victory was postponed.
Adelaide United v Brisbane Roar
Sunday 23/3, 4.30pm AEDT
Adelaide United are looking to bounce back after their impressive 11-game unbeaten run came to a halt in a 4-3 loss to Melbourne City last Sunday.
It was a narrow loss and they did manage to score three goals on the league leaders and one of the best defences in defences in the competition.
This week they go head to head with Brisbane Roar in a top six clash between third and fifth.
Fifth placed Roar are looking to snap a four-game winless run that includes back-to-back losses against Sydney and Newcastle.
Last week’s 3-2 loss to the Jets has put their finals hopes are in danger.
Standings (as of conclusion of Round 19)
Teams Win Draw Loss Points
1. Melb City 12.7.0.43
2. Melb Victory 11.5.2.38
3. Adelaide Utd 11.3.5.36
4. Western Utd 8.5.7.29
5. Brisbane Roar 8.1.9.25
6. Central Coast 6.7.6.25
7. Canberra Utd 6.6.7.24
8. Wellington 7.2.10.23
9. Newcastle Jets 5.5.9.20
10. Perth Glory 5.4.10.19
11. Sydney FC 4.4.11.16
12. Western Sydney 4.3.11.15
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