Last week saw the announcement for the first six A-League rounds and we can’t wait get underway with our season starting on Sunday 21 November.
Getting off on the right foot is key, so in preparation for the 2021/22 season kick-off, we’ve analysed each of our first opponents and what to expect from the upcoming bouts.
SEE THE DETAILS OF THE OPENING ROUNDS HERE
Central Coast Mariners (Round 1 – Home)
There is no better way to begin the season than hosting the F3 derby.
One of the A-Leagues fiercest rivalries will be a feature of round one as both teams look to get off to the perfect start. Despite missing out on finals, the Jets had the last laugh of the 2020/21 campaign, with a 2-0 defeat of the Mariners on enemy territory.
We’ve previously enjoyed big wins over our rivals from down the road, with one of the more memorable being the famous double which saw us defeat the Mariners 5-1 and 8-2 in our Grand Final run in 2017/18.
This clash will be one to bookmark with the stage set for new managers on both sides. We know Arthur Papas will be up for the battle as he faces former Central Coast player, Nick Montgomery.
It will be the first outing for this new look Jets side and we’ll be ready kickstart their campaign in style.
Western Sydney Wanderers (Round 2 – Away & Round 6 – Home)
Our first away game of the season sees us travel to CommBank stadium in Parramatta to take on Western Sydney Wanderers.
At first glance, this game is just like any other early fixture, but with the Wanderers now coached by Carl Robinson, and with a number of former Jets in their squad, most notably, the return of Dimi Petratos, this looks set to be a hotly contested encounter.
We failed to register a win against the Wanderers last campaign, succumbing to a 2-1 defeat at home, and only doing enough for one point on the road. That unfortunate stat makes this clash all the more important.
The Wanderers also begin their season with a derby against Sydney FC, so expect this Round Two clash to be a fiery one.
We will also host the boys from Western Sydney in Round 6 on Christmas Eve for what will be a fantastic opportunity for families to start the festivities early, and hopefully with a win.
Sydney FC (Round 3 – Away)
Our toughest challenge of the opening rounds will come in Round Three when we meet Sydney FC in Kogarah.
Last season, The Sky Blues were 90 minutes away from making history and winning three consecutive A-League titles before losing out to Melbourne City in the Grand Final.
In 2021/22, they will be done licking their wounds and ready to mount their title charge, and considering the Jets have only won 18% of matches against Sydney, this difficult clash will be vital to building momentum.
Last year saw us go down to Sydney on the road after an early Luka Prso goal was cancelled out by goals from Milos Ninkovic and Alex Wilkinson, but an improved performance in Round 20 saw us take a point an entertaining 1-1 draw at McDonald Jones Stadium.
The upcoming Round Three clash will be one to note on your calendar, as this new look Jets side will have their chance to prove that they can mix it with the best. It will also be the first double-header of the season with the W-League squad featuring earlier.
SEE THE DETAILS OF THE OPENING ROUNDS HERE
Wellington Phoenix (Round 4 – Home)
The opening rounds of the 2021/22 campaign will see a conference system in place where each of the NSW teams, as well as the newly relocated Wellington Phoenix, will play against one another to kick off the year.
The Jets host their second A-League game of the season, and second dual-gender double-header, when Phoenix come to town, in what looks set to be an exciting encounter. Last campaign, Wellington posed a difficult challenge to overcome. Based out of Wollongong, they put together a highly successful season and were only one point away from making a finals appearance.
When we faced the NZ club, we finished the season all square with one win a piece, and with a host of new signings for both sides this year, this clash an intriguing one.
Wellington travel to Macarthur, Central Coast and Western Sydney before meeting the Jets, and will be playing for their fans here in Australia, as well as those back home. They will be no doubt up for the fight.
Macarthur FC (Round 5 – Away)
A Steven Ugarkovic stunner secured a 2-2 draw in our most recent outing with the A-League’s newest outfit, but when we travel to Campbelltown Stadium this time around, the Jets will be confident in clinching all three points.
Macarthur look set for a promising campaign with signings like Ulises DaVila, Craig Noone and Tomi Juric, and will be looking to go one step further after their semi-final exit.
They’ll be coming up against a strong Jets squad though who also have numerous exciting attacking signings, and after four A-League matches to gel with one another.
This game has all the knockings to be a fast paced, attacking game of football and our boys will be determined to make sure our last away game of the conference system bears fruit and all three points.
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