Sydney FC will see some familiar faces when the side takes to the field at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Saturday to face the Jets in Round 3 of the Westfield W-League.
Sydney FC will see some familiar faces when the side takes to the field at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Saturday to face the Jets in Round 3 of the Westfield W-League.
Carlie Ikonomou and Loren Mahoney have each spent time at Sydney FC; last season in the W-League’s inaugural season but after Jets Head Coach Wayne O-Sullivan set his sights on the pair, Ikonomou and Mahoney welcomed the invitation to sign for Newcastle.
Despite having spent a considerable amount of time playing for the side who the Jets will face this weekend, Mahoney believes that although she and Ikonomou know the opposition-s style of play, Sydney FC-s new signings may alter the dynamic of the squad.
“It-s an advantage in knowing how they play, but there are new girls, there are two internationals – two Danish girls who I-ve never seen before and there-s a few new players , Kyah Simon is playing for them this year and different players always make the team play a lot differently”
With the Jets fielding a squad almost unrecognisable to that of last year-s and only a handful of players who represented the side in the inaugural year of the Westfield W-League, O-Sullivan has implemented a culture of unity amongst the squad which, according to Ikonomou, will greatly benefit her team in this weekend-s match.
“It-s a different team dynamic up here so we get to know the style of play of the girls and we-ve had to gel together in recent months, whereas the Sydney girls have had the advantage of training for months together and they have the added strength of international players,
“So it will be an advantage to some extent but at the same time we have to produce a result, we have to play as a unit, defend as a unit and attack in order to successfully compete against Sydney,” said Ikonomou.
