In the 2023 World Cup, we witnessed the surprise brought by the Matildas to the world. Today, we'll tell your more interesting things about the Liberty A League, the league that nurtured the Matildas, along with their fixtures, format, match results, and meaningful special events.
Matildas A League
1. Liberty A League 2023-24 Fixtures
From October 14th last year, the 2023-24 season of the A-League has wrapped up its 22-round regular season fixtures. From the spring days of October in the southern hemisphere to the autumnal month of April, the Liberty A League is set to conclude all this season's matches on May 4th, deep into the fall.
2. Regular Season
Initially comprising only 8 teams, the W-League expanded to 12 teams after years of development and was subsequently renamed the Liberty A League following sponsorship. Sydney FC holds the record for the most championship titles, having clinched the Australian Women's Football Championship a total of five times.
The competition is divided into regular season and finals stages. During the regular season, the 12 teams play a home-and-away double round-robin format, totaling 22 matches each. In addition to the 11 local teams, a team from Wellington, New Zealand, has also joined the A-League. The top two teams in the regular season standings receive byes in the first week of the finals stage.
This past weekend, Australia concluded an incredibly dramatic final round of regular season matches.
Before this round of matches, defending champions Sydney FC held 38 points, leading Melbourne City by just one point. In addition, another contender, Western United FC, and Central Coast Mariners both held 35 points, theoretically still in contention for the premier plate. Therefore, the final round of the regular season was incredibly captivating and full of suspense.
But in the final round of matches, the pressure seemed to get the better of the Sydney FC ladies, causing them to forget how to play their game. They conceded an unexpected goal just 16 minutes into the match, and then their goalkeeper, Whyman, lost her composure and attacked a Melbourne Victory player, conceding a penalty. In this game, Sydney FC ultimately suffered a 0-4 defeat.
On the other hand, their rivals Melbourne City secured victory with a 2-1 scoreline against Perth Glory, sealed the first place and once again expecting their champion title after a three-year wait.
Western United and Central Coast Mariners ultimately settled for a 1-1 draw, finishing at 3 and 4 place.
The most intriguing aspect was that both Newcastle Jets and Western Sydney were vying for the last spot in the final series before this round of matches. Moreover, Western Sydney held a three-point lead and a three-goal advantage in goal difference before this game. However, despite this significant advantage, they failed to capitalize on it, losing to their opponents. Instead, Newcastle Jets secured the last spot in the final series by convincingly defeating Adelaide in the final round match with an 8-goal advantage, staging a remarkable comeback.
3. Playoffs
So far, the six teams advancing to the Australia Liberty A League finals this season have been confirmed. They are Melbourne City, Sydney FC, Western United, Melbourne Victory, Central Coast Mariners, and Newcastle Jets.
From April 13th onwards, the finals stage matches will commence. The first-round matchups feature Western United against Newcastle Jets and Melbourne Victory against Central Coast Mariners. The winners of these encounters will then face off against the top two teams from the regular season in the second round of matches. We have compiled the detailed fixture list and timings for you, all presented in British time.
4. Pride Round
The Pride Cup is a social movement in Australia that advocates for a more inclusive and respectful social atmosphere for the LGBTQIA+ community through sports events. Since 2023, both the men's and women's leagues in Australia have initiated Pride Round initiatives. During this period, participating teams show their support and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community by using rainbow corner flags, armbands, special Pride team apparel, and/or rainbow socks.
5. All Stars
After a two-year break, the A-League All-Stars event will make a comeback this May. Traditionally, the All-Stars event only featured the A-League men's all-star team facing off against European powerhouses. However, this year marks a significant milestone as the Women's All-Stars will assemble for the first time. They will go head-to-head against Arsenal, the formidable WSL team who just clinched the Conti Cup this past weekend.
