Sydney FC coach Ante Juric says international forward Remy Siemsen will have to wait for American import Madison Haley to fall out of form before she gets back into his starting side.
Haley grabbed a first-half double on Saturday as the Sky Blues secured a third-straight A-League Women victory with a 4-0 win over Brisbane Roar.
The result moved the Sky Blues up to second on the ladder, behind leaders Melbourne City by virtue of an inferior goal difference.
REACTION: Haley’s Comet: American forward fires Sydney to commanding four goal win over Brisbane
The highly rated Siemsen has won four Matildas caps and is on the periphery of Tony Gustavsson’s squad for next year’s home World Cup.
After returning from a spell in Sweden, she has had to make do with a spot on the bench in her three appearances for Sydney this season.
She assisted Sarah Hunter for Sydney’s third of the afternoon and grabbed her own goal in a 15-minute cameo in the Sky Blues’ first women’s game at the new Allianz Stadium.
But Juric said the 23-year-old would have to remain patient.
“It’s first in best dressed,” he said. “Remy came in a little bit late and Maddie’s doing really well.
“That’s the way I’ve handled things in the past. It doesn’t matter if you’re 15 or 32, an international or not.
“You’ve got to bide your time, but she (Siemsen) is doing well off the bench.”
Haley did a good job of ensuring herself a spot in the starting line-up for a while yet.
Sydney had to wear a lot of pressure from the Roar early on before the former Stanford University forward broke the game open after the half-hour mark.
Haley poked home a Princess Ibini ball into the box in the 33rd minute for her first goal, before adding another just before halftime.
Shrugging off a Jamilla Rankin challenge near the byline, she executed an inch-perfect dink over the head of on-rushing Roar goalkeeper Hensley Hancuff to make it 2-0 at the break.
“She’s got X-factor and she probably needs to do a bit more in the game but I’ll let her not do that if she comes up with those magic pieces,” Juric said.
“That second goal, nobody else could have scored that.
“Maddie’s started to get our system and she’s important because we need her to be a target.”
Brisbane struggled to threaten the Sky Blues in the second half and the bells tolled for them when Hunter and Siemsen netted for Sydney in added time to wrap up victory.
