Combine for four goals and two assists in a 6-3 win over your bitter rivals?
Not a bad day’s work for Sydney FC’s Princess Ibini and Cortnee Vine.
Not a bad way to prove a point.
The two Sky Blues wingers showed up in style against Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on Thursday afternoon and according to their head coach Ante Juric, it was vindication for two of the stars of the Liberty A-League, after they were omitted from an experts’ ‘Big Blue Combined XI’ in the build-up to the blockbuster A-League Women clash.
BIG BLUE COMBINED XI: WHY THE EXPERTS HAD NO ROOM FOR VINE & IBINI
Former Liberty A-League stars Grace Gill and Cath Cannuli were the guests on this week’s episode of The Official Liberty A-League Podcast on the KEEPUP Audio Network, and neither pundit selected Vine or Ibini in their XI’s, settling on a front three of Sydney FC’s Madison Haley, flanked by Melbourne Victory’s Lia Privitelli and Beattie Goad, after an entertaining discussion.
Sydney boss Juric was furious with their omission, and used the podcast as pre-game fuel to fire his side to an emphatic Big Blue win in a nine-goal epic.
“I told them before the game,” Juric said. “I said I don’t know about you, but we need to shut people up, and I told them why.
“Again, I didn’t read this, but people tell me these things and they know it sort of fires me up, because I love these girls and they deserve more than they get.
“Three years we’ve been up the top. Seriously, who does that? It doesn’t happen even in men’s.
When I see that, and I see them react like that, I loved it. As I said, a big boost, a huge boost.
Juric added: “That was our drive today too, don’t worry about that. I told them that, and thank you for those people who are going to write silly things for bias or whatever reason.
“Back to Prinny, she’s been outstanding. Just because she doesn’t score three goals a game, she works for us, takes people on, gives us (width), all the things which media people – no disrespect – sometimes don’t see.
“She’s in the team of the year, team of the month, team of every day of the week. I used that as motivation, and they used that, too.”
Juric will go face-to-face with Cannuli when he appears on Dub Zone during half-time of the 3 PM kick-off on Saturday afternoon.
Ibini scored the opening goal from close range in the 24th minute, before converting an initially saved spot kick on the rebound to secure her brace before half-time. Sydney took a 4-2 lead into the second 45, with goals to Mackenzie Hawkesby and Madison Haley giving the visitors that comfortable buffer despite quick-fire strikes to Victory’s Rikke Madsen and Privitelli before the break.
Vine made it 5-2 shortly after play resumed, before Ibini secured her hat-trick in style on the hour mark, set up by Vine from the byline for an incisive finish on the cutback.
Gill watched on as Vine and Ibini starred, before taking to social media to deliver a brilliant response to a dominant Sky Blues display:
Ibini told KEEPUP after the game that she was pleased to get a hat-trick, but credited her attacking team-mates for the work they put in on Thursday evening.
“Nice getting a hat-trick but it was all credit to the goals, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without them,” Ibini said.
“We are just happy to get the win and hopefully we keep winning and get to the finals.”
As for Ibini, she’s firmly in the mix for a Matildas call-up ahead of their clashes against Spain, Czech Republic and Jamaica in the Cup of Nations next month.
The Sydney forward, however, isn’t looking too far ahead.
“I’m really just focusing on Sydney FC and if I get the call-up, I’ll be grateful,” Ibini said.
“But in the end, I just want to keep performing for Sydney FC.”
Sydney moved to within a point of second-placed Melbourne City with the three-point effort. Beginning the day locked on 18 points with Victory, the visitors came away from AAMI Park having carved out a comfortable buffer, entrenching themselves in the top four whilst leaving Victory just five points clear of fifth-placed Adelaide United.
