Football Ferns duo seek final Victory across Tasman before return home
Football Ferns Annalie Longo and Claudia Bunge are seeking one final victory before heading home at the end of a challenging W-League season.
The Melbourne Victory midfielder and defender are the last Kiwis standing in Australia’s semi-professional women’s football competition after beating Olivia Chance’s Brisbane Roar in convincing fashion to progress to today’s grand final against Sydney FC at Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
Longo will be seeking her second W-League title and her first with Victory after winning the 2012-13 edition with Sydney, while Bunge is hoping to complete a fairytale rookie season that has seen her play every minute at centre-back.
‘‘In 2017 I won the Kate Sheppard Cup but this will definitely be one of the biggest games I’ve played in terms of what’s on the line here. I’m a bit nervous but I think all the girls are really excited and looking forward to it,’’ Bunge said.
Victory were edged 2-1 by Sydney in the final game of the regular season, but Longo felt the Jeff Hopkins-coached team still had plenty of momentum behind them after winning four of their last five and hammering Roar 6-2 in last weekend’s semifinal.
‘‘The Sydney game I think we played well, we had huge patches of possession and were just lacking a little bit of quality in the final third, so that’s something we’ve been working on this week and I think you saw that ruthlessness
Despite her relative inexperience, the 21-yearold Bunge has played an integral role in Victory’s run to the final.
against Brisbane, so we’ll need to bring that again against Sydney.’’
Despite her relative inexperience, the 21-year-old Bunge has played an integral role in Victory’s run to the final, starting every game after stepping up from the national women’s league in New Zealand to further strengthen her chances of inclusion in the squad for the Tokyo Olympics.
‘‘It’s been awesome. I’ve enjoyed it so much. I’ve been very fortunate with my game time and the belief the girls have in me, and Jeff too,’’ Bunge said.
‘‘I think I’ve improved as the season has gone on and I think you could probably say that about our whole team as a collective. The more time we’ve spent together, the more we’re seeing improvements each week so it’ll be a really good test to see how we show up on Sunday.’’
If Victory emerge victorious, Longo will achieve a rare domestic double after winning the national women’s league with Canterbury United Pride in December.