The Capital Football Emerging Matildas squads travelled to Sydney to take part in the 2025 championships, with the under-16 cohort coming home with a strong fourth place finish at the end of a long week.
UNDER-15
Capital Football under-15 ended their Emerging Matildas championship in twelfth place following play off defeat to South Australia.
The team started the competition with a spirted and gutsy performance against a solid Queensland White and despite creating a number of presentable opportunities, were unfortunate to slip to a narrow 1-0 defeat.
A second successive defeat followed against Western Australia in Game 2, with the group again performing well in adversity, but unable to trouble the scorecard with some individual displays of note.
The Under-15 side finally managed their first goal of the tournament in the third game, and it was an important one as well, Mackenna Dorsett finding the back of the net in the 52nd minute to cancel out an earlier goal from NSW Country. In a hard-fought match, both teams had chances to win the game, but ultimately had to settle for the draw.
A 1-0 win against Victoria Blue, Dorsett with the goal, ended the group phase and there was further disappointment in a narrow 2-3 loss to Tasmania despite a spirited comeback from a deficit as goals from Isla Murphy and Samantha Shea threatened a draw. Tasmania though held on for the victory.
Fighting out for eleventh, the team hot their straps with a comfortable 5-1 defeat of Northern Territory, a brace of goal apiece for Amy Sephora and Danijela Eskinja leading the team to the win to set up the play off with South Australia which, despite a goal from Olivia Jose on the hour, ended in defeat.
RESULTS
Tuesday 15 July – Game 1: Queensland White L 0-1
Tuesday 15 July – Game 2: Western Australia L 0-3
Wednesday 16 July – Game 3: NSW Country D 1-1 (Dorsett 52’)
Thursday 17 July – Game 4: Victoria Blue W 1-0 (Dorsett 30′)
Friday 18 July – Tasmania L 2-3 (Murphy 19’, Shea 54’)
Saturday 19 July – Northern Territory W 5-1 (Sephora 17’, 52’, Hidalgo-Hayes 27’ (og), Eskinja 42’, 54’)
Saturday 19 July – 11th/12th Place: South Australia L 1-2 (Jose 60’)
SCORERS
2: Mackenna DORSETT, Danijela ESKINJA, Amy SEPHORA
1: Olivia JOSE, Isla MUPRHY, Samantha SHEA, Own GOAL
UNDER-16
The under-16 team ended the tournament in fourth place following a loss on penalties to Queensland Maroon in the third/fourth place play-off after the match had ended all square at 1-1. Ella Hall’s goal ensured the match went the distance, but Queensland prevailed 6-5.
The competition began in satisfactory fashion for the team as they obtained a 1-1 draw with Western Australia on Day One. Capital Football were forced to come from a goal behind but managed to level matters as Belconnen United forward Lilian Altamore struck just past the half-hour mark.
Things were to get even better on Day 2 as the under-16 side recorded a victory in their second match, coming away with a 1-0 success over Queensland White in an excellent match. The winning goal was worthy of claiming success in any fixture as Tehya Aspland converted a long-range free-kick for an outstanding match-winning strike.
Capital Football were to finish second in the Pool behind group winners Victoria Blue as the match between the two unbeaten teams went the way of the home team who scored two goals within four first-half minutes to claim a 2-0 success. Despite that the team would qualify for the Quarter Finals.
There the group were pitted against the Charles Perkins X1 and, in what was a thrilling, closely contested encounter, a single goal scored by Siena D’Ambrosio in the 20th minute proved sufficient to send the under-16 team into the semi-final stage and a fixture against NSW Sky who ultimately proved too strong with a 5-0 success.
That meant the third/fourth place match with Queensland, and ultimately, a heartbreaking loss.
RESULTS
Tuesday 15 July – Game 1: Western Australia D 1-1 (Altamore 31’)
Wednesday 16 July – Game 2: Queensland White W 1-0 (Aspland 10’)
Thursday 17 July – Game 3: Victoria Blue : 0-2
Friday 18 July – QF: Charles Perkins X1 W 1-0 (D’Ambrosio 20’)
Saturday 19 July – SF: NSW Sky L 0-5
Sunday 20 July – 3rd/4th Place: Queensland Maroon D 1-1 (Hall 44’) – lost 5-6 on penalties
SCORERS
1: Liliana ALTAMORE, Tehya ASPLAND, Siena D’AMBROSIO, Ella HALL
