Canberra Olympic lifted the trophy for the first time in their history at Riverside Stadium on Tuesday, following a professional performance against fellow title contenders Belconnen United as goals from Madelyn Whittall and Arusha Chew secured the title.

Circumstances change quickly in football. Last Wednesday at Woden Park, at the start of the now infamous interrupted encounter, Canberra Olympic was hoping for a win to stay in the race, while Belconnen United only needed a draw to stay in control. 

Fast forward six days and helped by an assist from Canberra United Academy, the team coached by Nicole Begg was the one with the cards in their hands at kick-off. Olympic took the better start too, dominating their opponents early on by their physicality and intensity, but more importantly their experience. 

Using Vanessa Ryan as an anchor at first, Olympic managed to keep a compact block for the first twenty minutes, combining relentless attacks and ultra-efficient pressing and counter-press. The Blue Devils, seemingly overwhelmed, barely managed to implement their brand of football. 

After knocking at the door, the home team deservedly broke the deadlock just after a quarter of an hour. A throw-in from Kat Peric, was headed by Madison Cachia towards Madelyn Whittall. The striker’s first effort was stopped by Sophia Doumos, before the Olympic forward reacted quickest to the loose ball, smashing the ball with her left foot with so much power Samantha Emms could only deflect it into her own net. 

The goal seemed to wake up the Blue Devils, whose reaction was immediate, with a series of set pieces landing in Janet King’s area, without being able to really threaten the ‘keeper. Belconnen United finally started to match their opponents’ intensity too, ending the half much better than the way they started. 

The second-half started on a faux rhythm, with Olympic understandably more patient than in the first-half, and an increasingly frustrated Belconnen team trying to push without finding solutions in the final third.  

Tactical changes and the entrance of Bessie Riethmuller and Lisa Cary were signs that the Blue Devils would try everything until the end. It came close to paying off, with Riethmuller creating an opportunity out of nothing but failing to hit the ball with enough power after dancing her way through a couple of challenges on the edge of the penalty area.  

Canberra Olympic executed their game plan to perfection, playing to their strength, and sending in reinforcements to resist Belconnen’s offensive firepower while always be threatening in counterattack. Eventually, it was one of the substitutes, Arusha Chew, that sealed the fate of the game. 

In stoppage time, Chew collected the ball at the corner of the box after a scramble near the touchline, and with her left foot, managed to squeeze the ball between Sam Emms and her crossbar with a stunning strike that arced perfectly over the Belconnen goalkeeper. The bench could exult, the fans sing, and Begg could breathe easier. 

After the Federation Cup and the Grand Final in 2022, the Canberra Olympic coach was bringing home the best trophy of them all, the one rewarding a year of hard work, dedication, and blood, sweat and tears: they are the 2023 WNPL League Champions. 

It is not over for the Blue Devils, who need to put themselves back together before a game on Thursday to confirm their second spot and get a chance at a rematch with Canberra Olympic in the Finals Series, two weeks from now. 

RESULTS

Tuesday 29 August

Canberra Olympic 2 (Whittall 18’, Chew 90+3’) Belconnen United 0

TABLE

		P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	PTS
1	Canberra Olympic	20	15	2	3	45	10	+35	47
2	Belconnen United	20	14	1	5	57	14	+43	43
3	Gungahlin United	21	13	2	6	53	26	+27	41
4	Canberra Croatia	20	12	4	4	54	21	+33	40
5	Canberra United Academy	20	9	2	8	26	40	-14	29
6	ANU WFC	20	3	4	13	17	43	-26	13
7	Tuggeranong United	19	3	1	15	18	67	-49	10
8	West Canberra Wanderers	20	2	2	16	15	64	-49	8

 

TOP SCORERS

21 Brittany PALOMBI (Canberra Croatia)

14 Hattie CRAM (Belconnen United)

13 Bessie RIETHMULLER (Belconnen United)

11 Talia BACKHOUSE (Belconnen United), Tatum MAZIS (Canberra Croatia)

9 Darby WHITELEY (Gungahlin United)

8 Michelle HEYMAN (Gungahlin United), Ginger OLIVER (Gungahlin United), Madelyn WHITTALL (Canberra Olympic)

7 Isabella BARAC (Canberra Croatia), Sharon CHAO (Gungahlin United), Olivia GURNEY (Canberra Olympic), Nicole JALOCHA (Canberra Olympic), Charli MITCHELL (Canberra Croatia)

6 Tamara COCHRANE (Canberra United Academy),

5 Keira BOBBIN (Belconnen United), Alyssa DI-CAMPLI (Canberra United Academy), Michaela THORNTON (Canberra Olympic), Own GOALS

4 Jade BROWN (Gungahlin United), Tia BURRIDGE (Canberra Olympic), Maddison CACHIA (Canberra Olympic), Lauren HALL (West Canberra Wanderers), Roxie SWART (ANU WFC), Pearl TEIN (Belconnen United), Samantha WOOD (Tuggeranong United), Kayla WRIGHT (Gungahlin United)

3 Ella-Rose BROWN (Gungahlin United), Sofia CHRISTOPHERSON (Canberra United Academy), Natalie DE MARCO (Gungahlin United), Rhiannon FENSOM (Canberra Croatia), Alyse JENSEN (West Canberra Wanderers), Rainey NILES (Tuggeranong United), Erika PENNYFIELD (Gungahlin United), Zoe TERRY (Tuggeranong United), Sarah WHITFIELD (West Canberra Wanderers), Reilly YUEN (Belconnen United)

2 Elke AITOLU (Canberra Olympic), Sienna BIRNIE (Canberra Croatia), Jaya BOWMAN (Canberra United Academy), Cara CERUTI (West Canberra Wanderers), Sofia CHAVERRA (ANU WFC), Arusha CHEW (Canberra Olympic), Alexandra COOK (Canberra Olympic), Rachael CORBETT (Gungahlin United), Edith FORDYCE-CROKER (ANU WFC), Isabella HOPKINS (ANU WFC), Sheridan MCELLIGOTT (ANU WFC), Riley MCQUEENIE (Canberra United Academy), Peri NASH (Canberra United Academy), Alexandra NEALAND (Canberra United Academy), Katrina PERIC (Canberra Olympic), Nikita PERRY (West Canberra Wanderers/Canberra Croatia), Marija RATHOUSKI (Belconnen United), Madeleine STEINACKER (Belconnen United), Kate WALKER (West Canberra Wanderers), Kayla WRIGHT (Gungahlin United)

1 Tehya ASPLAND (Canberra Olympic), Latisha BABIC (Canberra United Academy), Jamie BERKELEY (Canberra Croatia), Amy BONGIORNO (Canberra Croatia), Jade EMMS (Belconnen United), Emma DOUGLAS-OLIVEIRA (ANU WFC), Charli GREGSON (Tuggeranong United), Isabella HINDMARSH (Belconnen United), Abby HURMAN (Tuggeranong United), Ashlyn LEWIS (Tuggeranong United), Sarah MATTHEWS (Tuggeranong United), Ailish MCDONAGH (ANU WFC), Maya OSMOND (Canberra United Academy), Madeleine PERCEVAL (Gungahlin United), Alina ROBERTS (Belconnen United), Vanessa RYAN (Canberra Olympic), Alexandra SERRAS (ANU WFC), Elisha WILD (Canberra United Academy), Juliet WILLIAMS (ANU WFC), Zoe WILLIAMS (Tuggeranong United), Jasmine ZABEL (Canberra Olympic)