Melbourne City stroll into the semi-finals of the 2024-25 AFC Women’s Champions League following a dominant 3-0 victory against Taichung Blue Whale on Sunday afternoon at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium.
The Taiwanese side, Blue Whale, made their way to Melbourne to partake in a historic moment as City hosted the inaugural Women’s Champions League match on Australian soil.
Having emerged at the top of their Champions League group with a perfect record of three wins, City secured hosting duties for the quarter-final showdown and confidently dispatched Blue Whale with a solid performance in front of a passionate home support.
Mariana Speckmaier was credited with the first goal following a deft touch on a flick-on from defender Taylor Otto during a corner routine. This was quickly followed by an unfortunate own goal from Li Pei-jung, which gave City a two-goal advantage by half-time.
Holly McNamara extended the lead to 3-0 on the hour mark, converting a penalty kick after winning the foul herself. Leticia McKenna missed a second penalty awarded to City in the latter stages, but it had little bearing on the outcome as the reigning Ninja A-League Premiers comfortably progressed into the last four.
City Advances – What’s Next?
With their victory over Taichung, City is gearing up for a four-day “finals” series, where all four semi-finalists will converge in a centralised venue to conclude the tournament in May.
Though the finals’ location is yet to be confirmed, City will face South Korean outfit Incheon Red Angels on May 21 for a chance to play in the final, set for May 24.
AFC Women’s Champions League – Finals Schedule
- May 21: Semi-Final – Melbourne City vs Incheon Red Angels
- May 21: Semi-Final – Ho Chi Minh City vs Urawa Red Diamonds OR Wuhan Jianga
- May 24: Final – Winner of Semi-Final 1 vs Winner of Semi-Final 2
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The Financial Rewards
City has already reaped approximately AUD 450,000 in prize money for advancing through the group stage to the semi-finals. If the Ninja A-League team reaches the final but does not clinch victory, they would receive an additional USD 500,000 (AUD 750,000) as runners-up.
The winners, meanwhile, will be awarded an extra USD 1 million (AUD 1.5 million), bringing the total earnings for the champion club to USD 1.3 million (AUD 1.95 million).
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A Spectacular Performance by McNamara Ahead of Matildas Selection
Holly McNamara was instrumental in securing Melbourne City’s victory on Sunday. The talented winger has netted 10 goals in the Ninja A-League during the 2024-25 season, overcoming the third anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury of her career, and showcased her excellent form in this Asian competition with a standout 63-minute effort.
Switching between central striker and wing positions, McNamara’s versatility caused significant problems for the Blue Whale defence. The 22-year-old nearly scored in the first half but was thwarted by a save from Tsai Ming-jung. Nevertheless, her involvement on the left flank led to City’s second goal as her cutback cross deflected off Blue Whale defender Li Pei-jung into the net.
McNamara also earned and subsequently converted a penalty in the second half to secure the 3-0 scoreline before being substituted shortly after, although she left fans anxious with a brief injury scare.
Having endured three ACL injuries early in her career, there is always trepidation whenever the highly-valued winger hits the ground. This time, there was a collective gasp when McNamara rubbed her right knee after making contact with Blue Whale forward Maho Tanaka.
Thankfully, relief followed as she rose and made her way to the sidelines unassisted, indicating the injury was not serious.
After reclaiming her fitness post-ACL rehabilitation, McNamara made her CommBank Matildas return in February, coming off the bench against Japan in the SheBelieves Cup, marking her first international outing in 1,119 days. Given her outstanding form for City since then, with Matildas interim head coach Tom Sermanni set to announce the next national squad for the upcoming friendlies against South Korea in April, McNamara will be hoping to earn her spot in the squad and continue her international journey.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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