Melbourne Victory’s head coach, Jeff Hopkins, conveyed his pride despite a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat to Central Coast Mariners in the 2024-25 Ninja A-League Grand Final.
After falling behind with a second-half goal from Mariners star Isabel Gomez, the Victory fought back to level the score with a crucial equaliser from defender Claudia Bunge in the 80th minute.
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Even though Victory dominated the extra-time period, they were unable to secure the vital third goal, pushing the match to penalties at AAMI Park, where one fateful strike would prove to be the turning point.
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Winning the coin toss, Victory, who were enjoying an impressive club-record 15-match unbeaten run, decided to kick first, hoping to gain an early advantage. Unfortunately, this tactic backfired when the usually reliable Alana Jancevski struck the opening penalty kick against the crossbar, paving the way for the Mariners’ triumph.
Despite successful penalties from Emily Gielnik, Alex Chidiac, Holly Furphy, and captain Kayla Morrison, the Mariners maintained their perfect record from the spot, with midfielder Bianca Galic scoring the decisive penalty to clinch the first-ever Ninja A-League Championship for Central Coast.
“Above all, I’m extremely proud,” Hopkins stated defiantly when addressing the media following the Grand Final defeat.
“Reflecting on the season, I have immense pride in the team’s efforts, how they’ve progressed collectively and individually, and how some of our younger players have developed throughout the campaign.
“Naturally, losing in such a fashion today is very disappointing, but it reflects our character as well. We went a goal down, which is something we haven’t faced in a long time.
He added: “The way we responded took a little time, but we started to take control of the game and fought our way back in. We discussed our intentions for extra time, wanting to pursue victory, and I was truly proud of how we went about that, even though it didn’t result in success.”
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“Congratulations to Central Coast; they demonstrated composure during the penalty shootout. Ultimately, it becomes a bit of a lottery, but that’s part of the game.”
“At this moment, I feel more pride for the team and the individuals within it, especially in how they responded today.”
When the pivotal moment of the shoot-out was brought up, Hopkins firmly insisted that Jancevski deserved praise for her courage in stepping up rather than any criticism for missing.
“Anyone who has the bravery to take a penalty and place themselves at risk of missing deserves recognition,” said Hopkins.
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“To be honest, I think kicking first was a rush of adrenaline. We’ve been practising penalties over the past three weeks, and she has probably taken 10 or 15 a week without missing one.
“She just leaned back slightly, struck it a tad too hard, and fine margins mean that a few centimetres either way could change the outcome.”
“I have no issue with anyone who misses a penalty. She was courageous enough to take the chance, and I know the entire team feels the same way.”
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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