Western Sydney defender Vicky Bruce says her side is eager to both close the gap between the Red & Black and their crosstown rivals, as well as to cement a place in the top six ahead of their mammoth Sydney Derby clash on Saturday.
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The Wanderers don’t often need much extra motivation before the derby, but with points becoming more crucial as the finals draw closer and in a tight table, pride of the city is certainly not the only thing motivating the Wander Women according to Bruce.
“That is definitely driving the team. I think this season compared to last season – I know we have way more points than we usually do – and now we’re not only potentially going to be top six
[and] making the finals, but we have the chance to make history as a club and potentially get the furthest we’ve ever gotten.”
The Wanderers sit just outside the top six – though if they win their game in hand they could move as high as fifth – and are also only four points off their rivals coming into the game on the weekend.
With the match being played as a doubleheader before the A-League Men’s derby at CommBank Stadium, Bruce says the team is relishing the chance to play in Parramatta in front of a large and passionate crowd.
“I’m honestly so excited. I’ve heard it’s [nearly] sold out, I think it’s going to be an incredible atmosphere, just lots of positive vibes.
“This time, it’s our home game, which is nice. Last game, we didn’t come away with the result we wanted, So all the more reason to win in front of our crowd, our fans and just have a blast and make history.
“Maybe both of us [Wanderers teams] can win, and then it’ll be a great day!”
The match is being played after an international break, which came at a good time for Western Sydney after they suffered a disappointing defeat in their last match against the Melbourne Victory.
The Wanderers’ will also need to overcome history in the derby, as their record in the fixture is a losing one, but Bruce feels their underdog status could be a positive for the Wanderers.
“I know in our past we’ve lost before to them as well, so it always means something when it’s the derby game.
“You always want to win, but it means that much more if you’re the underdog and maybe you haven’t done it in several years, so I’m excited. I know the girls are excited, everyone’s talented, it’s really just going to come down to that day and how much effort and hard work we put into it, and how the teams come together.”
They will need their key players to fire, including star attacker Sophie Harding, whose breakout season was rewarded with a place in the Matildas squad that recently secured qualification to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Bruce admits she has been amazed by Harding’s progression this season, and hopes the team can use her strengths to power them to victory on Saturday.
“She is a force of nature, she’s so fast, she’s strong, she can shoot from almost anywhere.
“She really came into herself this year, and we’re proud of her, and she’s kind of taken us on her back and finished a lot of chances that maybe we wouldn’t have scored normally.
“With her athleticism, we make it work and we’re gonna do everything we can to see if we can help her find the back of the net again.”
