One team made it through their semi final with a convincing 5-1 win. The other scraped through 4-2 on penalties after a whopping 120 minutes of 1-1 then 2-2 football. But neither result sheds any light on which team will get up in this weekend's Westfield W-League grand final, a rematch of season two's final, which went Sydney's way.
Reigning premiers and champs Sydney FC are likely to be the slight favourites heading in to Saturday. They've performed consistently all season. They're playing at home. They progressed through their semi final against Melbourne with a comfortable four-goal margin. They're relatively injury-free. They have golden boot leader Kyah Simon in their ranks, as well as Leena Khamis, who's only a few goals behind.
But Brisbane will be looking to claim the championship in place of the premiership that slipped from their grasp when they had a bye in round 12. They'll be looking to rewrite history after last year's 1-3 grand final loss. They got the better of Sydney on Sydney soil in stinking-hot heat on New Year's Day, kyboshing the apparent homeground advantage. And they've proved they've got the mental and physical staying power should the match go to extra time or penalties.
In truth, it's a 50/50 match and it could go either way. Sydney are perhaps better rested than Brisbane and carrying fewer injuries (Clare Polkinghorne and Elise Kellond-Knight have only just returned to the pitch) and Simon and Khamis have found their individual and dual strike force rhythm. Countering that, though, are the very capable Casey Dumont in goals and a Brisbane playing contingent that's strong across the park.
While we can name Sydney's likely goalscorers, Brisbane's goals are spread across almost its entire team. Tameka Butt, Lisa De Vanna, Lana Harch, Jo Burgess, and Kennya Cordner will trouble Sydney's defence. Cordner, who is new to the team and relatively unknown to opponents, scored soon after subbing on in the semi final against Canberra. And Sydney won't wish to be reminded that it was Burgess who sunk them on New Year's Day when she pounced on a pinballing ball and drilled it low and through a sea of legs in the box.
I can't predict which team will come out on top on Saturday. Sydney and Brisbane boast the bulk of the Matildas players and the grand final exertion will be heightened by the fact that this is the last season-time opportunity to impress national coach Tom Sermanni before he announces his FIFA Women's World Cup squad.
I'm tempted to cop out and say I'll flip a coin to predict the eventual winner or write something naff like 'the winner will be women's football'. Instead I'll just say watch it-in person at Campbelltown Stadium or on ABC 1.
