The Lion City Sailors Women fought bravely in their first-ever Asian Football Confederation Women’s Champions League (AWCL) Group Stage match, but fell 5-0 to Melbourne City at the Thong Nhat Stadium on Thursday (13 November).

Despite the defeat to last season’s competition finalists, Sailors Head Coach Daniel Ong believes his players will take plenty from the experience of competing at the highest level of Asian football.

“It’s tough playing against a professional outfit like Melbourne City. Congrats to them for the win, they were far superior to us. Physically and technically, they knew exactly what they were doing,” admitted Daniel.

New signings Rivka Ramji, Hikaru Shibusawa, and Wang Jiaxin were handed their debuts for the club, with all three named in the starting line-up. Meanwhile, 15-year-old Nur Ain Salleh was also named in the first 11, as she became the youngest-ever starter in AWCL history, and only the second-youngest player to feature in the competition at just 15 years and 310 days old.

In contrast, Melbourne fielded 45-year-old goalkeeper and assistant coach Melissa Barbieri between the sticks, while last season’s AWCL Most Valuable Player Rebekah Stott led a formidable side as captain.

Unsurprisingly, it was the Australian side who took control in the early stages, and it did not take them long to break the deadlock. A handball inside the Sailors’ box prompted referee Oh Hyeon-jeong to award a penalty after a Football Video Support (FVS) review.

Last season’s Ninja A-League top scorer, Holly McNamara, made no mistake from the spot, sending a low effort into the bottom corner in the 12th minute.

Leticia McKenna then tested the returning Izairida Shakira with a couple of efforts, while at the other end, Raeka Ee’s persistence earned the Sailors a corner, though it ultimately came to nothing.

“We went into the game expecting it to be a difficult one. They’re from the A-League and reached the final last year, but I’m really proud of the team for giving 100 per cent despite the challenging pitch conditions,” said Raeka in a post-match interview with Futbolita.

“It’s a huge step up from what we’re used to in Singapore and even in the AWCL Preliminary Stage. We’re so grateful for the opportunity to play against these opponents and to help raise the level of women’s football in Singapore.”

Despite the early setback, the Sailors kept their composure and did well to contain their illustrious opponents for much of the first half.

However, Melbourne’s relentless pressure eventually told in first-half stoppage time, when the Sailors conceded a second penalty. McNamara once again converted clinically to give the Australian side a two-goal lead at the break.

Daniel made a change at the break, introducing Qarissa Putri for captain Umairah Hamdan, but the substitution did little to halt Melbourne’s momentum as they continued to press forward in search of another goal.

While they battled valiantly, the Sailors were finally undone in the 55th minute when teenager Alexia Apostolakis unleashed a stunning strike into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Two minutes later, it was 4-0 to Melbourne as Danella Butrus marked her maiden professional start with a low drive that beat Shakira from a tight angle.

Just past the hour mark, new signings Zhang Qiaoling and Irsalina Irwan (pictured above) came on for the Sailors with the latter making her AWCL debut, while Melbourne substitute Caitlin Karic was denied only by Shakira’s quick reflexes after her effort was stopped right on the goal line in the 66th minute.

However, Melbourne would get their fifth and final goal in the 73rd minute with Dhaniyah Qasimah unfortunately netting an own goal.

The Sailors saw out the final quarter and eight additional minutes without further changes to the scoreline, with Daniel praising his players for their effort in what was an entirely new stage and environment for the team.

“The girls did very well, in my view. In the first half, we conceded two penalties, which was tough on them, but they gave their best. There’s a gap in quality that we have to acknowledge, but it was definitely a good experience playing against a team like Melbourne City,” said Daniel.

Next up for the Sailors is another stern test against hosts and last season’s AWCL semi-finalists, Ho Chi Minh City Women’s FC.

The Vietnamese champions boast a strong side led by Huynh Nhu, who is the national team’s record goalscorer and a true icon of women’s football in her country.

Nonetheless, Sailors Head Coach Daniel Ong believes his side can build on the lessons learnt from the Melbourne defeat as they prepare for their next match on Sunday (16 November).

“I’ll look back on this match and there are a lot of positives to take. We can definitely track our opponents better next time, but overall I’m very happy with the team,” he said.

“It’s just that the fitness levels aren’t quite there yet, because our players have to juggle school or work before coming for training. It’s tough on them, but they did a really good job.”