Phoenix women take points in opener
- Dave Worsley
- 2 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Marisa van der Meer made an inspiring goalscoring return as Wellington Phoenix started the Bev Priestman era with a 1-1 draw against Canberra United in the A-League.
After two heart-breaking anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries, Van der Meer returned to the A-League field for the first time since November 25, 2023 and the New Zealand youth international capped her long-awaited comeback with a goal on Saturday.
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In Olympic champion Priestman’s first match in charge after Wellington’s Round 1 bye, the Phoenix earned a point at Sky Stadium following Van der Meer’s 39th-minute strike that cancelled out Josephine Aulicino’s opener.
Canberra hit the front inside 18 minutes in Wellington, where American Josephine Aulicino’s ross-cum-shot found the back of the net after a miscued clearance from Van derMeer
The Phoenix, responded via Van der Meer six minutes before half-time.
In a game that saw the likes of Nepalese star Sabitra Bhandari, champion Brooke Nunn and Netherlands international Tessel Middag debut for Wellington, it was Van der Meer who stepped forward.
Van der Meer bundled the ball over the line in a significant moment for the 23-year-old defender, who has been struck down by injuries in recent seasons – a goal 714 days in the making.
Scores remained the same through the second spell with both sides having shots on goal, particualrly in the final frantic 10 minutes of the game.
The star-studded Nix side will be expecting more in the future as they showed confidence on the ball but lacked cohesion at times
