The final match of the final round of W-League season 7 will be an absolute cliff hanger. Only the numbness following this morning’s FIFA Women’s World Cup draw, pitting the Matildas against the USA, Sweden and Nigeria in the group of death, can take the edge of the anticipation for this match.

Yesterday’s nail biter between Sydney FC and Newcastle Jets ended in a 2-2 draw, the worst possible scenario for Canberra United approaching today’s game. With both teams taking a point from that match, Canberra have dropped to fifth position and need at least a point from today’s match to qualify for next week’s semi finals.

Currently on the same points as Newcastle, Canberra will rue their lower goal average, a result of their hot and cold performances this year. This pattern continued against a finally in form Brisbane Roar side last week. Brisbane traditionally leave their run late in the season, and this year’s finalists will be delighted they were too late to pick up enough points to make the top four. That is no consolation to Canberra whose loss to Brisbane spoiled their run home to the finals, and they face an absolute pressure cooker for today’s match against the premiers.

On the flipside, Perth have had one of the most dominating seasons in the history of the WLeague. They will finish with the highest points any team has managed to date, and their dismantling of Sydney FC last weekend was a pleasure for this impartial viewer to watch. The victory was made all the more special that it was achieved away, and under belting rain for much of the match.

Canberra will take confidence from their last performance in Perth. While they didn’t take the points, by all accounts they won the majority of contests on the park and were unlucky not to put a handful of goals away.

The key for Canberra this week won’t be whether wide attacking defenders Nicole Begg and Sally Rojahn can press forward, or the powerful Kendall Fletcher can win the midfield, or whether the flashy Ash Sykes, Michelle Heyman and Steph Ochs have enough pace to get in behind any defence in the competition. That is all a given.

The question will be in the goal mouths – will Heyman, Sykes and Ochs have their radars on, and at the opposite end, will Ellie Brush, Grace Field and Catherine Brown get the ball out of the danger zone so that Chantel Jones is not tested?

Canberra’s additional motivation, sending off Lori Lindsey a winner in her last match on home soil, will be backed by its vocal supporters, most keenly represented by the green wigged Back Bench.

Perth will arrive in the capital brimming with confidence, and are showing the creativity that comes from being anchored through the midfield by the diminutive Collette McCallum, propelled by the speed and daring of Caitlin Foord and Sam Kerr, and led from the front by Kate Gill.

What we took in previous seasons to be the Sydney FC trademark of dancing through the goal box before cheekily tucking it into the net turns out to be a Kerr/Foord special as we saw time and time again last round.

While they could be expected to take this game gently due to easily qualifying for the finals already, this morning’s World Cup draw could be just enough of a spark to lift Perth’s fistful of Matildas to shine again this week. Their tenacious opponents will be just as inspired to lift, their season on the line, and that glimmer of world cup selection in the forefront of minds today above all others.

For those venturing from interstate, take note that this game will be played at Viking Park Tuggeranong, not the usual haunt of McKellar Park, as the latter is spruced up to be a training venue for the Asian Cup.

Canberra United v Perth Glory

Sunday 7 December 2014

Viking Park, Erindale, Canberra

Local kick-off: 3pm

Join the conversation on Twitter using match hashtag #CBRvPER

* Catch all the action Live at 3.00pm nationally on ABC TV. Or from Monday on ABC iView with a full replay at 3.30am on Tuesday.

Canberra United squad: 1. Chantel JONES, 2. Catherine BROWN, 3. Julia DE ANGELIS, 4. Kendall FLETCHER, 5. Grace FIELD, 6. Caitlin MUNOZ, 7. Ellie BRUSH, 10. Grace MAHER, 11. Michelle HEYMAN, 12. Sally ROJAHN, 13. Nicole BEGG, 14. Ashleigh SYKES, 15. Tegan RIDING, 16. Lori LINDSEY, 20. Melissa MAIZELS (gk), 22. Stephanie OCHS

Ins: Grace Maher (promoted)

Unavailable: Meg McLAUGHLIN (knee - season)

Perth Glory squad: 1. Mackenzie Arnold (gk), 2. Sarah Carroll, 3. Carys Hawkins, 4. Bronwyn Studman, 5. Shannon May, 7. Gabrielle Marzano, 8. Shawn Billam, 12. Kate Gill, 13. Elisa D’Ovidio, 14. Collette McCallum, 15. Shelina Zadorsky, 16. Thia Eastman, 17. Marianna Tabain, 18. Gabrielle Dal Busco (gk), 20. Samantha Kerr

Ins: Thia Eastman, Shawn Billam (both promoted)

Outs: Alanna Kennedy, Caitlin Foord (both omitted)