![Canberra star Grace Maher is dreaming of a finals run. Picture by James Croucher Canberra star Grace Maher is dreaming of a finals run. Picture by James Croucher](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/36vwtM5n3dmMVgNPycRBEHz/4a17d72c-8704-403f-848b-814305e6528c.jpg/r0_34_7710_4369_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Njegosh Popovich would struggle to write a better script than this.
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The final day of the season, the chance to secure a home semi-final and ignite an unlikely A-League finals dream. That's before you even get to the fight to win back deducted points, consecutive 5-0 losses, and the injury toll that kept some of their biggest guns on the sideline.
Canberra United have destiny in their own hands as they look to pull off an incredible turnaround to secure a top four berth when they face Melbourne City in Melbourne on Sunday evening.
They entered the final round sweating on other results in the hope it would leave destiny in their own hands ahead of the final game of the regular season.
Part one of the mission was completed on Wednesday night when Sydney FC beat sixth-placed Perth 4-2, ruining any chance the Glory had of leapfrogging Canberra on goal difference with a last-round win.
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That result meant a win over Melbourne City pushes Canberra into the top four. No longer do they need to rely on on favourable results from the Wellington Phoenix against Melbourne Victory, or from Brisbane against Perth.
City enter the final day of the regular season on 29 competition points - just one clear of Canberra. A third-placed finish would see a third versus fourth semi-final slated for McKellar Park.
"I was just talking to Ange, my assistant, and saying this is a true storyline ending. It's unbelievable," Popovich said.
"There are teams playing to avoid the wooden spoon, teams playing for the top four, teams are playing for the premiership. It's a really great end to the season, unreal.
"We've said it all along, I've reiterated it, every game for us over the past seven games has been a grand final. It's no different for us this weekend.
"We have not lost one half of football since the half-time break against Western United, when we conceded five goals in the first half. I don't think the girls realise how big of an accolade that is, to be undefeated every 45 minutes from there on.
"We've just got to keep going along that way this weekend. It's exciting for Canberra, realistically now we're playing for a home semi-final, it's as simple as that.
"Melbourne City are through, irrelevant to the result. It's just up to us, whether we want it bad enough to get a home semi-final. We're a team that plays very well at home, and the girls will be fired up to get that home semi-final.
"We're all fighting fit. We're peaking at the right time of the season. It's all hands on deck this weekend, everyone is available this weekend moving forward."
Already the weekend has been some story. Melbourne Victory may have thrown away their title defence with a 99th-minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Wellington Phoenix that had Popovich struggling to catch his breath a good 20 minutes later.
The Victory are now sweating on Canberra's result amid fears it will knock them out of the top four.
Needing a win against the last-placed Nix to lock down a finals place, everything was going to script early. Alana Murphy and Melina Ayres scored in the opening half-hour, threatening to turn Saturday's showdown into a stroll. But the reigning champions fell to pieces.
"Everyone's really upset at the moment. Myself included," coach Jeff Hopkins said.
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