City's women's team will face Canberra United at Seiffert Oval on Friday in the club's first A-League game since a pitch invasion during the men's Melbourne derby last weekend saw a player attacked and fans hit with life bans.

Vidosic hopes City's trip to face Canberra can help the club move forward amid the recent outrage which has left the game reeling in Australia.

The men's World Cup offered a sense of wonder like few others. Lionel Messi finally got his hands on the game's ultimate prize and the Socceroos' heroic run to the round of 16 gave fans a reason to dream about the sport's future on these shores.

Instead, Australian soccer has cannibalised itself. A divisive decision to sell grand finals to Sydney infuriated fans and left players heartbroken, before a pitch invasion during an A-League men's game saw City goalkeeper Tom Glover struck with a bucket as officials scrambled to control a rabid group of fans.

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"Obviously the scenes were unacceptable and something we have to eradicate from the game. The World Cup is a perfect example [of] the joy and the celebrations, and everything that brings to the world," Vidosic said.

"Our game is to unite and not to destroy, and those things were destroying on the weekend. Usually a derby, any derby in the world, it's competitive, the fans go at each other, and that's what makes it so special, but something like that, hopefully that never happens again.

"As angry as everyone got, it was also very sad to see as well, and something beautiful can be destroyed so quickly by a group of idiots, which is the easiest way to put it.

"It was just scenes you don't want to see. I went down in the tunnel after just checking on people. Emotions are high, disbelief, shock, they're trying to see what's happening. You feel that tension. In Australia, especially in our time, I'm not sure it's happened before.

"It's a place you come to enjoy, you leave all the stress of your life behind and you support your team. It's something you never think would happen when you enter a stadium on match day."

Karly Roestbakken's Queanbeyan homecoming will have to wait, with the luckless Matildas defender still chasing her first Melbourne City cap on the comeback trail from a foot injury.

Her absence means Canberra fans will miss out on the chance to see Roestbakken duel with United sharpshooters Michelle Heyman and Grace Jale.

Heyman and Jale have played starring roles in Canberra's campaign to date and, together with Nikki Flannery, loom as the players City have to stop.

"We know they are dangerous, and especially in Canberra, it's always a hard place to go and it's not easy. We know they could potentially hurt us, and we saw Michelle against Perth, she took the ball from halfway and set it up for a back post tap in," Vidosic said.

"We know their danger players and we'll look to keep them quiet again. If we perform like [we did against Western United], I think we give ourselves a great chance to pick up the three points."

A-LEAGUE WOMEN ROUND SIX

Friday: Canberra United v Melbourne City at Seiffert Oval, 6pm.

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