Coach Tony Popovic has labelled Western Sydney’s gripping semi-final comeback against Brisbane as one that will go down in A-League history.
The Wanderers booked their spot in the grand final on Sunday thanks to Dario Vidosic’s extra-time winner, in a stunning farewell to Pirtek Stadium before it’s knocked down and rebuilt.
Both Popovic and his Roar counterpart John Aloisi agreed Sunday’s 5-4 win was one of the competition’s all-time classics.
Though the Wanderers were 3-0 down inside the first 23 minutes, Romeo Castelen’s hat-trick and Brendon Santalab’s goal inspired the fightback.
Jamie Maclaren levelled for the Roar in the 81st minute before Vidosic struck in the 102nd to take his team to Adelaide Oval to fight the Reds for the title.
“I’m sure it will go down in the history books, that football match,” Wanderers coach Tony Popovic said.
“We’ve certainly had some memorable nights here, but this is a fantastic way to sign off from this stadium in its current form.
“Our crowd was magnificent, they helped us get back into the game and then close it out.”
Spanish midfielder Andreu made two critical early errors, handballing in the box to concede a penalty to Dimitrios Petratos before netting an own-goal off his backside.
Maclaren then broke his three-match goal drought when he looped the ball over gloveman Andrew Redmayne.
Castelen interjected at the vital moment, locating the finishing touch he’d been searching for all campaign to peg the gap back two two goals.
The speedy Dutch winger struck a thunderous free-kick that soared over the wall – and custodian Jamie Young – to nestle neatly into the top-left corner.
Santalab brought it back to one by the break when he streamed solo downfield, fended off James Donachie and rolled his 11th of the season past Young at the near post.
After halftime, Castelen changed the game for good.
Soon after putting the leftovers of a hectic goalmouth scramble into the roof of the net, he slotted another low strike to seal the club’s second-ever hat-trick.
But the Roar, as is often the case, weren’t quite done.
Maclaren wrested his side back from the brink, tapping in his seventh goal in four games against the Wanderers this season off some lovely lead-up work from Henrique and Tommy Oar.
It seemed inevitable that the contest would go to extra-time – just as the 2013-14 grand final between these sides did.
But two years after Henrique scored the title-winner at Suncorp Stadium, Vidosic turned the tables.
His first stinging shot was blocked by Young, but the marquee man was granted another when Mark Bridge regathered the ball and sent in a cross for the tap-in.
Deflated Roar coach John Aloisi mourned “the season that got away”, having also lost out on the Premiers Plate a fortnight ago.
“We had an opportunity to win something a few weeks ago, and then also to get to a grand final tonight,” Aloisi said.
“It wasn’t meant to be.”
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