Tonight, the most anticipated game of the sudden death finals series kicks off at a sold out Parramatta Stadium.
In front of a red and black capacity crowd will be the in form Brisbane Roar against A-League Premiers Western Sydney Wanderers, who are unbeaten in 12 games.
Brisbane is coming from a 2-1 victory over Adelaide United at Hindmarsh on Sunday which they dominated most of the game, especially in the first half with goals from Luke Brattan and Ivan Franjic.
The Roar are full of confidence and must believe they will get a result at Parramatta.
Brisbane lost all three home and away games to the Wanderers this season.
The first was in Round 4 at Suncorp (1-0) which was also a milestone for Western Sydney, as it was their first victory in the A-League.
The Roar also lost in Round 10 with a 1-0 score at Parramatta and Round 18 with the score 2-1 up at Suncorp.
Since the last meeting in Round 18, the Roar managed to win six (including last week elimination final) and draw three in their last 11 games.
Brisbane’s impact player Thomas Broich is expected to play tonight, but the decision will be made at the last minute according The World Game.
In the report it stated that Broich will travel to Sydney with the squad and Roar’s coach Mike Mulvey has confirmed that he (Broich) is expected to play.
If Broich plays or not, could have a significant impact on this game.
Broich’s ability to pass the ball or set up a play at the right time make him a threat for the Wanderers and he is highly rated as one of the best imports in the A-League short history.
Brisbane will also need to encounter the hostile crowd at Parramatta Stadium.
The Red and Black Bloc have set a new benchmark for the A-League with their passion for the team by creating a festive atmosphere on the field whether at home or away from Parramatta.
This is evidenced by their high numbers travelling to Melbourne to watch their team against Victory and heading up the F3 to watch their team against Central Coast and Newcastle.
Especially at the Central Coast and Newcastle games, the Wanderers fans make it their home away from home and you feel that the Wanderers are the home team.
Look at names like Ante Covic, Shannon Cole, Nikolai Topor-Stanley, Mark Bridge and Labinot Haliti. They didn’t have the impact on their previous clubs due to not enough game time or their form was not up to the standard of their previous coaches.
What Tony Popovic achieved with his playing list and got them to believe in themselves and play with passion in the red and black jersey is remarkable and inspirational.
Furthermore to add players like Youssouf Hersi and Shinji Ono it gives the Wanderers another dimension in their midfield with deadly results to the opposition.
Going into this match, both teams are in form. The Wanderers will be well rested having last played two weeks ago when they defeated the Newcastle Jets 3-0 to claim the Premier’s Plate.
The Roar are going into this game with three wins in a row.
It is no doubt the game is going to be an epic showdown, especially if the Roar will have Broich in their line-up. If not then another player from Brisbane will need to fill in the shoes and drive the team into victory.
I think this game will not be settled in normal time and it may go to the dreaded penalty shootout and this game could potential be a classic semi-final game given that it will not come down to controversial refereeing decision.
I like to see the Wanderers advance to the grand final as they have proven to be the most consisted team this year, rather than Brisbane’s inconsistency mostly this season.
But this is the semi-final and this is the time for the Wanderers to display their class and show the football world that they deserve to play the grand finale.
The game will be decided with another football cliché, “Which team wants it more?”
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