In a debut season which gets better by the week for the Western Sydney Wanderers, the A-League’s fairytale team is just win one away from capping off this most remarkable story.
Just when you think there is little left to say or write about the Wanderers, up pops Shinji Ono with a moment of sheer genius to seal a win that takes them into the grand final.
Little wonder they dubbed him Tensai.
When Ono sized up Michael Theo in the 71st minute and dinked the ball over him into the top corner, with the left peg, scoring one of the great A-League goals, it summed up everything that has been so special about the A-League this season. Particularly the experience that has been the Wanderers at Wanderland.
It was a picture perfect finish for a picture perfect moment, Ono doing things in his own time, at his own pace.
A packed-out Wanderland went nuts, and soon enough the 20,000 fans were up, backs turned to the action, shoulder’s linked, jumping up and down in a full stadium Poznan.
It was another symbolic moment in this most symbolic of seasons.
Sydney’s west, long considered the game’s heart, was linked in support of a club that didn’t exist just over 12 months ago.
Now they were part of a sea of red and black horizontal stripes, watching their team lift the Premiers Plate, greeting it with a rendition or three of “Champione”, preparing for grand final week.
About then, it sent me back seven months to the first Wanderers game at Parramatta Stadium, a pre-season clash against state league side Parramatta FC.
Played a month before the season started, there were just over 1000 fans on hand.
I remember having a chat to football manager John Tsatsimas, and the subject inevitably reverted to their cross town rivals, Sydney FC, who had taken the early momentum away from the new club with the signing of Alessandro Del Piero.
Tsatsimas suggested the Wanderers would focus on their own business.
At the time, Ono wasn’t even in the picture. Indeed, in all the early talk, the club was on the record saying they weren’t interested in a marquee.
Del Piero’s arrival and the attention it garnered changed that.
Now, as irony would have it, Ono has helped take the Wanderers to the home of their cross-town rivals for a highly anticipated grand final. And he’s the man that will be front-and-centre next Sunday.
Asked about the idea of winning the championship on enemy territory, Tony Popovic kept it simple, as always, pointing to the fact they had already won at the SFS this season, in the second Sydney derby.
It was typical Popovic, an acknowledgment of the latest achievement, with an eye towards the next challenge, whether that be the Central Coast Mariners or Melbourne Victory.
The challenge against the Brisbane Roar was certainly one Popovic and his men appeared to relish.
As he pointed out afterwards, his team has been playing in front of big crowds and great atmospheres, whether at home or away in places like the SFS, AAMI Park, Bluetongue and Hunter Stadium.
Popovic was making the point that his team wasn’t daunted here, and nor will it be next week.
Here they had to cope with a Roar team that came at them in the opening minutes and then for a 20 minute period at the beginning of the second half.
There’s no doubt the Roar have improved markedly under Mike Mulvey, and they showed it in periods here, always wanting to keep the ball, press high and win it, and move it quickly to try and expose the Wanderers before they set up.
But as much as they pushed, they couldn’t quite crack the red and black brick wall that has become the Wanderers defensive structure. No A-League team has scrambled as well.
The twin towers in Nikolai Topor-Stanley and Michael Beauchamp were supreme throughout, as they have been all season, never giving Besart Berisha a sniff.
In front of them, the team’s ironman, Mateo Poljak, was everywhere, particularly ensuring he was there to lend cover to Shannon Cole, who was having a tough night on the left side of defence.
While it wasn’t the most fluid of nights in attack against a Roar team that pressed well, Youssouf Hersi looked a threat throughout, always giving Shane Steffanuto a headache.
The Wanderers always know that if they remain compact in defence, they have the quality in the front third in Mark Bridge, Ono and Hersi to create chances at the other end, and so it proved here.
First it was Bridge making the space for a near post cross that Dino Kresinger finished with the class we’d come to expect from someone like Mark Viduka.
Clearly the big Croatian, a Wanderers cult hero since he won a penalty in the same box against the same opponent in December, wasn’t keen on this being his last game in red and black.
Unfortunately for his fellow import Hersi it was the last game of a terrific season after being shown a second yellow for a rather daft late challenge on Massimo Murdocca.
Always sprinting back at full intensity to press an opponent, Hersi’s effervescence caught up with him, and while Popovic won’t want to curb the workrate, Hersi will need to address the tackles on the off-season.
While he’ll take some replacing in the grand final, Popovic says he will give Hersi’s replacement the confidence to go out and produce.
Once again he has to find solutions for not only Hersi, but quite likely Jerome Polenz and Yianni Perkatis. This is on top of Iacopo La Rocca and Adam D’Apuzzo.
At least one piece of good news for Wanderers fans is that the manager expects Aaron Mooy to be back.
Irrespective of who takes the pitch, there’s now doubt they will be in tune with what’s required in the Popovic system. A large part of the message might be about getting it to the magic feet of Ono.
With the remarkable red and black support base behind them, you just wonder if there is anything stopping Western Sydney creating magic for one more week.
NUFCMVFC
Roar Guru
Need to get a Smeltz style out and out striker, have to be really clinical in that comp The fact they've done what they have done without an out and out striker makes it all the more respectable
kylesy sky blues fan
Guest
This is the reason I genuinely believe WSW can go all the way in the ACL if they maintain their current competitiveness, such a strong defence and belief.
nordster
Guest
Hope so. Wanderers should be sweet as there is so much buzz around it. Looking around the league where they dont have the critical mass, maybe the break is squeezing a little of the momentum from year to year. Having people engaged with the club more of the year would be a positive. For WSW too given how big its getting. Football thrives more so when its almost year round support. People do live and breath it when they are the more passionate end of the scale.
NUFCMVFC
Roar Guru
Yeah the thing about wsw is that they don't give a lot away, as reflected by the fact they've conceded the least amount of goals I think On the other hand, take out the Aufc games with 10 goals in two match (a quarter of their entire tally) and they have scored a relatively low amount. This reflects the fact they have managed to edge a lot of matches, and to do about 12 in a row is very good. In all honesty though it has been effective if not quite attractive, but they won't care and fair enough This is the style Aufc applied quite well in the acl even when they weren't playing too crash hot in the a league. So if wsw can get an out and out striker they may do o.k in that comp
mahony
Guest
Both Etihad GF's were sold out (that is all available tickets sold, but a few no showers at the 2nd from memory). I was at both. One sold out on match day, but the first sold out on the Tuesday. That is 4 sold out GF's with a further guaranteed IMO on Sunday.
Australian Rules
Guest
That might be right - Syd AFL 25k compared to Melb NRL 35k. Of course, that's not the complete picture - as Fox AFL numbers were 310k and NSW has by far the highest rate of subscription for PayTV, so at least a chunk would be NSW. And the NRL match was the biggest grudge match of the year...compared to a Vic club vs a WA club. But I guess we'll never really know from those numbers alone.
Ken
Guest
Spot on Jukes. I am only concerned with this style when the opposition has the talent to be able to withstand the pressure and subsequently punish them for having too many players up or when they start to tire. What's interesting is I don't recall too often the substitution of an attacking player for a defensive player when we've been ahead. It highlights his ethic of defending from the front but at the same time doesn't ignore the need to penetrate and attack.
tk
Guest
wsw are the Italy of thr A league.
Ken
Guest
I would imagine the more passionate supporter would actually be itching for the action to re-commence. I have been to nearly every single game this season and can tell you I am already frothing at the mouth at the prospect of a Syd FC v WSW game early in the season, this time at either the SFS or Stadium Australia. I would imagine a sellout or 3/5 to 3/4 full at each stadium respectively. Also, I am hearing lots of talk about people taking out membership next season who didn't this season as it's more convenient, good value and they then don't have to worry about the uncertainty of getting tickets.
Ian
Guest
rocky came from the youth team though. that;s why he left BR. the article said he was talking about the NYL, not the BR A-League team.
tk
Guest
I didn't rate nichols - he played backwards alot or tried marginal little flick ons that didnt work. I'm a bit pissed writing this after wetting the heaf of my new newphew but nichols is not fit and needs to lay off the donuts afor next season to improve his contribution. He has been pretty poor all year.
Jukes
Guest
I know what your thinking MikeD. People look at WSW and wonder.......how the f*ck did they just win. Its weird most teams when they look at us think we are beatable, but its very difficult to beat WSW. The defence is at the core of what WSW is trying to do, pressure the opposition when without the ball. Make it difficult for teams to play out of their defence. Then when teams cough up position you go on the counter. A lot of people might view this as a little negative but I certainly dont. The guys attack with a lot of speed and they are always pressing for the win. They are always looking to score goals, but do it in a way that doesnt put your defence at too much risk.
Jukes
Guest
We might as well utilise our strength which is our defence and our fitness. The boys would have to be the fittest in the A-league. Its very difficult to play this type of football for 90 mins. Thats one of the first things Visconte noticed when he joined us from Brisbane roar. He was dying in training when he first arrived. Now he is the fittest he has ever been.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@AustralianRules Interesting ratings on FTA TV for NRL & AFL outside their home markets NRL: Mel: 35k Ade: 2k Per: 4k AFL: Syd: 25k Bri: 27k The one surprise is that NRL is now consistently rating higher in Melbourne (albeit with very low ratings), than AFL is rating in Syd or Bri. This is a major reversal from the past few years.
AZ_RBB
Guest
but there is there anything wrong with counter attack? yeah it's not the most exciting type of football but it's a style nonetheless and when executed properly highly effective. i think Poppa is coaching to his strengths. his best players are in defence. i'm sure if you gave him the likes of McGlinchy, Bernie Ibini or Marco Rojas he would be able to put together a more attacking plan for his team.
nordster
Guest
Yeah the long break is something to consider...its effect on momentum from year to year...how much does the long off season interrupt supporter interest, especially among the more passionate football fan? Of which WSW has many.
nordster
Guest
Public transport ...2-3 hours door to door depending on which end of the coast Car can be 90mins or less on a good run Either way many dont like going to sydney, we moved here for a reason :)
MikeD
Guest
is there bias of Poppa being a next-gen/new breed aussie coach. I think WSW have been really good this season don't get me wrong. But to me its reactive and counter attack football alot of the times. They surrender possession in alot of games. Isan't this against the grain of what we're trying to do in oz football..Poppa didn't even know post-game what he did right, when they asked him.
Stevo
Guest
I don't expect all teams to do a WSW but what it means is that to combat that style/speed means better, sharper skills ala Barca - which will make Fozzie extremely happy ;)
stu
Guest
Glad you raised this and is interesting that Fozzie has not picked up on it as the 'fast and furious' style is not really down his alley. However, for the viewers of the game this is exactly why all teams should not strive to all play the same style of football.