- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Brisbane Roar have claimed their third title in four years with a 2-1 victory over the Western Sydney Wanderers after extra time in the A-League grand final at a packed out Suncorp Stadium.
Goals to Henrique and Besart Berisha saw the Roar complete the double after securing the sport at the top of the league months ago.
It was the seventh time out of nine grand finals that the first half has gone without a goal being scored, but there was no shortage of chances for both sides.
More A-League grand final coverage:
– Comment: Mike Tuckerman
– Roar revel in Suncorp success
– Football is here to stay in Australia
– Brisbane puts on a great A-League final
– Mulvey: Roar now A-League benchmark
– The Roar‘s live blog
The Red and Black Bloc and The Den both made their voices heard rom the outset, but it was Wanderers who settled better, with more accomplished passing. The Roar, despite the home-ground advantage, were uncharacteristically sloppy in the early exchanges.
Shinji Ono and Youssouf Hersi were particularly prevalent in the opening 15 minutes, with a couple of crosses working their way into the area but unable to be latched onto by Wanderers finishers. Ono had a couple of long-range efforts which failed to trouble Roar custodian Michael Theo.
Western Sydney applied heavy pressure on The Roar in defence, with an aggressive Hersi particularly lucky to escape an early sanction.
Cute exchanges between Mark Bridge, under an injury cloud before the game, and Brendon Santalab also highlighted the early exchanges.
Roar forward Thomas Broich had perhaps the best chance of the first half, with a break against the run of play seeing his right foot strike swerve just wide of Wanderers keeper Ante Covic’s right post.
So close for Roar going up against the run of play. #ALeagueGF pic.twitter.com/EgGaKZ4a0E
— FOX SPORTS Football (@FOXFootballLive) May 4, 2014
Western Sydney striker Santalab worryingly limped to the sideline with 12 minutes to go before the break after a challenge. Despite young forward Tomi Juric warming up, Santalab retook his place in the forward line after a couple of minutes of recovery.
Roar talisman Besart Berisha showed plenty of willingness to get involved, but heavy pressure on the Roar’s midfield made the Albanian mostly a spectator in the first half. There was no doubt the Victory-bound forward would be just as hungry in the second to get on the scoresheet in his final game for the club.
The Wanderers paid a small penalty for their willingness in defence, with Santalab and Adam D’Apuzzo both seeing cautions from the referee.
Confusion between Ante Covic and Nikolai Topor-Stanley saw the Wanderers skipper cop a knock late in the half, but he was fine to continue for the rest of the half.
Brisbane Roar player Thomas Broich (front), flanked by Western Sydney Wanderers’ Lacopo La Rocca, kicks during their A-League Grand Final match at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Sunday, May 4, 2014. (AAP Image/Dan Peled)
A misdirected cross from Brisbane’s Ivan Franjic hit the crossbar after Covic was caught out of position. The Roar had the better of the latter stages, with Brattan also having a shot on target from an acute angle, but with both teams well and truly having felt out their opposite, a cracking second half awaited.
Ante Covic nearly beaten by the dreaded scross (shot-cross). #ALeagueGF pic.twitter.com/EUyRfjnSPM
— FOX SPORTS Football (@FOXFootballLive) May 4, 2014
Brisbane had the better of the early exchanges in the second half, with Besart Berisha looking more threatening than in the first stanza as well as an Ivan Franjic shot from outside the box sailing over Covic and the crossbar.
Matthew Spiranovic opened the scoring in the 56th minute, taking advantage of some lazy Roar defending by latching onto an Ono set piece to head it into the top right corner.
The moment @wswanderersfc took the lead v @brisbaneroar thanks to #Spiranovic pic.twitter.com/WxjKtDRHX1
— telegraph_sport (@telegraph_sport) May 4, 2014
It was just reward for the hard work the Wanderers had put in for the 55 minutes preceding it.
The Roar weren’t going to lie down, though, having the better of the general play for most of the second half.
Youssouf Hersi earned himself that yellow card for a clumsy challenge not far afterwards as Roar continued to equalise the previously lopsided possession statistic.
The pressure continued to mount on the Wanderers defence when skipper Topor-Stanley was forced off with a medial ligament injury after a clash deep in their defensive half.
Thomas Broich was brought down a metre outside the box, only for Berisha’s shot from the set piece to sail over the bar. Berisha had another change a couple of minutes later, but was undone by a last-ditch leg from goal-scorer Spiranovic after having a couple of looks at an open chunk of goal.
Just a minute later Berisha again fired wide from a header from a free kick. Three chances in as many minutes wasted by the Albanian.
Mike Mulvey looked to inject more creativity into his charges as the Roar pressed hard for an equaliser, with Henrique coming on, sparking another Broich effort on goal which again went past the left post of Covic.
It was that man Henrique who found himself in scoring position in the 76th minute, but was again wasteful in front of goal and shot over the bar from 10 metres.
But all the pressure, the free kicks, the near misses, it all had to tell on Wanderers eventually. It was the European connection of Broich to Berisha finally worked for the Roar on the scoresheet. The Albanian headed home a Broich free kick from seven metres to equalise for Brisbane.
The Wanderers were hanging on, and had seven more minutes to cling to life before extra time. Despite a final-minute free kick for Brisbane, and a couple of break out chances to Wanderers, there was no breaking the deadlock, and the teams headed for 30 extra minutes of play.
With the standard of play as good as it was, the game deserved nothing less.
Western Sydney started the livelier of the two sides in extra time, with Hersi getting an opportunity but slipped upon shooting.
A clumsy back pass from the Roar then saw Labinot Haliti one-on-one with the ‘keeper 20 metres from the goal. Theo managed to dive to his left and deflect a powerful shot to safety.
The pressure clearly told on Berisha, who had a typical blowup after a clash with LaRocca halfway through the first period.
Defence was the word in the first period of extra time, with both teams managing to get through unscathed. Fatigue was sure to be a factor moving into the final 15. There was no doubt that Western Sydney had the better of it.
Three minutes into the second period of extra time, it was Roar substitute Henrique who stepped up and took the grand final into his own hands. A cross found its way to his feet, 10 metres from the goal, and the little Brazilian took a touch, thought about it, and smashed it into the top of the net.
It proved enough.
A late chance to Tomi Juric went straight into the hands of Theo, and Brisbane were home.
Brisbane won their third A-League title, and consigned a devastated Wanderers side to their second grand final loss in as many years.
Iacopo LaRocca and Thomas Broich shared man-of-the-match honours, but it will taste that much sweeter to the German, who enjoys his third A-League title victory.
And everyone in The Den lose their mind… pic.twitter.com/xGaPaPJd8O
— Richard Bayliss (@RichBaylissFOX) May 4, 2014
More A-League grand final coverage:
– Comment: Mike Tuckerman
– Roar revel in Suncorp success
– Football is here to stay in Australia
– Brisbane puts on a great A-League final
– Mulvey: Roar now A-League benchmark
– The Roar‘s live blog
Are you the ultimate team manager? Pick your own superstar team and go head to head with other football fans for glory and cash prizes on Draftstars. Imagine what you could be buying instead. Set a deposit limit.