- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Western Sydney Wanderers coach Tony Popovic admits the Asian Champions League final has been his No.1 priority this season as he finally gets the chance to focus fully on Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal.
The Wanderers have endured a wretched start to the A-League losing their opening two fixtures and conceding seven goals in the process.
But domestic commitments are on the back-burner for the next two weeks with the first leg of the final taking place this Saturday at Parramatta Stadium with the return in Riyadh seven days later.
While the Wanderers’ recent form has been poor, in the ACL it has been magnificent.
A 2-0 second-leg win over highly-fancied Korean outfit FC Seoul last month booked their spot in the final, hot on the heels of victory in the quarter-finals against Chinese champions Guangzhou Evergrande, coached by Italian World Cup winner Marcelo Lippi.
Popovic’s side are only the second from Australia to reach an ACL final after Adelaide United in 2008 and the former Socceroos defender is desperate to do better than the Reds who were beaten 5-0 on aggregate by Japan’s Gamba Osaka.
“The Champions League final will always be number one, it’s our biggest prize, no A-League team has been able to do it,” Popovic told AAP.
“Only Adelaide has made the final. It’s not something that comes around regularly so we have to make the most of this opportunity and prepare fully to win.”
Al-Hilal arrived in Sydney via private jet on Monday flanked by heavy security before bunkering down in a luxury harbourside hideaway.
The team, who are coached by 39-year-old Romanian Laurentiu Reghecampf, have been training behind closed doors at Lambert Park, home of NSW Premier League side APIA Leichhardt.
Wanderers defender Antony Golec claimed on Tuesday he knew nothing about the Saudi giants, who regularly play in front of crowds exceeding 50,000 at King Fahd Stadium.
But Popovic said he’ll ensure his squad is fully briefed after assistant coach Trevor Morgan recently flew out to watch them play in a Saudi Pro League clash.
“You need to do your due diligence and you do the best you can,” he said.
“We flew over to watch FC Seoul in the last round as well. We have to prepare the best we can by leaving no stone unturned, but within the resources we have available.
“It’s challenging as well as exciting, but we’ll be ready.”
Al-Hilal are the most decorated side in Saudi Arabian football history with 40 domestic titles as well as two Asian club championships to their name.
Talismanic skipper Yasser Al-Qahtani, who scored 42 goals in 112 internationals for Saudi Arabia, leads the attack alongside Nasser Al-Shamrani, who found the net 21 times last season.
Saudi captain Saud Ali Kariri is the side’s midfield kingpin alongside classy Brazilian playmaker Thiago Neves, who cost the club $A10.50 from Bundesliga side Hamburg.
Several of the Al-Hilal squad will feature in Saudi Arabia’s squad for the Asia Cup early next year and Wanderers CEO John Tsatsimas said his club have full respect for their opponents, but want to make life as difficult as possible at Parramatta Stadium.
“We wanted to stay true to our region and not move the game to a bigger venue like ANZ Stadium,” Tsatsimas told AAP.
“We have great admiration for Al-Hilal and their standing in the game. But this is seminal moment on the Australian football landscape and we are going to do everything we can to win.”
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.