In years to come, 20,054 lucky fans will be able to say to their friends, “I was there.”
The Western Sydney Wanderers-Brisbane Roar semi final at Wanderland was not a game – it was a religious experience. Quite simply, it does not get better than this.
Sure, coaches would pull their hair out at some of the early defending but if this is finals football, if this is Australian football, then we’ve got it right, don’t touch it, nothing needs to change.
You could have heard a pin drop when the Roar opened the scoring from the penalty spot, dispatched with clinical aplomb by Dimitri Petratos, after a handball from a corner conceded in bizarre circumstances by Brendan Santalab. By the 20th minute, the Roar were 3-0 up and out of sight.
Well, almost. Parramatta Stadium was stirred into life by a Romeo Castelan free kick which disintegrated the sandcastle posing as a wall erected by the Roar defence. When Santalab paid back the debt owed due to his foolish clearance by scoring a second, Wanderland was pumping again.
By the 60th minute, incredibly, the Wanderers were 4-3 up and commentators and pundits alike had run out of superlatives to describe this amazing game. Roar goalkeeper Jamie Young had kept his side in the game with a string of brilliant saves but he couldn’t keep out Castelan’s hat-trick strike.
Now it was the Roar who looked gone. We should have known better. Brisbane Roar have garnered a reputation for never being out of the fight, ever since that stirring comeback in the now second-best A League game of all time, the 2011 grand final. Tommy Oar’s introduction gave the Roar some zip down the flanks when they sorely needed it, and his cross from the left found Jamie McLaren who swept the ball home to make it 4-4 in the 80th minute.
What the Roar really needed was some guile and guidance in the middle third, and in Thomas Broich, they would normally have had that. Puzzlingly, he was subbed in the 63rd minute for Henrique, who may well have benefited from Broich’s attacking passes.
As this epic contest headed to extra time, Wanderers coach Tony Popovic still had two substitutes up his sleeve. He introduced Shannon Cole as extra time began and immediately the fresh legs helped. Cole made a nuisance of himself with and without the ball. But it was other sub Dario Vidosic who scored the winner in the 102nd minute. Not even the Roar’s vaunted powers of recovery were enough to force the game to penalties.
If a script writer submitted this game as a synopsis for a play or movie, they’d have it thrown back at them for lack of realism. There was a sense of unreality watching it unfold. The fact that six goals were scored before either keeper made a save is testament to the bizarre nature of the football on display. Bizarre, yet truly exhilarating.
A word on the referee. Peter Green officiated this game superbly. He was unflappable, often playing the advantage to perfection. No decision was controversial, every player booked deserved their ticket, and his calmness kept a lid on a game that could have exploded in the wrong hands.
A DVD of this match should be posted to EPL referee Jon Moss who ruined the Leicester City-West Ham United game last week with a total lack of control, a slew of rash decisions, and a terribly obvious “square-up” in the last minute.
On this night, 28 players contributed to a classic that will last the ages. If the upcoming grand final between Adelaide United and the Wanderers is half as good, the city of churches will be rocked to its catacombs.
AZ_RBB
Guest
Nothing wrong with being a fan of both! Haha. I'm a season ticket holder of both the Wanderers and Eels. But Sunday night was my real farewell to Wanderland. It's hard to put into words the affinity I have with that place. It's not a home away from home. It's just home. I'll miss it. It is something very special. I've said from day one that the RBB and WSW have given me a sense of belonging unlike anything I've experienced before. The bay I sit in every game is like family. After full time on Sunday, I was climbing over rows to hug everyone I knew. I hope your work colleague has an amazing time in Adelaide, win or lose. Despite the loss in Brisbane in 2014, it's one of the best experiences I've ever had. The contingent won't be as enormous this time due to the exorbitant costs involved but it'll still be special. It truly has been a 'wanderful' season. I've had the pleasure of following the team around the country this season. This will be my 9th away trip of the season. It's a privilege and a joy.
apaway
Roar Guru
JB, I don't disagree - the Roar didn't have the personnel to make the tactic effective.
Peter Cotton
Guest
Agree wholeheartedly jb. My point was that Roar do not have the personnel to shut up shop, and by that I am not limiting my assessment to the back four/five. The alternative was to keep WSW under pressure, and this simply did not happen. Roar took the foot off the pedal, and as a result the momentum was quickly surrendered. Once that happened, Roar were under the pump, and the result somewhat disastrous, but quite foreseeable. I guess we can all be wise with the advantage of hindsight. Cheers
j binnie
Guest
Apaway - I do not question your logic but would you mind telling me who in this Roar front third is going to head these crosses no mater from whence they came??? Even Thomas said his effort against Victory was a once off per season. Cheers jb
j binnie
Guest
Peter - This game was not lost in the back four/ five area,,though as usual they are copping the blame.After WSW got their first goal (when the centre back was caught square with a faster forward) the player Castellan took over the running of the game and it is in this department Roar are to be found wanting for there is not a screening midfielder in the whole Roar squad,and there hasn't been since the season's start. Just last week we had Corona telling us in the press that he is not a defensive mid-fielder but is playing there because he is asked.?????? It is glarelingly obvious to any one watcjhing him thet the man neither has the physique,strength,or stamina ,not to mention the "mean streak" that this positoion demands. As the game progressed from that first WSW goal the player Catellan took over the midfield and controlled that area with some very shrewd playmaking, not to mention his 3 goals. Was he stopped? I'll leave that to your thoughts. Cheers jb.
apaway
Roar Guru
JB, as a keeper, it is not always easiest defending the in-curling cross. Plus, when an -in-curling cross is headed, the natural trajectory is for the ball to head downwards whereas an outswinger is harder to control. But yes, it is the fullbacks that tend to provide the crosses as overlappers and if you play with "wrong-footed" wide midfielders, the advantage is that you have two possible options from wide areas. It doesn't always work so well and certainly is not so good from a defensive perspective when those midfielders tuck in because they are then defending on their "unnatural" side.
Penny
Guest
We Are Football , We Are Community !
j binnie
Guest
Apaway- the downside to this theory is that a "left footed" player playing on the right wing will invariably stop the ball and bring it back to his "good" foot before crossing and then the ball will take a natural; curve in towards the goalkeeper. Converse to that the same thing happens on the opposite wing. Tommy Oar demonstrated this factor many times when he came on during the WSW game. There are many in football who would argue that if a cross is to be played in off the wing it should actually curve away from the keeper thus forcing him,the keeper, into making a difficult decision,"do I stay or do I go?" iWhat you are suggesting here is that this Roar team is set up to use wingers to cut in and shoot, while the crossing will be left to the overlapping full backs. With Henrique and Broich scoring their goals in recent weeks from in front of goal it would appear the "set-up" is not working too well. Cheers jb
Midfielder
Guest
Apa & Fuss Great story Apa ... Fuss nobody is born a true Football fan, everyone at some point in time or most people at some point in time are a casual blow in... The finals and big derby matches do bring in the casual as you often suggest and I fully agree it is the hard core football folk that will build Football but the finals are great ways to convert folk. I also have not quite the same but a client who was a West Tigers fan and I took him to the two wsw V Mariners games and the sfc V Mariners game and he now is going and watching local premiership games and paying $ 10.00 a ticket i.e Umina V Ettalong and says he is going to but a membership next year.
apaway
Roar Guru
AZ_RBB Go strong, it's going to be a great day in Adelaide. One of the wonderful stories from this season concerns a work colleague of mine, who until this season was a Parramatta Eels league fan. She has become totally captivated by football and by the Wanderers, absolutely raves about the passion and atmosphere created by the fans and the RBB. She feels part of something very special. In the space of the season she has completed two road trips to Melbourne, one to Brisbane and hasn't missed a game at Wanderland. She booked a flight to Adelaide last week as a "speccy" and is now preparing for her first A League Grand Final. She described being at Sunday's game as the greatest sports experience of her life. That's the kind of story that makes this a "wanderful" season.
apaway
Roar Guru
Peter the main theory for having left-footed players playing on the right and vice-versa is because they will have an inclination to cut inside. That's all well and good but it is important for those players to have a naturally-sided (ie left-footed left sided) over-lapping fullback who can utilise the wide space created by the midfielder. Leicester have used Riyad Mahrez on the right to great effect for most of the season.
Lionheart
Guest
Well I missed the comments on this, being ANZAC Day I was occupied. Did notice a few red and black shirts in the crowds during the march, strange in a Brisbane crowd. Well done WSW, despite the swaying scoreline and the loud cheers that go with that, I never felt comfortable. Over many reds, I pondered yesterday whether the draw had much influence in such a tight season. Who you get to play at home twice, and who away twice, and I concluded that you play with the cards you're dealt. I'd love to see WSW win next week, but after that semi, I think it's going to be difficult. Good luck to them but. As for Roar, please sort out this squad Aloisi. Oar needs to fit, he's too good not to, so find his position. And get rid of the foreigners taking uip valuable space.
Ian
Guest
You may have missed the images of Brisbane players in tears at AAMI Park two weeks ago. Both games obviously meant a lot.
j binnie
Guest
apaway - It's all a matter of experience and situation is it not? Time has very little to do with It. Remember the Roar were playing away from home, (their away record is nowhere near as good as their home record) against an opponent who had actually finished above them on the table so could not be regarded as "pushovers".,and yet here ,after 23 minutes,they are 3 goals ahead,.Freakish? perhaps, unexpected?- probably, but what to do re. that word ----"situation". John has shown a constant belief in using subs,usually all 3, during the season and he did so here but only after his side had conceded all important goals. So yes we are talking about his thoughts when winning 3-0.Knowing that sometime he was going to use subs. it is my opinion,and mine alone that that was the time to make a decision. Roar lack a good ball winner in midfield,everyone knows that, so, with Vowles sitting on the bench, maybe it was time to do something out of the norm and, maybe it is being wise after the event, but bringing on Vowles and switching the fast,hard working,hard tackling Hingert into a position where he could constantly challenge players like Castellan and Nicholls would have paid dividends.As it was,Castellan ran the show from that 3rd Roar goal and probably had his best game for weeks capping it off with a hat-trick of goals. There are lessons to be learned from every game and to me that was the lesson to be learned in this match.This Roar team,despite being seriously under manned in certain aspects of the modern game, have performed very well this season past but in the end analysis it will be remembered what could have been as against what happened. Cheers jb
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
Fadida "The argument is that the 27 game season is all about jostling for positions for the finals." It's a silly argument. They're two entirely different competitions. You're doing a hatchet job on the premiership and trying to discredit the highest domestic achievement football has to offer. The AFC know what time it is...and to quote AZ RBB who says it more eloquently than I can: "The FFA may not make the distinction but the AFC sure does. The Premiers get a seeded spot in the group stage. The Champions get a non-seeded spot in the group stage. For the purposes of ACL qualification, clubs and fans need to see the distinction between the trophies and competitions." So if we were to believe your outlandish sweeping generalisation that "it’s the players who value the Toilet Seats as THE prize.", then I guess the players would be an ill informed bunch of dullards, wouldn't they. (But I suspect they're actually not...ill informed I mean). -------- "Personally I think it’s great we have 2 trophies," We have 3. Domestically. The league, the finals and the FFA Cup. Then there's a 4th trophy that MVFC and SFC are currently still in contention for, which is a continental trophy. The AFC champions league.
Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
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Horto Magiko
Roar Rookie
Wrong fadida. And apaway. We are in the POST season now, hence the finals series. Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia: "The season commenced on 8 October 2015 and will conclude on 10 April 2016. The finals series will commence on 15 April 2016 and will conclude with the 2016 Grand Final on 1 May 2016." So when I said the season was over "a couple few weeks ago", I was right. These finals are a POST season mini tournament. Make no mistake. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015–16_A-League
Tom
Guest
Aloisi didn't have a "CLUT" what to do yesterday
Tom
Guest
You were warned that you would live to regret getting rid of CLUT!
Peter Cotton
Guest
Amazing game. Was entertaining family, not all of whom are footy fans, so I saw most, but not all, of the play. Just turned on the replay, to see Hervas make a penetrating run, cutting inside on to his left foot, before delivering a good ball to Oar, who similarly cut inside on to his left foot and delivering another good ball to Henrique who, intentionally or otherwise, got the ball across to MacLaren for an easy goal, making the score 4-4. First question. Is it smart to use left footed players on the right side of the pitch? Or right footed players on the left side for that matter? From my observations, it depends on how reliant a player is on his/her strong foot. Not a good idea for one footed players such as Hervas, despite his creation of the move that created the 4-4 equaliser. On the other hand, whilst Oar is primarily a left sided player, he is quite capable of cutting inside on to his right foot. It nevertheless begs the question of why JA wants Oar to play on the right. In my opinion, the decision to play Oar on the right in place of Borello was a determining factor in Roar's failure to clinch the premiership and possible home ground advantages. For all his perceived deficiencies, and I believe these tend to be overstated, Borello frequently creates panic for opposition defenders when he attacks down the right flank. Oar is no where near as effective in this regard. The next question. Should Roar have "shut up shop"? Without answering, the following question is, COULD they have "shut up shop"? Bearing in mind some of the inept defensive displays this season, there must be doubts that such tactics would be successful. The alternative? Hammer the nails in the coffin. No sign of leadership in this regard, either from the dugout, or from the captain. A 2-0 lead prior to half time is well acknowledged as being insufficient, so why would a 3-0 lead suffice? It was so evident the foot was being taken off the pedal. The captain should have been directing play. Unfortunately, he appeared to be an onlooker, performing the occasional "Cruyff turn:" when under no pressure. Then we come to the question of making subs. Put your hand up if, as a coach, you have not blundered. If respondents are truthful, you will be in the company of a minority, and surrounded by big, big egos! McKay would have been the first subbed off by me. He is now a journeyman, luxuriating in his reputation as a (former) Socceroo. His performances for Roar have rarely, if ever, matched his performances for the NT. His possession turnovers probably exceed those of the much maligned Corey Brown, a player who he rarely drops in behind as a cover defender when that is exactly what he should be doing. A humorous aside. My family cackle when I suggest Matty Mackay's nickname should be "Apple". I christened Matty as the "Turnover King". "Turnover" = "Apple Turnover". 3-0 after 23 minutes! Unbelievable! But we should have gone for the jugular. It was there, inviting attack!