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Opinion
Perhaps there’s some poetic justice in a former Sydney FC chief executive being forced to desperately hope for the Western Sydney Wanderers to qualify for this season’s Grand Final.
Six seasons after their last finals appearance, the Wanderers are finally back.
They got there with a swagger, after Marko Rudan’s side utterly dismantled Wellington Phoenix 4-0 in one of the most impressive displays of the season on Friday night.
They would have scored arguably the goal of the season too when Brandon Borrello’s side-footed effort was clawed away by Oli Sail after a passing move that had to be seen to be believed, but in the end it was academic as the Wanderers simply tore the visitors to shreds.
They were helped by a superb performance from teenage midfielder Aidan Simmons, with the former Sydney FC youngster capping off a memorable display by showing some serious composure to round Sail and finish a virtuoso solo goal on the break.
The Wanderers have done well from Sydney FC this season, nabbing the likes of Milos Ninkovic, Calem Nieuwenhof and Simmons, all while watching former Sky Blues captain Rudan mastermind a potential top-two finish as their crosstown rivals have struggled to nail down a top-six spot.
Marko Rudan has turned the Wanderers into a force in 2022/23.
There’s still a chance the first week of the finals could kick off with a Sydney derby, with positions two to six to be decided on what will be a gripping final weekend of the campaign.
Second place will be a straight shootout between Adelaide United and the Central Coast Mariners at what should be a sold-out Coopers Stadium, after the Reds needed a Nestory Irankunda equaliser nine minutes into stoppage time to record a 4-4 draw with Perth Glory in arguably the craziest game of the season on Sunday night.
Perth thought they’d given their slim finals hopes a huge boost when first Adam Zimarino and then Adam Taggart lashed home deep into stoppage time of a pulsating clash at HBF Park.
That was after the Reds had enjoyed plenty of good fortune to go 3-2 ahead late on in a see-sawing encounter, with Luka Jovanovic, Craig Goodwin and Ryan Kitto all benefiting from the bounce of the ball in what was a highly entertaining affair.
But after Taggart’s long-range piledriver looked like it had won the game for the Glory some six minutes into stoppage time, teenage substitute Irankunda barged through to arrow a shot across Cameron Cook and into the bottom corner.
The goal dealt a hammer blow to Glory’s finals chances, and they’ll to make up a two-goal deficit and hope Macarthur beat Wellington Phoenix comfortably next weekend to have any chance of sneaking into the top six.
The Reds were nowhere near the best against a Glory side fighting for their lives, but they’ll go into next Friday night’s blockbuster with the Mariners in a confident frame of mind.
That’s despite Central Coast coming from behind to down the Newcastle Jets 3-1 in a spiteful affair at McDonald Jones Stadium on Saturday.
Nick Montgomery’s young outfit have actually won more games than Adelaide United heading into their pivotal clash with the Reds, but they’ll have to contend with a fired-up Coopers Stadium crowd in their biggest game of the season.
That’s something the Australian Professional Leagues will hope is replicated across the finals series – but they’re not off to a promising start, with Sydney FC fan group The Cove announcing late last week they plan to boycott the finals.
Sydney FC fans at the SCG (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
“For The Cove, the trust in those in charge has evaporated,” read just one line of a lengthy statement.
The possibility of a Sydney derby in the finals will no doubt test their resolve.
But in the meantime, APL chief executive and former Sydney FC supremo Danny Townsend must be secretly hoping the Wanderers battle their way through the finals to ward off the very real threat of the Grand Final taking place in front of tens of thousands of empty seats.