Western Sydney Wanderers FC
1
Match Complete
Melbourne Victory
2
| 86' |  | O. Toivonen | ||
| O. Riera |  | 77' | ||
| A. Baumjohann | | 74' | ||
| 63' | | C. Valeri | ||
| 48' | | S. Roux | ||
| 45' | | O. Toivonen |
| 24 | Shots | 8 | ||
| 6 | On Target | 3 | ||
| 14 | Fouls | 18 | ||
| 12 | Corners | 6 | ||
| 3 | Offsides | 4 | ||
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 | ||
| 1 | Yellow Cards | 2 |
Match result:
The absence of Keisuke Honda didn’t stop Melbourne Victory recording a 2-1 win away from home against the Western Sydney Wanderers.
Final score
Western Sydney Wanderers 1
Melbourne Victory 2
Match preview:
Round 11 represents an opportunity to make a statement for both Western Sydney Wanderers and Melbourne Victory at ANZ Stadium in Sydney this Saturday evening at 7:50pm (AEST). Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match.
If the wheels haven’t completely fallen off the Wanderer’s season, then they are dangerously wobbling.
Things haven’t gone to plan so far for new coach Markus Babbel, who has steered a young team (in particular a young midfield) through this ‘developmental’ period to eighth on the table and six points off the finals.
Babbel’s frustration has been palpable, and one wonders if he truly knew what to expect from his first position outside of Europe.
And it appears that tonight he will be managing his side at home without arguably their best player Josh Risdon (who is with the Socceroos at the AFC Cup) and without their ultras – the Red and Black Bloc.
After most of them walked out of last week’s 2-0 loss to Victory’s local rivals City – and those who remained booed – Wanderers Chairman Paul Lederer was forced this week into an embarrassing open letter to fans urging them to stick with Babbel, who evidently ‘shone out’ against 13 other coaches he was up against for the job.
The chairman’s words have been backed up, in part, by the addition of a couple of new players in this transfer window.
Highly rated youth prospect Mathieu Cordier has been added to tonight’s squad (from their academy), while striker Kwame Yeboah has returned from years in Germany’s lower leagues and Borussia Monchengladbach’s academy to also be included in the Wanderers’ squad.
Given how much Western Sydney rely on striker Oriol Riera, some support and alternatives should boost Babbel’s repertoire.
Given their on and off the field problems, now isn’t the best time to be facing the Victory, who along with Perth has been the standout team so far this season – and pummelled Wanderers in their last recent meeting in Melbourne 4-0.
However, things aren’t quite as rosy in the Victory camp as the ladder might suggest. Despite being undefeated in eight games, Victory’s last two have ended in draws and were done without star import Keisuke Honda, who is out for another month with a hamstring.
Indeed, ironically, without Honda Victory have looked more like a family sedan than the Rolls Royce they are with him in the side.
Only Ola Toivonen’s finishing class has ensured those draws.
Indeed there were times where both Wellington and City looked good for their points in Victory’s recent matches, and found ways to disrupt Victory’s usual harmony in their forward transitions.
Relying more heavily on discarded Socceroo James Troisi, they have lacked the fluidity that Honda delivers with his passing range and vision.
Gratefully for Victory they will be able to stiffen their defence with talented foreign imports Raul Baena and George Niedermeier available for this match after both had missed several recent outings.
That should make an already improbable Wanderers goal in this game even less likely.
Prediction
The Wanderers need to make a statement in this game and now is the time to do that against a top team missing its playmaker, and who are markedly less brilliantly without him.
Having said that, only a real gambler could predict a Wanderers result in this game. In fact, more likely, this is the game where the Victory plan B (ie the one without Honda) finally kicks into gear.
Western Sydney Wanderers 0 – Melbourne Victory 2
Nicholas Belardo
Roar Guru
No.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
MATCH REPORT. A desperately unlucky result for the Wanderers, going down 2-1 to a Victory team who only really made 2 good chances and took them both. Two goals from Ola Toivonen and two assists from James Troisi served only to underline the Wanderers lack of quality in their forward third. It was 24 shots to 8 and 7 on target to 3, and key Victory players were missing completely or well below their best; but it didn’t matter in the end. If Troisi has time on the ball and Toivonen half a chance, Victory will always be a dangerous proposition. The other difference maker for Melbourne was keeper Lawrence Thomas who made several key saves, including getting behind a powerful Ziegler header in the first and the tip from Fitzgerald late onto the upright. The Wanderers had a lot of industry and possession in their forward third, but Thomas was the difference between winning and losing tonight. Improbably, the losers will be pleased with their performance and victorious Kevin Muscat will probably be disappointed. There were green chutes from the Wanderers that they can focus on to go forward. Tate Russell on debut at right back was fantastic and did more than enough to retain his position – and may even tempt the Wanderers brass to accept an offer for Josh Risdon this January. Keanu Baccus and O’Doherty generally made life hard for the Victory midfield, and Roly Bonevacia was dangerous on the ball throughout. Markus Babbel will be desperately annoyed to have been on the end of a poor offside call late on Majok – who was onside and through on goal – the linesman not only getting that call wrong but also seemingly forgetting that VAR can clear up a poor non-call but not the other way around. Despite this, the class of Alex Baumjohann will be please Wanderers brass. The former Bayern Munich man was their man of the match, and was involved in every good move and played his best A-League game, winning and converting the penalty and bossing the centre of the park and making Carl Valeri look well past his prime. MAN OF THE MATCH, however, has to be Thomas. He kept Melbourne in the game when the pressure was at its peak, breaking Wanderer hearts with save after save, often from point blank range.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
TIME'S UP. Melbourne Victory win this 2-1. Victory pinch the points here after a brave and unlucky effort by the Wanderers.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
94' - Riera is OFFSIDE in what must be the final play of the game, a ball floated in by Baumjohann finding the Spanish striker but his run is poorly timed.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
Victory wasting as much time as they can now. There's a minute left now and Wanderers looking to pump balls forward.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
Another CORNER for the Wanderers. They have nearly everyone forward and are pouncing on any rebounds. This time a long chance to Bonevacia who, true to form, pokes it tamely and wide.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
4 EXTRA MINUTES.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
89' - OFF THE UPRIGHT AND OUT FOR the Wanderers! They are pumping balls into the mixer now and a shot floats to the back post and Fitzgerald, unmarked, powers a shot which takes a fingernail from Thomas onto the upright. Oh so close!
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
88' - a LONG shot for Fitzgerald, deflected wide for a corner. Before then Victory make another substitute. Roux is OFF and Niedermeier is ON.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
Despair for the Wanderers who have dominated this half and most of the game. Just like the first half, a moment of class between Victory's main men - Troisi and Toivonen - creates the goal after Wanderers switch off for a second in the back.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
86' - THERE IS REALLY NO JUSTICE. VICTORY SCORE! It's Toivonen again! Troisi dances through the back four all too easily and he cuts back and finds Toivonen square in the guts and it rolls in from a yard. Ziegler should have cleared but got nothing on it at the near post. Victory go ahead 2-1
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Ugly goal by Toivs but they'll take it. WSW just can't take a trick.
86'
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
85' - SHOT WIDE from Bonevacia. It's a long shot - 25 yards - and he hits it tamely and it rolls past Thomas, well wide of the goal. It wasn't a good chance but it was poorly taken.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
84' - Victory with a corner and Majok, patrolling the near post makes a poor clearance, and has to use every twitch of pace he has to get to it and clear properly with his boot.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
The rain is coming down harder here. And the replay shows that Majok was onside.... shocking call from the referees who must have forgotten that VAR exists. They really should have let that run.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
82' - Victory make another change. Antonis is OFF after being a non-factor tonight (barely sighted) and Baena is ON
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
81' - Majok now, through on goal one on one but is OFFSIDE! We'll need the replay to see whether THAT is another talking point!
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
On the replay he looked like he wanted to go for the top corner, but hit it way too low and Broxham was there. Again, finishing class just letting the Wanderers down.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
79' - CLEARED OFF THE LINE BY BROXHAM!! Fitzgerald was through on goal! Thomas came miles off his line and hit the deck, Fitzgerald rounded him with his ease and was through on goal but Victory had Roux and Broxham back. The former City man took way too long to get his shot off and hit it straight at Broxham's forehead. That should have put the Wanderers up!