Western Sydney Wanderers FC
1
Match Complete
Western United FC
1
| 87' |  | A. Calver | ||
| P. Ziegler | | 79' | ||
| 61' |  | C. Pain | ||
| P. Schwegler | | 38' | ||
| P. Ziegler | | 30' | ||
| 22' | | P. Kone |
| 19 | Shots | 4 | ||
| 4 | On Target | 2 | ||
| 17 | Fouls | 11 | ||
| 9 | Corners | 2 | ||
| 2 | Offsides | 2 | ||
| 0 | Red Cards | 0 | ||
| 2 | Yellow Cards | 2 |
Match result
An arm wrestle at Bankwest stadium ends with a point a piece, as a late Aaron Calver header earned Western United a point against the run of play to end the game 1-1.
Manager Markus Babbel, and Wanderers fans, will be bitterly disappointed to drop two points here after they controlled the second half and did enough to earn a one-goal lead after Patrick Ziegler’s 79th-minute goal.
It was a tight game throughout – the first half in particular punctuated by few meaningful chances and a lot of middle third possession – but the second half seemed to be set-up for a Wanderers win before Calver spoiled the party.
The Wanderers edged possession (55% to 45%) and more than edged every other statistical category by having 19 shots to four, and four on target to two.
But it just wasn’t enough on a frustrating night where Kwame Yeboah was off his game, Mitch Duke was lively but lacking a final ball, and where Alex Meier wasn’t able to monster opponents in the box in the way he favours.
Indeed it was a bitterly disappointing result for the Wanderers against a United side whose forward transitions relied wholly on either Panagiotis Kone and Alessandro Diamanti and, when Kone was removed with injury, asked entirely too much of Diamanti.
Veteran poacher Besart Berisha was a non-factor, and United’s best chance came in the first minute of the game when Kone’s shot was blasted straight at Daniel Lopar in goal.
After the go-ahead goal to defender Zeiglar it seemed inevitable that the Wanderers would go on and win, but this United side has a never-say-die attitude that was re-inforced when Calver – a centre-back turned wingback – made a run into the box to get onto the floating back post cross of his fellow wingback Connor Pain to make it 1-1.
It was a heartbreaking turn of events for Babbel, who will now face another week of “will they won’t they” questions about the axe.
Final score
Western Sydney Wanderers 1
Western United 1
Match preview
Be prepared for a lot of ‘wild west’ jokes this weekend as Western Sydney Wanderers take on Western United at Bankwest Stadium tonight at 7:30pm (AEDT). Join The Roar for live scores and a blog of the match.
The home western team, and the more westerly of the two, Western Sydney Wanderers, are in freefall down the table having lost their last five. After a fantastic start that had them hovering near top spot, they now sit outside the top six and manager Markus Babbel is teetering on the precipice.
Last week’s 2-0 loss in (the far more western) Perth continued to confound. The Wanderers are losing these games with mostly their best XI, and just cannot find a combination that works, including a meaningful path to goal. Babbel is now chopping and changing his side each week, rolling experienced players out for youth and vice-versa.
These are extremely troubling signs for Wanderers fans and a poor result at home tonight might just be the death knell for Babbel.
On the other hand, Western United have steadied their ship, winning the last two after dropping three in a row. Their 2-0 win away in Brisbane against a hapless Roar will have boosted their confidence to no end, and they now sit in third and the top of the peloton behind Sydney and Melbourne City.
The expansion side is largely following the model set for them by their opponents tonight in building a team with readymade talent, wise old heads, some top-shelf imports and a couple of youngsters for good measure.
Much like the Wanderers were under Tony Popovic, Western United are a canny side difficult to break down (they are also third for goals conceded), and with Besart Berisha up front and the high functioning marquee Alessandro Diamanti just behind him shooting on sight, goals are always on the cards.
The big news from selections is on the Western Melbourne side. Erstwhile Socceroo right back Josh Risdon is out with injury, while veteran Scott McDonald is given a recall after his surprising omission in recent weeks. It’s not overly clear what disrupted his relationship with manager Mark Rudan, but he’s back from the doghouse and could start alongside Berisha to provide more poaching experience in the box.
Prediction
This is the Wanderers’ chance to arrest their slide in form against an effective if un-flamboyant Western United. This has the sniff of being either a hard-fought victory for the Wanderers, or a depressing 2-0 loss. Fans of Hertha Berlin’s 2010-11 promotion season from Bundesliga 2 – or weird manager fashions – will be praying for the former.
Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 Western United
Join The Roar for live scores of tonight’s A-League clash between Western United and the Wanderers from 7:30pm (AEDT).
Game information
Kick-off: 7:30pm (AEDT)
Venue: Bankwest Stadium
TV: Fox Sports
Online: Kayo Sports, Foxtel Go, MyFootballLive app
Odds: Western Sydney $2.50, Western United $2.80, draw $3.50
Josh
Guest
No, being 2-0 down at halftime to a team that's been below par this season is what you'd call a rabble.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
Thanks all for your time tonight! It's a fairly big weekend of football. The (original) Melbourne derby is tomorrow night and it could get hairy for Marco Kurz. The pick of the European games is Man City v Leicester on Sunday morning which should be a cracker. Well, in the very least, it will be at my place at 4.30am with the sound off in complete darkness trying not to wake up a 3 year old. Have fantastic weekends all, and happy holidays if I don't blog for you before then!
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
MATCH REPORT. An arm wrestle at Bankwest ends with a point a piece, as a late Aaron Calver header earns Western United a point against the run of play to end the game 1-1. Manager Markus Babbel, and Wanderers fans, will be bitterly disappointed to drop 2 points here after they controlled the second half and did enough to keep the 1 goal lead provided to them by Patrick Ziegler’s 79th minute goal. It was a tight game throughout – the first half in particular punctuated by few meaningful chances and a lot of middle third possession – but the second half seemed to be set-up for a Wanderers win before Aaron Calver spoiled the party. The Wanderers edged possession (55% to 45%) and more than edged every other statistical category by having 19 shots to 4, and 4 on target to 2. But it just wasn’t enough on a frustrating night where Kwame Yeboah was off his game, Mitch Duke was lively but lacking a final ball, and where Alex Meier wasn’t able to monster opponents in the box in the way he favours. Indeed it was a bitterly disappointing result for the Wanderers against a United side whose forward transitions relied wholly on either Kone and Diamanti and, when Kone was removed with injury, asked entirely too much of Alessandro Diamanti. Veteran poacher Besart Berisha was a non-factor, and United’s best chance came in the first minute of the game when Kone’s shot was blasted straight at Lopar in goal. After the go-ahead goal to defender Zeiglar it seemed inevitable that the Wanderers would go on and win, but this United side has a never-say-die attitude that was re-inforced when Calver – a centerback turned wingback – made a run into the box to get onto the floating back post cross of his fellow wingback Connor Pain to make it 1-1. It was a heartbreaking turn of events for Markus Babbel, who will now face another week of “will they won’t they” questions about the axe. MAN OF THE MATCH was Keanu Baccus. Baccus is now one of the best midfielders in the A-League and surely clubs from outside our shores will be looking at him as a combative, run-all-day player you can trust. He had multiple shots, covered every blade of grass and flicked on the corner which found Ziegler’s head for the opener. Baccus is far too good for the A-League and deserves to be discussed alongside other future Socceroos midfielders like Riley McGree.
Nemesis
Guest
Ridiculous comment to call them a rabble. Were they a rabble when they went 1-0 up? They conceded an equaliser. That happens regularly in football. Appears more dramatic when it happens in the 87' than in the 3rd minute, but it's the same outcome. Losing a match when you're leading 0-2 and 1-3 at Lang Park? That's what I'd call inexcusable & a team that's a rabble.
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Wanderers are a rabble. Giving up the lead is inexcusable. This result must hurt like a loss.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
FULL TIME! It's a draw here - an unlikely result on the balance of play - as the United equalise the game 1-1
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
90+5' -SHOT WIDE for Yeboah. He finds the side netting after taking United on, driving down the right and trying a shot on a tight angle but he can't get the angle right | WSW 1 - WUN 1
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
You have to wonder how Rudan's Pheonix team may have fared with some experienced playmakers like Diamanti.....
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
We approach the 90 here..... there will be 5 EXTRA MINUTES
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
That will sting Babbel and the Wanderers.... it's almost worse than the game finishing 0-0 after the Wanderers got the lead, had control, and then gave up a goal.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
87' - GOAL UNITED!! It comes from NOWHERE!! It's Calver, ghosting into the box from the right and Connor Pain flicks a ball to the back post and Calver's there to get a smart touch onto it, poking it off his forehead the wrong side of Lopar and into the back of the net. | WSW 1 - WUN 1
Stevo
Roar Rookie
Hahahahaha, WU strike back!
87'
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
86' - And immediatly Yuel is called OFFSIDE, a very late call, from a ball over the top that he is 3 metres in the clear for | WSW 1 - WUN 0
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
85' - A final change for United. Durrante is OFF and Yuel is ON. Yuel is a fantastically quick forward from Bentleigh who Rudan will be hoping can stretch the Wanderers defence in the last 5-10minutes | WSW 1 - WUN 0
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
83' - FREE KICK for United which Diamanti blasts into the wall. It was a touch angle for a left footer just outside the left upright, about 25m out, but the wall is up to it, and the Wanderers clear from the rebound ball in | WSW 1 - WUN 0
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
It was definitely coming. They've been the better side for the second half, and the constant pressure on the United goal was eventually going to lead to better chances. It was a fantastic flick on from Baccus at the near post that made that goal. He's been everywhere tonight.
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
79' - GOAL!! It's IN FOR THE WANDERERS!! ZIEGLER gets his head from the touch on from Baccus at the front post, and Ziegler is running onto the back post to basically tap it in from close range. It was a long time coming but very well deserved by the Wanderers. | WSW 1 - WUN 0
79'
Lucas Gillard
Roar Guru
Gotta play to your strengths I guess