By the Palm Trees – Western Sydney Wanderers vs Central Coast Mariners (Semi Final)
The Central Coast Mariners remain in the hunt for back to back A-League Championships, after booking their place in the semi-finals this weekend against Western Sydney Wanderers, with a win over Adelaide United. After a tense and tactical encounter Bernie Ibini provided the goal which ensured a deserved win over the Reds and sent the yellow fans home with smiles on their faces and the dream still alive.
Adelaide United were no easy beats and tried a variety of tactics to breakdown the well-known defensive structure of the Mariners, but it was to no avail. Phil Moss put plenty of tactical savvy into a game plan himself and it worked a treat against the Reds moving the home side to within a game of a third Grand Final in four years.
During the week the Mariners travelled long distance, to Japan to take on the might of SanFrecce Hiroshima with the prize a place in the ACL round of sixteen against Western Sydney Wanderers. After starting slowly, the Mariners begun to put together a decent performance before succumbing to a red card followed by a deflected free kick goal. Down to ten men, the task became near impossible and despite a couple of late chances they were unable to get the draw required to see them through to the next stage.
Following the loss in Japan the Mariners have been on an intercontinental dash to get themselves back to Australia in time to prepare for their biggest match of the season so far, only arriving in Sydney the day before their semi-final. In contrast, Western Sydney come into the match well rested and in high spirits after a five nil demolition of their opponents in their mid-week ACL clash, played at their home ground, against a second or third string Chinese side already eliminated from the tournament.
Clashes between these teams have traditionally been tight and even affairs and this one will be no exception. The Wanderers have undoubted quality across their squad and have recently been able to rotate players without any obvious weakness being exposed. Last time the two met it was at Central Coast Stadium where the Mariners walked away with the points in a close contest, two goals to one. Previous to that it was the Wanderers who took the points when they overcame the Mariners by two goals to nil at their home ground. Overall, the Mariners have the edge with the overall score being Mariners three, Wanderers two and two draws but this won’t be relevant on the night. What will count is passion, belief, pride and character and while both sides have plenty of these qualities, these are the things the Central Coast Mariners have been known for over nine years.
So, the Mariners find themselves with their backs to the wall and seemingly every variable stacked against them in a do or die clash for the right to defend their Championship. There is no doubting the size of the task facing the men in yellow and there will be no shame for the team no matter what happens in the game. One thing is for sure though – when the Mariners are faced with seemingly insurmountable challenges, it’s truly amazing how often they have not only stepped up to the plate, but brought home the bacon.
Given the history and tactical methodology of both teams there is no doubt the match will be a close one. Two teams will be intent on keeping clean sheets but will believe within themselves that they can take their attacking opportunities, however small, when they arise. I think with this as the backdrop, if the Mariners can establish a lead within normal time they can come away with a normal time victory. If extra time is required, and I think that is a highly likely possibility, if the Mariners can summon the energy to continue to carry out their game plan and close out their opposition to setup a penalty shoot-out, they can come away with the opportunity to make their fifth Grand Final appearance.
My prediction: Central Coast Mariners to win on penalties.
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