Western Sydney Wanderers: Champions of Asia
All week Al-Hilal football club had berated their opposition, uplifted their chances, and appeared relaxed with the belief that they would easily dispose of their “small” opponents come the second-leg of the Asian Champions League final. However, fast-forward ninety minutes of heart-stopping football, and they will all be eating their words as the Western Sydney Wanderers have unbelievably won the title 1-0 on aggregate after holding the home side to a nil-all stalemate. Ante Covic lead the heroics and deservingly claimed Asia’s Most Valuable Player Award after yet another sensational display between the sticks. Tony Popovic’s men displayed an unbelievable demonstration of the Australian spirit once more. Here’s how it happened:
Al-Hilal coach Laurentiu Reghecampf had promised all associated with his club that the Wanderers would leave King Fahd International Stadium empty handed. Notwithstanding this, even the radical supporters, despite the first-leg loss, upheld such a confidence in their team believing that regardless of what transpires; the coveted Asian Champions League trophy would be theirs.
The first half began in a similar manner to that of which started out last week in Parramatta. Al-Hilal were fully focused on the task at hand, and saw the majority of possession to be in their favour. To the Wanderers’ credit it seemed sitting back was not the primary priority asserted by coach Tony Popovic either, as they pressed high in an effort to keep the ball in the opposing half.
However, a combination of poor ball retention, misplaced distribution, and heavy touches ultimately culminated into an Al-Hilal onslaught of pressure and attempts on goal. The constant threat this paced-filled outfit possess out wide were key focal points for every built-up passage of play the Saudi side constructed. Shannon Cole, having been shifted to right-back in favour of Appiah Kubi at the right side of midfield, performed considerably well in order to sustain any near-opportunity coming to fruition.
In fact, the whole line of defence in conjunction with first-leg-‘keeping hero Ante Covic kept the slef-proclaimed ‘bosses’ of Saudi Arabia at bay in desperate but dependable fashion. To the dismay and unfortunate luck of the home side, the late cries for a penalty to be awarded in their favour were – fortunately for the Australians – waved away. As each minute ticked on, the frustration grew.
Al-Hilal came out in the second half deciding to switch tactics toward the similar game plan utilised last weekend in the first-leg. This transition to implement the quick-exchange pass-and-move style of football almost paid dividends if it weren’t for more desperate defending and a quick Ante Covic repeatedly racing off his line.
This is not to say Hilal’s methods were sustained. On the contrary, they only intensified. Bringing on highly talented forward Yasser Al-Qahtani and later, Mohammad Al-Shalhoub to reiterate the initiative of levelling the tie. While Western Sydney did respond with introducing first-leg goal scorer Tomi Juric, Reghecampf’s troops continued seemingly unassailably.
Midway through the second half the Saudi side were very lucky to have not been awarded a penalty once more, as Ante Covic rushed out and collected the opposing winger cleanly. To the relief of the away side, and the fourteen Sydney-travelling faithful, referee Yuichi Nishimura waved it away once more. By this point the sound booming from the enormous sixty-odd-thousand in attendance was deafening: full of frustration. It was as if the script simply denied the Champions of 2000 from any joy.
As crunch time effectively signified more men from the home side bursting forward, Wanderer Ante Covic, much like he did in the first-leg, stepped up once again to deliver a fine series of heroic saves. One of which has already been placed alongside Mark Schwarzer’s World Cup Qualifying saves of 2005 against Uruguay, in Australian football folklore. With the Red-and-Black’s defence torn apart once again, a cutback into the path of the usually deadly Al-Qahtani was expertly tipped away by a sprawling right arm of the Australian custodian.
These efforts truly typified the fairy-tale campaign that the Western Sydney Wanderers have endured on their first attempt of participating. It has been a remarkable journey for this ever-growing and newly established football club. Even though as the full-time whistle sounded and Nasser Al-Shamrani spat, pushed, and potentially punched at anything and everything Western Sydney-related; in the end it will do little in spoiling the achievement earned by Tony Popovic and his players.
Against all odds, while the thousands party and celebrate in Parramatta and all throughout the suburbs of Western Sydney, in Saudi Arabia the Western Sydney Wanderers have held Al-Hilal football club to a nil-all draw: winning 1-0 on aggregate. It was tough, nail biting, and hard fought. But at the end of a stellar campaign, Wanderers have created history by becoming the first side in Australian to win Asia’s most coveted club prize. Congratulations: Asia truly sings for the Western Sydney Wanderers.
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