FIFTY-EIGHTH EDITION X SEASON 2016/17 X ROUND 1 VS SYDNEY FC PrOUDLY BRoUGHT TO YOU BY CONTENTS Everything you need for tonight’s match FIFTY-EIGHTH EDITION REGULAR X SEASON 2016/17 X ROUND 1 VS SYDNEY FC COLUMNS OPEN LETTER 5 WARM UP 6 PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY FIVE THINGS 11 NEW LOOK WANDERERS PLAYERS TO WATCH 13 THE WANDERER Out to turn the tables The views in this publication are FOX FOOTBALL FOCUS 15 not necessarily the views of the NRMA Insurance Western Sydney TODAY'S MATCH 16 Wanderers FC. Material in this publication is copyrighted and may only be reproduced with the written FOX FOOTBALL FIX 20 permission from the Club. ANTH'S SPOT ADVERTISING THE DIFFERENCE 22 For all advertising enquiries for The Wanderer or questions about CORPORATE NEWS 23 partnership with the club please contact the Corporate Partnerships team by sending an email to TAKE FIVE 25 [email protected] GUARDIAN FUNERALS PHOTOGRAPHY WANDERCREW MEMBERS All photography in The Wanderer is OF THE WEEK 26 courtesy of Ali Erhan, Getty Images, NEW HOMES and Steve Christo. The Wanderers have unpacked into IN THE COMMUNITY 27 their new home OUR PARTNERS 30 Enjoy our range of corporate hospitality this season including the Wanderers Sports Bar VISIT WANDERLAND.COM.AU VISIT WANDERLAND.COM.AU 3 Pedestal Fan LV-16S-RT-P We’re your #1 fan » Attractive Slim Design » Super Quiet » Low Power Consumption » Automatic ON/OFF Timer » Remote Control » Three Fan Speeds Mitsubishi Electric, proudly supporting The Western Sydney Wanderers FC. Classy Red Classy Grey For more information on the pedestal fan range For more information on our products please scan the QR Code. Phone:1300 280 625 please visit www.mitsubishielectric.com.au OPEN LETTER Pedestal Fan LV-16S-RT-P We’re your #1 fan in again. On the pitch and at Tony Popovic training the players have been » Attractive Slim Design » Super Quiet » Low Power Consumption dedicated and focused. This previews the year season is going to be something » Automatic ON/OFF Timer » Remote Control » Three Fan Speeds ahead special and with your support we will continue our ambition to be a Club that is respected domestically and internationally. Tonight we open the season with the 13th edition of the Sydney Derby, a match that eading the Western our whole Club shares a Sydney Wanderers unique passion for and one LFootball Club into our we are determined to win. Mitsubishi Electric, proudly supporting fifth season is a great honour. Playing our first ever match As a Club we have great pride at ANZ Stadium in front The Western Sydney Wanderers FC. in what we have achieved as of a record crowd will be a a group. From the players and special experience for us all. staff to our members and fans, As a group we have the drive this Club has created its own and the determination to be Classy Red Classy Grey unique history in a short time. successful again this year and This season we will compete I look forward to sharing this in the Hyundai A-League and journey with all of you. return for our third time to the AFC Champions League, a TONY POPOVIC HEAD COACH For more information on the pedestal fan range For more information on our products tournament we plan to succeed please scan the QR Code. Phone:1300 280 625 please visit www.mitsubishielectric.com.au FOLLOW @WSWANDERERSFC #WSW 5 WARM-UP COURTESY OF ANDREW HOWE @ANDYHOWE_STATTO WITH HAYDEN FOXE E HAVE ALL had a very good positive pre-season for us. Wbreak in the off-season to Tonight you are all here for the rest our minds and bodies and Sydney Derby and we have prepared prepare for the upcoming Hyundai for this match by looking at it from A-League season. all angles. The pre-season we has been very We try to treat each game in the good for us as a team and club: we same way in terms of preparation but had quite a turn-over of players this when it’s a Derby there is always a little year and the new boys have gelled something extra that’s on the table. and adapted very well to our training As usual, there has been a program, method of play and most lot of hype surrounding this importantly the clubs philosophy. match and it’s our first game of We had some very good trips away the season so you can tell that both domestically and internationally everyone is very excited. travelling to the Gold Coast and I believe tonight will be an Japan where we worked very hard excellent spectacle for the Hyundai physically, mentally and have been A-League and what a great way for able to build good camaraderie the season to start with a Sydney amongst both the players and the staff. Derby for all our Members and fans. he first Australian national league Overall, it was a very encouraging and Who do you sing for! Tgame to take place at ANZ Stadium was played on this day in 1999 when Parramatta Power defeated the Melbourne Knights 2-1. Sydney's main venue for the 2000 Olympics opened EXPERIENCe WANDERLAND earlier in 1999 and the Socceroos v ON A WhOLE NEW LEVEL World Star XI game in June marked Includes a 1.5 hour beverage the official opening of the stadium. This and catering package - you’ll be exhibition game was watched by 88,000 entertained and you can catch people which was a then-record largest the best atmosphere in Australian crowd to watch a Socceroos' game in sport. Available at both ANZ and Australia. At the 2000 Olympics just Spotless Stadiums. over 104,000 people attended the men's TICkETS $175 PER PERSON football final, won by Spain on penalties over Cameroon, the largest VISIT WANDERLAND.COM.AU crowd to watch any football (soccer) match in Australia. 6 THE WANDERER ROUND 1 WARM-UP WITH CATHERINE CANNULI @cANNULI_13 INCE THE END of the last Hyundai country. I’m also hoping that we are able SA-League season, I’ve spent my to break the record crowd tonight. time coaching with the Southern As always, with a new season comes Districts Football Association in their new players. From what I have seen so far Women’s Program so that has kept the new additions to the squad look great. me very busy. Kerem Bulut’s return to the Red I have been counting down the & Black will bring extra attacking days until the start of the season and power to the team this season. As we SCORE I’m genuinely looking forward to saw during his 2015 stint with the * watching all of our matches. It will club where he scored five goals in give me something different to do on nine games (two of those in a Sydney the weekends. Derby) we know he is ruthless in front FREE Tonight is the Western Sydney of goal. This is amazing for us as fans so Wanderers' first match of the Hyundai hopefully there will be a lot of goals to MOVIES A-League 2016/17 season and we celebrate this season. are opening it with the blockbuster I expect the Wanderers to come Sydney Derby. out strong in tonight’s game and pull This is the thirteenth Derby that has together both as a team and as a club divided the city and I’m expecting it to for such a big match. be really amazing for football in this Come on you Wanderers! + 100 eventcinemas.com.au/ WSWREWARDS POINTS wswanderers E NTER TONIGHT’S CODE WORD SYDNEYDERBY A ND WIN 100 BONUS POINTS DOWNLOAD THE APP WSW REWARDS *CODE IS ONLY AVAILABLE UNTIL 6:00PM SUNDAY 9 OCTOBER 2016 *T&C’s apply 2014/15 CORPORATE PARTNER WATCH WSWTV 7 FEATURE MARQUEE MAN Nicolás Martínez joined the Wanderers this season as their marquee 8 FEATURE The winds of change have swept through Western Sydney on the dawn of the Hyundai A-League season STORY BY JACOB WINDON @jACOBWINDON this self-styled evolution bears rivals in all but one Hyundai immediate fruit when the A-League season, there is no Wanderers host their arch- doubting that recent results rivals for a huge blockbuster against Graham Arnold’s side derby at ANZ Stadium. are beginning to sting with a The season might officially little more poignancy. begin on a Friday but this is Western Sydney are undoubtedly the opening to winless against the Sky the new campaign both sets Blues in their last seven of fans will have wanted and matches, a run that dates ollowing what seems the kind of fixture that ought back to January 2014. The an annual clear out of to give the 12th Hyundai Wanderers faithful will hope Fthe side that made their A-League season the jump- that the clean slate they begin third Grand Final appearance start it needs. the season with will offer in four years last season, the With a Grand Final a reprieve in this manner, Wanderers find themselves rematch against Adelaide in but it also offers a series of entering the new campaign in the City of Churches looming question marks for the derby a state of flux. next week, the Wanderers curtain-raiser. In the long game it has so know the importance of The Wanderers were often proved the blueprint for breaking their turgid spell hit harder than most by success for Tony Popovic but against their neighbours.