INSIDE THIS ISSUE the YEAR AHEAD POLENZ Vs FENTON an Exciting Year Beckons for Our Wander Women Jaushua Sotirio No Rest for the Talented
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TWENTY-FIRST EdITIoN • SEaSoN 2013/14 VS WELLINGTON PHOENIX INSIDE THIS ISSUE THE YEAR AHEAD POLENZ VS FENTON AN EXCITING YEAR BECKONS FOR OUR WANDER WOMEN JAUSHUA SOTIRIO NO REST FOR THE TALENTED PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY 03 VISIT WSWANDERERSFC.COM.AU & SIGN UP TO THE WEEKLY WANDERER THIS WEEK ... FOLLOW US @WSWANDERERSFC 05 FROM THE CHAIRMAN 23 TAKE FIVE WITH ... Welcome to 2014; welcome to Wanderland Yianni Perkatis takes some time – what a year we have in store out with The Wanderer 07 NEWS AND VIEWS 25 NO REST FOR THE TALENTED Tonight’s match at a glance with on this Recently capped by the senior side, The Wanderer day, score wrap-ups and more. talks to Foxtel NYL player Jaushua Sotirio 07 SPOT THE DIFFERENCE 27 Inner SANCTUM Can you spot the five differences this week? a select group of Partners experienced a unique event at Pirtek Stadium 08 THE YEAR AHEAD The Wanderer looks at what’s in 28 #WanderTweeT store for the club in 2014 We enjoyed your #SummerFootball tweets. are you in this weeks issue? 13 PLayers TO waTCH Jerome Polenz and Louis Fenton The views in this publication are not necessarily the 16 Today'S MATCH views of the NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers Brought to you by amart Sports FC. Material in this publication is copyrighted and may only be reproduced with the written permission of the 19 AN EXCITING YEAR BECKONS NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers FC. All FOR OUR WANDER WOMEN photography courtesy of Getty Images, George Suresh, The Wanderer chats to our Wander Women efcso media, and Quarrie Sports Photography. Front cover to see what they’re up to in 2014 and this page courtesy of Getty Images. OFFICIAL HYUNDAI A-LEAGUE PARTNERS WSWANDERERSFC.COM.AU At European Glass & Glazing we We specialise in have built our reputation on 30 Glass partitions years experience in the industry Mirrors 2 Rennie Street and provide commercial and Colourback glass Wetherill Park NSW 2164 residential glass installations Glass repairs PH 9609 1270 throughout Sydney Supply and delivery of glass Shopfront glazing www.europeanglass.com.au 05 FROM THE CHAIRMAN... Happy New Year. I hope the festive season has been a safe, relaxing and fun-filled one for you and your family and friends and that the year ahead brings you every wish you seek. hat an exciting year it is shaping to be. We enter the second half of the 2013/14 HyundaiW A-League in a strong position on the table with both our players and staff fresh, focussed and primed to take on the wonderful opportunities that 2014 has an offer. A strong start on and off the field to our second season as a Club has ensured we are well placed for what we all know is a massive season for our club. Today our game against Wellington Phoenix kicks off the new year for the A-League – would we really want it any other way? On January 11 we return to Wanderland for one of the most anticipated matches of the season, the Sydney Derby. I cannot wait to witness the sea of Red & Black in Wanderland for this very special moment on our calendar. It will be a match not to forget and as a fan not to miss. While the Hyundai A-League remains an important focus, on February 26 our focus broadens as we enter Asia for the first time, when we host Ulsan Hyundai in our inaugural match in the Asian Champions League. This is a moment of great pride for our club, a moment to savour and one to revel in. For a minimum of six matches we have the chance to be a part of Asia’s elite competition, putting our players, our coaches, our fans, our partners and our region firmly front and centre on the world stage. An exciting prospect and one I look forward to sharing in with all of you. From everyone at the Wanderers we wish you a happy new year. Let’s make it a special one for each other and for Western Sydney, the wonderful region that is proudly our homeland. Lyall Gorman Executive Chairman NRMa Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers WSWANDERERSFC.COM.AU 07 NEWS & VIEWS ROUND ON THIS day... WRAP-UP Courtesy of andrew Howe @AndyHowe_statto anuary 1 marks the anniversary of one of the most significant events for HYUNDAI A-LEAGUE Jaustralian football. on the first day of 2006 australia formally moved Round 11 Mon 23 dec, into the asian Football Confederation (aFC) after being part of the much Pirtek Stadium weaker oceania Football Confederation for decades. The move into asia Western Sydney Wanderers 2 was not an easy path; australia had to convince the powerful asian lobby (Juric 20, Hersi 33) of the benefits of the move which meant that the established aFC nations Central Coast Mariners 0 would effectively lose spots (at the expense of newcomers australia) in the various men's and women's World Cups. The Socceroos' qualification into the 2010 and 2014 FIFa World Cups proved their fears true. The 2015 aFC asian Cup is being held in australia in just over a year's time. WESTFIELD W-LEAGUE Round 6 Sun 22 dec, Centrebet Stadium Western Sydney Wanderers 3 (o'Neill 45, Cannuli 71, 76) THE NUMBER OF INDIVIDUAL Newcastle Jets 0 GOAL SCORERS FOXTEL National WE'VE HAD AGAINST WELLINGTON PHOENIX. YOUTH LEAGUE REMARKABLY NO WANDERER HAS Round 9 Sun 22 dec, Epping SC SCORED TWICE AGAINST THEM. Melbourne Heart 0 Western Sydney Wanderers 3 (Barresi 56, Fofanah 68, 5 VISIT WSWANDERERSFC.COM.AU & SIGN UP TO THE WEEKLY WANDERER andrijasevic 74og) WANT MORE? FOLLOW US @WSWANDERERSFC SPOT THE DIFFERENCE Spot the five differences between these two photos. WSWANDERERSFC.COM.AU 08 WANDERERS FC VS WELLINGTON PHOENIX 09 THE YEAR AHEAD Story by Josh Bennett @josh_n_bennett 2013 is a tough act to follow for the NRMa Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers. after securing the Premiership with an emphatic 3-0 victory over the Newcastle Jets back in March, the Wanderers stormed all the way to the grand final before succumbing to the Central Coast Mariners. uite an achievement for any Hyundai a-League Ulsan Hyundai recently finished second in the club but simply remarkable for a franchise Korean K-League and won the aFC Champions League Qin their debut season in the competition. in 2012 where they went through the tournament a number of football pundits predicted the Wanderers unbeaten, including disposing of Brisbane Roar. to be the competition whipping boys before the season Guizhou Renhe finished in fourth place in the started but under the tutelage of Tony Popovic it recently completed Chinese Super League season soon became apparent these calls were premature. and qualified for the aFC Champions League as Even with the success of the Wanderers Chinese Fa Cup winners where they disposed of on the field, the results were overshadowed league Champions Evergrande 3-2 over two legs. by the incredible outpouring of fan support Wanderers boss Tony Popovic is relishing the that the team received at Pirtek Stadium. chance to take on some of asia’s best teams and The Red and Black Bloc took the Hyundai a-League by storm with their commitment, passion and numbers; something the competition has not seen before. So after achieving so much success in 2013 and exceeding all expectations, where "AS A PLayING GROUP to now for the Wanderers? How can they possibly top such a stellar year? Well the answer is simple – the AND STAFF aFC Champions League. The competition is asia’s equivalent to the UEFa it’S SOMETHING Champions League and features the best club sides from asia top league’s including Japan, Korea and China. WE’RE LOOKING The Wanderer s have drawn K-League opponent Ulsan Hyundai in their group alongside Chinese side forward TO..." Guizhou Renhe and the Japanese Runner-Up who will be Yokohama F. Marinos or Kawasaki Frontale. WSWANDERERSFC.COM.AU Custom design, engineering and system installation. • Power Packs • Pumps • Motors • Valves • Cylinders • Hose & Fittings • Oil • Filters • Gauges • PTO’s • Hoists From concept to commissioning to after sales service. WHO CALL HYDRAULIC DISTRIBUTORS NOW. DO YOU SING FOR? An Australian TELL US Owned Company FOR A FREE STRIP www.hydraulicdistributors.com.au AND QUOTE 27 Altair Place, Penrith T: 02 4721 5544 11 sees it as a great opportunity for his team. game, I’m expecting over 10,000 hopefully,” he said. “as a playing group and staff it’s something “our guys are really passionate and it’s we’re looking forward to and something we need something that they are really relishing that to get used to; come the end of February every we’re part of the aFC Champions League.” second week we’ll be playing three games.” Mark Bridge admitted the competition will test Wanderers custodian ante Covic is excited by the the Wanderers depth but is confident they have the challenge and believes it is just reward for the hard players to do well both domestically and abroad. work the team has put in over the past 12 months. “Everyone understands how difficult it’s going to be, “I think it’s going to be a great experience for you have to keep one eye on the Hyundai a-League all of us, we had a fantastic year last year and the and one eye on the Champions League,” he said. Champions League was the icing on the cake,” he said. “We’re fortunate that we have a good squad “We’re all looking forward to it, we’ve all talked about with a lot of depth, I’m sure the rotations will it and it’s going to be a great adventure for the club.