FIFTY-SECOND EDITION SEASON 2015/16 ROUND 17 VS MELBOURNE CITY PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY CONTENTS THIS MATCH WE'VE PACKED THIS ISSUE OF THE WANDERER WITH EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR TONIGHT'S MATCH FEATURES FIFTY-SECOND EDITION SEASON 2015/16 ROUND 17 VS MELBOURNE CITY PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY A RIVALRY WAITING SOTIRIO FUELLED BY OLYMPIC THE WAnderer To EXPLode 8 HEARTBreAK 18 The views in this publication are not necessarily the views of Why this fixture is just getting started Moving on from the catastrophe in Qatar the NRMA Insurance Western Story by Jacob Windon Story by Domenic Trimboli Sydney Wanderers FC. Material in this publication is copyrighted and may only be reproduced with the written REGULAR COLUMNS permission from the Club. OPEN LETTER: FOUNDATION TODAY'S MATCH 16 TAKE FIVE WITH ADVERTISING For all advertising enquiries PLAYER MARK BRIDGE 5 KEARYN BACCUS 25 in The Wanderer or questions FOX FOOTBALL FIX 20 about partnership with WARM UP 6 GUARDIAN FUNERALS the club please contact the WANDERCREW MEMBERS Corporate Partnerships team SLAV'S SPOT THE [email protected]. FIVE THINGS 11 OF THE WEEK: WESTFIELD DIFFERENCE 22 W-LEAGUE VOLUNTEERS 26 PLAYERS TO WATCH: PHOTOGRAPHY All photography courtesy ANDREU VS PAARTALU 13 CORPORATE NEWS: IN THE COMMUNITY: of Ali Erhan, Beans & DEFENCE FORCE BECOME A COACH TODAY 27 Mash Photography, Ben FOX FOOTBALL FOCUS RECRUITING AND THE Coonan, Daniel Boud, Getty Images, Marconi WITH ADAM PEACOCK 15 WANDERERS 23 OUR PARTNERS 30 Stallions and Steve Christo. STAY ConnecTED VISIT WAnderLAND.coM.AU 3 BACK TO CONTENTS PAGE Open LETTER FroM THE FOUNDATION PLAYER MARK BRIDGE REFLECTS ON WHAT THE CLUB MEANS TO HIM Even now, after playing 100 matches for our club, I still look back on our first ever trial match on a very cold night in Nepean where we had only six players contracted and a number of trialists. 4,000 people showed up. I knew then that the support for the club was going to be there, that every person in Western Sydney was going to support this club built for the people and by the people. We live in such a big catchment area with different cultures and backgrounds that love football. It seems a bit silly to not have had a club in the Hyundai A-League from the very start. I never fully understood how amazing the atmosphere was at Wanderland until I was injured in the first season: for a couple of matches I was forced to sit in the stands and to see it from that perspective was amazing. At that moment I grasped how big the Wanderers had become and how much of an unbelievable spectacle Wanderland had become in Australian sport. The support for the Wanderers has become HEN SIGNING FOR a football club almost cult-like and everywhere I go all over the MAN ON FIRE you never really think about country I see jerseys being worn and stickers on cars Foundation player whether you will make it to 100 and street signs. Bridge has been in Wappearances for the club. It’s an amazing club to be part of and it’s sparkling form this Speaking with Popa before signing with something that when I eventually finish football I season the Wanderers I knew that he was going to be will look back on with some great memories. I am successful and under him the whole club would be so proud to have played 100 games wearing the painted with success. But just how successful was Red & Black for a club that has become a major something that I could have never imagined. part of our community. Within three seasons we were a dominant force making two Grand Finals and winning the AFC MARK BRIDGE Champions League – a feat that no other Australian MEMBER #4393 club has done before. FOUNDATION PLAYER C M Y CM MY CY CMY GET WANDEROUS ODDS THAT WANDERERS K BEAT MELBOURNE CITY TONIGHT. WiLl ThE WaNdErErSjoin the club GO TO WWW.BETTING.CLUB FOR FURTHER DETAILS . Proud Partners of the DeFeAtGamble Responsibly 18+ CiTy? Western Sydney Wanderers. STAY ConnecTED FOLLOW US @WSWANDERERSFC 5 WARM UP BACK TO CONTENTS PAGE WHAT DOES THE FOXE SAY WITH HAYDEN FOXE HIS SEASON IT is safe to say that knew that the way we were playing and Twe are at a completely different the style of football we had been playing place to where we were last season would eventually bring wins. physically, emotionally and mentally. It especially showed over the weekend For comparisons’ sake, our adaptation where once we were able to create to the new playing style and the players goal-scoring opportunities and remain that have been brought in to execute this resilient the final result came our way. have gelled together really well, making Our opponents this evening are most of the difference. Melbourne City and this will be our final ON THIS DAY The change in the style of play and match against them in the regular season. COURTESY OF ANDREW HOWE philosophy in which we approach games Having already played them twice and @ANDYHOWE_STATTO has changed and as we have seen has taken having a great win against them in our some time to settle. The group of players first clash we know what to expect. ONTINUING ONE OF the biggest that Tony Popovic has brought into the City are a good quality side with a CWest v East Sydney rivalries club have successfully become part of the lot of good individual players. They are from pre-Hyundai A-League years, club’s culture and that is of massive credit dangerous in attack but so are we. We Marconi and Sydney Olympic to them and everyone involved. approached the game this week like we confronted each other on this day The team’s performances irrespective have every other game and will follow in in 1994. And it was a stunning of results this season have been very the pattern in which we like to express score line with Marconi getting good since the opening round. Even ourselves. I’m sure we will create many up 7-1 in the Marconi Stadium though some of the results didn’t go our chances and we will go on to win the encounter: Andy Harper (x2), Gary way it wasn’t of concern to us as we game. C’mon you Wanderers! van Egmond, Kimon Taliadoros, Darren Iocca, Matt Bingley and MATCH DAY PARTNER FIxtURes & ResULts Ian Gray scoring for the Stallions. At the other end Marconi’s Mark Scan the QR code below for all score Schwarzer kept Olympic to a updates across our Hyundai A-League, solitary Ivan Kelic goal. Later in the Westfield W-League and Foxtel 1993/94 season Olympic must have National Youth League matches. thought they had gained revenge after defeating Marconi 2-1 in their first-leg elimination final tie, however a 3-1 win in the return fixture knocked Olympic out of the National Soccer League finals race and ensured Marconi had bragging rights over their Eastern Sydney rivals for the season. 6 THE WANDERER ROUND 17 BACK TO CONTENTS PAGE WARM UP #HASHTAG You can earn 20 points in the WSW Rewards app by using the official hashtag +20 +100 FIELD REPORTER #wsw - PLUS you could POINTS POINTS WITH CATHERINE CANNULI @CANNULI_13 appear in The Wanderer. ATCHING OUR MATCH against the I know as a former player that you have WMariners last Saturday night was a lot of respect for your coaching staff so the +500 a nerve-racking experience to say the current team must really be enjoying the POINTS + least. I was sitting on the edge of my seat environment they have been playing in as 5000 for the entire game and I believe that our it reflects on their results and performances POINTS performance overall was great. on the field where they have been working + The first half saw us dominate and have together towards their one goal. 7000 POINTS a lot of chances: we could have easily been In particular, I have enjoyed watching up a couple of goals and closed the game by Alberto play as he has been very @ANTHONYLADS the end of the half. A turn of events saw the underrated and quiet but he’s been such Mariners score a goal and it was a scary time a joy to watch. Along with Alberto, Mark as a Wanderers supporter because Central Bridge has been a stand-out for me. Bridge Coast were quickly gathering momentum but recently played in his 100th match for the fortunately we snatched a late winner through club and is someone who I surprisingly Brendon Santalab. enough went to school with. He has just So far, it’s been great to watch the been on fire and is playing some of the best Melburnians transformation of the squad this season with football of his career. all the player’s buying into the team’s new Tonight we are set to take on philosophy set by Tony Popovic. The addition Melbourne City and I’m looking forward @MYSUMMERPLAYGroUND of Andrés to the coaching staff has really had to another match where I’m on the edge of an impact behind-the-scenes so it’s great news my seat and hopefully we can repeat the that he has received a contract extension. same success as last week. WSWREWARDS DOWNLOAD THE APP TODAY! Turn to page 28 now to see how you can earn @FUTSALDAMO 7,000 points by being a Member Scout.