THE OFFICIAL MATCH DAY PROGRAMME FOR THE NRMA INSURANCE WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS FC TWELFTH EDITION | SEASON 2012/13 Saturday, 23 February 2013 | ROUND 22 VS PERTH GLORY FC WHERE THE WEST WAS WON CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION: COVIC & BRIDGE BEWARE ON THE FLANKS: HERSI VS DODD OFFICIAL WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS FC PARTNERS CONTENTS CONTENTS WANDERERS Wary 03 OF REJuvenated Glory There is a big buzz around Western Sydney as Perth fly in to wreak havoc. S INCE YOU WERE 04 LAST HERE A crucial away win over 05 Victory pushed the club to second spot. MILESTONES TO 05 celebrate Covic will play his 100th Hyundai A-League match whilst Bridge hits 150. SPOT THE DIFFERENCE 03 06 Can you spot the five differences in the photos of Players TO Watch 07 the Wanderers training. 07 Hersi vs Dodd - a dynamic midfielder can do the trick. National YOUTH 13 LEAGUE Match Today’S Match REVIEWS 08 Can we remain undefeated A mixed bag of results, Advertising ENQUIRIES against Perth? but the Youth League side remains positive. For all advertising enquiries MASTER CLASS please contact Corey Mouttou on 02 8602 6417, 0404 042 328, email 10 The Wanderers are WESTERN SYDNEY [email protected] or out visiting schools and 14 WANDERERS FC Kelly Russell on 02 8602 6413, reaping the rewards. Partners 0431 404 521, email Thanking our 2012/13 partners. [email protected] THANKS FOR YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY WANDERFUL SUPPORT CAPTION CONTEST Front cover photograph courtesy of 11 Getty Images. All photography courtesy of We’re thrilled to have 15 Caption the photo of Getty Images, Beans & Mash Photography the best supporters in the Nikolai Topor-Stanley and Eric Berry. Hyundai A-League. for your chance to win. MARK LAST CHANCE FOR FROM PENRITH Foundation MEMBERSHIP CALL 8020 4141 BEFORE IT’S TOO late SEE YOU AT WANDERLAND Go to wswanderersfc.com.au 02 WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS FC VS PERTH GLORY FC WANDERERS Wary OF REJuvenated Glory WANDERERS Wary OF REJuvenated Glory Courtesy of Getty Images THERE IS NOTHING MORE star striker Alistair Edwards now become the first team to win seven DANGEROUS THAN A TEAM at the helm the team looked like it matches in a row since Victory made WITH A NEW COACH AND had broken from the shackles of the it eight straight wins in late 2006. Perth Glory FC’S SURPRISE Ian Ferguson era and was playing Perth will be trying to turn around a WIN OVER table-TOPPING with new shape and confidence. four-match losing streak away from home CENTRAL COAST MARINERS A new coach seems to do that to a in a season that has seen them win only was further PROOF OF team especially when they are looking for one game from ten away and score only that theory LAST WEEKEND. answers and have been underperforming three goals in their last seven away fixtures. against their own expectations. The Wanderers are not taking TheGlory looked organised and On the flipside, Perth will be facing Perth lightly despite their poor sharp against the visiting Mariners the form team in the competition on performances under Ferguson. and the class of some of their big a six-match winning streak and with Winger Mark Bridge said Perth name players was finally on show first position potentially up for grabs. had some quality players who could again after what has been a dismal The Wanderers are the surprise be a major threat if on their games. year for last year’s Grand Finalists. package of Australian sport and “It will be a tough match and NRMA Insurance Western Sydney in their first year of existence sit they have some quality players with Wanderers coach Tony Popovic is only one point off pace-setters the a lot of experience and they are making a habit out of not taking any Mariners with six matches to go. always very physical,” Bridge said. team lightly despite their position The Mariners host the third-paced “We need to control possession on the Hyundai A-League ladder Melbourne Victory straight after better and control the midfield and tonight will be no different. the Wanderers game at 7.45pm. and get a little better than out A team with the likes of leading So a win over Perth would see the last couple of performances.” all-time A-League goal scorer Shane Wanderers take top spot for at least an Bridge said he would not let his Smeltz (72 goals), former Adelaide hour or two. The Mariners play Victory 150th Hyundai A-League game be a legend Travis Dodd and former Celtic at the worst possible time. They are on distraction. Goalkeeper Ante Covic and Manchester United player Liam a two-match losing streak and will be will be playing his 100th A-League Miller should not be taken lightly. desperate to retain their third position. game and he was thrilled to be doing With new coach and former Perth The Wanderers will be looking to it in front of the home supporters. WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS FC VS PERTH GLORY FC 03 SINCE YOU WERE LAST HERE SINCE YOU WERE LAST HERE box which rocketed into the side of the net. Wanderers set them on their heels. In the 37th minute, the Wanderers were A free kick taken by Ono on the right robbed of a certain goal by the outstretched in the 11th minute found Nikolai Topor- heel of Birighitti, after Shinji Ono and Hersi Stanley in front of his man on the far post. were able to link up and get the ball to Mark He played the ball down with his Bridge in the middle of the box for the shot. chest to La Rocca who only needed Courtesy of Getty Images In the final seconds of the first half, a one touch to put it straight into the free kick from Ono on the flank found back of the net from close range. Hersi in the middle of the box. Mateo Poljak played to a free Mark The resulting shot was deflected by Bridge in the box a few minutes later and some desperate defence from Birighitti, but his left foot shot sailed over the bar. rebounded back into the corner of the goal. Victory also had a good chance when The Wanderers came out looking Marco Rojas found Marcos Flores also to attack early in the second half, free in the box but he took one touch with Bridge and Hersi continuing too many and turned away from the to threaten the Jets goal. goal and was swamped by defence. ROUND 20 VS In the 83rd minute, Jerome Polenz In the 27th minute, Polenz pounded NEWCASTLE JETS FC at played superb long range pass to Bridge, a ball at Victory keeper Nathan Coe CAMPBELLTOWN Stadium who was storming towards goal. and the deflection into the path of After a strong run and one-on-one Ono was wasted over the cross bar. The NRMA Insurance Western Sydney tousle with Josh Mitchell, Bridge broke free Wanderers dominated the first Wanderers rocketed into second position and put the ball in the back of the net. half with six shots on goal to two. with an emphatic 2-1 win over the The only Jets’ goal came via a Ruben Adrian Leijer fluffed a pass back to Coe Newcastle Jets on the 9th February. Zadkovich strike during injury time, and it was seized on by Youssouf Hersi who The Wanderers’ goals came from wingers which in the end was nothing more should have buried it in the 54th minute. Youssouf Hersi and Mark Bridge who than a consolation prize for the Jets. In the 72nd minute the terrorised the Jets defence all night. Western Sydney Wanderers 2 Wanderers went in for the kill and Newcastle had a handful of chances and (Hersi 46, Bridge 83) Polenz played Hersi onto goal. fought until the end but the Wanderers Newcastle 1 (Zadkovich 90+1) His shot was blocked by Coe dominated the match from the outset. to Ono again and this time his Tony Popovic said the Club was ROUND 21 VS left foot was clinical for 2-0. thrilled with the 10,589-strong crowd MELBOURNE VICTORY Two minutes later Melbourne for the Community Round match it FC at AAMI PARK substitute Connor Pain kept the home took to Campbelltown Stadium. side’s hopes alive with fine finish “The crowd was fantastic coming out here The NRMA Insurance Western Sydney after he dashed towards goal. for us and I think we might have won a few Wanderers cemented second place Polenz was a standout all night and people over with that performance,” he said. on the Hyundai A-League table by a last-ditched tackle on Rojas in the The first half was played mainly through winning their sixth game in a row in the 50th minute saved a certain goal. the midfield with both teams managing to most hostile circumstances possible. Melbourne Victory 1 (Pain 75) link some exciting passages of play together. The Wanderers did what no club Western Sydney Wanderers 2 Strong challenges courtesy of Youssouf has been able to do in seventeen (La Rocca 11, Ono 72) Hersi and Iacopo La Rocca in the early straight matches – they beat Melbourne minutes signalled the Wanderers intentions. Victory FC at AAMI Park. The Jets had the first real opportunity Goals to recently re-signed midfielder in the 19th minute, when a Sam Gallaway Iacopo La Rocca and marquee talisman pass set-up Emile Heskey for a shot at close Shinji Ono saw the competition range which was blocked and deflected over newcomers beat the A-League super the cross bar by Nikolai Topor-Stanley.