Thirty-FIFTH EDITION • sEAsON 2014/15 ROUND 14 VS MELBOurne VictOry PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY HISTORY OF THE ASIAN CUP INSIDE THIS editiON BRIDGE vs THOMPsON • AsIAN CUP ON OUR DOORsTEP WANDERERs IN THE AsIAN CUP • DURING THE BREAk • THE INTER-CITY RIvALRY PLUS OUR DUBIOUs CONvERsATION WITH JIM MAGILTON This match This match 05 FROM THE PREsENTER TARA RUsHTON 08 06 WARM UP 08 HIstory OF THE AsIAN CUP 13 Players TO Watch: BRIDGE VS THOMPSON 14 WANDERERs IN THE AsIAN CUP 18 AsIAN CUP ON OUR DOORSTEP 20 today's match 22 DURING THE BREAk 26 sLAv'S SPOT THE DIFFERENCE 27 CLUB MARCONI 29 takE FIvE WITH ANTONY GOLEC 14 18 30 GUARDIAN FUNERALs WANDERCREW MEMBER OF THE WEEk: WAsHINGTON MUNOz 31 A DUBIOUs CONvERsation WITH JIM Magilton 32 WsW COMMUNITY AsIAN CUP 35 THE INTER-CITY RIvalry 37 THE ARCHIvE 38 OUR partners The views in this publication are not necessarily the views of the NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers FC. Material in this publication is copyrighted and may only be reproduced with the written permission of the NRMA Insurance Western Sydney Wanderers FC. All photography courtesy of Getty Images, George Suresh, Steve Christo, Jarred Stedman, Ali Erhan, Sebastian Giunta and Football NSW. Stay CONNECTED VISIT WsWANDERERsFC.COM.AU FOLLOW US @WsWANDERERsFC WATCH WsWANDERERsTv C M Y CM A BETTER WAY MY Visy’s food-grade recycled plastic is made right here CY in Australia. Look for the symbol on pack. CMY 13 4479 WWW.VISY.COM.AU K 03 Stay CONNECTED | vIsIT WswanderersFC.COM.AU FROM the presenter sia’s biggest football competition and We have experienced the magic of what form the Wanderers are in now what the largest tournament Australia has is possible when you truly believe and will must be remembered is that rock bottom Aever hosted kicks-off the New Year. hope that January provides another first has built way more champions than The Socceroos face off against the best for football in Australia and the Socceroos. privilege; the tough times are the real in Asia set against the stunning backdrop The slate will be wiped after being test of character. of our home! There will be unforgettable pipped by the Blue Samurai in the Asian “What seems to be hard now will one moments created, football superstars in Cup 2011 and we will be hoping 2015 day be your warm-up” the making, upsets and drama. is our year. One thing we learnt from True words. What goes up must Watching the story unfold of the Wanderers’ watching the Champions League is that come down but there is no way you stay journey through the AFC Champions League while you can be lucky in some instances, down forever. when they defied the odds and made history you make your own luck. to be crowned the Champions of Asia was the Your determination, commitment Tara RushtON perfect entrée to what will be the best three and belief goes a very long way to get PRESENTER course football meal yet. you over the line. When you look at the FOx Sports 05 Stay CONNECTED | FOLLOW @WswanderersFC Warm UP ON this day CourtesY OF ANDREW HOWE @AndyHOWE_stattO orn on 6 January 1960, Sydney United (Croatia) legend Ivan BPetkovic played for Sibenik in GOOD LUCk IN THE AsIAN CUP the old Yugoslav national league before coming to Australia in mid-1986. He slotted immediately into the Sydney TOMI & Spira Croatia midfield, assisting the club to its first NSL minor premiership in 1986. Later moving to a more defensive position, he ultimately made 157 NSL appearances We are ON the LINE FIXTURES & RESULTS for Sydney Croatia/United, including a Grand Final appearance against Marconi You may have noticed these odd Scan the QR code below for all score in 1988 where he was sent off in Croatia’s looking barcodes (see below right) updates across our Hyundai A-League, loss (on penalties). Only five other players throughout this edition of The Wanderer. Westfield W-League and Foxtel National made more NSL appearances for the To get the best experience simply follow Youth League matches. club (Velimir Kupresak, Manis Lamond, these three easy steps: Graham Arnold, Manis Lamond and Tony STEP 1 Download a QR scanner app on Popovic). Petkovic went on to coach his your smart device beloved Sydney United, in the NSL (in STEP 2 Open the app and scan each 2000) and later in the NSW state league, QR code in The Wanderer where he also had coaching stints with St STEP 3 Enjoy your interactive George and Rockdale. Wanderers content BURLINGTON — Stone inspired porcelain tile DI LORENZO TILES Pty Ltd Tile Merchants | www.dilorenzo.com.au Bella Vista 02 8818 2999 | Redfern 02 9698 8737 | Newcastle 02 4962 5775 | Willoughby 02 8602 1470 1855-28 06 ROUND 14 | WANDERERs FC vs MELBOURNE Victory Warm UP #HASHTAG Every edition we’ll publish the best tweets and Instagram pics you guys tag us in. FIELD repOrter WITH Catherine CANNULI @canNULI_13 hile tonight’s focus is at the moment I’m planning to fly to obviously our match against Melbourne to watch the match down WMelbourne Victory I would there too. like to congratulate Tomi Juric and The break has come at a good time Whilst on holidays we sing for Matthew Spiranovic for selection in for the Club, it will be positive to have Wanderers #gameday #COYW Australia’s squad for the Asian Cup. some time off so they can regroup. @WswSteve Playing in a competition like the Even though the team is in a bit of a @MARINICMONIKA Asian Cup is a fantastic honour; it’s rut in terms of results, for the most a very big tournament and it will be part I don’t think they have been massive having that on home soil. Tomi playing poorly. and Spira will be really excited to have The most important thing is that been selected, especially on home soil we’ve stuck together as a club and the – as a player I always wanted to play a fans are still behind the team. Now World Cup in Australia so I know the I’ve stopped playing I’m a fan first and boys will make the most of it. foremost and win, lose or draw we’ll selfie stick attempt number 2 on the I’ll be trying to get to as many matches be behind them. It’s important for the way to the WsW vs CCM game as I can to watch and support the boys; players to know we’ll always be there. #selfie #selfiestick #secondattempt #gametime #wswbrothers #gamenight #wsw #newyearsday #Subarucruising Match Day partner #howweroll #notsoduckface WE GET A @HOWIE_88 RESULT IN 81% OF HOME MATCHEs OF which I’m wandering! #whodowesingfor #westernsydneywanderers #wsw 59% are WINS #wandering #shoelaces #redandblack 81 @caitlinJayneknight WAS $90 KITTING OUT NOW WSW Replica HOME WOMENS Jersey $70 AvAILABLE IN xs, s, M, L, xL, 2xL $70 Dri-FIT fabric wicks sweat away and helps keep you dry and comfortable. SHOW YOUR 2014/15 MEMBERsHIP CARD TO RECEIvE 10% OFF MERCHANDIsE @WSWanderersfc .COM.AU #GEARUP 07 Stay CONNECTED | Watch WsWANDERERsTv 08 ROUND 14 | WANDERERs FC vs MELBOURNE Victory HIsTORY OF THE ASIAN CUP or a month in 2015 the Hyundai staged in Hong Kong with seven of the 12 A-League will stop to allow Australia founding members vying for the title to Fto host the biggest football tournament become Asia’s best football team. of the year; the AFC Asian Cup. While the first edition featured only From its humble beginnings in 1956, the seven teams, the 2015 edition promises Asian Cup has grown into the continent’s to be a global phenomenon with Asia’s 16 biggest football event, one that stands top nations primed to participate, having proudly alongside all top level competitions represented more than half of the world’s around the globe in terms of excitement, population in the qualifying stages before entertainment and organisation. the field was whittled down to the final 16. Within the span of five decades the The dominance factor has swung Asian Cup has encompassed the huge between the East and West so far. From the continent bringing together Asia’s top superiority of Korea Republic in the early national teams every four years in a years of the competition, the tournament fantastic feast of top-notch football. became the preserve of the mighty Two years after AFC came into being Iranians who won three consecutive in 1954, the first ever Asian Cup was tournaments from 1968 to 1976. 09 Stay CONNECTED | vIsIT WswanderersFC.COM.AU West Asian countries ruled in the eighties with Kuwait becoming the first country from the Arab region to win the championship in 1980, followed by Saudi Arabia’s consecutive wins in 1984 and 1988. Defending champions Japan hold the record for the most victories in the tournament’s history with title triumphs in 1992, 2000, 2004 and 2011. Having moved from the Oceania confederation Australia first competed in the Asian Cup in 2007. Following their impressive World Cup performance in Germany the year before, Australia went into the tournament with high expectations but after failing to win against Oman and Iraq in the Group Stages faced an early exit from the tournament. Needing a large win against Thailand to qualify for the knockout rounds, things looked shaky with only ten minutes to go. A Michael Beauchamp goal meant Australia was leading 1-0 but if the score line remained the Thais would have progressed due to goal difference.