KOSHIMIZU AT THE CROSSROADS ON THE SUNSHINE COAST

In his own words, this season is a very important one for Shoichi Koshimizu. This year the 25 year old from Japan is on his second assignment with Australian 2nd Tier outfit, Sunshine Coast FC.

Back in 2014 Koshimizu made his first trip to Australia to try his luck in the Queensland NPL. Koshimizu had spent his formative years with the Kanagawa University team before moving onto current J3 outfit YSCC Yokohama. Though 2014 ended with a serious knee injury, Koshimizu impressed enough to be invited back in 2016.

At present Sunshine Coast FC find themselves third from bottom, but the attacker has wasted no time in finding the back of the net. Forced to sit out the last two fixtures, Koshimizu has managed to bag three goals in his four appearances.

On Sunday (10/4/16) Sunshine Coast FC took the field without the Japanese import and were unlucky losers against Redlands United. The Fire drew level in the 79th minute only for a penalty to  be awarded to Redlands in the 86th minute.

Asked about the level of the Queensland NPL, Koshimizu was confident that . . . 

GET MORE AT THE NEW EAST ASIAN SOCCER WEBSITE

JAPAN SIX, HONDURAS ZERO. THE EMPEROR STRIKES BACK?

Keisuke Honda gives the thumbs up

On Friday night Japan's Samurais thumped Honduras 6-0, in what was a welcome goal bonanza for the reigning Asian Cup champions. But was it a sign that the once mighty emperors of Asia had bounced back to their best? Surely a six goal drubbing in international football is a sign that something is drastically wrong with your opponent. Nevertheless, confirmation will soon come in Japan's next match, when they take on 2015 Asian Cup hosts Australia.

Australian fans know only too well the hidden truths that lie behind a 6-0 defeat. The Socceroos were victims of two in succession in 2013, when Brazil and then France thrashed an uninspiring and lazy Aussie outfit. Manager of the time Holger Osieck was under intense media scrutiny after qualifying the team for the World Cup, but not blooding enough youth players. 

Like Australia in 2013, Honduras are experiencing a rough patch. After a disastrous World Cup conceding eight goals and scoring one, the NAFFH signed Hernan Medford to manage the national team. Since then, Honduras have secured two wins from seven matches. Knocking off the might of Belize and Nicaragua. 

A humble manager, Javier Aguirre wasn't getting carried away after Japan's slaughter of Honduras. With an eye on the fixture list he said, "I want to take a good look at the 23 players I will take to the Asian Cup and want to beat Australia." At one stage in the Mexican's short reign it appeared the international career of Gamba Osaka's legendary midfielder Yasuhito Endo may have been over. But 'Yatto' was recalled on Friday night (along with Hasebe, Konno & Uchida), and unsurprisingly it coincided with a return to form for the Samurais.

Interestingly, Australia's first eleven is still very unsettled. In terms of squad the Socceroos have been hit with a wave of injuries since Ange Postecoglou's installment as manager, preventing the team from developing the cohesion that is required for his preferred style. In a tell tale sign of doubt during a Monday night press conference, Postecoglou said, "Regardless of what we do tomorrow night it’s all about the first game of the (Asian Cup) tournament."

In stark contrast, Aguirre said ahead of the Honduras and Australia friendlies, “These two games are not about what I can try out,  they’re about looking ahead to the Asian Cup and winning.”

So Osaka, the foodies capital is host to the Socceroos on Tuesday night. But it's more than likely  that Japan, with their reloaded (Brazil 2014) squad, will be making a meal out of the Aussies. 

AUSSIES TO TAKE POINTS OFF HOLLAND. THAT AINT DOUBLE DUTCH.

Holland's number one hacker - Nigel de Jong

They're the team everyone's talking about. In their World Cup opener Holland thrashed 2010 champions Spain 5-1. Wow! Now the Dutch move onto soccer's downtrodden, mistreated and inglorious - Australia. The stereotyped ruffians, and technically barren Socceroos have a line up dominated by international rookies, with a spattering of proven pros. How can they beat Holland?

Thanks largely to a supportive media coverage, Australia's 3-1 loss to Chile has bet met with hope and positivity. As stated in my previous posting, there is a real 'feel good factor' reverberating around the Socceroos. They're young, energetic, and manager Ange Postecoglou has them believing they can beat anyone. Being a realist I don't believe that, but I sure as hell think they can get something from an overrated Dutch outfit.

On Australia's side is history and psychology. The pair has played three times previously for one Australian victory and two draws. In those three matches we've seen a measly five goals.

In terms of psychology let's face it, Australia is not a big scalp for Holland and never has been. The Dutch mindset will be 'get through this match without injury', and 'get through this match without yellow cards'. They're already thinking about a possible date with Brazil in the round of 16. Seriously, would the world be saying "wow!", if the Dutch do as expected and beat Australia? No. The Oranje will be going through the motions.

To illustrate my point about complacency I'll turn to Daniel Garb's interview with Holland manager Louis Van Gaal. Asked about the 'head to head' history of the two nations Van Gaal replied, "the statistics say that the Netherlands never have won from Australia." Van Gaal surprised the interviewer, but poignantly the 62 year old had a wry smile on his face after delivering that tasty little morsel. The Dutch are aware of Tim Cahill and the history, but in the back of their minds they think it's a certain three points.

So an over confident Holland will arrive in Porto Alegre having scored five goals against Spain - three from long balls and two that could be attributed to goalkeeping blunders. Applying a little perspective, we would all agree Holland are not four goals better than Spain, it was a once in a lifetime event. I've put my money where my mouth is - will you do the same?

$50 on the Socceroos 

 

19/1. That's easy money!

EAST ASIAN CUP HYSTERIA

Cue the hysteria. Australia has had a dour 0-0 draw with Republic of Korea at the East Asian Cup and the fans and media report the match as a disaster. “Axe Holger,” is the cry. Online forums were busy telling us it should have been 5-nil but for the heroics of Eugene Galekovic. However, the tournament needs to be looked at in its true context.

Australia is competing in their first ever East Asian Cup and the tournament has arrived at a time that couldn’t be more convenient. The Socceroos along with fellow participants South Korea and Japan have already qualified for Brazil 2014. The Chinese are unfortunately still in a rebuilding/transitional stage (which seems the permanent status) and so don’t have the luxury of using the tournament as a trialling opportunity.

Pundits and fans should know by now that teams that have been thrown together in such a fashion lack cohesion, and as a result the quality of soccer suffers. Australia’s back four had never played together in club competition (Franjic, McGowan, Thwaite & North), let alone being asked to play at a higher level, alongside players they were not familiar with. Compounding this situation is the difference in fitness between the Australians and their three opponents which Holger Osieck cited. “We must consider that their team is in the middle of the season, and their fitness was outstanding, whereas our boys have not played competitively for a couple of months.” If that wasn’t enough we also need to consider the contrasting weather conditions. The Australians are coming from winter (15-20 degrees) to the Korean summer where temperatures are hovering around 30 with intense humidity.

So we need to take the tournament for what it is: a trialling ground for individuals to stake a claim for Brazil 2014. And with that purpose in mind we can only hope that there are some break out performances in areas of the pitch where the Socceroos are struggling. Amazingly it's not only the Australian audience who have been apoplectic with East Asian Cup displays. The Japanese were shocked by the their 3-3 result with old foes China last night. But amidst the hysteria manager Zaccheroni told it straight, "We'll be up against three different types of teams. It's a fantastic competition and we need to make the most of it." The Italian added, ". . . If I had to choose between winning with the players not being able to show what they can do, or not winning but finding that one or two of them have what it takes to play for the national team, I'll take the latter." On that note Japan can say that Cerezo Osaka's Yoichiro Kakitani and Masato Kudo of Kashiwa Reysol have proven they're capable of stepping up.

Now lets look forward to Thursday's next installation of the Japan and Australia rivalry.

WANDERERS ONE YEAR ON: WHAT NEXT?

Mark Bridge, Tarek Elrich (foreground) Wanderers unveil

On April 4th, 2012 Ben Buckley fronted a Football Federation Australia press conference with the news that a second Sydney team would be coming to the A-League. Soon after a number of fan forums were held across western Sydney, in a bid to engage with a possible fan base. Pivotal to the club's on-field success was the May 12, 2012 appointment of manager Tony Popovic. By June 25th, 2012 it was official: The Western Sydney Wanderers had been born. 

Western Sydney Wanderers went on to achieve a record breaking season, which included winning the Premiers Plate and qualifying for the 2014 Asian Champions League. So successful is the club that current owners 'the FFA', have stated that potential buyers are going to have to bid around A$15 million for ownership. FFA CEO David Gallop said, "It wouldn't be overstating it to say they're the sporting club with the most potential in the whole country . . ."

Club sponsors for the inaugural season wouldn't have anticipated the massive exposure the club gained. Considering Wests had failed after three matches to score a goal in professional competition, club backers could easily have feared the worst, but gradually results came. Local boy and manager Tony Popovic remained stoic in the face of the storm, something which characterised his playing career. "There are no favourites here, no set individuals guaranteed a place, but we're one unit with a goal to keep improving," Popovic said after a 1-1 draw away to Perth Glory in round 13. Popovic's playing career took him to Japan's Sanfrecce Hiroshima in 1997 and onto Crystal Palace in 2001. For this reason it was no surprise that 'Poppa' was able to snare Japanese ace Shinji Ono amongst a host of other foreign signings. A cult favourite was unheralded Ethiopian Youssouf Hersi who was spotted in the Dutch Eredivisie. 

The club's timeline is a miraculous story of success and needs to be seen to be believed:

April 4th, 2012: New Sydney club announced. 
April 19th, 2012: East Asian Soccer covers the story and predicts WSW to become, "the club in Australian soccer." 
June 25th, 2012: Club name and colours officially announced.
July 26th, 2012: Major sponsor NRMA Insurance announced.
September 21st, 2012: Former Socceroos team-mate of Popovic, Michael Beauchamp named club captain. 
September 28th, 2012: Shinji Ono signs as marquee player.
October 6th, 2012: First competition match against Central Coast Mariners ends 0-0 in front of 10458 fans.
October 20th, 2012: First Sydney derby with Sydney FC winning 1-nil at Parramatta Stadium.
October 27th 2012: First win comes against reigning champions Brisbane Roar, in Brisbane.
December 15th, 2012: Wanderers defeat Sydney FC 2-nil in Sydney derby at Sydney Football Stadium in front of 26176 fans.
March 2nd, 2013: Ascent to top of table is completed with victory over Central Coast at Gosford.
March 29th, 2013: Win Premiers Plate in front of massive travelling contingent at Newcastle.
April 21st, 2013: Grand Final appearance brings a taste of defeat via A-League's famed chokers Central Coast Mariners. 

What next for a club that achieved so much in its inaugural season? With Popovic's perfectionist attitude you can bet the title of Champions is uppermost on the club's list of targets. There is also the small matter of the Asian Champions League, which will place the club, the western Sydney region, and sponsors in the spotlight of Asia. The prospect of a clash between Ono's former J-League club Urawa Reds, and Western Sydney Wanderers is mouth watering. Will the club meddle with the eye catching red and black playing strip that has broken merchandise sales records across all sporting codes in Australia? Can the club better it's first season membership numbers (just over 7000) and increase crowd averages? Already the club has signed A-League journey man Dean Heffernan. The defender will look to feature from the first clash which comes on Saturday, October 12th, at Gosford.

Wests with the 2012/13 Premiers Plate

"This is a sponsored post but my opinions are my own."

Asian World Cup Hopes on Tenterhooks

Can the Socceroos finish the job? Is Uzbekistan set for its first appearance in a soccer World Cup? Which two Asian teams will play off to face South America's fifth placed qualifier? All these questions are set to be answered on Tuesday night, 18th June 2013.

The Socceroos are finally playing with momentum and it couldn't come at a more fortunate time. Throughout the 2014 World Cup qualification tournament, Australia's form has been patchy, and frustrating for fans. No doubt manager Holger Osieck has been frustrated too. But the turning point arrived when Australia took a point away from the Japan clash, and just last week dealt with Jordan convincingly. Most poignant in these two matches has been the emergence of Robbie Kruse, Tommy Oar and Tom Rogic as genuinely influential members of the  2014 World Cup squad. Assuming that Australia wins against Iraq tonight, manager Holger Osieck has the luxury of the East Asian Cup tournament in July (played in Korea), in which to give these and other youngsters more valuable experience.

The clash against Iraq sees a glut of factors favouring Australia. The match is set to be played in front of a sell-out  80,000 strong crowd in Sydney; striker Younis Mahmoud (age 30) with over 40 goals for Iraq has retired from international soccer as of last week; Nashat Akram (age 28) the star of the 2007 Asian Cup tournament retired from international soccer as of last week; Iraq are out of contention for Brazil 2014, and new manager Vladimir Petrovic is on the nose. Petrovic has overseen losses against China in February and the woeful display against Oman a fortnight ago. In Iraq's favour is the unknown quantity that they present themselves as in Sydney. Made up primarily of the under 20 Iraqi side, goalkeeper Noor Sabri said, "We've got Humam and other players in our squad who we have a lot of faith in." The keeper was speaking specifically about midfielder Humam Na'oush just 17 years old with ten international caps to his name already.

Meanwhile, in Group A Uzbekistan host Qatar at home, while they cross their fingers that Korea Republic take care of Iran, in Ulsan, Korea. The Uzbeks are coming off a narrow defeat to Korea Republic in Seoul last week, where they went down 1-nil through an own goal. Manager Mirdjalal Kasimov has stated ominously that, "There is no reason to look for people who are responsible for the defeat." The midfielder responsible for the own goal, Akmal Shorakhmedov will be crossing more than his fingers that his manager is as forgiving as he paints himself to be. Their opponents cashed-up World Cup 2022 hosts Qatar, sit helplessly adrift of qualification, four points away. The Uzbeks have it all to play for and should get 'the cash'.

Interestingly it is Iran who have been the only team to inflict defeat upon Korea Republic during qualification. If they repeat the effort away from home they're headed for Brazil. Korea Republic have nothing to play for with a superior 'for and against', which would see them fend off the Uzbeks, unless there was a disaster. Korea are currently plus seven in goal difference while Uzbekistan are plus one.

If I was a betting man, I would say that Iran are headed to their first World Cup since 1998, when they famously knocked out Australia, in a play-off for the final position in France '98. Along with them will be Korea Republic from Group A and Japan and Australia from Group B. The Asian play-off should see Uzbekistan take on Oman. 

Fork in the Road to Brazil - 2014

Jordan manager Adnan Hamad has declared he and his team, ". . .came here for a win." The Jordanians have arrived in Melbourne facing the same situation as the Socceroos. After six qualifying matches Jordan and Australia are in control of their own destinies. 

The two teams met in Amman, in September 2012, with the Jordanians springing an upset 2-1 victory. Manager Hamad rates tonight's clash with the Socceroos as the ". . . biggest match in the history of Jordanian football."  While the Socceroos are now buoyant after a stirring 1-1 draw with Japan in Saitama, there are a number of danger signs for the home team. 

The Australian eleven which pulled off that positive result in Japan only differ by two names from the one that were defeated in Jordan. Back in 2012 at the King Abdullah International Stadium there was no Tommy Oar or Mark Milligan. What is familiar is the two centre backs Lucas Neill and Sasa Ognenovski, and this is where Jordan found a weakness. The pair cannot blame playing conditions from that day as it was a comfortable 26 degrees. There can be no doubt though that Jordan will look to isolate the two again. How will they do that? Counter attack. Lucas Neill will be having nightmares of forward Odai Al Saify (9) and his shimmy shimmy go-go. While Jordan's first goal in the previous outing was a dubious penalty earned by the aforementioned, we shouldn't be surprised if he earns another tonight. His agility will trouble the two larger framed Aussies, and poignantly he grabbed the only goal in Jordan's warm up match against New Zealand last week.

For the Australians the injection of Oar and Kruse on the wings against Japan was a master stroke from Holger Osieck. The two are looking to establish themselves as regulars in the World Cup squad, and it's that kind of enthusiasm and motivation which can infect the rest of the playing group once on the field. The danger of playing the same troops time and again is that wearing the national shirt becomes 'run of the mill'. This has been evidenced in Australia's trips to the middle east, against unrecognised opponents.

Nevertheless, the Aussies are in a mathematical predicament where they simply must win to guarantee qualification. Both manager and players are whistling the right tune to the media. But complacency is rarely detected before the ninety minutes are played. 

Meanwhile Group A with Korea Republic (11) Uzbekistan (11) and Iran (10) is also full of tension. Tonight Korea face Uzbekistan in Seoul while a week later they host Iran. The Iranians should take three points tonight against Lebanon and then travel to Korea placed in the top two.   

Aussies Talking a Good Fight in Preparation for Japan

Socceroos v Japan in Brisbane 2012

The Socceroos 2014 World Cup qualification hopes sit precariously. Australia currently lie third behind the barnstorming Japan, and surprise packets Jordan. This round of World Cup qualifiers (04/06/2013) pits Australia against the Blue Samurai, while Jordan has a bye and Oman host Iraq. All the talk from the Socceroos has been about the fighting spirit which exists in Australian teams. Josh Kennedy said, "All of us fight down to the last second of the game . . ."

In international soccer/football it's often said that 'class tells' or 'class rises to the top'. Sadly for Australia at this point in time the core of it's eleven are playing in leagues a number of tiers down from the elite European stages such as Spain, Germany, Italy and England's Premier League. This is in contrast to the Japanese squad, which has been compared to the peaking 2006 Aussie World Cup squad. 

The Japanese have invaded Germany's Bundesliga with as many as five members of the starting eleven currently plying their trade there. Also starring in Europe is Yuto Nagatomo at Inter Milan and the feted Shinji Kagawa playing at Manchester United. Meanwhile, Japan's biggest weapon Keisuke Honda remains in one of the second tier leagues of Europe, that of Russia. For Japan however, the past two internationals have seen hiccups. They slipped up in Jordan 2-1 minus the zip of a Honda driven midfield, and in the friendly last Thursday night (30/05/2013) against Bulgaria, the Blue Samurai just lacked the cutting edge, although they were trying out a different formation. Coach Alberto Zaccheroni said, "I don't think our opponents created so many chances, but we couldn't create as many as we wanted to either." Again Japan played without Honda.

As well as being outclassed on paper, Australia are also lacking match fitness in many positions. Captain Lucas Neill hasn't played a competitive match since 23rd March, midfield weapon Brett Holman has played 11 minutes as a substitute for Aston Villa since their 23rd April, clash with Manchester United. Also expected to fill a midfield position is 'yellow card prone' Mark Milligan. Milligan's last competitive outing dates back to 14th April. Then there is the problematic left back position. Michael Zullo of Utrecht played his last full 90 minutes on 21st April, other options are Michael Thwaite (last game 5th April) or Matt McKay a midfielder who has filled the role before but not convincingly.

Despite all of the factors pointing toward a Japanese victory, Socceroos captain Lucas Neill is quietly confident of getting a result. The defender has revealed that the Japanese are actually under a lot of pressure. "What we do need to highlight is that Japan has lost two in a row now. They have a goalkeeper that's shown some shaky moments. I know how much media attention there is around this Japanese team." Tim Cahill also had a confident tone, "For us it's all about us . . . we prepare right we stay relaxed. Play the game not the occasion." Now with New York Red Bulls and regularly on the score sheet, Cahill is the face the Japanese have seen enough of. In 2006 he rammed home two goals in the World Cup group match, while in 2009 he headed home 2 more during World Cup qualification. Perhaps Australia's best hopes lie in the less familiar members of the line-up though. Robbie Kruse has had a breakout season with Fortuna Dusseldorf and has now been snapped up by Bayer Leverkusen. The striker/winger was one of the most fouled players in the Bundesliga and much of Australia's hopes will lie in Kruse's ability to get to past his opponent.

If pressed to predict a result LewDub can see the Aussies picking up at least a draw. Australia's ability in big matches against the headline acts has been proven throughout history. Meanwhile, this Japanese squad are under more intense scrutiny then any soccer team from 'the land of the rising sun' before them. Expect the Socceroos to bully the Japanese early and their opponents to struggle to put together the fluid passing game that they've built their success on.

MARINERS SINKING IN ASIAN FUNK

Leandro Domingues in action for Kashiwa in the ACL

They may be a regular visitor to the Asian Champions League but it doesn't equate with any form of Asian success. The Central Coast Mariners have once again failed to deliver on the Asian stage and their demise is painfully of their own doing.

The Mariners have now had 14 matches in ACL competition for a measly one win. In their third visit into Asian soccer's flagship club competition, the team from serene Gosford (an hour and a bit north of Sydney) are once again experiencing failure. The first round clash with Suwon Bluewings of Korea saw the Mariners dominate but fail to rack up the three points even with the assistance of a penalty in the 88th minute. On that night in February manager Graham Arnold rested regulars Patrick Zwaanswijk (defender) and  John Hutchinson (midfielder).

Wednesday night's visit to Kashiwa saw Graham Arnold resting four regulars from the Central Coast's first eleven. Top scorer Daniel McBreen, non stop midfielder Pedj Bojic, fullback Joshua Rose and former Socceroo Mile Sterjovski. It's fair to say that they got what they deserved. The Mariners were thrashed 3-1 by a Leandro Domingues inspired Kashiwa. The Brazilian striker made a mockery of the Mariners defence with the second of his goals, a volley from the edge of the box after earlier involvement in the same movement.

Midfielder John Hutchinson was quick to sight financial differences between the clubs in a post match interview but these matters aren't usually mentioned unless you've come off a bad result. The Mariners had led 1-nil but immediately fell into the trap of sitting back and waiting for their opponent. It's obvious the Central Coast have afforded their opponents too much respect, as Hutchinson's comments illustrate, "They've obviously got a big budget and umm it's a good league, the Japanese league." Unfortunately nobody paid much attention to the fact Kashiwa were roundly thumped by FC Tokyo on the Saturday prior to this ACL clash. Manager Graham Arnold was also heard praising his opponents, ". . . When you look at the foreigners, the two they had out there tonight in Cleo as well as Domingues, they're probably a totally different level to anyone in the A-League."

It's true manager Graham Arnold is stuck between a rock and a hard place. He has to juggle ACL group matches with the pointy end of the A League. Resting players is justified but crying poor won't make things any better or easier to deal with. Champion teams overcome hurdles such as these. Unfortunately the Central Coast Mariners are still yet to take home Australian soccer's biggest prize and this year will be no different if Arnie and the yellow team continue to play the underdog, little battler card. Finding comfort in losing as the underdog is not what champion teams do.

Meanwhile in other significant results from the eastern side of the draw, Urawa Reds gave Muangthong United an absolute hiding after the Thai team went a man down early in the piece. Beijing Guoan defeated J League champs Hiroshima 2-1 and Guangzhou Evergrande also kept Chinese hearts fluttering with their 1-1 result at Jeonbuk in Korea. 

Wests Wandering Into Asia

Ono, Polenz and youngster Appiah-Kubi celebrate

Western Sydney Wanderers the A League's newest club, booked their ticket into the 2014 Asian Champions League, after opening up a five point gap over their nearest rival. With just three matches remaining in the regular season it seems the Wanderers are going to complete a fairy tale.

Defeating Wellington Phoenix 2-1 via two penalties the Wanderers weren't at their best yesterday, yet still came away with the spoils. Also in their favour is the form of Central Coast Mariners who have sunk from the top of the table. Sadly the Mariners choking at this stage of the season is an almost annual occurrence and with two losses in a row manager Graham Arnold is scratching his head, "Senior players ... if you have got goal-scorers out there, the goal-scorers should be the ones that want to take it." The former interim Socceroos manager was frustrated at senior players not wanting to take responsibility for penalty taking after the Mariners loss to Western Sydney Wanderers. Perhaps more concerning for the Mariners is Arnold's perceiving of mental fatigue amongst his players, "With mental fatigue comes decision making and they are doing things they don't normally do. Turning over possession, taking extra time on the ball."

With their fate in their own hands, it's hard to see anything stopping the Wanderers from taking home the Premiers Plate (A - League Premiership). It's almost unimaginable to envisage Wests being defeated anytime this season. There is such a momentum behind the team and at the same time their nearest rivals are imploding. Manager Tony Popovic was typically cautious after yesterday's win, "There is still some work to be done, and this group knows that." Popovic and the Wests are not celebrating yet, but I can't wait to see the best of Asia playing at Parramatta Stadium in 2014.

Del Piero Hits Four as Sydney Begin to Click

Del Piero celebrates another goal against Wellington

Alessandro Del Piero has blitzed the Wellington Phoenix, and in the process dragged Sydney FC into the A League top six temporarily. The Italian maestro was unstoppable as he inspired his teammates via a first half treble which had Wellington Phoenix resigned to defeat before half time.

Sydney FC are now back into end of season reckoning with today's remarkable victory. Coinciding with today's win was the Sydney FC debut of Australian international Joel Griffiths, who has spent the past three seasons in China with Beijing Guoan and Shanghai Shenhua. For the record the final score was 7-1, a scoreline which condemned Wellington to the bottom of the A League table. The win was also Sydney FC's biggest ever win.

For Del Piero the goals came in the 20th, 23rd, 39th and 70th minutes. The best of the goals came in the 39th minute when midfielder Jason Culina found Del Piero with a pin point switch of play which gave the Italian enough space to bamboozle Wellington's Leo Bertos, and smash home a ripper. Wellington keeper Paston was left flailing as the strike punched the corner of the goal to his left.

The win sounds a warning to Sydney's opponents and even Del Piero was buying into the new found momentum in a post match interview. Asked whether he thought today's win was the turning point for the season he replied, "I hope . . . I hope" before adding that last week's match was even more significant when against Melbourne Heart they turned around a 1-nil deficit with 5 minutes remaining.

Although trailing competition leaders Central Coast Mariners by 14 points with 10 matches left to play Sydney can still take away the A League's major prize as the season ends with a final series. Unlike most professional soccer leagues around the world the A League uses a final six format which virtually turns the final weeks of the season into a knockout competition.

ONO BRIDGE ON FIRE AS ADELAIDE BURNS

WESTS PUT SIX PAST ADELAIDE

Last night the Western Sydney Wanderers woke the A League to their potential. Inspired by a vociferous home crowd, the like that hasn't been heard in the A League before, Wests gave Adelaide a six goal soccer lesson.

From the outset Wests were hungrier and gave very little time to Adelaide to settle on the ball, and it was the western Sydney outfit who looked like they should be sitting second on the ladder. Enigmatic (actually a compliment) striker Mark Bridge opened the scoring after winger Hersi lobbed a ball into the box and the striker's run was untracked. It was 27 minutes later and on the stroke of half time that Bridge made it 2-nil with a goal for his 'best of' collection. Bridge took the ball on the left just outside the box, before turning defender Iain Fyfe inside out and then ramming it home off his left. Before the referee had time to call an end to the 1st half the locals had one more present for the fans. It was Kresinger and Ono combining with some heading and volleying to turn on a pretty little piece that fans will talk about for years to come. 3-nil halftime.

Most teams who go to half time with a 3-nil buffer will take their foot off the pedal in the second half, it's one of those unfortunate customs of professional soccer. But this game was different. Wests came out with the same gusto of the first half and set about 'flogging the dead horse' that was Adelaide. It was Japanese star Shinji Ono who made Adelaide pay for Galekovic's rare hiccup. A misdirected goal kick landed at the feet of an open Youssouf Hersi who headed straight to Ono, the midfielder won a race for the ball and waltzed into the box to smash a goal across the flailing Galekovic making it 4-nil (52 mins). Six minutes later Ono was provider for Bridge in what was a beautifully taken shot giving the Adelaide glove-man no hope. Low and hard into the keeper's left corner. Adelaide would go on to pick up a consolation before Joey Gibbs made it 6-1 to answer the crowds calls for a sixth goal.

Wanderers celebrate one of six goals against Adelaide

Western Sydney Wanderers are shocking the Australian soccer public with their early success, currently sitting third on the ladder. However, the success off the field is no surprise to this blogger. Being at the ground to watch the Wests v Newcastle Jets a number of weeks ago I was blown away when I witnessed the 'red and black block' (supporter group name) arrive at the ground as one, from the various waterholes in Parramatta. They appeared as the populas of Western Sydney does, a 'mongrel dog'. They're mixed blood, they're hybrid they are Western Sydney.

Next week Wests head to Perth another team on the rise. Perth beat defending champions Brisbane Roar last night and last week recorded an impressive 3-0 victory over Emile Heskey and the Jets

NEWS BURST

Sendai in training 

SENDAI AND REDS IN VITAL J LEAGUE CLASH

Urawa Reds today face the neutral's favourite Vegalta Sendai in a bid to stay in the title race. With six matches to play (including today), the Reds cannot afford to let competition leaders Hiroshima get any further than the current six points clear.

Travelling to Vegalta's Yurtec Stadium should suit the Reds as they've made a habit of scoring on the counter this season. The locals though, have got leaders Hiroshima within grasp and they too won't be wanting to see any further distance between them and the top. Vegalta as already mentioned on this blog are the team who have scaled Fuji in order to be where they are. The Sendai region was at the centre of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster and many saw there performance last year (4th in J League) as 'flash in the pan' stuff. But they're back this year and in the race for the title.

This week competition leaders Hiroshima are at home to the enigmatic Kashiwa Reysol. They should get the money there but you never know with Leandro Domingues playing for the Sun Kings. Domingues has a record for shooting on suspicion and it's proved pretty successful for the Brazilian who was topscorer in last season's J League when Kashiwa took out the title.

A LEAGUE'S SYDNEY DERBY

Australia's A League is now into the third round of the season and this week sees the first of the seven year old professional league's Sydney derbies. Highly anticipated the match sees the clash of marquee players Shinji Ono of Western Sydney Wanderers, and Alessandro Del Pierro of Sydney FC.

Ono was quick to mention his eagerness to face Del Piero upon arrival in Sydney and tonight his team which represents the blue collar, working class population of the country's biggest city are set to make life tough for the 'latte set'.

Sydney has a long history of competition between east and west in the competitive sports market that is Sydney. The most famous being the former Western Suburbs Magpies and the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles of Rugby League. Known as the 'fibros' and the 'silvertails' respectively, legend has it that the Magpies coach Roy Masters used to have his troops slapping and punching each other in the change rooms prior to kick off.
It's doubtful that will occur tonight with Wests coach Tony Popovic not known for any pugilist background.

With a sell out crowd in attendance (21500) the FFA couldn't have wished for a better start to the season as far as attendances go and hopefully Wests can slot the first official goal of their A League lives. Over their first two matches the red and black's best chances have fallen to Labinot Haliti and Mark Bridge. For the betting man, (and I'm not a betting man) look at the odds of the Wests win $3.40 at Sportingbet. While Wests have looked blunt in attack, the Sydney FC defence has been questionable and this week sees more irregular members in the central defence area. Pascal Bosschaart returns from long term injury to likely partner the nervous Mclenahan for the 'sky blues'.

A League Preview

A League Launch 2012/2013

A LEAGUE 2012/2013 PREVIEW

With genuine marquee signings arriving at three clubs in A League mark 8, Australian soccer fans have never been so excited about the domestic scene. Even the Euro-snobs have come out of the woodwork to claim allegiance to Sydney FC with their Italian international Alessandro Del Piero.

The season will kick off tonight at AAMI Park when Melbourne Heart take on Melbourne Victory. The Melbourne derby has only existed for two seasons but has quickly risen to 'most anticipated regular season match' status. Of the six fixtures between the teams it's Heart 2, Victory 1, and 3 draws. But this season's opener is set to be a one sided affair. The men in blue look a safe bet to snatch the three points, and if I were a betting man, I'd be putting a lot of money on them.

Adding to the excitement this season is another new A League club. The Western Sydney Wanderers are the latest addition to the burgeoning competition and are probably the wisest choice for an expansion club since the A League went from 8 clubs to 10. Of three expansion clubs two have gone by the wayside, those being Gold Coast United and North Queensland Fury. Many Australians would agree that the Gold Coast is notorious for chewing up sporting franchises and spitting them out. In short, the Gold Coast is a tourist mecca and the locals just won't show up. North Queensland however, were unlucky. They had poor results on field but with marquee star Robbie Fowler on board the club managed to attract respectable crowds considering their on field failings. But when owner Don Matheson realised he couldn't survive with the continued financial losses, FFA were reluctant to provide ongoing support to the club, and put a line through them prior to the 2011/2012 season. Wests though are sure to get plenty of support on account of the team being located in the soccer heartland of Australia. Adding to that is the fact western Sydney is the most populace region of the country. Bingo! As stated in a prior blog I firmly believe this club will dwarf Sydney FC within four to five seasons, and in ten years it will have as big a following as Collingwood in the AFL or Canterbury in the rugby league.

Lets move on to the brief season preview and some daring predictions.

Melbourne Heart: New manager, inexperienced manager equals interesting situation. Best attacking asset, Eli Babalj has been sold to Red Star Belgrade equals even more interesting. Weighing up these two issues I can't see the red and white half of Melbourne figuring in the top six this season. 10th.

Heskey joins Bridges at Newcastle

Newcastle Jets: The team from the Hunter region has strengthened in the off season with some great acquisitions at the back. Scott Neville from Perth Glory and Craig Goodwin from Melbourne Heart give the Jets some speed on the ground and in transition. Up front they have marquee signing Emile Heskey along with Griffiths and Bridges. Another good signing is Gold Coast's James Brown but it's the midfield which raises questions. The Jets are probably a work in progress as these comments from manager Gary van Egmond indicate, "A lot of good young players have come to our club. Obviously we have one eye on this year but also one eye on the A-League down the track." 3rd

Adelaide United: John Kosmina is back at the helm after the sacking of Rini Coolen last season. Can't see much happening at the Reds. Coolen was sacked because the Reds were deemed as dull and plain disappointing, but Kosmina has been rather pragmatic in his approach also. The only difference is his liking for blooding youngsters. Geronimo Neumann looks like a good signing in midfield but it's not enough. 9th

Sydney FC: New manager Ian Crook was assistant at Sydney FC last season. Now he gets his chance, but without creative midfielder Nicky Carle. Like a rabbit out of a hat though the club from the big city got their bling back. Triggering a domino affect Sydney signed Alessandro Del Piero. Who should suffice for the loss of Nicky Carle and add four to five thousand extra fans. Along with ADP, Sydney have Brett Emerton to nurture the youth at the club. Expect 20 year old Mitch Mallia to benefit the most. The loss of Beauchamp and the inconsistency of Pascal Bosschaart signify problems at the back. 4th

Mitch Nichols & Thomas Broich celebrate 

Brisbane Roar: Rado Vidosic takes over at the defending champions. He's no stranger as he was assistant at Lang Park last year. After winning two titles in a row its a tough assignment for Vidosic but while Roar were great to watch there was an element of predictability about them. The 'we must play out from the back' philosophy was persistent but also dangerous as the Roar found out when taking on Japan's FC Tokyo. The midfield looks exciting with the addition of Gold Coast' Ben Halloran, alongside regulars Broich and Nichols. Truly mouth watering the champions will be their again with their stability at the back and the irrepressible Berisha. 1st 

Melbourne Victory: Ange Postecoglou enters the hot seat. The club with all the expectations now has the manager who steered Brisbane to the last two titles. But will Ange try to replicate exactly what he did at Brisbane? In reference to that question Ange replied ". . . if you do that then we will finish second." Victory fans should be happy to hear that, because the losses of Kewell and Hernandez along with the fact Archie Thompson and Danny Allsop won't be getting any quicker, mean Postecoglou will have his work cut out for him. The positives for Melbourne are that Marcos Flores has arrived along with Mark Milligan and Adama Traore. However, there still seems to be some weaknesses at the back. 7th

Travis Dodd of Perth Glory

Perth Glory: Manager Ian Ferguson saved his career last season by taking the Glory to the deciding match after an indifferent start to the season. Like the manager himself Perth have a steel about them at the back with the likes of Heffernan and Pantelidis. In addition to the intimidation at the back there is the acquisition of Michael Thwaite (Gold Coast) with his passing and reading of the game. Liam Miller is back in midfield and they have an exciting prospect in Ryo Nagai from Cerezo Osaka in the J League. While there are no notable changes up front it's no loss with the A League's most plunderous striker Shane Smeltz joined by Billy Mehmet and Travis Dodd. They are genuine contenders. 2nd 

Central Coast Mariners: Central Coast are flying below the radar as per usual. All of Australia is anticipating the next phase of Tom Rogic's career. Can he deliver on the potential he showed in his debut season? Manager Graham Arnold is confident of unearthing some more young gems this season including Mitchell Duke. The club with the penchant for developing youngsters will be hoping defender Patrick Zwaanswijk is able to educate the youngsters at the back and in quick time. It's doubtful that will happen and it's doubtful the Dutchman can replicate his performance last season. 6th

Wellington Phoenix: They keep punching above their weight with so much against them. The black and gold have been successful due to their unified playing group and it seems thats a vital ingredient in such a tightly contested league. Dani Sanchez provided some Spanish creativity last season and he's back aboard while key acquisition Jeremy Brockie is back in his homeland and showing great signs in pre season matches. Also making headway was youngster Louis Fenton who manager Herbert referred to as a possible goal outlet, "If we can add a little bit of a different dimension to the goal-scoring department, our season will be better still," 5th

Western Sydney Wanderers: With no history the Wanderers have been put together in a rush. Japanese midfield genius Shinji Ono is the marquee signing and adds some international interest to the club whose focus is stated to be provided opportunities to local players. The western suburbs of Sydney has been a rich source for elite soccer talent (Harry Kewell - Tony Popovic etc.). Local boy and former socceroo Tony Popovic will manage the side in his first stint as gaffer. The well travelled former defender has earned his place at the helm and no doubt his connections with the J League had something to do with Ono's recruitment. With a solid mix of youth (Mooy, Appiah Kubi) and experience (Ono, Beauchamp, Covic), Wests have shored up the backline (Topor Stanley & Beauchamp) which any team promoted or setting out on a new venture is well advised to do. When pressed on expectations Popovic said, "We can’t guarantee results of course, but I can promise you in the first instance that we will be competitive against Central Coast in round one. Western Sydney people will see a united group of players fighting for each other." 8th