DEAR MR PIGNATA, PLEASE DON'T TELL FANS WHO THEY SHOULD RESPECT

Ali Abbas - Sydney FC

Earlier this week Sydney FC CEO Tony Pignata pleaded that Western Sydney Wanderers fans show Ali Abbas some respect in this weekend's Sydney Derby. Abbas returned last Saturday from a knee injury that occurred in a derby match in November 2014. As a result of Pignata's pleas the passionate Iraq born attacker is set to cop a barrage, as the last thing you should do is tell a fan who they need to respect.

CASE IN POINT - ADAM GOODES

Australian sports fans don't have to dig deeply into their memory banks to find a similar situation to that of Ali Abbas. AFL player Adam Goodes experienced a season of cat calls, boos, rude gestures and even racial taunts.

Respected as one of AFL's best players, Goodes - an aboriginal Australian - made it known the constant jeering was affecting him. Did the fans stop and respect Adam? No.

The booing and jeering got worse. Only after a bout of baloney from the 'professional' media and AFL's CEO claiming the booing was racist, did it finally fade. But only temporarily. By the end of the season, the booing was back.

ABBAS THE VOLATILE

Just like Goodes in his sport, Ali Abbas is one of the A-League's most talented. This fact alone makes Abbas a target for the boo boys. Add to that the fact that Abbas plays the game with a frightening passion, producing animated goal celebrations, pumping his fists and berating opponents when the occasion suits. Quite frankly the A-League needs more like him.

But come Saturday evening at Parramatta, Western Sydney fans will unleash hell. Every fist pump and every time he touches the ball, swathes of home fans will remind Ali that they hate him. And the Daily Telegraph feature telling of how affected the Sydney FC attacker was by social media abuse, will only encourage Wanderers fans.

PIGNATA'S PLEA TO FALL ON DEAF EARS

"I just hope from the fans’ point of view that they let him focus on the football," said Pignata. "It would be nice to think that they will show him some respect for what he has achieved simply in getting back on to the pitch."

Oh Please! It's hard to believe that Pignata would be dumb enough to request Wanderers fans be nice to his players. Even in the age of the politically correct, there is no way Abbas will find Parramatta Stadium to be his 'happy place'.

Saturday night just can't come soon enough for Wanderers fans, and Ali Abbas will find himself at the centre of the storm. He can thank Sydney FC CEO Tony Pignata for that. 

LEWDUB RETWEETS VOLUME 3

This week we go to the video. In a LewDub Retweets first, we feature all the important tweets and comments in East Asian Soccer over the last seven days, on video!

Look out for @SeongnamFC2014's controversial comments about Japanese Soccer teams including: Urawa Reds, Kashima Antlers and Gamba Osaka. Check the video to hear his gripe.

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@seankyaroru (the account of Sean Carroll) was at Kashima Stadium for the Antlers vs FC Seoul Asian Champions League clash. In previous ACL home matches Kashima couldn't manage 8000 fans onsite. The home team needed a win to secure qualification for the knockout stage of the competition. On the video you'll find out how many Antlers fans rocked up.

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@JSoccerMagazine spoke about the same match on Tuesday night. His summary took a more holistic stance, focusing on what the result meant for some of the other teams in Group H. Watch the video to hear a dodgy English accent, and find out who won through to the ACL Knockout Stage.

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@Franjic5 (the account of Ivan Franjic) sent his best wishes to his old teammates at Brisbane Roar. Last week they met Adelaide United in the A-League Elimination Final. Did Ivan's mates win? The video knows.

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@cantonfcnews reviewed the action from Shanghai last Friday night when Timmy Cahill's Shanghai Shenhua took on Guangzhou Evergrande. See, hear and read what happened - on the video.

LEWDUB RETWEETS!

This week East Asian Soccer and Lew Dub unveil: LewDub Retweets. In what is planned to be a weekly installment, the East Asian Soccer website in conjunction with Lew Dub's Twitter, account will trawl through what was retweet worthy over the last week. From there we will snatch the five most noteworthy re-tweets or favourites from the Lew Dub account and discuss their noteworthiness.

Without further ado, lets get stuck into LewDub Retweets Volume 1.

Number 1, comes from a favourite account of ours. It's the JSoccer Magazine Twitter account and the tweet that made us stand up and applaud gave reference to the painful Urawa Reds, and their ACL plight.

Truly tough times for Urawa fans who deserve more than they get from their beloved Reds. But who knows maybe 2015 will be their year 'domestically'.

Number 2 comes from Sebastian Hassett's account. The Sydney Morning Herald scribe paid tribute to Japan's Kashima Antlers after stealing victory in a second half schooling of Western Sydney Wanderers. It seems everyone wants to stick the boot into the Wanderers at the moment, but there is still some breath in the lungs of their Asian Champions League campaign.

WSW will need to defeat the already qualified Guangzhou Evergrande in China, and pray for a draw between Kashima Antlers and FC Seoul.




Number 3 comes from Peter Davis's account. News from the Chinese Super League. As the tweet says, Swedish international Tobias Hysen tops the CSL scorers list. But of just as much tweet-

worthiness is the fact Hysen's Shanghai East Asia (SIPG) - managed by Sven Goran Eriksson - are undefeated and top of the CSL table.




Number 4 via Seongnam's unofficial English twitter account, was a bit of lighthearted banter. The K-League team is faring better than any of their Korean counterparts currently, but the tweet could

backfire as Seongnam aren't assured of qualification for the knockout phase of the ACL while all other K-League teams are still in with a fighting chance.



Finally at Number 5 is Dean Heffernan's polite call for Wanderers' new recruit Kerem Bulut to lighten up on the gesticulation. The 'call out' came during the Asian Champions League tie with Kashima

Antlers, when the raw talent could be seen gesturing frustratedly whenever the ball didn't come to him.



No more here. That's a wrap!

WESTERN SYDNEY OUT OF FINALS CONTENTION FOR 2014/15

It's a write off! Wanderers fans prepare yourself, for there is no fairy tale ending to A-League season 2014/15.

In these dark days Wanderers fans have been surviving off the rumours of a player overhaul in the January transfer window. With loud noises surrounding a number of players, manager Tony Popovic was quoted in the Daily Telegraph today, fanning the flames, "Every player is contracted but we'll see what happens in January."

So Western Sydney can expect new recruits soon, but new recruits require time. Firstly there is integration into the playing group, then there is adapting to the playing style. Add to that the forming of on field combinations that can break open a defence.

No doubt the Wanderers need time but that is something they dont have. They face an equally desperate Central Coast today before taking on Melbourne Victory on January 6th.

Yes, the Asian Cup break will give new recruits much needed time to be integrated into the group. But Western Sydney simply have to win from this point on.

A-League ladder 01/01/2015

With Melbourne City in 6th (the last finals position) and on 16 points, the Wanderers with their two games in hand are 13 points adrift. That is simply too much to reel in when you consider they will have to negotiate the ACL from late February onward.

Only a miracle can turn this season around, and the Wanderers have surely used up all the divine assistance due to them, for a year or two at least.

EAST ASIAN SOCCER - NEWS ROUND-UP

Usami and Patric embrace.

In Japan Gamba Osaka completed the domestic treble, after defeating second tier Montedio Yamagata in the Emperor's Cup Final. 

Just one week earlier Gamba had captured the J-League title, and with little time to celebrate, the Kansai natives were facing an upbeat Yamagata club who had just won promotion to J1 for 2015. It didn't take long for Gamba's class to tell though, with in form Takashi Usami finding the back of the net in the 4th minute, before Patric doubled the lead in the 22nd minute. 

In the second half the underdogs jagged a goal to restore hope, but once again Usami asserted the authority of the J-League champions. The match ending 3-1, Usami with two goals and an assist.

Stunningly the man of the match was still ignored by national team manager Javier Aguirre. True, the Samurais have a wealth of attacking midfielders, but this blogger was not the only one shocked by his absence in Japan's Asian Cup squad.

ASIAN CUP SQUAD

Japan's national team was officially announced on Monday. See below -

In a scoop for the Newcastle region where the Japanese squad will be based during the tournament, a friendly was recently announced for January 4th. The Japanese will take on New Zealand's most famous club side, Auckland City in Cessnock, while also taking on local side Lambton Jaffas in a behind closed doors trial. The Kiwi team has been a regular representative for Oceania at the Club World Cup, and turned a few heads this year after defeating Algeria's ES Setif. 

GK - Eiji Kawashima, Masaaki Higashiguchi, Shusaku Nishikawa
DEF- Yuto Nagatomo, Masato Morishige, Kosuke Ota, Uchida, Maya Yoshida, Tsukasa Shiotani, Gotoku Sakai, Gen Shoji
MF- Yasuhito Endo, Yasuyuki Konno, Makoto Hasebe, Shinji Kagawa, Hiroshi Kiyotake, Gaku Shibasaki,
ATT- Yohei Toyoda, Shinji Okazaki, Keisuke Honda, Yu Kobayashi, Takashi Inui, Yoshinori Muto.

ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DRAW ANNOUNCED

The 2015 Asian Champions League draw has been completed, though there are still some unknowns,

In a promoters dream Western Sydney Wanderers have been grouped with Chinese gargantuans Guangzhou Evergrande. 

Fans of both clubs will not have forgotten 2014's cage fight in the ACL quarter finals. The match saw Marcello Lippi enter the playing field at Parramatta, after two controversial red cards were handed out to superstars Zhang Linpeng and Gao Lin. 

Joining them in Group H is the J-League's most successful club, Kashima Antlers. The Antlers enjoyed a return to prominence in the J-League, inspired by the form of youngster Gaku Shibasaki. Just as mouth watering is the prospect of Koreans FC Seoul coming through the play-off phase to join the triplet of talent in Group H. FC Seoul featured in the 2013 ACL Final against Guangzhou, while in 2014 they crashed out to Wanderers in the semi finals.

ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMI-FINAL, SEOULED OUT

We're now into the second leg of the Asian Champions League semi-final. On the west side of the draw, Al Hilal have secured their final berth (4-2 agg.), but on the east side it's all to play for. Last season's beaten finalists FC Seoul face Western Sydney Wanderers in Parramatta, after a scoreless draw in the first leg in Seoul.

Cha Du-ri challenged by Labinot Haliti

Undefeated in their last 13 matches FC Seoul sit 5th in the K-League Classic, and are eager to return to the Asian Champions League Final. The team from the capital have some interesting stats heading into tonight's semi-final. In their last 13 matches (including all competitions) they have conceded just 6 goals and scored 18 goals. Impressive. But it's important to note that FC Seoul scored 5 goals in one match against Incheon back on the 16th August. So apart from a rare day when it all came together, FC Seoul are averaging around one goal a game. That said, manager Choi, Yong Soo was adamant the first goal would be vital and assured Korean fans saying, "We have a lot of strategies to deal with them so we are prepared."

With the Wanderers still 9 days from the kick off of the domestic season, it's hard to get a line of form for them. In the lead up to their shock two-leg victory over Guangzhou Evergrande, Wanderers had stumbled over non league Canberra 1-0 in a friendly, before being knocked out of Australia's FFA Cup by second tier club Adelaide City.

Somehow, three weeks after their giant killing effort against Guangzhou, Wanderers slogged out a 0-0 draw in Seoul, minus Tomi Juric, Brendan Santalab, Shannon Cole and Matthew Spiranovic. They'll be without Spiranovic again in the semi, but importantly goalscorers Juric and Santalab are back. This should give Wests the edge.

In addition to that FC Seoul made their incredible run to the ACL Final last year with the aid of Dejan Damjanovic. But big Dejan is no longer in Korea, he is now plying his trade alongside his former FC Seoul teammate Ha, Dae-sung at Beijing Guoan.

So on the basis that FC Seoul are unlikely to spring new tactics in a foreign land, I see Wanderers coming away victors. The home team has the cutting edge of rookie Socceroo Tomi Juric, and at some stage his influence should prove the difference. Though midfielder FC Seoul's Molina proved hard to handle in his 45 minutes in the first leg, he is no Dejan Damjanovic, and the player has received limited game time all season. Wanderers are a happy, hard working and cohesive unit. FC Seoul are not.

KOREANS SOLELY FOCUSED ON ASIAN CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

The Western Sydney Wanderers story continues tonight, live from Seoul. The rising Australian club with an Asian football pioneer (Tony Popovic) at the helm, is in a place that not even the most ardent and optimistic 'red and black bloccers' would have imagined. Popovic is quietly confident stating, "We may not have the experience they have . . . but we have a lot of belief that we can make the final." Their clash against FC Seoul tonight puts them up against an experienced continental performer, who though struggling domestically are favourite for the two legged fixture.

FC Seoul fans also wear red and black

Though comfortable in their role as underdog Wanderers would have preferred to be at full strength for the first leg. But in line with their 'blue collar' support base, they'll do it tough. Poignantly it's at the pointy end that the A-League club is deprived of regulars. Tomi Juric and Brendan Santalab are Western Sydney's strike weapons, and in their absence it's hard to see the Aussie club scoring in open play. Set pieces and defencive organisation will be pivotal if the Wanderers are to be successful. Former Mariners and current Jeonbuk (1st in K-League) defender Alex Wilkinson gives the Wanderers hope, noting that though the Koreans are solely focused on the ACL, "The Wanderers have nothing to be scared of." He added, "Asian teams in general tend to struggle against really well-organised teams."

FC Seoul have under achieved in this year's K-League, up until now. Currently sitting 5th they've gone seven matches without defeat in the league since early August. Further to that, FC Seoul are on their way toward becoming a regional powerhouse, with ACL quarter final appearances in 2009, 2011, and a final appearance against Guangzhou Evergrande in 2013. Despite losing striker Dejan Damjanovic (now at Beijing Guoan) from last year's squad, FC Seoul are once again figuring at the business end of the Asian Champions League. The team from the capital can brag the second stingiest defence in the K-League, and their quarter final win over Pohang Steelers is further evidence of their 'park the bus'-edness. The game was 0-0 after 180 minutes, finally decided when Pohang choked in the penalty shoot-out.

Over the two legs there should be few chances for both teams, and it's for that reason I see FC Seoul as eventual winners. The Koreans have a few more players with that individual brilliance that can break a stalemate. Expect to see imports Mauricio Molina and new signing Everton Santos have an influence on the result of this encounter, though they may not feature in the starting eleven. Molina's willingness to shoot is something that neutrals will no doubt enjoy, and Western Sydney will do well to silence the Columbian. Many fans will also be familiar with international Cha, Du-Ri who despite his 34 years is still featuring in K-League best elevens. Though I've tipped FC Seoul to advance it's certainly not a fixture I would invest any of my hard earned on. Good luck to both teams, but just quietly I'll be hoping for the underdog to prove the doubters wrong as they did in the quarter final.    

[WATCH THIS VIDEO TO SEE SOME OF MAURICIO MOLINA'S BEST GOALS]

WESTERN SYDNEY WANDERERS - ASIA'S NEWEST MARQUEE CLUB

Guangzhou's manager giving the Egyptian ref some lip.

Western Sydney Wanderers have shocked the continent. Wests downed current Asian champs Guangzhou Evergrande overnight, in a match that had all the hallmarks of a classic. There was cut and thrust on the field, pure passion in the stands, and temper tantrums on the sidelines, as Marcello Lippi lost his rag in the latter stages.

After dominating the first half with their classy midfield, boasting Elkeson and Diamanti, the Chinese outfit was steamrolled in the second half. Guangzhou finished the match with a dominant 56 percent possession statistic, but the visitors produced less shots on goal than the red and black. For all their class and lack of 'fiscal restraint', Guangzhou just couldn't break down the out of season Wanderers. Not even tattooed right back Zhang, Linpeng could get beyond the well marshalled and willing defence. 

In the 60th minute the Wanderers shocked everyone, (except those that live in another reality) when they went ahead. The goal came via an innocuous looking cross that appeared manageable for your average weekend warrior, but Tom Juric's faint deflection was enough to steer the ball beyond the keeper's grasp. It's possible the keeper's vision was obstructed by his teammate Kim, Young-Gwon, who was tracking Juric. 

From that point on the temperature just continued to rise. Finally it all boiled over when Zhang, Linpeng was fouled by Iacopo La Rocca. La Rocca had jostled with Zhang until the referee blew his whistle, but in a sign of the frustration the champions were feeling, Zhang lashed out (with his back to La Rocca) and hit his opponent flush on the face with a backhander. Without hesitation Egyptian ref Mohamed Hassan flashed his red card at the right-back, kicking off a kerfuffle that didn't want to end. 

Already down to ten, things got worse for Guangzhou two minutes later. Wanderers' new signing Vitor Saba milked a foul after substitute Liu retaliated to an errant elbow from the wiry midfielder. A fraction of a second later as Saba hit the deck, Gao, Lin arrived on the scene. The striker tried to pull up - caught by surprise at Saba's theatrics - and did well to merely graze the Brazilian as he propped on his left leg. But once again referee Hassan saw red.

Saba writhes in 'pain' while Gao Lin sees red.

And so it was that mayhem ensued. Within the blink of an eye, Guangzhou's esteemed Italian manager was invading the pitch to give little Hassan some lip. It may have been deserved but Lippi can expect to be banished to the stands for the second leg. Along with a manager in the stands, Guangzhou will be without their 'go-to' striker Gao, Lin and defender Zhang, Linpeng. 

Next week sees the return leg, and it's a promoters dream. Australia's team from the football heartland, taking on the continental heavyweights, in their backyard. Vitally Wanderers go to China not having conceded an away goal, and carrying a 1-0 lead. 

CAN GUANGZHOU BE THE BEST FOREVER AGAIN?

Guangzhou celebrate Asian Champions League glory 2013.

Guangzhou Evergrande have won the last three Chinese Super League titles, along with a Chinese FA Cup in 2012, and last year's Asian Champions League crown. In his first full season as manager Marcello Lippi steered the team to the league title by a mere 18 points. But with a number of regular starters leaving the club this season, and the capture of Dejan Damjanovic by Beijing Guoan, suddenly the tigers of the south have some competition.

Beijing Guoan now trail the champions by just four points and importantly the team from the capital have a game in hand. Since returning from the summer break Beijing have captured seven of a possible twelve points. Not exactly a competition winning statistic, but the points surrendered were away from home and early in the Damjanovic era. And while Beijing's 3-0 win over Shanghai last weekend was a little flattering the green team have only one competition to focus on, unlike Guangzhou Evergrande.

With new co owners Alibaba (50% stake), Guangzhou have no problems when it comes to player recruitment, however, player retention is a problem. In 2014 Asia's number one team has had to deal with the exit of Dario Conca (off season), and club record goal scorer Muriqui (summer break). To expect Guangzhou to be as good a team as they were last year when the aforementioned were at their peak, is asking a lot. Yes, the tigers have splashed out on Alessandro Diamanti, and added another Italian Alberto Gilardino, but for all their experience it's rare that players arrive and blend with their new teammates immediately. Former Dalian Aerbin defender Li, Xuepeng is one who hasn't blended seamlessly with his new teammates. His recent arrival has coincided with the club conceding five goals in their last two matches.

For Guangzhou Evergrande to continue their dominance they'll be expected to win the Chinese Super League and the Asian Champions League. Their next assignment in the ACL (20th August) is Western Sydney Wanderers. Along with the nine hour flight, Wanderers should prove to be a stubborn opponent. Domestically Guangzhou's opponents can benefit no matter what the outcome of the two legged ACL quarter final. If they win, Guangzhou will be caught up in continental travel and a busy playing schedule. If they lose, the bubble around the team/club may finally burst.

These are interesting times for Guangzhou and if they're to 'be the best forever' in 2014, as their slogan says, it will take some quick adapting from their most recent arrivals.

EMBARRASSING HIROSHIMA PROOF OF J-LEAGUE'S PROBLEMS

Last week's tawdry display from Sanfrecce Hiroshima in the ACL was proof of the problems the J-League has with maintaining its status as the premier soccer competition in Asia. Hiroshima were below, below par. They were tepid! And no, I'm not just saying that because I did my dough on the Purple Archers. Their performance highlights the waning standards of the J-League: as it is pilfered of it's best talent by European clubs, can't match China's ability to attract quality foreigners, and is detrimentally affected by the closeness of it's own competition.

Hiroshima have long been a bugbear of mine. Back to back champions of the J-League, they've gotten much mileage out of playing a rather drab brand of soccer. I'm not the only one who believes this, as Chris Collins of World Football Weekly recently twat of Hiroshima, "Not sure what cattenaccio is in Japanese but they've mastered it." (March 1st). After the nine hour flight to Australia we heard stories of jetlag, but Hiroshima managed to go ahead in the 21st minute - dominating possession. However, when Central Coast Mariners fought back and took the lead, Hiroshima were lost. Unable to employ their usual 'sit and hit' tactics, Moriyasu's men had to chase the game, but found the out of form Mariners too tough to break down. Yes, Hisato Sato and 34 year old midfielder Mihael Mikic were absent, but the Mariners have a line-up that has been mined of talent, and Hiroshima should have been able to get the job done if the J-League is what it's cracked up to be.

What's stifling the J-League can't be narrowed down to one issue, but one pertinent problem is the closeness of it's own competition. J-League champions of the last five years have lost 8 matches or more out of 34 league matches. That means, virtually every fourth match, the number one team in the J-League will lose. Comparing that with leagues around the world certainly paints a poor picture of the quality of Japanese champions. Go to England's Premier League and the percentage there for the last two seasons is 1 in every 7.6 matches, in Germany it has been 1 in every 34 matches (2012/13) and 1 in every 11.3 matches in 2011/12, while in Spain it's every 19th match. In China, the losing percentage definitely indicates a true champion also, 2013 it was 1 in every 30 matches while in 2012 it was 1 in every 5. People will always debate that 'one sided leagues' or two sided leagues such as Spain's are unappealing, and I'd rather the J-League doesn't get to that extreme, but in recent years the competition's champions have merely been default, or clayton's champions.

Along with default champions Japanese players are now shining brightly on European radars. In recent times the J-League has simply been pilfered of promising talent to the point that Japanese authorities are considering putting promising young footballers on the endangered species list. Yes, the nostalgic value of playing in Europe pervades the thoughts of young football professionals and will for a long time into the future, but the recent trend has even seen the mid 20s reliable professional disappearing also. European clubs are rubbing their hands and damaging the league by selling the dream to the many technically skilled Japanese. Mu Kanazaki is a classic example. The former Nagoya Grampus wing-man was hardly the J-League's super star but he bought into the European dream and his club has lost a great professional. Replacing this kind of contributor is not easy.

And now China is rising. Foreign influence in Chinese soccer is at an all time high, and with names like Marcello Lippi and Sven Goran Eriksson in managerial roles, Chinese youngsters should only stand to benefit. What's more there is no shortage of money being splashed around in China. In fact Japanese players are probably the only nationality in Asia not flocking to the country for the riches on offer. This year we saw Evergrande purchase, Alessandro Diamanti, Jiangsu Sainty poached Dejan Damjanovic from FC Seoul, and Vagner Love moved from CSKA Moscow to Shandong Luneng. Shandong Luneng are currently topping their group in the ACL, and this is just another sign that the balance of power on the continent is shifting.

Tonight Kawasaki Frontale face Western Sydney Wanderers in Parramatta. The match comes after Yokohama F.Marinos were defeated by Melbourne Victory last night partly due to Shunsuke Nakamura not boarding the flight to Australia. For Kawasaki Frontale's sake I hope his namesake Kengo makes the trip as the J-League is on notice.

JETS ON TRAJECTORY OF LAST YEAR'S WANDERERS

Call me crazy, call me mad, even insane. Maybe my heart is getting the better of me, but there seems to be some similarities in the flight path of this season's Jets and last season's Wanderers. After five rounds of the 2013/2014 A-League season, the Newcastle Jets lie seventh on six points; one win and three draws.

Last season the Western Sydney Wanderers spent the first three rounds kicking soccer balls in all directions but goal-ward. They hit pay-dirt in round four when Mark Bridge was able to slot one into the back of the net, and give the Wanderers their first ever A-League win. Prior to that match Bridge spoke to Omnisport, and was predictably probed on the 270 minute goal drought: "Defensively we've been very solid, structurally we've been very good and we've been very competitive in every game." While sounding like the cliche response Bridge was right about Wests solid defence - it would prove to be the foundation of their critically acclaimed season. After five rounds last year the Wanderers had conceded just three goals, and found themselves on seven competition points.

This season the Jets struggled through three matches and the 'goal drought' tag was being bandied about. Then came the round four local derby with Central Coast Mariners. Winless, but with two draws behind them, and two clean sheets, the Jets went into the game underdogs with a quite confidence. Amazingly, Newcastle found themselves the owners of a 2-nil lead with more than 60 minutes played. Graham Arnold's Mariners would storm back as the Jets got stage fright. A penalty in the 63rd minute and a 'tap in' from a rebound in the 79th minute meant the Jets could only manage a draw. Prior to that match Jets assistant coach Craig Deans said, ". . . the small margins are not going in our favour, but we are still going to stay positive. At the same time, to have what looks to be quite a solid defencive structure at the moment is something that's pleasing and something we can build on." And so the Jets would pick up their first win in round five against Adelaide United at Adelaide.

Newcastle conceded 45 goals in their 27 matches last season. They look on the road to a much better season defensively, largely due to the recruitment of Dutch centre-back Kew Jaliens. Just as Tony Popovic created the monster that is now Western Sydney Wanderers by building a rock solid defence, the Jets maligned manager Gary Van Egmond appears to have applied the same template this year. Further upside for the Jets comes in the form of Emile Heskey's return from injury - sure to provide more space for former Socceroo Nathan Burns. All signs point to a very productive season for the Jets.  

SYDNEY DERBY SOLD OUT

This Saturday's A League 'Sydney Derby' has sold out. Sydney FC's Sydney Football Stadium, (Allianz Stadium) will be packed to its 45,500 capacity, hosting the visiting Western Sydney Wanderers. The League's biggest derby appears to be unaffected by the expected absence of marquee man Alessandro Del Piero.

Sydney FC kicked off their season with a convincing win over the misfiring Newcastle Jets (whom I tipped). The Italian was instrumental in that victory with the first goal and a typically special play making performance. Unfortunately for Sydney FC Del fell injured last weekend against Brisbane Roar, when one of his visits to the turf proved serious. Sydney went on to receive a 4-nil drubbing from Brisbane who were admittedly dominant before Del's demise.

Just two games into the A League season and Western Sydney Wanderers have proven they remain hard to beat, but they're scoring habits also have a whiff of familiarity. After recruiting recently capped Socceroo Tom Juric and Brendan Santalab to the club to shore up attacking options Wests are yet to set the world on fire. Juric was used as a substitute in the opening round against Central Coast Mariners and tied the match with his volleyed tap in. However, he was unable to repeat the dose at home to Wellington. This has Wests heading into the derby undefeated but also winless.

Stoking the fires of the derby was Western Sydney's Jerome Polenz. The German import spoke on the likely absence of Alessandro Del Piero, "I think it will be better if Del Piero plays because my opinion is he's not running a lot, so there would be more holes for us to go through . . . Of course he's an outstanding player, but he's also not working defensively so I think it would be better if he plays." Meanwhile, Sydney FC youngster Joel Chianese was probed on the loss to Brisbane and the significance of Del Piero. Chianese said, "Whether he's in the team or not, we need to play our best and the way the coach wants us to play - not how we played on Saturday. We'll be better this week definitely."

Chianese's comments need to be backed up by his teammates this weekend, or things could once again turn ugly for the 'Sky Blues'. Farina's men looked lost last week, and Sydney can't afford a repeat performance of the uninspired sit back-athon. This could well play into the hands of Western Sydney Wanderers, whose success last season was owed to their ability to counter attack. Along with that, Tony Popovic is now clear of Socceroos managerial speculation (Postecoglou confirmed as Socceroos manager).

Whatever eventuates we can rest assured their will be a magical atmosphere at the Sydney Football Stadium, marking another step in soccer's incremental rise into Australian sporting relevance.

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."

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.

GAMBA'S SEASON OF WOE RECEIVES A FINAL BLOW

Gamba Osaka have hit rock bottom. After a season of torment in the J League which saw them relegated to Japan's 2nd tier for the first time, Gamba bombed out in the Emperor's Cup final to Kashiwa Reysol. It truly was a case of Gamba's J League form coming back to haunt them. After a recent undefeated run to gain entry into the Emperor's Cup final gave fans a glimmer of hope, today was the hammer blow which sent the marquee club crashing into J2 with a thud.

Ironically some Gamba fans are glad that the team didn't win the Emperor's Cup, as it would see them committed to an Asian Champions League campaign while playing for promotion in a league which involves more than 40 matches. Now it's Kashiwa who will contest the ACL in 2013 just as they did in 2012. Kashiwa put on a decent showing in 2012 making it to the knockout stage only to meet eventual winner Ulsan Hyundai first up. The win today came about via a Hirofumi Watanabe header. The centre back got himself on the end of a Jorge Wagner corner and made Gamba pay for not taking their own chances. Truly a season of despair for Gamba Osaka.

ONO RECEIVES OVATION AFTER STUNNING DOUBLE FOR WANDERERS

Shinji Ono has put on a masterclass as he took his A League club Western Sydney Wanderers into third place on the ladder. The Japanese import continues to improve as he settles into A League life. Ono Put Wests ahead on the brink of halftime with an amazing juggling volley which will find its way onto every A League highlights reel ever released.

Melbourne levelled the scores in the 72nd minute and looked set to steal the points as momentum had swung their way. Wanderers were looking tired and it was somewhat against the run of play that Ono's second goal came about. On this occasion Ono took advantage of some time given to him by the Melbourne defence, providing a neat turn as a defender strode past him expecting him to lay the ball off. But Ono turned toward goal, and sent a shot into the keeper's left corner. Brilliant!

Ono would leave the field in the 84th minute to a standing ovation, as his team held on for a forth win in their last five matches.

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