The first Western Sydney Wanderers match in Penrith resulted in a scrappy and physical 1-1 draw.
An 7th minute own goal to Nigel Boogaard following some stellar work by Tahj Minniecon was cancelled out by an equaliser to Sergio Cirio minutes after the resumption of play in the second half.
The Wanderers were the dominant force for much of the match with Minniecon and then Youssouf Hersi providing much of the danger to the Adelaide backline. Tomi Juric managed to stick the ball in the back of the net only to have his goal rubbed out for a push.
Juric had a golden chance to pick up a goal when put through on goal after a great combination play between Minniecon and Mooy, but Eugene Galekovic stood tall and turned the ball around the post.
Opinion: Several unfamiliar combinations were on show in this match, with the most prominent being Minniecon & Jerome Polenz down the right in the first half. Minniecon looked sharp and combined well with Polenz. Despite putting the ball home (albeit illegally) Tomi Juric lacked a lot of direction when defending from the front. There were multiple occasions throughout the match that he pressed the wrong player, or failed to press, allowing Adelaide to easily get the ball forward. I'm sure Popa will work on this as the season draws closer. Aaron Mooy often looked to me to be playing more as a second striker than an attacking midfield playmaker, as he ghosted in behind the defence as Tomi Juric came deeper or wider to receive the ball. The second half followed a much more typical Wanderers attacking setup, with numerous switches of play with pinpoint diagonal passes.
Neither side would be too disheartened by the draw, despite being physical it was held in good nature and the players on both sides came together after the match for a short discussion. Another strong workout for the Wanderers and it bodes well for the rest of the pre-season and round 1 against the Mariners.
The Wanderers next match is on Sunday the 29th of September against Melbourne Victory, in Tasmania.
