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  • Santalab Turns Up The Heat On Rams

    mack

    By mack

    A fierce strike from Brendon Santalab had given the Western Sydney Wanderers a 1-0 win over Macarthur Rams.

     

    The Wanderers opening match of Season 2014/15 was held in freezing conditions in Campbelltown, and the Red & Black shook off any post-season frost with a high intensity pressing game that kept the Rams on the back hoof for almost the entirety of the game.

     

    The key moment came midway through the second half when Santalab blasted a rocket from outside the area that beat the Rams keeper all ends up to open the scoring.

     

    Tony Popovic sent out his charges in the typical 4-2-3-1 formation, and typically of pre-season games, he experiment with his lineup which included several trialists.

     

    In the first half, new goalkeeper Dean Bouzanis took up position between the sticks, with Mark Bridge playing in the attacking midfield role, while trialist Steve Kuzmanovski tore up the right flank, taking advantage of the Macarthur left fullback's woeful positioning to get behind the Rams defence on numerous occasions. The other major point of note was Sandro Pasalic, a 19 year old German national who appears to be a left winger by trade, took up position at left fullback for the Wanderers. Pasalic was most recently part of the junior squad of SV Wacker Burghausen, a club who were last season relegated into the fourth tier of German football.

     

    The second half saw wholesale changes, with Ante Covic in goal, young gun Marty Lo deployed as a deep holding midfielder, and on 67 minutes, the first look at Brazilian attacking midfielder Vitor Saba. Unlike his scruffy beard, his play on the pitch was silky smooth, and Saba lit up Campbelltown Stadium, gliding through numerous challenges and looking to link up with his team-mates. After the match he came over to the far side of the ground where the RBB were situated and spent some time taking photographs and autographs with his new supporters.

     

    All in all, it was a good hitout, and one that stands the Wanderers in good stead for their trial next week in Canberra, Apia Leichardt on the 5th of August, before their first competitive match of the season against Adelaide City on the 12th.

     

    Two other pieces of news hit the twitterverse this evening, one good, and one bad. The bad was that Australian National team defender & Wanderers Australian Marquee player Matthew Spiranovic had been carrying an ankle injury through the World Cup, and now requires surgery that will leave him out for 3 months.

     

    The good is that ex-Victory player, attacking winger James Troisi is set to sign for the Wanderers and it could be completed as early as next week.

     

    The Wanderers next match is against Canberra FC, at Deakin Stadium, Canberra, on Wednesday the 30th of July.

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    Lookers

    22 was great! Sign!

     

    But come one Wanderers, we need to talk about the kit. I was so excited in the warm up about the black socks and shorts. But then they pair it with the away strip! Sad times :(

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    dmixtaaa

    Just got home, now defrosting..... Great to be back into it though and getting a fix. I think the latino human beard will be hacked to pieces this year and will need to get used to it or he will find more yellow than Hersi did in the past.

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    West13

    22 was great! Sign!

     

    But come one Wanderers, we need to talk about the kit. I was so excited in the warm up about the black socks and shorts. But then they pair it with the away strip! Sad times :(

    No stress about the kit... They pieced together bits of last year's kit whilst we await launch of the new one on August 6...

    Link to comment
    braad

    I echo all thats has been said above. Saba, kuzmanovski and a few others were class. Its exciting! Who needs a big name marquee?

     

    Btw. Cracking goal from santa

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    West13

    I was impressed with Marty Lo the 2ft tall trialist. I think he has a big future as he matures.

    Marty isn't a trialist, surely, he was already in our youth team.. He ripped it up last pre season, Damn even has his own thread on here!

    Link to comment
    dmixtaaa

     

    I was impressed with Marty Lo the 2ft tall trialist. I think he has a big future as he matures.

    Marty isn't a trialist, surely, he was already in our youth team.. He ripped it up last pre season, Damn even has his own thread on here!

     

    Well that's what I also thought.

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    Smoggy

    Agree with what was said about Vitor and Kuzmanovski. A lot of rustiness and vagueness in structure, but to be expected. Kwabs was his usual self...like a 19 year old nun in a mini skirt a conflicting mix of promise and expected disappointment.

     

    **** it's good to be back

     

    lol

     

    Not sure Kwabs is going to cut it at A League level, hope I am wrong. 

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    GunnerWanderer

    Yep Kubi is a **** headless chicken sometimes. But **** his pace is impressive.

    Agree Saba looked the goods, comfortable on the ball.

     

    Fofannah wasn't much good first half their right back was killing him at times getting forward with ease. 

    .

    Overall was solid first performance. Great to see Topor has made recovery. 

     

    Damns it was cold! But what a fantastic crowd must have been close to 5K??

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    hawks2767

    Re: the atmosphere, there were some absolute cocksuckers in the bloc tonight.

     

    People trying to hijack the chants or start new ones.

     

    A few were cheering for Campbeltown, also saying f@&k Campbelltown,

     

    They wouldn't get away with it at Wanderland luckily.

     

    Also someone correct me if I'm wrong but that was Boris running the show tonight ?

     

    I could see the disappointment in his eyes at the non active participation that was going on at times.

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    braad

    Re: the atmosphere, there were some absolute cocksuckers in the bloc tonight.

     

    People trying to hijack the chants or start new ones.

     

    A few were cheering for Campbeltown, also saying f@&k Campbelltown,

     

    They wouldn't get away with it at Wanderland luckily.

     

    Also someone correct me if I'm wrong but that was Boris running the show tonight ?

     

    I could see the disappointment in his eyes at the non active participation that was going on at times.

    Yep. Agreed there. As a whole it was good but there were a lot of ring-ins (myself included) and a lot just didnt sing. I dont get it, if you wanted to be silent sit off to the side bays or the other grandstand!

     

    There was some random crap yelled out, some pretty tasteless bogan calls. Familes and kids dont need to hear rednecks screaming phrases like bucking hunt.

     

     

    Appreciated macarthur rams coming over and applauding us at the end too. I dont know about anyone else but it makes my lost voice worth it

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    Nnnnnathan12

    The left back #24 in the first half was playing very high, he would go forward very quickly in attack and he would casually drop back.

    Maybe he's more of a winger than a full back

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    MCHammer

    yeh..left and right back is a worry. we are pretty much playing the same system as last season and once again we found it difficult to create chances

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