A-Leagues-inspired Olyroos close out tour with emphatic victory: ‘The rewards came’

World Cup and UEFA Champions League winner Juan Mata has signed with Western Sydney Wanderers for the upcoming Isuzu UTE A-League season.

The Subway Olyroos concluded their PacificAus Sports Football Series with a 4-0 rout of Vanuatu’s senior men’s team over the weekend.

Western United’s Rhys Bozinovski, Newcastle Jets striker Justin Vidic, Sydney FC defender Hayden Matthews and Western Sydney Wanderers’ Oscar Priestman were all on target for Australia in Port Vila on Sunday.

“They were create throughout and I’m really pleased for them,” head coach Tony Vidmar told Football Australia.

‘YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE WATCHING US PLAY’: How 9,272km trip ‘opened doors’ for Chiefy’s Phoenix 2.0
MY SIX MONTHS WITH RONALDO: Inside Soceroo’s ‘shock’ link up with Saudi powerhouse

After kicking off the two-game tour with a 3-0 win on Thursday boasting an all-A-Leagues squad, Vidmar made nine changes to the starting XI as only Nathan Paull (Central Coast Mariners) and goalkeeper Patrick Beach (Melbourne City) kept their spots.

Aidan Simmons (Western Sydney Wanderers), Josh Rawlins (Melbourne Victory), Kaelan Majekodunmi (Perth Glory), Corey Hollman (Sydney FC), Jordi Valadon (Melbourne Victory), Bozinovski, Yaya Dukuly (Adelaide United), Matthew Grimaldi (Western United) and Vidic were in the line-up, while Jack Warshawsky (Central Coast Mariners), Kasey Bos (Melbourne Victory), Ethan Alagich (Adelaide United), Matthews, Priestman, Jed Drew (Macarthur FC) and Clayton Taylor (Newcastle Jets) came off the bench.

After Paull hit the crossbar and later cleared a goal-bound effort off the line, Bozinovski broke the deadlock in first-half stoppage time following a neat one-two with Dukuly.

Following a couple of chances, Vidic then made it 2-0 in the 69th minute before substitute Matthews found the back of the net two minutes later, with Priestman sealing the rout 11 minutes from the end.

THE SPECIAL JUAN: Mata joins Western Sydney Wanderers
MATA’S STORY: Decorated road to the A-Leagues & his humanitarian mission you need to hear about

“They’ve been great,” said Vidmar. “The information we’ve given them and the way they’ve trained… what they did today wasn’t by luck.

“It was by design on how they want to play and how we want to play collectively.

“Pressing was good. The chances they created. Some of the play was really good to watch.”

Featured image: Football Australia