The Alen Stajcic era is off to a winning start at Western Sydney Wanderers, Adelaide United were made to work hard for their win while a young Jet is starting to take flight for Newcastle. This is what we learned from the latest Australia Cup Round of 32 fixtures.
Brisbane City 1-2 Western Sydney Wanderers
It may not have been the most cohesive display but new Western Sydney Wanderers head coach Alen Stajcic will be delighted none the less to have secured a win in what was his first official game in charge.
Still fresh in the job, the former Perth Glory, Central Coast Mariners and Matildas head coach will no doubt have been working on a suitable game plan for the clash with NPLM QLD side Brisbane City FC for most of his time at the club but in the early stages of pre-season, a competitive fixture is always a tricky contest to navigate.
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However, 10 minutes into the game in Brisbane and things were looking pretty good for Stajcic’s new Wanderers side.
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An early opener from Gabriel Cleur was then followed up by an incisive move down the right which resulted in young attacking midfielder Alexander Badolato slamming the ball high into the roof of the net to double the visitors’ lead.
Labelled the understudy to A-Leagues icon and ex-Wanderers midfielder Milos Ninkovic by former head coach Marko Rudan last season, Badolato is a player fans will be hoping they get to see a whole lot more of this season.
Gently exposed to first team football last season under Rudan, many believe ‘Rocky’ is now ready to push for a starting spot in the side this year and his performance against Brisbane City will have done his chances no harm.
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Deployed on the left but with license to roam, the Young Socceroo instinctively drifted into space and was in the right place at the right time to hammer home what would prove to be the match-winner for the Wanderers and that’s a trait that will have no doubt impressed Stajcic.
While the Wanderers may have lost the likes of club captain Marcelo, midfielder Jorrit Hendrix and forward Lachlan Brook in the off-season, the positive news is that young players like central defender Alex Bonetig, midfielder Oscar Priestman and forward Zac Sapsford have already been blooded into the first team.
Naturally there were some nervy moments towards the end of the contest in Queensland but the fact the Wanderers were able to dig deep and hold on in what is their first competitive hit-out under Stajcic bodes well ahead of the new campaign.
Blacktown City SC 2-3 Adelaide United (AET)
Landen Stadium was the place to be on Wednesday night as an absolutely barnstorming cup tie eventually saw Isuzu UTE A-League side Adelaide United prevail over NPLM NSW side Blacktown City following extra time.
After a slick move resulted in Adelaide’s Stefan Mark giving the visitors the lead in the 35th minute, Blacktown City were eventually rewarded for their attacking intent in the second half.
Reds goalkeeper James Delianov had already made one very good save to keep Blacktown at bay early in the second half but there was nothing he could do to prevent fan favourite Travis Major from levelling things up with a towering header.
But as the game ticked over into extra time, the difference between the two sides became clear and it’s something that’s become synonymous with Adelaide over the years: Trusting talented young players to produce the goods.
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With the game evenly poised in the 98th minute, explosive winger Yaya Dukuly produced a stunning finish from the tightest of angles to break the game open before forward Luka Jovanovic got his reward 10 minutes later with a well-taken goal.
“I’ve been talking to my boy Nestor… he tells me just him ’em bro, as hard as you can, don’t think about it,” said Dukuly.
Now without Nestory Irankunda and Hiroshi Ibusuki to rely on for goals and moments of magic this season, it could well be that Adelaide boss Carl Veart looks to this young duo to be his difference makers on a weekly basis.
For Jovanovic in particular, the pathway to a regular starting spot seems ever clearer following the departure of the aforementioned Ibusuki to Western United.
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Last season, the 19-year-old featured 24 times in the Isuzu UTE A-League, starting in nine of those games and finding the back of the net four times but was largely subjected to a spot on the bench with the Japanese favoured as Veart’s first-choice attacker.
However, season 2024-25 brings with it a renewed sense of optimism for Jovanovic who will now likely start the season as the main man up top given his only competition for the starting spot in Carl Veart’s side comes in the form of new recruit Archie Goodwin; a young player with immense talent but a track record of injuries which have so far blighted his career.
Rockdale Ilinden 1-2 Newcastle Jets
It may have been a wet and windy night in the south of Sydney but that didn’t stop Newcastle Jets from taking flight.
Having brushed aside Western United 4-1 in last week’s play-off to reach the Round of 32, Rob Stanton’s young side put on a professional display against the team sat top of the NPLM NSW to book their spot in the last 16.
One of the bigger decisions head coach Stanton had to make ahead of the game was just who would start up front. With last season’s top goalscorer Apostolos Stamatelopoulos now acclimatising to life over in the UK with Scottish Premiership side Motherwell, the Jets boss seemingly had two options: new recruit Lachie Rose or young forward Justin Vidic.
Stanton opted for the latter and the decision paid dividends.
Scoring both goals in the 2-1 win, Vidic’s first came in the 11th minute as he showed great composure, receiving the ball with his back to goal before creating space and drilling the ball beyond the keeper to make it 1-0.
After the home side had then wrestled back the momentum by scoring a brilliantly worked goal in the 30th minute, Vidic came up with the goods once again on the stroke of half-time.
Alive to the danger inside the Rockdale box, Vidic – who made his A-Leagues debut last season – showcased his abilities as a poacher as he reacted first to a loose ball inside the box to stab home what would prove to be the winner.
With an emphasis on youth now the mantra at Newcastle under Stanton, Vidic’s performance will certainly have impressed his head coach, especially when it comes to making a decision as to who will be the player chosen to lead the line during the upcoming Isuzu UTE A-League season.
