Western United youngster Oliver Lavale lived out a dream of his on Tuesday night, debuting and scoring for the side he grew up supporting in the 2023 Australia Cup on Wednesday night.
Lavale was handed a start in their 2-0 Round of 16 win over Gold Coast Knights off the back of an impressive campaign for the club’s youth side in Victoria’s NPL2 competition.
With a host of senior players missing including Noah Botic, Aleksandar Prijovic and Daniel Penha, the youngster led the line alongside Michael Ruhs and capped off his debut with a goal.
Initially, it was thought to be a Jaiden Walker own goal, but the final match summary deemed Western’s opener to have come off Lavale last.
Overall, it was an evening Lavale will never forget, as Western came away with an all-important victory to book their place in the Cup quarter-finals against Sydney FC.
MORE OF KEEPUP’S COVERAGE FROM THE AUSTRALIA CUP ROUND OF 16
FULL DETAILS: Australia Cup Quarter Finals locked in as Western’s young brigade steal the show
WATCH: Wanderers’ new dynamic duo tear Reds apart with emphatic Cup statement
REACTION: 15-year-old young gun makes Aus Cup history as Brisbane book quarter-final berth
NIX: Phoenix boss signals key area of improvement after City ends Wellington’s Cup run
“I got my back on it. 100%,” Lavale said to KEEPUP post-game about the goal.
“It’s a great feeling (to make my debut). I love this club. I joined when I was 16, and I’ve worked my way up. I love the people at this club, and I just love playing for the club.”
Lavale was in the front row of the Western Service Crew a little over a year ago when the club won the Isuzu UTE A-League Championship for the first time in the 2022 A-League Men Grand Final.
In fact, he was pictured only metres away from Aloisi when he lifted the trophy in front of their active supporters.
Now, he had the opportunity to play alongside some of those who were on the field that day, including Josh Risdon – who got the assist for the opener – Ben Garuccio, Lachie Wales and Tomoki Imai.
“I just feel like being a fan can contribute a lot to this club,” he said.
“Only joining a few years ago. We don’t have that many fans, but we’re trying to build on that.
“I just wanted to support as much as I could whether that be in the (Western) Service Crew or just helping out around the club, but yeah, it means a lot to the club. I know that and they appreciate everybody.
“Seeing Risdon playing in the 2018 (FIFA) World Cup and then him heading it across goal and me getting the touch there is a bit surreal.”
Lavale played a key role in Western’s push for back-to-back promotions in NPL2 last season, alongside fellow youngsters Matthew Grimaldi and Max Bisetto – who both came off the bench on Tuesday night – with the former scoring their second
The young striker scored six goals in the 2023 season and finished second in the club’s goalscoring charts behind Bisetto who took out Western’s Golden Boot with 14 goals for the season.
Ultimately, Western fell just short of promotion on the final day, but the performances from their young brigade- including Lavale – throughout the season, caught the eye of Aloisi.
“It’s a great story because it shows that he’s a supporter of the club from when it first started,” Aloisi told KEEPUP.
“He’s from the west and he represents that region really well. I’ve been following him now for a few seasons. He’s a player that can play all over the place. He plays in midfield, he plays out wide in the wing. He plays as a striker, plays at no. 10 and you know what you’re going to get from him.
“He’s going to work, and he knows that he’s still got a lot to learn, and we’re here to help him with that, but it’s a great story.
“He was in the stands celebrating the Grand Final win and I remember seeing the photo probably about six months ago and then to see him out here tonight.
“It’s not the reason why I’ve selected him. The reason is because he’s been performing well.”
LOVED THE WORLD CUP? Here’s how to enjoy the Liberty A-League Women incl. FREE tickets for U16’s
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE LIBERTY PASS
CLICK HERE TO BUY A LIBERTY A-LEAGUE CLUB MEMBERSHIP
