Western Sydney Wanderers suffered a narrow 1-0 pre-season loss to reigning Liga 1 Indonesia champions Persib Bandung.
The Wanderers made the trip to Indonesia to face the two-time defending champions at Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium, where the Isuzu UTE A-League outfit were edged out by a William goal in the 60th minute on Saturday.
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Gearing up for the 2025-26 season, Western Sydney boasted new faces Steven Ugarkovic, Kosta Barbarouses and Phillip Cancar in the starting XI, as well as returning young gun Marcus Younis following his loan stint with Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven.
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The Wanderers, who will face storied NPLM VIC club Heidelberg United in the Australia Cup Round of 16, showed plenty of promise throughout the clash – Anthony Pantazopoulos rattled the post in the first half, while Ugarkovic saw his second-half free-kick cannon off the crossbar.
“There were moments when we could have won the match. But the situation on the pitch developed differently, and in the end, both teams showed good quality,” said Wanderers head coach Alen Stajcic.
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The former Philippines women’s national team coach and CommBank Matildas boss also saluted the local crowd following a match played in front of a lively supporterbase.
Stajcic added: “As someone who has coached on various continents, I find the atmosphere here to be truly special.
“The fervour of the fans and their emotional connection to the club is truly palpable. That’s something you can’t experience everywhere.”
“I’m very appreciative and grateful that we were able to come here, play here, and play in front of that crowd,” he continued. “I can’t imagine what it would be like to play in front of that crowd in a real competitive match.
“Everyone here should be proud of the support they have received.”
Featured image: Western Sydney Wanderers
