The Wanderers host FC Seoul in the ACL semi-final second leg where a win - any win - will secure their place in the decider.
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AFC Champions League Semi-Final: Second Leg Western Sydney Wanderers v FC Seoul Wednesday, October 1, Pirtek Stadium.
Kick-off: 7:30pm (gates open at 6.00pm) Live from 7pm on Fox Sports 3 & Fox Sports 3 HD Twitter: #WSWvSEO Odds: Western Sydney Wanderers $2.50, Draw $3.25, FC Seoul $2.75 (Sportsbet.com.au)
LIKELY TEAMS
(L-to-R) Western Sydney (4-2-3-1): Covic; Golec, Topor-Stanley, Hamill, Mullen; La Rocca, Poljak; Bridge, Saba, Haliti; Juric. FC Seoul (4-1-4-1): Yoo Sang-Hoon; Lee Woong-Hee, Kim Joo-Young, Kim Jin-Kyu, Cha Du-Ri; Lee Sang-Hyup; Ko Kwang-Min, Ko Yo-Han, Ko Myong-Jin; Molina; Everton Santos. FIRST LEG: FC Seoul 0-0 Western Sydney Wanderers, September 17, Seoul World Cup Stadium
FIVE TO WATCH
1. Nikolai Topor-Stanley (Western Sydney Wanderers) Rewarded for his consistency in this competition by winning a surprise call-up the national team. Praised by Ange Postecoglou for his recent Asian performances, the club's new captain must hold firm again if the Wanderers are to book a date in Riyadh.
2. Maurico Molina (FC Seoul) When Molina came on at half-time of the first-leg, the complexion of the match changed completely. His scything runs and flashing shots very nearly undid the Wanderers on multiple occasions. It didn't happen, but he's likely to get 90 minutes to use his talents this time.
3. Tomi Juric (Western Sydney Wanderers) Interest from Sanfrecce Hiroshima hasn't bothered the Socceroo – or so he says. The striker's knife-edge finishing will surely be called upon as the match wears on. There's even a slim chance he'll have to come off the bench.
4. Everton Santos (FC Seoul) Has to get the nod over lukewarm Japanese striker Sergio Escudero, who has found himself out of favour in recent league outings. The former Paris Saint-Germain and Corinthians forward has the talent to make a different on a night like this.
5. Vitor Saba (Western Sydney Wanderers) Flashes of brilliance from the Brazilian have demonstrated why he was playing with Italian side Brescia last year. However, he's not quite ignited over 90 minutes just yet and, at this level, that's where he needs to stand up and make an Ono-like difference.
KEY MATCH-UP
Antony Golec or Shannon Cole (Western Sydney Wanderers) v Cha Du-Ri (FC Seoul) He might be 34 but Cha Du-Ri still has the pace and tricks of a wing-back half his age. While Golec nabbed a pass mark in Seoul, Shannon Cole is a more athletic option – which may appeal given the nippy Molina could also start on the right.
IN THE DUGOUT
Tony Popovic (Western Sydney Wanderers) The milestones keep falling for Popovic and getting his side this far in the ACL is arguably his biggest achievement yet. Making the final certainly would be, meaning the weight of destiny is now upon his dugout. Choi Yong-Soo (FC Seoul) An FC Seoul club legend, nothing would give Choi Yong-Soo more satisfaction than taking his beloved club to the final, giving him a chance to appease last year's final defeat to Guangzhou Evergrance.
G'day and welcome to our live coverage of the Wanderers' do-or-die clash with FC Seoul from Parramatta. The players are in the tunnel, and we're all set for a blockbuster. Whatever happens, there'll be goals tonight! I'm tipping Wanderers 2-0.
No money? No problems. Punters getting a good vantage point on the hill pic.twitter.com/4Sl2VRVYC3 — Dominic Bossi (@DomBossi) October 1, 2014
No Juric, no Saba and Five defenders named for the Wanderers. Expect a thriller. — Dominic Bossi (@DomBossi) October 1, 2014
If the Wanderers win tonight they will play Al-Hilal FC from Saudi Arabia in the big one. The players are lined up for the anthems, but there is no Tommy Juric, who pulled up with a groin injury.
Here's how the home side line up: A Covic, N Topor-Stanley, I La Rocca, S Cole, D Mullen, A Golec, B Hamill, L Haliti, M Poljak, M Bridge, B Santalab.
Horror start for the Seoul keeper, but you can't take anything away form the technique of Poljak. That was a cracker. He didn't try to hit it too hard, just side-footed it on target. It's still a slim lead though - with the away goals rule, one slip-up turns this one around 180 degrees. Huge confidence booster for the home side, who won't sit rest on their laurels - the second goal remains key.
SO CLOSE: La Rocca dinks over the static defence. Brendon Santalab takes it well on the upper chest, but as the keeper closes in, he can't manoeuvre his body quite right, and puts the ball a couple of feet past the right hand post. Carve-up.
Out thoughts and prayers goes to those hearty souls still stuck in the line to get into Pirtek. #neverforget #WSWvSEO — The Football Sack (@TheFootballSack) October 1, 2014
Daniel Mullen gets in a good block at the far post from a dangerous corner from the right. Seoul will have another go from the opposite flag.
Wondering why Vitor Saba has been dropped. — Les Murray (@lesmurraySBS) October 1, 2014
So, a scrappy opening couple of minutes here in Parramatta, with both teams closing down space quickly in the centre of the park. The Wanderers fans are in good voice, even if the sell-out crowd are still making their way into the ground. We'll have an ealry free-kick to the Wanderers as Haliti draws a foul on the left hand touchline.
GOAL! What a start! The ball in from Shannon Cole is fairly harmless, but the FC Seoul keeper mis-punches the ball low and straight into the danger zone. Mateo Poljak hits it first time from outside the box, it takes a slight deflection, and beats the keeper. WANDERERS 1 SEOUL 0
Aaand we're off. The word is there are plenty of fans still trying to get into the stadium. The Wanderers get us underway, playing from left to right.
It ends in an air-swing and a scrambled clearance. The Wanderers try to hit their opponents on the break, but Lee Wonghee hacks La Rocca cynically, and sees yellow.
Another dangerous attack from the visitors comes to nothing, as a cut-back from Everton Santos down the right skips dangerously across the six yard box on the diagonal. Nobody attacking it, but another warning shot from the visiting side. Plenty of action here in Parramatta in the opening 15 minutes. More goals imminent. The next one will be vital to the narrative of the game.
Shannon Cole has been superb in these early stages — Dominic Bossi (@DomBossi) October 1, 2014
Now Ju Young has put the shoulder on Brendon Santalab down the right. He watched the ball go dead, turned around, lined the Wanderer up, and bodychecked him. The ref takes no action, but that riled up the crowd some. These guys came to dance.
Seoul deliver a dangerous looking ball from a similar position to the one the Wanderers eventually scored from. It is delivered into a mass of bodies, and Santos rises highest. His looping header drops harmlessly outside of the left hand upright.
Now Osmar gets the crowd on their feet with a spooned shot towards the corner flag from outside the box, centre field. The home fans enjoyed that one.
Up the other end, a decent ball in from Haliti finds Cole, but his header goes way over the bar. Half a chance there, but no dice. Those two have been looking in fine fettle tonight. WANDERERS 1 SEOUL 0 (1-0)
Ju Young goes down in instalments after a small barge from Santalab, and bounces up asking for trouble. Santalab laughs it off. It has been a decent start from the Wanderers here, with the goal a major bonus. Another one, and they'll be laughing. FC Seoul are knocking on the door though as this one swings form end-to-end. The home side are in control, but are giving away too many free-kicks in the centre of the field. Mullen gifts another, and goes in the book.
That's a great ball in from the visiting side, but the ref blows up for some pushing in the box. The Wanderers have got to watch those - gifting the dead-balls could see them come a cropper here - and that away goal rule is looming large. Fine margins here, Popovic's side need to cut out those niggling fouls.
Haliti drops the shoulder again on the left touchline, and is again fouled. Identical wrestle, identical spot to the one which delivered the opening goal.
Unbelievably, the same turn of events unravels, but this time Poljak tries it on the other foot, and it ends up closer to the corner flag.
Mark Bridge fluffs his lines after Seoul open themselves up with a loose pass. The Wanderers play it quickly, release Bridge on the edge of the box. He should be one-on-one, but his first touch is homebrand.
Now Molina tries a speculative lob on Covic from a long way out. It sails harmlessly over. Wanderers 1 FC Seoul 0 (Aggregate: 1-0)
So, half an hour gone here, and the home side are sitting gingerly on the slimmest of aggregate leads. Shannon Cole and Labinot Haliti are bossing it, but there have been too many half-chances for the visitors. Popovic will be delighted if the home side can hold this scoreline until half-time, where he can attempt to shore up those gaps in the back fence.
Brendon Hamill saves the Wanderers' bacon with a goalline clearance after a deflected shot beats Covic. Poor marking led to that danger. Now Molina has a shot that skies over Covic's bar. The big man looks unhappy at his defence.
What about the atmosphere out at the wanderers game! — bryce gibbs (@bryceegibbs) October 1, 2014
Santalab tries to do it all himself up the other end, he ignores Cole on the touchline, and ends up going over the defender's leg too easily. Bad decision there.
Seoul are really starting to settle into this one, and building attacks patiently from the centre. Their final product is negligible so far, but they only need to take one. They will be pleased to see the door tantalisingly open.
Good work from Santos finds Molina on the edge of the box, but the red and black defence just about clears its lines. Ten minutes to go until halftime, and the Wanderers have lost their way. Covic plucks a dangerous cross out of the air to relieve the pressure.