Western Sydney Wanderers kicked off their Isuzu UTE A-League season with a 1-1 draw against defending Champions Melbourne City at CommBank Stadium on Saturday, and there were plenty of positives to take from the performance.
The match ignited early, with star signing Kosta Barbarouses giving the Wanderers the lead in the 11th minute.
But City’s Max Caputo struck back just moments later, and from there it became a tense, end-to-end affair.
Despite several chances for both sides in the second half, neither team could find the breakthrough, leaving members and fans buzzing with the intensity of Round 1 action.
For Anthony Pantazopolous, the result was a fair reflection of a tight contest but also a sign of the confidence flowing through the Wanderers’ defence.
“It was a very typical Round 1 game,” said Pantazopolous to Channel 10 following the match.
“Both teams were tight, there wasn’t much in it. A draw’s probably a fair result — but obviously, we always want to win.”
The backline, which had shown great cohesion towards the end of last season, looked solid again, and Pantazopolous believes the team is only just getting started.
“The back end of last year definitely gave us a lot of confidence once we solidified that back four. We’ve been working a lot in pre-season and we’re only going to get stronger — that’s just the start,” he added.
New midfield signings Steven Ugarkovic and Angus Thurgate impressed alongside Barbarouses, helping the Wanderers match the Champions for pace and control.
“They were the benchmark last season and we want to get there,” reflected Pantazopolous.
“Obviously we want to beat the Champions, but a 1-1 draw in the first round, we’ll work on it.”
With a challenging start to the campaign, the Wanderers now set their sights on a trip across the ditch to face Auckland FC, looking to build on the confidence and cohesion displayed in this first-round encounter.
