Callum Roberts will call Litis Stadium home in 2009 (photograph by Brett Klucznik)
Welcome to the unofficial, independent Western Australian Football (Soccer) Website. Here you will find all the latest football news from Western Australia, current tables for the state's top four Leagues, archived tables and results dating back to 1952, the Western Australian Club Directory which includes honour lists and divisional movements for each club and much, much more.
5.12.2008
PACELLA TO ROAR FOR THE LIONS
Stirling Lions will have Dino Pacella between the posts when the 2009 season gets under way. Pacella, one of the most highly respected shot-stoppers on the local scene, agreed terms on a one-year contract with the Lions last week following talks with the club. "I met with (president) Don Evans and (coach) Mick Lyons and I was quickly impressed with the clubs set-up and how professionally run they are," said Pacella. "The playing group has a very nice mixture of youth and experience which should see us challenge for top honours this season, and there's also a wonderful character and bond between all the players, coaches and committee members."
Pacella, 31, represented the State at junior level while with Perth S.C. and for much of the past decade has been Cockburn City's first choice goalkeeper. Unfortunately, he missed 2008 in its entirety due to an ankle injury suffered while playing in 2007. "I had an operation early last year that took longer than expected to heal and as a result I missed the season," he explained. "I love playing our great game and had no desire for my career to be ended by injury and am looking forward to being part of a winning team again. It'll be good to catch up with all the good friends I've made throughout the last fifteen or so years and having a couple of beers with them after the games."
Ambition burns bright at Stirling and their new 'keeper has high expectations for next year. "I think I speak for the entire club when I say I'd like nothing more than to win the League and Cup double in my first season at Stirling - and the Night Series and Top Four would also be nice," Pacella half-joked. "On a personal level, I hope I can return to the game and play to the best of my ability and bring a trophy or two to the club. I'd also like to help out as many junior 'keepers at the club as I can, I know there are some great young players coming through the ranks and that can only be a good thing for the future of the Lions."
4.12.2008
FLOREAT SNARE FREMANTLE STARS
Plans for bringing the Premier League trophy back to Floreat Athena have gathered momentum following the recruitment of Jason Barrera and Callum Roberts from Fremantle Spirit. Coach Michael Roki has long admired the exciting youngsters and is confident they’ll offset the departure of Brad Scott and Rafael Insaurralde. "Those losses opened the door for two new players at the club and with both Jason and Callum almost joining Floreat last year, the invitations were sent out again," explained Roki. "Both players have plenty of ability and we believe they can both make an even bigger impact next year than they did in 2008."
Soon to be 21-year old Barrera burst into senior ranks with Fremantle in 2005 and two years ago revealed his true potential when named runner-up to team mate Dale Wingell in the Gold Medal. "Jason is a player of immense creativity and has the ability to 'go past' players, and is also known to score the odd goal," said Roki of his new central midfielder. "He's a player I tried to bring to Floreat earlier this year, and while it wasn't to be on that occasion I'm now pleased that Jason will wear our blue and white stripes in 2009."
Roberts, 18, played for the State at junior level before emerging from Fremantle's youth ranks in 2006. His versatility down the right and in attack will offer Floreat endless options when pushing into the final third of the park. "Callum's speed can be a danger to any defence but he can still be more effective as a forward than he has shown to date," commented Roki. "He's still young and we believe both Floreat and Callum will benefit as he continues to learn and grow as a player in the next few years."
Although the new season is still some months away from kicking off, Roki is pleased with the way his team is coming together. "All the existing players have committed to us in 2009 and there's the possibly of a few returning players who'll add further quality to the squad," said Roki, who steered Floreat to second last year after capturing the Premier League trophy twelve months earlier. "The pre-season won't start for us until after New Year and every single member of the club is focused on us being first across the line - second will not be good enough for us next year."
3.12.2008
TANA HAS ROLE TO PLAY GLORY REVIVAL
Football Federation Australia want former Perth Glory owner Nick Tana to return to the game amid concerns over the long-term future of the club. It’s understood the governing body has spoken with Tana, who transformed the domestic football scene when he and business partner Paul Afkos entered Glory in the 1996/97 National Soccer League. Tana , who severed ties with the club in 2006, refused to be drawn as to whether or not he had spoken with FFA but confirmed his undimmed passion for the sport. “I’m very, very interested in Perth Glory and what happens with football in Australia – always have been, always will be,” he told Jonathon Cook of the ‘West Australian’.
FFA head of corporate and public affairs, Bonita Mersiades, said Tana’s experience could help turn Glory around. “He was instrumental in the rise of Perth Glory into such a successful club and he clearly has a love for the game,” Mersiades said. It’s understood the discussion between Tana and FFA did not relate specifically to the prospect of his taking a stake in the club, which is co-owned by Tony Sage and Brett McKeon, but was part of the governing body’s nationwide strategy to re-engage with former football identities. Glory officials have already sought Tana’s advice on a number of issues as the A-League prepares to expand to ten clubs.
2.12.2008
COYNE STILL EYEING TOP FOUR
Perth Glory captain Jamie Coyne concedes his team's season is hanging by a thread. Saturday's draw with Central Coast Mariners has left Glory needing to claim maximum points against top of the table Melbourne Victory this weekend to have any chance of making the end of season play-offs. Coyne believes the team are capable of beating Victory and that the key will be winning individual battles all over the park. "We're playing well at the moment (but) we're just not getting the wins. So we've just got to keep on doing what we're doing and the points should come," said Coyne. "If we can get a good result against Melbourne that should push us up against the top four and hopefully we can get a bit of a roll going on."
They key to Glory securing a much needed win will be taming their visitors dangerous attack. "They're very strong through the midfield and they've got a good work ethic as well, so it is going to be a hard game and I think whoever can control the midfield will control the game," he said. "The thing with Melbourne is they've got the ability with a couple of players to just snatch the game from nowhere, so it does mean you have to concentrate for 90 minutes. You can be controlling the game and from nowhere they can create something, so we have to be wary of that. But it's also our home game, so we're going to have to make sure we take the game to them and score a few goals."
2.12.2008
NATIONAL HONOURS FOR TEENAGE TRIO
Julius Davies, Alex Pearson and Trent Sainsbury will match skills with the best young players from Brazil and the United States at the upcoming Nike International Friendlies tournament. The Perth-based trio are amongst 18-players selected by national youth coach Martyn Crook for the three-nation tournament which commences this Friday in California. "The opportunity to play matches against the USA and Brazil will give the players a taste of two very different styles of football to what we they have experienced in Asia recently," said Crook, whose team recently made the quarter-final stage of the AFC Under-16 Championships.
The Australian Under-17 squad for the Nike International Friendlies is Chris Bush, Stephen Domenici (Australian Capital Territory), Kerim Bulut, Brendan Hamill, Jared Lum, Nikola Stanojevic, David Talevski, Lawrence Thomas, Marc Warren (New South Wales), Joseph Costa, Joel Miller, Chahine Noujaim (South Australia), Petar Franjic, Kamal Ibrahim, Bailey Wright (Victoria), Julius Davies, Alex Pearson and Trent Sainsbury (West Australia). The Nike International Friendlies is an annual under-17 competition held by U.S. Soccer.
1.12.2008
RED STAR KEEN ON ERGIC
Former Perth Glory midfielder Ivan Ergic in the sights of Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade. Ergic, 27, comes out of contract with Swiss champions F.C. Basel in June and could be tempted to move on from the club after nine seasons. During that time he's made in excess of 200 appearances for Basel, captaining the club to League and Cup glory and representing Serbia on ten occasions, including at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany.
Ergic rose to prominence with Glory in 1999/2000 when his drive from midfield was rewarded with the national league Under-21 Player of the Year award and a contract at Italian club Juventus. After an initial loan period with Basel, he signed outright for the Swiss club in 2001 and has since collected four Swiss Super League and four Swiss Cup winner's medals. But it's not all been rosy for Ergic who missed the better part of two seasons battling injury and depression.
1.12.2008
GLORY RUNNING OUT OF GAMES : MITCHELL
A home loss to Melbourne Victory next weekend will spell the end of Perth Glory's season according to coach David Mitchell. Saturday's draw with Central Coast Mariners left Glory six points outside the top four and in desperate need of stringing a few wins together. "It's gut-wrenching really,'' he said. "We play Melbourne next week, the best team in the competition, and we have to get the win. If we don't then the season is over. It's still do-able but it is becoming harder because we are running out of games."
A couple of second half strikes by Nikita Rukavytsya and the red carding of Mariners defender Nigel Boogaard had Glory on the cusp of their fourth win of the season. However, Sasha Petrovski grabbed an opportunistic late equaliser to foil the home side. "The first 25 minutes we looked great when we were knocking the ball around confidently, but they got the break to score the goal and we stopped," said Mitchell. "We went into our shell, but we had a go at them at halftime, saying that we have to lift, and credit to them they did."
30.11.2008
POINTS SLIP AWAY FROM GLORY WOMEN
Perth Glory Women let slip a two-goal lead to 2-2 with Canberra United in today’s W-League outing at Members Equity Stadium. Canberra earned a point by scoring twice in the last nine minutes and rob Glory of what would have been a deserved second win of the season. Glory started the game full of life with Collette McCallum firing an early free-kick just over the crossbar. Ciara Conway had a low drive cleared off the line while Lisa De Vanna crashed the ball into the upright as the hosts applied the pressure. They were rewarded in the 34th minute through Elisa D’Ovidio who jinxed her way through the defence and fired beyond goalkeeper Lydia Williams.
Sam Kerr created Glory’s second goal nine minutes after the break when her angled shot was superbly blocked by Williams, who was helpless as De Vanna stabbed the rebound in at close-range. But when scorers De Vanna and D’Ovidio were substituted with twenty minutes remaining, Glory began to lose their way and Canberra sensed the game was there for the taking. Caitlin Munoz reduced the deficit after ‘keeper Luisa Marzotto was unable to keep out her powerful 81st minute strike. The home crowd was then silenced by Ashleigh Sykes who finished clinically after out-pacing Stacey Learmont in the 89th minute.
29.11.2008
MARINERS GRAB DRAMTIC DRAW WITH GLORY
A ten-man Central Coast Mariners has snatched a controversial 2-2 with Perth Glory in today’s A-League encounter at Members Equity Stadium. Glory looked on course for their fourth win of the campaign courtesy of Nikita Rukavytsya’s double inly to fall at the final hurdle to a contentious stoppage time goal by Sasho Petrovski. “We came back well in the second half, played some good football and our second goal was a classic,” coach David Mitchell said. “That’s why it is so disappointing for the club, the owners, the fans and the coaches and players that we haven’t been able to shut them out. It is gut-wrenching for the players, we’ve been playing well but just can’t hold onto a lead and in the end it’s not good enough.”
Clear-cut chances were at a premium during the opening exchanges with Glory looking the more likely to break the deadlock. Playing a little deeper than usual, Rukavytsya made sure the defence was kept on high alert while Adrian Trinidid continually probed for openings down the left. But the best of the early chances came at the other end where Adrian Caceras crashed a shot into the frame of the goal. It was the Mariner’s who struck on 31 minutes when, following a handball against Jamie Harnwell, Mile Jedinak spectacularly curled his free-kick over the defensive wall and into the far corner of the net with goalkeeper Tando Velaphi given no chance.
Glory emerged for the second half purposefully and deservedly drew level on 54 minutes when Rukavytsya accelerated clear of the defence to rifle the equaliser past goalkeeper Danny Vukovic. Eight minutes later Adrian Trinidad and Eugene Dadi combined cleverly to tee up Rukavytsya who crisply drive low into the net. Mariner’s defender Nigel Boogaard was given his marching orders for a poorly-timed challenge on Trinidad in the 90th minute, leaving Glory with the seemingly simple tasking of defending the final minutes to ensure maximum points. However, it wasn’t to be as Dylan MacAllister’s miss-hit shot fell kindly for Petrovski to opportunistically turn the ball past Velaphi amid calls for offside.
29.11.2008
GLORY YOUTH UNDONE BY LATE STRIKE
Glen Trifiro scored late to give Central Coast Mariners a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Perth Glory in this afternoon’s National Youth League contest at Members Equity Stadium. Both teams were guilty of giving possession away too easily during a lacklustre opening in which Glory held the upper hand. Their first opening came on 19 minutes when Adam Luca fired directly at Andrew Redmayne, and just minute later the midfielder had another effort smothered by the Mariners goalkeeper. A fierce Hayden Doyle strike was too close to Redmayne, Eli Bablj forced a reaction save out of the ‘keeper while Ludovic Boi scuffed his effort when well placed. The Mariner’s didn’t assert much authority until late in the half and Lauren Braude fired directly at Jason Petkovic.
The breakthrough came thirteen minutes after the interval when Doyle’s cross from the right was glanced into the net off the head of Vittiglia. Scott Bulloch missed a great opportunity to double their lead by lifting high of the crossbar when found free inside the 18-yard box. The Mariners hit back with 70 minutes played when Darko Vidovic expertly lobbed goal over second half ‘keeper Dejan Aleksic after latching on to a long ball down the left. Trifiro snatched an away win by curling his 86th minute free-kick around the defensive wall and beyond the reach of an unsighted Aleksic. The result takes the Mariners off the bottom of the National Youth League table and into sixth position, while the Glory maintains fourth spot.
29.11.2008
MARZOTTO HANDED THE GLOVES AT GLORY
Perth Glory Women have reinforced their goalkeeping stocks by recruiting former Young Matilda Luisa Marzotto. The experienced 'keeper joins as an injury replacement for Kate Stewart, who’s season has been ended by a recurring knee complaint. Marzotto represented Australia in the 2002 Under-19 World Cup and will go straight into the squad for tomorrow's must-win clash with Canberra United. "I'm very excited about being given the opportunity to play in the W-League, even though I'm coming in midway through the season, I still feel that I can make an impact for Perth Glory," said Marzotto. "The second half of the season is always unpredictable, I feel that the girls are ready for the challenge and this week's game against Canberra will be the first step in the direction of a finals birth."
Marzotto will be based in Canberra and fly to meet her Glory team mates for match days. "Without an experienced 'keeper since Kate (Stewart) got injured, it has been hard to dominate this area (defending), but she will be thrown into the starting line up, which is the whole reason we signed her," said coach Nicola Williams, who does not believe having her 'keeper based in the east will affect the Glory defence. "Luisa is getting 'keeper training with the Australian coach Paul Jones and we speak a number of times a week on the phone so we are on the same page. Many teams have field players fly in fly out in the W-League so we don't expect any problems."
29.11.2008
CACERAS PLOTS GLORY DOWNFALL
Adrian Caceras has admits he has a soft spot for his home town club as A-League title-chasers Central Coast Mariners prepare to visit bottom of the table Perth Glory. After making 61 appearances across two stints with Glory, Caceras headed for the bright lights of Melbourne where he helped Victory claim the A-League double before moving on to Central Coast at the start of this season. Described as the Mariners' "most significant recruiting coup" of the off-season, Caceras is enjoying his time in Gosford but concedes he loves coming home to Perth.
Caceras' family moved to the West Australian capital soon after his birth in Argentina and still lives in WA, but it is not just his family and the city itself that he is fond of. "Of course, I'm from Perth," Caceras said when asked if he likes coming home. "I grew up here so I love Perth very much and I still talk to a few of the boys here. Hopefully they can get their season going again, it's sad to see them struggle, like any team really. But I think they'll do alright and they just need a few wins, but hopefully not (against) us."
Having played at Members Equity Stadium many times, both as a home and away player, Caceras knows what to expect from the parochial Perth crowd. "I've got a lot of respect for the (Perth) crowd, they're a great bunch of people who support their team and I expect them to be cheering for Glory," Caceras said. "So I don't expect much support." He certainly won't earn too many cheers if he repeats his previous performances at the ground where he's scored twice in three games for Victory.
Articles compiled by Peter Simcox and Brett Klucznik unless otherwise stated.
If you have any additional information on Western Australian soccer that we have left out, or if you would like to get in contact, email Jacob at jacob@iinet.net.au
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