Perth Glory’s 2-1 defeat at home to the Western Sydney Wanderers marks the first time since February 2014, that the Wanderers have won in Perth, and it has significantly dampened the Glory’s hopes of making it to the finals this season.
It was a tough loss to take and ultimately the players have to bear the brunt of responsibility, given the multitude of missed opportunities for Alen Stajcic’s side to secure a crucial three points.
As I mentioned last week, the Perth Glory have frequently played catch-up football in games due to sluggish starts. Unfortunately, this performance highlighted yet another lethargic beginning.
For me (particularly in the first half), the players appeared to afford the Wanderers players an excessive amount of time on the ball. When they when they were pressing, the players lacked any level of aggression and intensity, allowing the opposition to dictate play and force the Glory into unfavourable positions.
The Wanderers dominated the ball throughout much of the first half. Initially struggling to create high-value scoring opportunities, they gradually asserted control over the game.
Set-pieces proved to be the Achilles’ heel for the Glory in this match. Despite a warning from Marcelo’s early header from a corner in the first half, the team failed to heed it, and shortly after, Brandon Borrello capitalised on Sonny Kittel’s corner with a header to secure a much-needed lead.
The Wanderers nearly doubled their lead after some disastrous defending from the Glory. Oscar Preistman deftly sidestepped Daniel Bennie’s challenge, breaking through while Riley Warland was caught out of position. Marcus Antonsson was then sent forward, but both he and Sonny Kittel failed to capitalize on a prime opportunity, letting the Glory off the hook.
The Glory had a few chances in the first half, with most stemming from Daniel Bennie. Bennie played a significantly influential role in this game, nearly scoring with a blocked attempt and setting up David Williams shortly after, only for Lawrence Thomas to make a crucial save.
Unsurprisingly, the Glory found their breakthrough just before halftime via a very familiar source. Adam Taggart seized on a loose ball from Lawrence Thomas, with Giordano Colli collecting the rebound and setting up the Socceroos marksman for a straightforward finish.
Credit must be given to the players for their improved efforts at the start of the second half. There was a noticeable increase in tempo when in possession, and the Wanderers struggled to cope with the Glory’s momentum going forward, often resorting to delaying tactics such as feigning cramps or any means to slow down the game.
Josh Rawlins’ cross, lofted to the back post, presented a golden opportunity for David Williams to score with a header, a chance the 36-year-old would typically convert with ease.
Ten minutes later, Adam Taggart supplied Daniel Bennie and his shot forced a smart save from Lawrence Thomas. Desperate defending from the Wanderers denied either Adam Taggart or Jayden Gorman from giving the Glory the lead just a minute later.
The tension in the stadium was palpable as the Glory relentlessly pressed for a breakthrough, but luck seemed to elude them. Then, late in the game, the Wanderers capitalised on another lapse in defending from the Glory.
In another set-piece situation, Oscar Preistman nodded back the rebound into the box, sending in almost like a chaos ball. Marcelo flicked it on to Marcus Antonsson, whose shot was saved by Oli Sail, only for the rebound to fall to Lachie Brook. Initially, fans breathed a sigh of relief, believing it was offside until VAR revealed that both Antonsson and Brook were onside.
It was undeniably a crushing blow, and despite the Glory’s relentless efforts until the final whistle, it simply wasn’t enough.
Alen Stajcic’s assertion that the Glory were the architects of their downfall rings true, unfortunately.
The lack of fight or combativeness to go at a side that should have been very low on confidence after a heavy defeat at the hands of Melbourne City in the previous game was unacceptable. Moreover, squandering those gilt-edged chances proved to be costly.
While it’s encouraging to note that the Glory accumulated a significantly higher xG (2.35 to 1.84), the inability to convert those opportunities underscores the overarching theme of their season; there’s undeniable potential within this team, but the consistent failure to execute critical actions, as Alen Stajcic refers to them, has been our downfall.
At full-time, many fans noted several areas where the Glory looked quite poor, particularly in the delivery of crosses from wide positions or corners, which often either missed the mark entirely or went straight to the goalkeeper. Other issues included the fact we had another slow start, difficulties in playing the ball out under pressure, and a midfield that struggled both in connecting play to the attackers and shielding the backline.
These seemingly minor details have manifested into significant weaknesses, making games often a struggle and a grind for the Glory. Thus far, we have yet to witness a complete 90-minute performance where the players have displayed a relentless intensity from start to finish. This has been one of the most disappointing aspects of the season for me.
Looking ahead, the Glory’s primary objective should be securing direct qualification for the Australia Cup next season, ideally bypassing the qualifying round, which awaits those finishing ninth or below.
Following the international break, we face Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park, a daunting challenge, but one that should serve as motivation for the players considering how Victory snatched a late win against us earlier in January this year.
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