Wollongong snatch title!
Wolves come from 0-3 down to win on penalties.
Sunday, June 11
Wollongong
Wolves won the 1999-2000 NSL title on Sunday afternoon with an astonishing
comeback in front of 43,242 fans at Subiaco Oval - a record for a domestic
soccer match in Australia.
Perth looked to have the match sewn up at half time when leading by
three goals, but the visitors produced a superb fightback to force the match
into extra-time, and then a penalty shoot-out.
Perth had taken the lead after twenty minutes when Bobby Despotovski
ran on to a through pass from Kasey Wehrman, rounded Les Pogliacomi and slotted
the ball coolly into an empty net.
Twelve minutes later Troy Halpin's free kick found Ljubo Milicevic
and his header took an awkward bounce to confuse Pogliacomi and the home
crowd could taste victory.
The party really started three minutes before the break when Jamie Harnwell
headed in at the back post, rising above Alvin Ceccoli to head home an excellent
Alistair Edwards cross.
But little did the crowd realise what was ahead.
Scott Chipperfield set the Wolves rescue mission on its way with a well
taken goal in the fifty-seventh minute, and Perth were visibly shaking when
Horsley was first to a loose ball following a Robertson free kick from outside
the penalty area thirteen minutes later.
Both teams had excellent chances to score but the drama was only just
starting when Paul Reid scored with just over one minute of normal time remaining,
shooting under the advancing Petkovic after being released through the inside
right channel. Extra-time
produced no further goals but once again both teams continued to embrace
the attacking philosophy and thrilled the packed house with a series of near
misses. And so, to the shoot-out.
After
both sides had converted their opening five shots, Matt Horsley became the
first villain, scuffing his shot wide of Petkovic's right hand post.
But Les Pogliacomi calmed the distraught Horsley by saving the next spot kick from Edgar Junior.
The tension reached bursting point as Mennillo's kick was saved by Petkovic,
but Pogliacomi again did the business, preventing Edwards from scoring the
winning penalty.
Scott Chipperfield & Milicevic each scored, while Paul Reid put the Wolves ahead 7-6 in the ninth round of kicks.
James Afkos needed to score to keep his side in the match, but Pogliacomi
guessed the right way and managed to save down low to his right seconds before
being buried under an avanlanche of team-mates and club officials.
PERTH GLORY 3
B Despotovski 20, L Milicevic 33, J Harnwell 42
WOLLONGONG WOLVES 3
S Chipperfield 56, M Horsley 69, P Reid 89
Cautions:
L Milicevic (PG) 16, D Mennillo (WW) 28, A Schwertz (PG) 75, R Stanton (WW)
82, S Chipperfield (WW) 90, M Robertson (WW) 106
Referee: Eddie Lennie
Crowd: 43,242
Feature Story - Dear Basil - It's time to go
November 1999
Just
lately we have become so nauseated by the way soccer is handled in this country
we feel we have no alternative but to request the resignations of a number
of senior officials, and there is no better place to start than at the very
top.
So, with not a great deal of regret, we respectfully request the immediate resignation of Basil Scarsella.
Unfortunately
the ‘moderate’ chairman who took over when David Hill decided to play politics
of a different variety has hardly put a foot right. He ignored the opportunity
for Soccer Australia to play a leading role at the International Soccer Expo.
He left Raul Blanco exposed to all sorts of innuendo while the national
coaching position was on the frontburner at the exact time we couldn’t get
our overseas based players back to play the reigning European club champions.
Oh, and we shouldn’t forget his passive role in the Brazil tour scandal.
But worst of all, he has overseen the shambles that has become the 1999-2000 National Soccer League season.
Full story here
Feature Story - Welcome to Victoria
(and the dodgy bit in the middle)
September 20th 1999
Way
back during the National Soccer Summit in May of 1995, most speakers tended
to agree that the top and bottom of Australia's footballing pyramid (the
Socceroos and the junior playing base) were doing okay, it was the bit in
the middle (the NSL) that was the problem.
Four
years later sees the NSL enjoying a renaissance of sorts, and new franchise
teams chasing the pot of World Club Cup gold at the end of the rainbow, so
the time may be right to look at that other bit in the middle - the state
leagues. With good cause as well, because if this past season in Victoria
is indicative of what's going on elsewhere, then it may be time for another
summit.
Story continues here
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