WESTERN United coach John Aloisi has said claiming his first A-League Men silverware as a manager stacks up with any of his memorable Socceroos\u2019 goals.<\/p>\n
The Green and Black lifted their maiden championship with a 2-0 grand final win over Melbourne City at AAMI Park on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
The title, which United won from third place, marks Aloisi’s first silverware from the bench and stopped City from becoming the first team to complete back-to-back premiership-championship double.<\/p>\n
After finishing 10th last season, United took a gamble on Aloisi, who hadn’t coached since 2018 after a rough end to his time at Brisbane Roar and a brutal first job at Melbourne Heart.<\/p>\n
It paid off in spades as they became the second team, after Melbourne Victory in 2017-18 to win from outside the top two, despite being without\u00a0Alessandro Diamanti, Rene Khrin and Nikolai Topor-Stanley.<\/p>\n
Aloisi, best known for his famous 2005 penalty against Uruguay that sent the Socceroos to their breakthrough 2006 World Cup, believed his coaching triumph stacked up.<\/p>\n
“It does. It really does,” he said. “Where the club has come from and, you know, we’ve talked about last year, a lot of people were talking about last year, how it wasn’t a great year for the club.<\/p>\n
“It’s only three seasons old and to be able to do what we did tonight and from the beginning of the season… it’s amazing.<\/p>\n
“It was an amazing feeling, amazing night. I am so happy for the football club as a whole.<\/p>\n
“Not even tonight they were tipping us: $5 [the bookmakers] were giving us.\u00a0If I could bet, which I’m not a betting man, but if I could bet I would’ve put so much money on that.<\/p>\n
“They must’ve lost a shitload of money on that.”<\/p>\n
Serbian striker Aleksandar Prijovic won the Joe Marston Medal as United’s focal point, while central defenders Leo Lacroix and Tomoki Imai blanketed Jamie Maclaren.<\/p>\n
United scored in the second minute when former City man Ben Garuccio whipped in a corner to the near post and the ball bounced off Nuno Reis’ head for an own goal.<\/p>\n
They doubled their lead on the half-hour when a blocked shot ricocheted off Connor Pain’s face, took a touch off City’s Connor Metcalfe and skidded into the path of Prijovic, who coolly finished.<\/p>\n
The goal was originally chalked off but, after a quick review with VAR Kris Griffiths-Jones, referee Chris Beath awarded it.<\/p>\n
There was controversy in the 44th minute when City’s Carl Jenkinson appeared to headbutt Pain but wasn’t punished.<\/p>\n
City peppered United’s goal after the break.<\/p>\n
Curtis Good powered a header against the bar in the 48th minute and Metcalfe headed over in the 54th.<\/p>\n
Jamie Young pulled off two brilliant saves, denying Andrew Nabbout’s fierce strike in the 66th and Galloway’s 81st-minute long-range effort to keep his clean sheet.<\/p>\n
“When you go behind early in a final, it’s very difficult to get back, especially in a grand final,” City coach Patrick Kisnorbo said.<\/p>\n
“Sometimes you need to hurt to grow a bit. I’m sure (the players are) feeling the hurt now but they’ve had a fantastic couple of years, so I couldn’t be much prouder.”<\/p>\n
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