United in bullish mood for finals tilt

Having become just the third expansion team to reach the finals, Western United will enter the play-offs with a swagger.

Strikers Besart Berisha scores for Western United against Perth last week Picture: Getty Images

Western United will enter the finals with a swagger.

Having become just the third expansion team to reach the finals, following on from Gold Coast (2010-11) and Western Sydney (2012-13), United are arguably the hottest team in the A-League right now. They head into Saturday night’s showdown with premiers Sydney FC having won three from four since the league’s resumption – and, with two games still to play, could finish as high as third.

Watch every match of the 2019/20 Hyundai A-League Season LIVE on Kayo. New to Kayo? Get your 14-day free trial & start streaming instantly >

It’s come at the end of a wild 14 months in which the newcomers have had to cope with the departures of a number of star players. Throw in an unprecedented three-month league shutdown and it makes for an incredible rollercoaster ride for Mark Rudan’s team.

“If you sit back and look at it, it’s pretty incredible,” defender Aaron Calver said. “Most things a football club can go through in many years, we’ve gone through in probably six months.

“It’s been a 14-month season, we lost four or five players throughout and we had a three month (COVID-19 shutdown) and we came back in very good nick. It’s a testament to everyone at the club who has been committed the whole way through. It looks very good for the future.”

United sealed their spot in the finals with a 2-0 win over Perth Glory, who they would leapfrog into fifth spot with a win over Sydney FC at Leichhardt Oval.

And Calver believes that no target is too bold.

“I think we’ve shown we’ve got the players. We can turn on the day and beat anyone,” he said. “We’re in the finals now so that job is done and we put all our focus into the first semi-final, which on the day if we turn up we can win no problem. It’s pretty exciting to be honest.”

The Daily Telegraph