By Greg Blake
Superlatives hardly cut it, a moment in time so priceless and incomparable. This season of fairytales might have taken some dark turns in recent weeks, but Heidelberg United’s dare-to-dream 2025 Australia Cup moved relentlessly into the rarified air of the final four and semi finals on Tuesday night.
Another A-Leaguer bit the dust at Alexander’s Olympic Village home, the Warriors booting Wellington Phoenix back over the ditch and out of the cup with a resounding 4-0 win. And it was no fluke. Alexander played this one like footballing royalty. These never-say-die Warriors will face either Auckland FC or Sydney FC for a place in the final.
They never looked like losing on Tuesday night. Two cavalry charges inside the opening 90 seconds put Pheonix on notice, the opening goal coming on the half hour, a devastating burst coming out of half time sealing the deal and a late flourish capping a night these wonderful boys deserved to have.
From Bul Juach’s manic chase-downs to Max Bisetto’s emphatic response to Jamal Ali being dropped early on, the Warriors were on for this one. Sizzling. That magnificent beast, Fletcher Fulton, was just that. Ryan Lethlean and Ben Collins were monsters, so much so that Yaren Sozer was not tested in goal for an hour.
Skipper Collins’ drag and roll around a defender, before a stroll to midfield and spearing the ball down route one on 33 minutes tore the game open. Asahi Yokokawa claimed the match opener, but it was his chase that forced a hurried Hughes’ into an own goal and a deserved Warrior lead.
Wellington walked into a second-half, match-deciding fire storm that even the Alexander faithful hardly expected. So used to seeing these Warriors dashing and darting and twisting their way, rapier-like, into enemy territory, this was more a brutal full-frontal assault.
Max Bisetto’s masterpiece some 90 seconds after the restart was beautiful to watch off the boot, as it span perfect fully away from the keeper and into the far top corner to make it 2-0. Less than five minutes later it was Jamal Ali’s burst to half field to set up a third goal and send Wellington reeling and ringing in the changes.
Ali’s precision delivered into Sabit Ngor’s running lane, Ngor squaring in stride into the hot spot, a bedazzled defender’s half clearance sits perfectly for Yokokawa, whose response is one of his trademark, clinical, never-in-doubt finishes.
All the chase-downs, tables and interceptions had taken their toll and Wellington were well beaten already when sub Jay McGowan’s vision to square for fellow sub Choc Dau on 84 minutes was met with Dau’s classy touch for 4-0.
Dau’s finish was emphatic, clean, decisive and deadly. Which also pretty much sums up Heidelberg United’s performance on the night. If you didn’t feel this game, if it didn’t move you, if tears of joy didn’t well up, you’ve ice in your veins. It was a victory for the ages. Celebrate it. Appreciate it. Savour it.
And as a lovely footnote, nearly 37 years to the day he departed the club to seek stardom in Greece, Heidelberg United coach, John Anastasiadis, has managed to guide his first love back into the national spotlight once more and set some records of his own.
Anastasiadis now stands alone as the only coach in the cup’s history to take a non-A League team this deep into the competition on three occasions. He took Bentleigh Greens to the semi finals twice – in 2014 and 2018 – before Tuesday night’s triumph with Alexander.
Incidently, Bentleigh Greens’ victims in the 2018 cup run happened to include victories against Wellington Phoenix and Heidelberg United.
And Anastasiadis joins Oakleigh’s Chris Taylor as only the second head coach to achieve the semi final stage feat at two different non-A League clubs.Taylor has taken both South Melbourne and his current club to the final four.
So, in a season which has provided an almost permanent high, Tuesday night felt like something else again. Now its back to ending the league season on a high note at Port Melbourne this coming Saturday and securing top two. What a ride we’re getting. Warrior Nation!
