Super Saturday’s first game featured everything – goals, injuries, goalkeeper errors and a red card… The teams played out a close one, but how did each individual player perform?

Western Sydney Wanderers

(GK) Vedran Janjetovic – 4

A clumsy fumble in the first half was the lowlight of Janjetovic’s performance, which subsequently led to the Mariners' first goal of the afternoon. Only one more shaky moment followed, as he was caught in a scramble in the box during the second half. He played the remainder of the match with a sense of calmness.

Josh Risdon – 4.5

The Socceroo was noticed on the wing, but failed to make a significant impact. Risdon’s crosses into the box were generally poor, even when in plenty of space. He displayed some decent passing skills throughout the game.

Michael Thwaite – 6

The only commanding defender for the Wanderers in the first half, Thwaite put in a positive performance. His afternoon was brought to an end in the 49th minute, substituted after suffering a hamstring injury. Never defended to an outstanding quality, but didn’t have a bad game, either.

Robert Cornthwaite – 5

His impact failed to be noticed in this match, blending in to a Wanderer’s defence that struggled, particularly in the first half. Some challenges were rough and unnecessary.

Raúl Llorente – 7

The Spaniard demonstrated his dangerous speed on the wing, easily beating the Mariners' defence with pace. His non-stop style of play contributed to Western Sydney’s comeback, continually dribbling up field in an attempt to create an opportunity. Some crosses were poor, however. His second half performance was considerably better than his first half.

Chris Herd – 5

Herd’s passing characterised his performance, highlighted in a beautiful lobbed pass over the Mariners' defence in the first half, which reached the box. However, his movement was not particularly convincing throughout the game. There wasn’t much conviction during his time on the ball.

Kearyn Baccus – 4.5

Seemed confused in the first half, which contributed a shaky first 45 minutes for the Wanderers. His performance generally improved in the second half, but sloppy turnovers were a consistent aspect of his game throughout the 90 minutes.

 

Roly Bonevacia – 7.5

Similar to Baccus, Bonevacia was prone to giving the ball away cheaply, but cancelled this out with a very positive attacking display. His through passes were effective – a key aspect in his position. His tenacity throughout the game was rewarded with a goal.

Jumpei Kusukami – 5

Glimpses of the Japanese player’s impressive ability were seen, but his performance didn’t have a profound impact on the match. Some passes were clever, but he overcomplicated many situations. His crossing was not to a high standard and he was caught offside too often.

Álvaro Cejudo – 5

Overall, his movement was good, but Cejudo’s decision-making was poor throughout key moments in the match (most noticeably his decision to shoot in the first half rather than passing across goal, undoing Llorente’s impressive run through the defence).

Oriol Riera – 5.5

His first half penalty was well taken, but the 31-year-old was not clinical throughout the game. Nevertheless, that’s two from two for Western Sydney’s new striker.

SUBSTITUTES

Brendan Hamill - 5

Subbed on as a replacement for the injured Thwaite, Hamill did his job as centre-back. Didn’t negatively impact Western Sydney’s back line.

Mark Bridge – 4

Provided little to the Wanderers, struggling to maintain possession and find a good pass. As a substitute, did little to add to the attacking power of the team after replacing Kusukami.

Santalab – 5

He was only given 11 minutes of match time (including four minutes of additional time) and failed to make an impact - understandable, but uncharacteristic for Western Sydney’s ‘super sub’. 

Central Coast Mariners

GK: Tom Glover - 5

Made a good save in the first half, and nearly saved a penalty (dived the right way). However, his work was undone in the second half. His clearance with his hand was not entirely convincing or confident, with the ball falling at the feet of Bonevacia, who slotted it home.

Storm Roux – 7

A positive return from injury for the right back, demonstrating his passing ability, tenacity and crossing skills. He didn’t make any serious mistakes.

Alan Baró – 6.5

The Spaniard was very strong throughout the match, exhibiting good, confident defending. There were moments of questionable defensive decisions (e.g. sticking his leg out unnecessarily), but overall, Baró performed well.

Antony Golec – 6.5

Golec made many key challenges during the game, with a great presence in the box. His downfall was a tendency to make some risky passes, with some turning out better than others.

Joshua Rose - 6

Fed his teammates some great balls throughout the match, particularly in the first half. His assist was sublime. However, Rose was a bit clumsy in the 2nd half. Overall, wasn’t dominant, but contributed nicely.

Tom Hiariej – 6.5

The Dutchman was confident, playing the ball out well from the back. His consistent effort was noticed and definitely helped his team to victory.

Wout Brama - 6

Central Coast’s new signing displayed his experience, demonstrating a calm approach to his play. His passing was good, but a clumsy challenge inside the box (subsequently leading to a penalty) and a poor shot in the second half was disappointing.

Daniel De Silva – 8.5

Man of the match without a doubt. De Silva personifies class, speed, dynamism and determination - a brilliant performance from a very promising young player. His second half goal was initiated by his own movement and pass, then was finished off beautifully by De Silva himself.

Andrew Hoole – 6

Hoole was very busy throughout the match. He played with confidence, exemplified by his through ball to De Silva for the Mariner’s second goal. Conversely, some of his decision-making was poor, and he missed a great opportunity in the first half. To cap an eventful game off, he was red carded (second yellow) for a very reckless and silly aerial challenge in the 85th minute.

Connor Pain – 4.5

His movement was decent, but Pain disappeared throughout many periods of the match. His clear-cut chance in the first half should have been converted, as well.

Asdrúbal – 6.5

Asdrúbal was relatively quiet during the match, but he contributed positively. His goal may have been a tap-in, but he was only in that position because he displayed tenacity and an opportunistic spirit.

SUBSTITUTES

Josh Bingham – 6

His ability to head the ball was well received. Overall, a handy substitution for the Mariners, but not game changing.

Jake McGing – 4

Very limited time on the ball which led to a very minimal impact after coming on an eighty-second minute substitute.

Kwabena Appiah – 6

Brought on late in the 88th minute, Appiah still managed to be dynamic up front, moving the ball around nicely. His efforts led to nothing, but he had a positive few minutes on the field.