Unanderra junior Brendon Santalab is determined to taste more success with Western Sydney this season, starting with the FFA Cup, but knows the Wanderers must first overcome the challenge of an Edgeworth outfit with nothing to lose in the round of 16.
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Santalab is part of the Wanderers squad which travelled to Newcastle earlier this week in preparation for a knockout fixture with the National Premier League Northern NSW club at Magic Park on Tuesday night.
Western Sydney head into the match as overwhelming favourites to progress to the quarter-finals, but history has shown that’s not always the way things pan out in the Cup. The Wanderers were knocked out in the first round of the competition in 2014 by second-tier side Adelaide City.
They’ll be keen to avoid the same fate against the Eagles as they continue their pursuit of a maiden Cup crown.
“The pressure is on us more than it is them in a match like this,” Santalab said.
“We are going up there as the hot favourite but we know Edgeworth have a great reputation in this competition so far.
“We respect them in every way.
“We are looking at the Cup as another huge opportunity to get another trophy and this game is another big step forward towards that.
“We aren’t planning on taking it lightly.”
The Wanderers progressed to the round of 16 with a come-from-behind 3-2 win over Wellington Phoenix while Edgeworth beat Far North Queensland 3-0.
The Eagles are led by former A-League striker Daniel McBreen, who scored against the Wanderers in the Central Coast Mariners 2-0 grand final win in 2013.
“He is a big part of their set-up,” Santalab said.
“We expect them to come out fighting from the get-go. Sometimes these sides can be a bit unpredictable so we will have to be ready from kick-off.”
Tuesday’s clash will be the Wanderers second official competition game of the new season.
The A-League campaign doesn’t kick-off until October where Western Sydney will look to go one better than they did last season. The Wanderers finished second in the league and were beaten on grand final day by Adelaide United in 2015-16, but have made numerous changes to their squad since then.
Dario Vidosic, Mark Bridge, Romeo Castelen and Scott Jamieson are just a few of the big names that departed as Western Sydney coach Tony Popovic overhauled the one-time Asian Champions League winner’s squad.
“We have had a fair few ins and outs but in saying that, the new guys have all settled in really well,” Santalab said.
“It’s like they have been at the club for a few years already which speaks volumes about the people we have brought on-board at the club. On the pitch we are delighted with how we have blended so far – we have won four from four this preseason – and usually that can take some time.
“They have adapted really quickly to the way we play which makes it easier.”
