Western United is back in competitive action for the new season, returning to Ironbark Fields on Tuesday 29 July to take on Sydney FC in the Australia Cup Round of 32.
Match Details
Australia Cup Round of 32
Western United vs Sydney FC
Tuesday, 29 July
Kick-off: 7:30pm AEST
Ironbark Fields, Tarneit
Broadcast: The match will be broadcast live on 10 Streaming and on the Football Australia YouTube channel
Inside Western United pre-season
John Aloisi’s men have been put through their paces over the first three weeks of pre-season training and will be ready to hit the pitch to resume competitive play.
After an outstanding 2024/25 Isuzu UTE A-League Men campaign, the vast majority of the squad has returned for the new season and will be set to reload and reach another level.
Western United has already played one friendly match, a fantastic opening performance in a 3-0 win over Oakleigh Cannons.
Young gun Jake Najdovski scored twice in that match and will be eager to carry that form into this clash, while fellow youngsters Dylan Leonard, Abel Walatee and Oliver Lavale will be out to earn their first minutes of the season.
Besian Kutleshi was a starter against Oakleigh, too, in what was his maiden appearance with the first team. The 16-year-old could become Western United’s youngest-ever player in competitive play if he features against the Sky Blues on Tuesday.
Angus Thurgate and Rhys Bozinovski have returned to training with the same energy they showed throughout a dominant last season, giving a promising look to the Green and Black at the start of pre-season.
Young stars to watch
As is custom throughout the pre-season and the Australia Cup, a number of Western United Academy starlets have been involved in first-team training and will be eying opportunities on the professional stage.
The likes of Victor Muhindo, Tobias Servin and Anderson Back have all been in and around the first team so far on the back of superb performances under Andreas Papanicolaou.
Mark Leonard made his professional debut in this competition last year and will have his sights set on a follow-up display on Tuesday night, with the opportunity to potentially play alongside his brother on the big stage.
Western United player spotlight: Jake Najdovski
After getting his pre-season off to a perfect start last week, Najdovski will be hoping that is an early sign of things to come in 2025/26.
Entering his fourth season as a fully-fledged professional, the 20-year-old returns to the Australia Cup with a bit of personal history in the competition.
Back in 2021, he was named on the bench in the Round of 32 against Wellington Phoenix – his first time in a senior matchday squad.
He went one better two years later for his professional debut as a substitute against Edgeworth Eagles and has tallied 15 league appearances since then.
Chasing his first professional goal ahead of what he hopes will be a breakout season, Najdovski will be one to watch as he hopes to fire United into the Round of 16.
Words from John Aloisi
On a first competitive match coming early on in pre-season
“We’re excited, it’s a competitive game. It’s still early in pre-season but the boys have really enjoyed being back. We want to win, of course, but again, it’s about building for the season.”
On playing at home at Ironbark Fields at the first possible opportunity
“It’s great for our fans to come along this early in pre-season to see what we’re like. It’s great to be here at Ironbark, we’ve been training here every day in pre-season so far so the boys will be used to it.
“We’re looking forward to it and let’s hope we put on a performance for everyone that they can be proud and see what we’re trying to do this season.”
