Western United stars Jamie Young, Leo Lacroix and Ben Garuccio have been voted in by A-Leagues fans as members of the A-Leagues All-Stars squad that will face FC Barcelona on May 25.
Voting opened at the beginning of May with six Western United players nominated, giving fans the chance to select their best XI from the A-League Men.
The 13 highest vote-getters have been confirmed, with the United trio on the list among names such as Craig Goodwin, Daniel Penha and Jamie Maclaren.
Young was immense in goal for Western United throughout the regular season, leading the league with 10 clean sheets and 95 saves.
The 36-year-old acclimatised perfectly to his new club and was a key factor behind United’s success on the pitch, and he has continued that into the finals with a world-class save in the Green and Black’s Elimination Final win over Wellington Phoenix.
In front of him, Western United had some of the best defensive performers in the league, and Lacroix was chief among them.
The towering Swiss defender wowed A-Leagues audiences with some dazzling displays at centre-back, immediately taking to like in Australia in his first season at the Club.
Lacroix ranked equal third in the league with 46 interceptions and also chipped in with three goals at the other end of the pitch in a dominant campaign.
Garuccio’s 2021/22 season will always be remembered for his miraculous scorpion kick against Western Sydney Wanderers, but his overall campaign was a lot more than just one spectacular goal.
Arriving from Melbourne City in the off-season, Garuccio became an integral member of United’s starting XI, missing just two games and otherwise playing all but five minutes in the season.
The left-back ended up with six assists which was the most of any defender in the competition and the joint-most in United’s squad, ranked seventh in the league in crosses and added two goals.
As well as his obvious offensive talent, Garuccio was also superb defensively and ranked 11th for interceptions across the entire league.
For now, the trio will be focusing on the upcoming semi-final second leg against Melbourne Victory, with a spot in Western United’s first-ever A-League Men Grand Final on the line.
If the Green and Black successfully reaches the showpiece match, the three players will be given ‘Non-Playing’ status so as to keep the honour of their All-Stars selection while not participating in the match due to Grand Final commitments.
If United is knocked out on Saturday, the players will head to Sydney for a mini camp early next week before the match next Wednesday.
Match Details
A-Leagues All-Stars vs FC Barcelona
Wednesday, 25 May
Kick-off: 8:05pm
Stadium Australia, Sydney
Broadcast: The match will be broadcast live on 10Bold and 10Play
