Australia hailed Western Sydney Wanderers’ remarkable rise from new club to AFC Champions League winners in only two years after they became the first side from the country to win the Asian title Sunday.
Some 5,000 joyous Wanderers fans watched the game on a giant screen in their heartland of Parramatta and celebrated the club’s 1-0 aggregate win over Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal in Riyadh in style.
Fans hugged each other and set off red flares as the Wanderers held on for a 0-0 draw after winning the home leg 1-0 to clinch the Asian club title in only their third season.
The triumph was hailed as “the greatest result in Australian club football history”.
“They’ve done it. Western Sydney Wanderers have achieved the seemingly impossible to become the first Australian champions of Asia,” The Sydney Morning Herald trumpeted.
“A club that didn’t exist three years ago has now clinched the greatest result in Australian club football history by toppling Asia’s club of the century to win a historic Champions League title.
“The Wanderers hung on by the skin of their teeth, with a mixture of desperation and luck denying their hosts who looked destined to win a third ACL title.”
The Daily Telegraph said: “From a twinkle in Australian football’s eye to champions of Asia in less than three years. The incredible story of the Western Sydney Wanderers has its finest chapter to date.
“The Wanderers somehow held out against the relentless onslaught of Saudi giant Al Hilal before a frenzied home crowd to become the first Australian team to win the Asian Champions League.”
The Guardian Australia described it as “surely the football story of the year”.
“The Wanderers are champions of Asia. Three years ago, people would have claimed you were crazy to say such a thing – and they would have been right,” it said.
“Three years ago, there was no such thing as Western Sydney Wanderers yet here they were on Saturday evening, driving millions of Saudi Arabian fans mad with frustration before lifting the biggest prize in the world’s biggest continent.”
Twitter went into meltdown with users clamouring to express their praise for Western Sydney.
SBS television football commentator Craig Foster tweeted: “Simply extraordinary! Congratulations to Tony (Popovic), his team, the club & fans. This is a story for the ages!!”
Another tweeted: “Wanderers and Poppa (Tony Popovic) incredible result! Now it’s over to you Ange (Postecoglou) and the budding Roos! Make us even prouder at home in the Asian Cup!!”
Italian great Alessandro Del Piero, who spent two seasons in the A-League with Sydney FC, tweeted: “Congratulations @wawanderersfc winner of the 2014 @afcasiancup a great result for Australian football (soccer) continuing it’s growth.”
Fifa chief Sepp Blatter joined in and posted: “Incredible achievement. Congratulations @wswanderersfc on your #AFCfinal win. See you in Morocco at the #ClubWC!”
The Wanderers will now qualify for the riches of next month’s Fifa Club World Cup in Morocco, featuring continental champions, where they could face Real Madrid among others.
Western Sydney went one better than Adelaide United, who lost the two-leg AFC Champions League final to Japan’s Gamba Osaka in 2008.
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Despacito's dominance in numbers
Released: 2017
Peak chart position: No.1 in more than 47 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Lebanon
Views: 5.3 billion on YouTube
Sales: With 10 million downloads in the US, Despacito became the first Latin single to receive Diamond sales certification
Streams: 1.3 billion combined audio and video by the end of 2017, making it the biggest digital hit of the year.
Awards: 17, including Record of the Year at last year’s prestigious Latin Grammy Awards, as well as five Billboard Music Awards
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
'Cheb%20Khaled'
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