Team of the Week | Round 12
Big Dutchmen at the back, a Croatian and a Japanese in mifdield and a Kiwi upfront - The Scout is a big supporter of multiculturalism.
GK: Nathan Coe - The Victory keeper may have had some hariy moments early on in the match, but as the derby wore on he came into his own. His timing was impeccable and the save he pulled off to deny a David Williams volley was from the top shelf.
DF: Bas van den Brink - The big Dutchman continued his ever-reliable form for Glory with a rock-like performance in a gritty team display. He reads the game so well that the Glory defence often looks impenetrable.
DF: Ben Sigmund - The Phoenix defender was his usual rugged self against the Mariners, but most impressively he managed to contain Tom Rogic several times when challenged by him.
DF: Patrick Zwaanswijk - At the Mariners they call him "King Zwanny" and against the Phoenix he stood tall. The Nix threw plenty of youth and pace at him, Totori, Boyd and Fenton all ran at him and Zwaanswijk matched their pace and won the challenges, showing that he still has it.
MF: Mateo Polak - The Croatian was a Colossus for Western Sydney and seemed to be everywhere Adelaide didn-t want him to be. Breaking up play in midfield and making perfectly timed challenges at the back, this was everything you want in a defensive midfielder.
MF: Youssuf Hersi - The Dutchman is becoming the unlikely star for Western Sydney. He doesn-t look like much but he-s so full of energy and smart, attacking football, his teammates can-t help but go along for the ride. His growing understanding with Ono in particularly enjoyable to watch.
MF: Shinji Ono - As the season goes on, the former Japan star is proving to be the most consistent of all the big-name recruits this season, and is growing into his role with Western Sydney. A beacon of class.
MF: Marco Rojas - Not his most dominant performance, but Rojas simply will not be denied at the present time. One goal and one assist make him a big part of why the Victory won just their second derby.
F: Mark Bridge - You wait for months for a Mark Bridge goal and then three come along at once. Bridge is hardly Mr Consistency but he was determined and confident against Adelaide, taking his chances and creating his own for the club-s first hat-trick. A stellar performance.
F: Archie Thompson - He's been a handful all year and on Saturday night, Thompson had his moment, with time running down and the Heart pushing hard, Thompson classily chipped an onrushing Clint Bolton to win the derby for the Victory, and then he showed his true colours by celebrating with the fans
F: David Williams - If Archie was the hero of the week, Williams is the man who arguably should have been. For whatever reason he stands up in derbies and Williams again showed just how special he is in this version. His lightning pace, his skills on the ball and his vicious shooting skills, they were all on display and he was unlucky not to score.