DIAMANTI COMES UP DIAMONDS FOR UNITED
THAT’S why he’s the best player in the league.
Alex Tobin Medal winner Alessandro Diamanti produced a moment of beauty on Sunday night to continue Western United’s fairytale season and eliminate Brisbane Roar with a feisty 1-0 win.
Entering the A-League finals as the hottest team in the competition, with four wins from six starts after the shutdown, Western United continued its remarkable run of form by upsetting the fourth-placed Roar to set up a derby clash against City in Wednesday night’s first semi-final.
And with Diamanti pulling the strings, United will fancy its chances not just against one of the league’s glamour clubs, but to go all the way.
The 37-year-old Italian maestro showed why he was last week crowned the ALeague’s best player, with a spectacular free kick goal in the 21st minute.
Taking the ball 30m out, Diamanti curled a ball around the wall and into the top-right corner to beat Roar goalkeeper Jamie Young, who was only able to palm the effort into the top of the net.
United had won a perfect 10 from 10 when winning at halftime this season, so had reason to be buoyant when it went to the sheds up 1-0 at the break.
But Young was outstanding for fB Brisbane, keeping it in the hunt by saving a sharp chance from Socceroo Josh Risdon early in the second half before brilliantly regathering to deny Max Burgess a simple tap-in.
Burgess gave coach Mark Rudan a scare when he suffered an ankle injury early in the second half — and Andrew Durante followed suit when he was involved in an ugly collision with Brisbane striker Dylan Wenzel-Halls that left the veteran defender clutching at his left ankle.
Both players soldiered on, but Risdon needed replacing after going down in injury time, ensuring Rudan will be carrying a few players with bumps and bruises into Wednesday’s semi.
Brisbane dominated large parts of the opening stanza, but wasted chances, failing to produce a shot on goal as veteran striker Scott McDonald, who started the season at United before a falling out delivered him to Brisbane, sprayed several chances wide.
McDonald looked the most likely threat from the Roar, and laid on a glorious chance for an unmarked James O’Shea early in the second half, only to watch the midfielder send a meek shot into the arms of Filip Kurto.
Brisbane continued to search for a goal that would keep its season alive, but the closest it would come was a Brad Inman offering which cannoned into the post.