A-League Preview: Jets Lose Key Forward, Face Pressure on Attack; Western United Hope History Repeats with Yosuke Nozomu

At 17:30 on July 24, the Australian A-League Cup playoff will see Newcastle Jets face off against Western United at Darwin Stadium. Both teams endured a disappointing 2023/24 season. In last season’s A-League regular season, Newcastle Jets finished 10th and Western United came in 11th. Their single-minded pursuit of offense at the expense of defense led both teams to be early casualties in the playoff race. With the new season yet to start, both sides are hoping to present a fresh look for a different campaign.

In the previous season, Newcastle Jets had a record of 6 wins, 10 draws, and 11 losses, scoring 39 goals and conceding 47. Western United had 7 wins, 5 draws, and 15 losses, with 36 goals scored and 55 conceded. Interestingly, these two teams ranked first and second as the poorest attacking teams in the A-League. Their defenses were equally porous. Despite this, both teams continued to wave the offensive flag, attempting to make up for defensive deficiencies with offensive prowess. The results spoke for themselves, as their final league positions illustrated all the problems.

To improve their situation, both teams underwent squad renovations during the off-season. So far, Newcastle Jets have signed five players in the transfer market, all on free transfers. These include Sounjalar from Perth Glory, Ross from Macarthur, Scaccella from Sydney FC, Adams from Melbourne Victory, and James from Sydney Olympic. Additionally, they promoted two young players, Dolsen and Nunes, from the youth team to the first team. However, they lost their top scorer Stamatelopoulos, who scored 17 goals in 25 games last season, as he joined Scottish side Motherwell. For the player’s better future, the Jets had to let him go. To prepare for this match, Jets coach Stanton has taken an 18-man squad to Darwin, including all five new signings.

In comparison, Western United have been relatively quiet, signing only two players in the transfer window: Russell from Western Sydney Wanderers and Nozomu Yosuke from Adelaide United. They also promoted four young players—Shamon, Valati, Coveney, and Leonard—from the youth team to the first team. The signing of Yosuke is significant for the team, as the Japanese striker is expected to greatly improve the team’s poor attacking ability. This match could be a good opportunity to gauge how well the former “Reds” top scorer fits into the team. The club has released three players so far, but none were key members of the squad.

In the history of the A-League Cup, Newcastle Jets’ best performance was reaching the quarterfinals in the 2018/19 season. Western United also reached the quarterfinals in the 2022/23 season, while the Jets were knocked out in the first round. Historically, the two teams have faced each other 12 times, with the Jets winning four, drawing three, and losing five, slightly behind in the head-to-head tally. In the three meetings last season, the Jets won one and lost two, highlighting their disadvantage. However, a statistical analysis shows that in all 12 matches between the two teams, no game has ever ended with a goal difference of more than two (excluding two-goal differences). This further reflects the parity between the two teams. There has been no previous encounter between the two teams in the A-League Cup.

After a disappointing season, both teams hope to start the upcoming new season on a positive note with a victory. New signings have been settling in during the off-season, and the A-League Cup presents an excellent opportunity to test the team’s strength and the new players’ integration. With Stamatelopoulos gone, who will step up to carry the offensive load for the Jets? Can Western United improve their lackluster attack with the addition of Nozomu? This match may provide some answers.

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