BY MICHAEL ESPOSITO
WESTERN Wolves junior teams notched up four wins from seven games in a promising start to the Victorian Champions League season on Sunday.
The under-17 boys defeated Wimmera South Coast 4-2, while the under-14 and under-15 boys sides both defeated Wimmera 7-0.
Head coach Robert Krajacic said the Western Suburbs have a bevy of talented juniors at the moment. Eight Western Wolves squad members recently represented Victoria’s under-13 and under 14 state sides at the FFA National Youth Championships.
“I believe that from a technical point of view that we did quite well at the championships,” Krajacic said. “Unfortunately the results didn’t deliver but we’re only a couple of years into this program and we’re starting to catch up to the other states now.”
The summer league was formed to in part to help identify the cream of the crop among Victoria’s young soccer players, by putting the best players against each other.
“I think we’re on the right path with the summer league concept. You get to play against elite players on a more regular basis. In the winter season you might play maybe two, three, four other clubs that will provide suitable opposition, but when your playing other zones, your playing 18 quality games.”
Krajacic suggested it might take some weeks for the players to gel, considering the relatively short time to get the team’s structures in place.
“We were a bit pushed for time because we had such a late finish to the winter season and an early start to the summer leagues. We’ve gone through an exhaustive trial process but we’ve been able to select what we feel are the best players in the western zone.”
“The squads are looking quite strong, we’re very happy with the technical aspects of all the players, we’re just getting our structures right at this stage.”
Krajacic said under-14 players Samuel Iagozzo and Ben Carrigan were two players to watch out for during the Summer League, while Bianca Ortika is expected to star in the under-17 girls competition.
Ortika played for the Emerging Athletes Squad, which had a team in the Victorian Women’s League this year.
The Western Wolves have built a reputation as a breeding ground for talent, especially after winning the zone of the year last year.
In other results, the under-13 boys won 3-0, the under-17 girls drew 6-all, the under-15 girls lost 1-2, and the under-13 girls drew 2-all.
