The Brisbane Roar have spoiled Sydney's Derby Day. On a night of endless intrigue and high drama at Suncorp Stadium, the Western Sydney Wanderers were sent packing from the A-League finals after a penalty shootout.
Jamie Young would be the hero for the home side, coming on in the first half of extra time to replace first-choice keeper Michael Theo, who injured his leg in a collision with Terry Antonis.
When the time came, he stood tall. With the penalty tally at 6-5 in favour of Brisbane, Jumpei Kusukami floated his shot high and right. Young was all over it and hence, the Wanderers' season was all over.
Scores were locked at 1-1 after fulltime and extra time. The Wanderers could barely lift their feet as they clung to the draw in extra time with 10 men, following the red card to Jaushua Sotirio in the 103rd minute.
Brisbane weren't clinical enough to finish it before it went to spot kicks but managed to hold their nerve, setting up a date next week against Melbourne Victory, scheduled for 5pm on Sunday. It also cruelled any hopes of a massive Sydney derby should the Wanderers have made it out alive.
"Heartbreaking. The red card didn't help us. It was a very courageous effort when you put it into perspective. Boys were dropping in the last 10 minutes. It's one of those things," Brendon Santalab told Fox Sports after the game, while Young was in tears after his winning save.
"I've waited a long time for that," he said. "I've waited the whole year. That was special."
Brisbane are now undefeated in 10 home finals and if that was the last appearance for the great Thomas Broich on his home ground, it was one he would never forget. He played the entire match and ended it with knees covered in ice, praying his teammates could deliver.
The Roar's imposing home record clearly hadn't been weighing heavily on the minds of the visitors early on Friday night, who sprung from the blocks and dominated large swathes of the first half, finishing it with a deserving lead.
That one-goal advantage could easily have been more if not for Michael Theo, who was called upon in the opening minutes to stop a pair of back-to-back shots from the Wanderers. First Santalab was denied, then Nicolas Martinez.
When Martinez dragged a shot wide - he probably should have scored - the Wanderers had enjoyed the first five shots of the match. It was a pattern that would last most of the half as the visitors poured on the pressure.
Brisbane had every reason to respond given the emotion of the night around Broich but spent far more time digging it out from their own box instead of sending raiding parties down the opposite end.
Santalab was booked for a late tackle on Avram Papadopoulos in the 32nd minute in an incident that would later send John Aloisi into a mini-rage. Santalab escaped censure five minutes later for a challenge on Thomas Kristensen that the Roar coach was convinced should have ended his night.
It looked as if Western Sydney's dominance would go without reward before Papadopoulos felled Santalab in the box on the stroke of halftime. Antonis made no mistake and the Wanderers were seemingly on their way.
Aloisi rushed onto the field to make his feelings clear as the officials left the ground and likely continued it in the rooms. Whatever he said, the Roar responded, levelling scores on 55 minutes after Jamie Maclaren pounced on Brandon Borello's rebound off the post.
The Wanderers were starting to be broken up as Brisbane went on the offensive. Vedran Janjetovic saved Brett Holman's strike before Borello was denied on the line by a desperate Scott Neville. Brown almost scored against just seconds later, with Janjetovic brilliant again.
Brisbane came perilously close to burying the winner as the clock ticked down. Broich put it on a platter for Borrello, whose volley managed to bounce on the crossbar - twice - before Janjetovic batted it away.
Sotirio has his chance to be the hero at the death but his shot from in front sailed well over the Roar goal, ensuring it went into extra time. It would be one of the most crucial moments of the night, with his cameo from the bench soon ending with a send off.
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