Soccer-Western United seek A-League title and respect in Melbourne showdown

"For a new expansion club, it was probably the hardest time to come in," said Aloisi. City have also struggled to build a big support base since joining the league in 2010, with first-movers Victory having scooped up most local fans.

Rival fans have derided Western United as the offspring of broadcasters and officials hungry for content and cash but success in the A-League decider against champions Melbourne City should silence the critics.

On Saturday, the expansion side coached by former Socceroos striker John Aloisi will compete in their first Grand Final, seeking respect as well as silverware in their third season in Australia's top flight. United's rise has ruffled feathers in the country's second city, where Melbourne Victory once dominated with fans and trophies before making way for City in recent years.

United stunned four-times champions Victory in the semi-finals, turning around a 1-0 loss in the first leg with a thumping 4-1 win in the second. It was a seismic win for a team that existed only on paper a few years ago, and have yet to build the home stadium in Melbourne's western suburbs they promised in their expansion bid.

United have instead lived a nomadic existence, playing home games in regional cities as well as in town. "We know where we're at as a club in terms of not having a stadium based out west yet and playing at five different stadiums," Aloisi told Reuters.

"And we've never used that as an excuse. We've actually embraced that we're on a journey, that we've got a lot of work on and off the field. "The one thing we have within the club and really feel is togetherness and our work ethic, and that's where our identity lies."

'EAST v WEST' Expansion sides often struggle to gain a foothold early on but United stormed into the semi-finals in their first campaign in 2019/20 under former coach Mark Rudan before dipping to 10th in the 12-team league last season.

Aloisi, chasing his maiden A-League title as a coach at his third club, has helped United rebound with astute recruiting, including Swiss defender Leo Lacroix and former Serbia striker Aleksandar Prijović, who scored a brace in the last match against Victory. However, United's early success in the A-League has yet to transfer into an army of fans clad in green-and-black, for all their touring across the western regions of Victoria state.

The COVID-19 pandemic struck midway through their first season, limiting their ability to lay down roots in the west of Melbourne, home to strong migrant communities and blue-collar neighbourhoods. "For a new expansion club, it was probably the hardest time to come in," said Aloisi.

City have also struggled to build a big support base since joining the league in 2010, with first-movers Victory having scooped up most local fans. The 30,000-seat Melbourne Rectangular Stadium may not be full for Saturday's Grand Final despite the clash being marketed as a tribal clash of "East versus West".

"We believe we represent the people of the west, that hard-working culture in the way we play," said Aloisi. "While it's important to win, it's also important to show what we stand for."

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