Heidelberg United stun Wellington Phoenix to reach Australia Cup semi-finals
A week after beating another top-flight club, Western Sydney Wanderers, in a 3-0 round-of-16 upset at the same venue, the Bergers were again too good in the quarter-final boilover.
The tone was set early, with winger Sabit Ngor forcing a save out of Phoenix goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi in the first minute.
The Phoenix offered little in attack and it was anything but a surprise when the hosts grabbed the lead in the 34th minute courtesy of an own goal from Wellington defender Isaac Hughes.
Under pressure from Heidelberg midfielder Asahi Yokokawa, who was chasing a through ball from his captain Ben Collins, Hughes turned the ball into his net past the exposed Josh Oluwayemi.
Leading 1-0 at half-time, the home side put the game to bed with two more goals in the opening six minutes of the second-half.
Winger Max Bisetto doubled Heidelberg's lead in the 46th minute with a stunning long-distance strike in the 47th minute, before Yokokawa sealed his team's place in a semi-final next month against either Sydney FC or Auckland FC with a well-timed finish after impressive work on the right by Ngor,'
Replacement Chok Dau provided the icing on the cake in the 85th minute with Heidelberg's fourth goal in the 85th minute.
'I don't think anyone (in the team) thinks we can't go all the way,' Bisetto told Paramount Plus.
'If people don't believe it, then they should start. All credit to the boys, we were phenomenal tonight.'
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