Lachie Wales gave an impassioned full-time interview following Western United’s 2-1 defeat at Melbourne Victory on Tuesday night.
The Western United attacker was as great as all of his team-mates that night, but his two late goals in the win broke the hearts of the Green and Black.
Wales took the opportunity to praise his team-mates after the match, with particular praise for Charvel Shamoun, Kane Vidmer and Koder Kadour. These three defenders played the entire match, with Kadur making his professional debut.
“It (the loss) is pretty heartbreaking to be honest. The boys put in a phenomenal performance tonight. Three of the back four are under 20 and they played for 90 minutes against one of the best teams in the league. ” he said.
“That sums up our season, we’re there or thereabouts and football is in the moment. Thanks to the win, they seized the moment at the end.
“Our club should be really proud. Those boys should hold their heads high, it was an incredible performance. They played in front of such a large crowd or with such intensity. I had never done that before.
“Oh, we had them. We waited for them until about 80 minutes and then they started coming. We knew they were coming, but in the end it was too much.”
Wales also received a special award for Brazilian Daniel Peña, who scored United’s goal in the match with a superb long-range strike.
The Brazilian was cruelly forced off with an injury after the celebrations, and Wales were quick to praise Peña’s influence on the group as he continues to live apart from his wife Larissa, who remains in Brazil undergoing treatment for cancer.
“That’s Dani, he’s full of energy. He’s a great character. It’s great for him to come to the game every week and play like this, even considering what he’s going through with his wife off the field. It’s a person,” he said.
“That affected all the players today, especially the young players. His energy is contagious and we played with plenty of energy tonight.
“There’s nothing to be ashamed of there. We almost won it with two minutes to go in that football game and if we had gotten there it would have been one of the greatest wins in the club’s history.”
WATCH: Lachie Wales’ full interview after the final whistle
Wales’ passion shows the tenacious determination of John Aloisi, coaches and players through difficult times.
The players fight for every ball every week and every blade of grass is left untouched, a testament to the culture the club has built.
The team will look to recover quickly from the game and pick up another three points to prepare for Friday night’s away trip to Brisbane Roar.