Welcome to Wonderkid Watch: your weekly update on the fresh talents and emerging stories from A-Leagues clubs competing at the NPL level across Australia.
Promising teen formerly of Villarreal and Euro giants nets on debut
Teen prodigy Beckham Baker, named after the iconic Manchester United figure David Beckham, is making waves on the pitch. He made his mark by scoring during Melbourne City’s VPL1 season opener on Saturday.
Baker marked his debut with City’s senior academy team at the VPL1 level, scoring in a 2-2 draw against Manningham United in Victoria’s second tier, alongside teammate Ryan Kalms.
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The 16-year-old playmaker shone brightly, netting in the first half and showcasing a memorable individual performance for Alessandro Diamanti’s squad, who secured a fifth-place finish in 2024.
Though still at the beginning of his career, Baker has already attracted nearly 100,000 followers on Instagram.
A few years back, he joined Villarreal’s academy after impressing while in City’s youth program.
This followed a trip to England at age eight, where he trained and played with the U10 squads of Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea.
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“I consider myself a skilled player, unafraid to utilise all my abilities during a match, and I enjoy taking on defenders. I play as a winger (both sides), midfielder, or striker,” Baker previously stated to Ultra Football.
“I look up to players like Arnaut Danjuma and Riyad Mahrez, as well as the great CR7 because I play a similar style.”
The Round 1 match also saw a debut for 15-year-old Akeem Gerald, who had an outstanding 2024 season scoring in all age groups (U14, U16, and U18). Roland Ballah also made a significant impact for the A-Leagues club.
Western’s wild opening night
What a start! Western United kicked off their season with a thrilling 3-2 away victory against Bulleen Lions, and it was anything but dull.
With a new head coach, Andreas Papanicolaou, at the helm after Diogo Ferreira stepped up to John Aloisi’s assistant in the Isuzu UTE A-League, the Green and Black are aiming for bigger things following a near-miss for promotion in 2024.
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In a dramatic five-goal thriller under the floodlights on Monday night, Papanicolaou’s side survived an intense contest in their VPL1 opener, bolstered by Jake Najdovski’s two goals.
Western raced to a 2-0 lead at half-time thanks to Najdovski, who made six appearances for Aloisi’s A-League side in the 2024-25 season, and Mark Leonard, sibling of young A-League star Dylan.
However, Bulleen came back strong in the second half, scoring two goals within seven minutes to equalise at 2-2 with 23 minutes left on the clock.
In dramatic fashion, Najdovski converted a penalty in the 78th minute to put Western back in front.
At the final whistle, Bulleen was down to nine players, while Western ended the match with ten men after Oli Lavale received a second yellow in the dying minutes.
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In NPLM VIC, promoted Melbourne Victory began their campaign with a 1-1 draw at home against Altona Magic.
Jack Mihailidis scored the opener for Victory, now under the guidance of new coach Boris Seroshtan, at the Home of the Matildas, with Altona earning a well-deserved share of points.
Mihailidis found the net four times for Victory at VPL1 level in 2024, adding another two at the U23 level.
Young star shines in Newcastle
Garang Arou was on target as he led a successful start to the season for the promoted Newcastle Jets in Football NSW League One.
Following a historic undefeated season in 2024 where Newcastle claimed both the Premiership and Championship, the Jets are back in the second tier.
Over the weekend, the Jets triumphed over Inter Lions FC, thanks to contributions from Arou and Xavier Bertoncello.
A former defender from NPLM VIC club Green Gully, the 20-year-old made an immediate impression in Round 1 by scoring the opener in the 14th minute, followed by Bertoncello who netted eight minutes later.
Post-match, Arou – who has been training with Rob Stanton’s Isuzu UTE A-League team – drew high praise from his coach.
“I thought he (Garang Arou) was exceptional,” said Damian Zane via newcastlejets.com.au.
“He returned to the form he showcased at the end of last year, which is a real boost. I also think Kierry James wasn’t far behind Garang. He was fantastic, particularly in the second half where he finished strong.”
In other League One action, Bulls FC Academy fell 2-1 at the hands of Northern Tigers, with Atiya Waraga netting for Nicolai Muller’s side.
The NPLM NSW matches saw Western Sydney Wanderers and Mt Druitt Town Rangers play out an eventful 1-1 draw in Round 1.
Meliwethu Nkomo opened the scoring for the Wanderers, but Mt Druitt Town equalised after the break.
“The final 15 minutes opened up for both sides,” remarked Wanderers coach Richie Cardozo via NPL NSW.
“We played better in the first half and should’ve been two or three up.
“They took control early in the second half and got back level, but I believe we deserved all three points.”
Sydney FC experienced a devastating 3-2 loss on the road against NWS Spirit, conceding a goal in the 91st minute.
Two quick strikes from Alen Harbas and Mathias Macallister had Sydney ahead 2-1 at the interval, but the Spirit responded strongly in the second half.
“For most of the first half, we were the superior side, but they were more assertive in the second, and we failed to cope adequately, especially conceding two from set pieces, which is disappointing,” reflected Sky Blues coach Jimmy Van Weeren via NPL NSW.
“Despite a solid pre-season, we need to ensure we have the right mindset when it comes to competitive matches like tonight, and we must improve in that area.”
Meanwhile, Central Coast Mariners suffered a heavy 5-0 defeat to Manly United.
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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