I believe the Western Sydney Wanderers will be the first Australian team to win the Asian Champions League - and they could achieve the feat as soon as next year.

The result of last night's semi-final between the Wanderers and the Roar might be of tremendous importance in the context of this season, but Western Sydney's charge to the Premiers Plate - and, accordingly, their entry into next year's ACL - is already resonating across Asia.

The ACL has been a tough sell in Australia for a couple of reasons, not least the group stages overlapping with the pointy end of the A-League season, but the Wanderers have already proven they are more than capable of changing perceptions.

I've spoken to plenty of friends and colleagues around Asia and they can't wait for the Wanderers to grace Asian football's biggest stages.

This is a club with the capacity to become one of the biggest brands in Australian sport which, when you consider this is still their debut season, is a remarkable notion.

I wouldn't bet against them doing plenty of damage in the ACL next season. They are a team forged in the image of Tony Popovic, who is up there with the most organised and competitive characters I've seen in football.

And they have proven beyond doubt that there is no challenge in the game that can overwhelm them.

It isn't just Asia that has taken notice of the Wanderers. The New York Times carried a feature piece this week.

And the Wanderers were one of the main topics of conversation when I was being interviewed on the high-rating Talk Sport radio show in the UK recently. The world is taking notice.

It's worth considering Popovic's role in all of this. I remember bumping into him last June.

He had just accepted the job with the Wanderers. Over the course of our conversation, he asked me whether I had phone numbers for a few players he was interested in signing.

That was the moment when it struck me just how enormous the task ahead of him was - not so much taking control of a team but building one from scratch.

I knew he would make them competitive. I had no idea he could take them to the ACL in his first season. The Wanderers are a great example of what can be achieved with belief and hard work.

Consider for a moment where this sport was 12 months ago. Negative headlines were everywhere.

Today? We are witnessing perhaps the greatest debut season from a team in football history, an intriguing World Cup qualification campaign, Manchester United and Liverpool lining up to tour our shores and a new broadcast deal in the bank.

The goodwill in our game is at an all-time high and much of it has to do with the Wanderers' record-breaking run of success. That's why, regardless of the result from last night's clash with the Roar, Western Sydney are the biggest winners in season 2012-13.

Long may they reign.

I would like to dedicate this column to the memory of Rod Allen, the former Wanderers media man and friend to many. Rest In Peace.

Originally published as Wanderers can conquer Asia