November 9, 2025 • 48 mins
Jason Pine and Michael Burgess break down a thrilling Saturday night in the capital, with Auckland FC continuing their domination of the A-League's NZ derby.
High lines, red cards, stunning goals and flaring tempers are all on the agenda as the Black Knights beat the Nix 2-1.
Meanwhile, the Wellington Phoenix women open their season with a 1-1 home draw against Canberra, and we look ahead to the All Whites' upcoming international window.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Football Fever the podcast keeping you up to date with
the beautiful Game with the voice of football Jason Pain
and INSI and heralds Michael Burgess, powered by news Talks Hebby.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Hello there, Welcome into Football Fever.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
As the man said, keeping you up with all things
to do with the beautiful game, in particular a league football,
men's and women's and our national sides. Ever since the
final also went on Saturday night, Bergs, I've been waiting
for the podcast to arrive so we could talk about it.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
How are you.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
I'm great now. I feel the same way.
Speaker 5 (00:31):
So much to talk about, still buzzing, and it's just
great in one of these things that we build up
so much, is so much hype around it and it
lives up to everything.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Wellington Phoenix one. Auckland FC too.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
As you say, what an occasion, high drama, energy, theater,
lots and lots of talking points. Auckland f C win
their fourth straight New Zealand Derby. But this one was different.
Do you think this was the best of the four
Derby's we've seen so far?
Speaker 5 (00:58):
Probably a lot of people certainly saying that I felt
it was in the heat of the moment on Saturday
night after thinking about it on a Sunday. The second
one was really good to the one in Auckland in
front of twenty six thousand. The Phoenix were quite competitive
for long periods that game and they came back they
must cost his goal, so that was pretty amazing too.
But for everything that happened on Saturday and probably seeing
(01:20):
also the best goal ever in a derby in terms
of is a strike? It probably was, wasn't it? What
do you think?
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah? I have to agree.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
I came away afterwards thinking where do you start when
you try to unpack it?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Where?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
What is the main talking point of the game? You know,
normally there are four or five things that happened in
that game that could be the talking point, you know,
Auckland FC breaking Wellington Phoenix's high line, is A's goal,
the red cards, just the emotion, you know the impact
of Corbyn Piper when he came on at halftime. You know,
I want to talk about all these things. Shall we
start at the start? Actually, because I know there would
(01:53):
have been people who hadn't even taken their seat at
the stadium, or perhaps hadn't even tuned into to the
coverage before Auckland FC will already one nil up.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
They break the high line.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
After twenty eight seconds, Jesse Randall sets up Sam Cosgrove.
Look up, we do need to address this high line.
So let's do that now. Do you think that that
chief he will persist with it. Do you think that
given the fact that it effectively cost them two goals
on Saturday night, will be enough reason for him to
(02:25):
change strategy or do you think he is all in
on it?
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Gee?
Speaker 5 (02:31):
I mean, I hope he does reconsider it. I really do,
because I don't know if it's gonna end well for
him or the Phoenix if he persists. He seems pretty
and you would have seen more of them Piney, but
he seems pretty sold on it. He's pretty determined to
go to in this route and take the team in
the totally opposite direction of last season in terms of
(02:52):
how they play. But there's danger signs all over the place,
and I can't see how it could get it could
get better.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
I think you made the point last week, and it
was a very good one that they used it for
the first three games, but they hadn't come up come
up against a side with the attacking potency of Auckland.
FC and straight away on Saturday night. I mean, it
must have been beyond the wildest dreams of Steve Kriker.
That's something he strategized for. He said that afterwards, Yes,
we thought that was a weakness. We thought that we
(03:26):
could capitalize on it. I'm pretty sure he didn't think
it would happen in their very first attack just before
we gub any further on it. Let's hear from Chiefy
afterwards on the very question that I just asked you.
Will they persist with it and is it something that
he is basically all in on as far as the
strategy is concerned and wrapped into that, Why did it
(03:46):
leak them two goals on Saturday?
Speaker 6 (03:48):
If we execute and the line gets beaten because our
players are still in sync, and that's on me. But
when we mis execute, all the players going away from
what we instruct then it's more about correcting that in
the long term. I said at the beginning of the
season that no different to Perth and all the friendlies
(04:09):
that we played, We're going to have teething issues with
the line. It's going to take time, and I think
one of the biggest issues we've had over the last
four games is that I don't think I've had the
same starting back five. That makes a big difference. One
player being out of sync can make a big difference
to the line. So we're just going to go back.
We've got two weeks now to get ready for MacArthur.
We're just going to have to work very hard and
(04:30):
making sure that we're in sync, execute what we need
to and as time progresses will get better and better.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
So there you go.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
That's a man who is not going to give it
up Urge. I think he's going to keep doing it.
The problem will be if players keep not executing properly.
Because the first one I've watched this back a couple
of times today when Francis de Reees plays that ball, Hughes,
Sheridan and Kelly Healed are all on halfway where they
should be, but schwin Lock doesn't step up. I think
(04:59):
he's to strake did by Sam Cosgrove moving into the
Phoenix half well off side, but it's almost instinctual that
if there's a guy there, you step back. And when
he steps back, Cosgrove still offside, but he puts Jesse
Randall on side. He's away feeds an unmarked Sam Cosgrove
for a tap and even the second one. You know,
(05:21):
Randall has basically beaten the off side trap because he's
made a terrific run and stayed on side, you know,
by buy his tiptoes inside his own half again, you know,
do you have to legislate for that. It sounds like
he wants to keep doing it though, and we're four
games in and he said, well, we're not going to
give it up now. We want to keep going.
Speaker 5 (05:42):
And he made a good point, like the head players
out there really missed James. They had a lot of
kids for one of a better word in the back line.
But it's one of the hardest things to do in football,
you know, to perfect the high line. I mean Liverpool
had problems with it over the years with klop and
they you know, they talk about elite players that have
that have so much time in training sessions to work
(06:05):
on it. You also a need really quick defenders and
you need a really good press, like a really good
press to play the high line. Because Auckland could play
those those through balls pretty easily. They went, they went
under pressure, So I don't know, I can just see
I can just see a lot of issues with it.
I was talking to Auckland f C, one of the
(06:27):
coaching staff, not curric at training last week and he
made the point to me. He said, you know, we
play a high line, but they're playing a really high line,
and you could sort of see the glint in his
eye and it kind of unfolded just like that.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
It just opens the door, doesn't it. And it's been
talked about so much that it's that it's something now,
and I'm sure other coaches will look at what Auckland
FC did to break that line, and not everybody's going
to be able to Not everybody's got a guy with
the pace of Jesse Randall, for example. I don't want
to talk abut about him as well, but it is
a blueprint, isn't it. You know, if you can, if
you can work it out, because we talked last week
(07:04):
about how if you are going to play the high line,
it's important to press the guy with the ball so
he can't play the passes. And I think most of
us thought that would be brimmer or perhaps for Strata,
but both of the passes forward which led to the
goals came from Francis Devrees and we all know how
well he can knock a ball. Was there pressure on him.
(07:25):
There might have even been pressure on Franny as he
was playing those balls, but he's still pinpoints into the
path of Jesse Randall both times. And Randal is so
quick that you know, once he's away, he's away. There's
no stopping him. There's no catching him on either occasion.
So they've done it perfectly from left back to left
wing basically and on goal, goal and goal again. So
(07:49):
the blueprint is there. It couldn't have worked any better
for Steve Corriker. If that's what he planned, then it's
a brilliantly executed plan.
Speaker 5 (07:58):
And it was also a relatively straight ball and a
relatively straight run, you know, and we're taught over we're taught.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
You know, as players when we're young.
Speaker 5 (08:06):
Everyone the mantra is either and you've got to make
a you know, more of a diagonal run all the
ball's got to be more dug and otherwise it's quite
hard to do. But they did it with a straight
ball and a straight run because the timing was so
good and because as chief he said, the execution wasn't
quite there. But I don't think I felt you can't
pin it on the defenders and saying, oh, they didn't
do it what we instructed because they've only had a
(08:27):
few training sessions and you're talking about something that is
so hard to do a specially underpressure. You made a
great point that you see Cosgrove out of your corner
your eye, and you just take one step or two
steps in the other direction and suddenly you're playing randal On.
You know, it's just I really felt for the Phoenix defenders,
and you sort of noticed rufus comments after the match,
(08:50):
when the look on his face when he said, you know,
we just gave them two goals, and I don't know,
would some resentment build towards the defense because of the
midfield and the strikers are wondering, hey, guys, what are
you doing back there? You know, there's all these dangers
around the strategy that to me just seems super high
risk and pretty low reward. You know, I can't see
(09:12):
the reward out of taking such a risk against the
big teams. You made a really good point. They weren't
playing Brisbane or Perth. They're playing probably the best team.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
In the league.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
The point about not having the same back five together
is a little bit disingenuous as well, because Matt Sheridan's
played all four games, Lucas Kelly Heild's played all four games,
Carlo Armiento at left wing back has played all four games,
and there's just been the change at right wing back,
with Tim Pain playing the first two and Swinke the
second two, and then in central defense man Draker James
(09:44):
playing the first two and Isaac Hues the second two.
So it hasn't been mix and match to the degree
that you would expect mass confusion from week to week.
Matt Sheridan's been playing it for four weeks now, someone's
Lucas Kelly healed, and to be fair to those two guys,
they stayed in shape at the start. Schwindlock is a
young kid, a good promising player. But it's just that instinct,
(10:05):
doesn't it. You look to your left as you say, oh,
there's a man there, I better get back, and in
doing so you put Randal on side and look the
second one. I just want to mention Jesse Randall's first
touch for the second goal. The balls played down the
line and he somehow wrapped his left leg around it
as it falls and knocked it forward into space and
(10:26):
then he's away. He stayed on side. That's that's a
you know, that's a victory of precision for him. But
then just the ability to take the ball away from
Sheridan who's chasing him, use his own pace, get in,
you know, to the penalty area, put doubt and all
away in his mind and think it over the top
of him. Gee's playing well, Burge. We speak about him
(10:48):
every week on the podcast, but I think we have to.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
He's playing so well.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
He has been a regular topic, hasn't he But you're
exactly right.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
And just his ability to do what he did at
full pace, Like it's so hard to do that and
to come up with that kind of finish when you
when you're running at full pace. His his his confidence,
his belief is just must be, must be going through
the roof.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
I mean, I don't know.
Speaker 5 (11:14):
He feels like he's going to be one of the
biggest movers in the A League this season. He's always
had the ability. You mentioned it last week, but he
hasn't had much of a crack and now he's he's
had that season under his belt. So it's such good
signs for aucklanleft c such good signs for Randall and
and it could be really good signs for the Alwits
(11:37):
because I don't know how you feel, but to me,
he brings something really different to all the other options
we have, either in attacking midfield or obviously as a
second as a second striker, as a striker.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Yeah, we'll let me ask you this. I think if
Darren basically was picking the team today rather than a
week ago, do you think Jesse Randal would be in it?
Speaker 4 (11:59):
Yeah? I think you would.
Speaker 5 (12:01):
And I feel for Darren because you know, hindsight's was
a wonderful thing. They have to arrange the releases of
the players and all that sort of thing about it's
almost a week before the squad's actually named, so you've
got to sort of be crystal balling a bit. But
I asked him about it on the phone, and I
(12:22):
personally would have taken him because you've only got this
window in March and he just needs time in the environment.
You just want to see what he can do. They've
taken some players to me that are known quantities. You
know what they'll bring. You've seen them plenty of other times.
I know it's always it's political with selections. You've got
to be careful, but I would have had him on
the plane and just said I had to say sorry
(12:44):
to someone else. But it'll be hard to leave out
next time.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Absolutely well.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
We're recording this on Monday, and there was news over
the weekend that Callum macwitt might be under a bit
of an injury cloud. He was withdrawn at halftime in
his latest club match. So it may well be that
you know in the next day or so that if
a replacement is called up for Callum macowitt, then you know,
shivis Jeff Jesse Radle has to be at the front
of the queue. The way he's playing, he's he's done
(13:09):
everything he can. So let's just see what what transpires there.
Let's mention the goal of the game, as you call it.
I find is A's wonderful, wonderful strike uncharacteristically given away
by Jake Brimmer. Is the best thing about this, and
Paul Eifel pointed it out on television commentary, is the
little look that is A gives before he hits the ball.
(13:32):
He gets it, he's on the edge of the penalty
area and it's it's just a split second rais of
the eyes just to clock in his own mind where
Michael Vouder is and then make the decision of where
to put the ball.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
It is a terrific goal.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
Just just the way he I mean, how do you
measure a shot like that?
Speaker 5 (13:50):
You know, he hits it with power but also measures
it to get it over Michael Veld and into the corner.
Just just stupendous and what what he needed, what the
Yellow Fever needed him. Mean, he's becoming a bit of
a hero now. I mean, do you think that was
the best goal I've seen in the derby?
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Yeah, I'm just trying to think of the ones last
year there was. I mean Costers was sort of he
was put away one on one. It wasn't anything like that.
Brimmers were both close range in the first one G
six to choose from in the third derby, but I
mean Rogerson's was good. That was from outside the area
drilled in the Hatterer goal, I mean from Rogerson. Nate
(14:29):
Armadenos was outside the area his second goal. But yeah,
I think is As trumps them all. I think his
is if you line them all up, I think you know,
an Asden neutral. I think most of them are bick
is As.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Wouldn't they well I just think it does because, like
Rogerson was a great hit, but it was already four
nill at that stage from memory that you know, that
was so desperately needed at that time, you know, the
yellow fever. The Phoenix was still in a bit of shock,
even though the recovered, well, still in the shock from
random from the Cosgrove's goal and the way they conceded it.
(15:03):
So to come up was that with that just change changed.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
The mood massively. It was just fantastic.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Yeah, it just injected energy back into the game, didn't it.
It was you know, it's look, when you concede and
go one Neil down, it's hard enough when it happens
before you, you know, you've even got the chance to
sit down. That's got to be pretty demoralizing for Phoenix
fans who were looking forward to this game with great anticipation.
But yeah, Isa's goal just lifted their mood in that stadium.
And then of course with ten minutes to go until halftime,
(15:33):
we had the second goal. Do you know that they've
given that goal to Sam Cosgrove. Randall's done all of
the work and we just talked about it before he's
dinted it over Ollaway, Emmy and Cosgrove and Isaac Hughes
are coming together and it just sort of flicks off
Cosgrove's knee right on the line. But the official A
League website has given that goal to Sam Cosgrove.
Speaker 5 (15:53):
Oh, it's got to be an investigation here without being
too Jeff two V. I mean I saw that in
your notes Piney, and I was like, surely that doesn't
that Cosgo is going to get the goal. I mean,
this is a bit like Mariana having a hat trick
taken off him last year in the second in the
third derby. But it's actually worse because I hate those
kind of things, Like it's clearly Randall's goal. How can
(16:16):
it just drives me nuts that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Where's the common where's the common sense? Cosgroves probably saying, no,
that's my goal, because all number nine's take any goal
they can, whether it's from a yard out off your knee.
But like, look at what Jesse Randall's done. He deserves
his name on the scoreset for that.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
And I don't know, I mean Cosgrove what he got
the touch maybe as it was just on the line
about to cross the line. It was pretty sort of
it must have been very, very marginal. I don't think
it would be any protest from anyone if the goal's
just given to Randall.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Yeah, well it's it's Cosgroves at the moment. We'll wait
and see if there is an investigation. Steve Corika said
after the game, Look, I don't care who scores them
as long as they scored, and he's right, it actually
doesn't matter and it is a team game. So then
we went at half time at two to one. There
was very little to suggest what was about to unfold
in the second half, although right at the start of
(17:12):
the second half, charging out of the tunnel came Corbyn
Piper as if he was at the start of a
four hundred meter race. He just you know, and we
know he's on limited minutes and he's played sort of,
you know, around the sort of ten to twenty mark
in the first three games, but sent on at halftime
and an immediate impact in terms of the uplift and
energy for a start that he gives this team, but
(17:34):
also the fact that he got away early in the
second half, latched onto a ball that had been played through,
got away from Dan Hall and then was brought down
on the edge of the area and referee Ben Abraham
producing the red card. Now, before I get your view, Birge,
I spoke to Steve Coricker on the radio yesterday about this.
He had been in touch with referee's boss John Moss
(17:56):
or Terry mcflynn had shortly after the game. Here is
Steve coricker view on Dan Hall's red cart and then
onto Logan Rogerson's.
Speaker 6 (18:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (18:04):
Obviously terrym flinn's always in contact with John Moss. So yeah,
we think it was a bit harsh for a couple
of reasons. I think Piper hamballed around the halfway line,
I think when he first got contact of the ball,
and that also for me, I don't really see Dan
Hall as being the last man if you look how
close Francis was to him. So whether Andy comes out
(18:25):
of this, obviously I doubt it. But you know, for me,
it shouldn't have been a red card. And then really
the Logan one after that probably stems from the first one.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
I would say, in what way, you know, just.
Speaker 7 (18:36):
A little bit hard done by I think with Dan
Hall's one, so you know he's just getting stuck in.
Obviously he wasn't a good challenge I've got no problems
with him being sent off with that kind of challenge,
you know, but I think that's a little bit of
frustration as well from Dan Hall being sent off.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
All right, that's the voice of Steve Corriker. Did you
think Dan Halls was a red cart?
Speaker 5 (19:00):
I didn't have a massive problem with it, to be honest.
I like the fact that they stuck with the referees
call on the field because I think we forget so
many times that the referee often has the best view.
He's seeing things at full pace and I really hate
it when via goes through things and see slow motion
and it kind of it doesn't reflect what actually happened.
I mean, the Phoenix would have preferred that Pipe's throwng
(19:24):
goal and gets a shot away, you know, and Danhill
stopped them doing that. They would have preferred a chance
to have a shot. And knowing Piper the met he was,
anybody just smashed it and who knows what's happened, and
if they score, that's a much better outcome for them
than a red card.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
I take the point about the freeze.
Speaker 5 (19:42):
He was close, but it was also kind of on
his wrong side as a left foot, as he'd becoming
cross to make a slightly more awkward tackled. He might
have got to Piper, but I thought there was enough
in it to warrant a red card. But equally I
wouldn't have been completely surprised if downgraded to the yellow
after the after the VA.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
I thought it was a red card the first look
I did. And the last man or the phrase last
man is a bit of a red herring because that
phrase does not appear in the laws of the game
at all. You don't have to be the last man
to be denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity. It's often
used by coaches like Steve Carrick and others say hey, well,
(20:24):
I mean even if if you know, he wasn't the
last man and Freddie would have taken it off him,
So shouldn't have been a red card. He hasn't denied
the goal scoring opportunity. Well he still has Dan Hall,
he still has so yeah, I'm okay with it as well.
The handborne halfway is an interesting one. I don't know
the rule Burge whether the var can go back. I
don't think they can to say actually, this goal can't
(20:47):
stand because Corbyn Pipe has got a hand on this
on halfway? Does that then say okay, well if that,
you know, if we call it back for that, then
Dan Hall's indiscretion becomes invisible. I don't think, you know,
put it this way. I think if they appeal or
make an inquiry to the you know, to the disciplinary
panel on this, I don't think he's getting off the
(21:07):
red card. I think that the only way he gets
off is if a grievous era has been made, and
I don't think it has.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
The handball was a bit of a red herring. It
wasn't like he punched it. I've watched the replay a
few times and I'm still not sure if I can
completely see it. But football doesn't want to go down
the rugby route where Rugby has sort of got themselves
tired and tired in so many knots by going back
so far, because it just pisses everyone off, pisses the
(21:38):
fans of You know, you can You're exactly right, you
can only go back a certain degree. Otherwise, where do
you stop when you start going back? Yeah, it just
doesn't make sense.
Speaker 4 (21:49):
No, it doesn't.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
And if it had happened, you're right, and look, a
similar situation, not the same but similar as it, if
you score a goal and on replay the ball has
been shown to touch your hand in the penalty area,
then it's not a so and that's fair, that's a
fair enough thing. But if we're going, yeah, going back
to halfway on this occasion, then I think you're right,
we're going down a road that really do we really
(22:10):
want to go down the other A big part of
me thinks as well. But if the situation is reversed,
then Steve Corek is not saying that's not a red cat,
you know, at least at the very least he admitted
that Logan Rogerson's was. Because that's not a great tackle
from Logan Rogerson. He may well get at least two
weeks for that, and maybe three if it's a judge
to be reckless and dangerous and violent conduct, whatever the
(22:34):
right phrases. I think Dan Hall will probably get a
week off, but I wonder where the Logan might get
two and maybe three matches for that.
Speaker 5 (22:41):
The only thing that might save him is that is
that he was He did slip, you know, was slipping,
so they'll argue that was their intent there. But it
was very it was very high. He was obviously wound up.
I think Logan's a bit frustrated because he doesn't begin
the time he thinks he deserves. He just he's come
on and wants to make an impact. Craik is a
valid point. The players are probably pissed off about Hall's
(23:03):
red card, so that all adds up. But yeah, you just,
especially these days, you just you can't afford to do that.
But on haul again, like you've got to. You're exactly right,
you've got to. It's so hard to score goals, so
hard to make those make those kind of breaks. So
you've really got to maintain that that whole rule around
denying goal scoring opportunities because that's what the game's built on.
(23:24):
And sometimes it feels like defenders do get away with
a bit much with the with the jostling and the
holding and all that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
Yeah, just back to the to a comparison if Jesse
Randall had been brought down by Matt Sheridan for the
second goal that Auckland f C scored, but Isaac Hughes
was charging back, you know, to help out with the
argument remain the same that you know Hughes was back
as Francis de breeze was getting back anyway where we're
you know, we're talking around in circles here. What it
(23:51):
did do was give us an incredible finish. The site
of nine Auckland f C players defending eleven from Wellington
Phoenix as they desperately sort an equalizer. So Logan Rogerson
was sent off in the seventy ninth minute, eleven minutes
a regular time, then another nine or ten after, so
twenty minutes they are defending eleven v nine and without
(24:14):
Jake Brimmer. He'd gone off with a dislocated shoulders so
he wasn't involved. Ernando Pink, who's hardly played apart from
forty five minutes in the reserves last week.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
I didn't put this on the notes, but did you
think that was a penalty?
Speaker 3 (24:26):
When it came across and he's dived forward, it's kind
of looks like it's brushed his head and onto his arms.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Do do you think that was a pen No?
Speaker 5 (24:34):
My first instant was no, his eyes were closed, he
was sort of looking down at the ground, so he
didn't really know what he was doing, so I didn't
see any intent and it did seem to brush his head.
But I'm the wrong guy to ask, Piney, because I'll
complain about most penalties. I'm super old fashioned and I
(24:55):
feel like there's actually far too many penalties given these
days will become a bit like hockey, where they're sort
of just always looking for the contact and the penalty.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
But that's a topic for another day now.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
I think you're the right person to ask in that case.
I think you're the exactly the right person to ask.
I didn't think it was a pen either. I didn't
think it was a penalty either. Could Wellington Phoenix have
done anything different? You know, you're eleven v nine and
often it's hard to play, like when a team gets
one man sent off eleven v ten, often the ten
men lift, don't they, And it's not unusual for ten
(25:27):
men to beat eleven men. But eleven v nine is
a very different situation. And that basically the team with
nine just parts of big bus. And that's what Auckland did,
and they made it a narrow bus. They basically just
put all nine of their players in the penalty area.
That's what they did, and Wellington Phoenix just couldn't penetrate.
They got forced into white areas. They were reduced to
(25:47):
kind of lumping crosses into the box and hoping for
the best.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
They don't have a sam Cosgrove in there.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
They don't have an.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Oscars of Vada in there anymore. They just I thought
lacked something different, some creativity on the edge of the area.
What they would have given for a ben Old for
example in that situation.
Speaker 5 (26:05):
Yeah, I mean it was Taylor made for Aukland f C.
Is there's any team in the league that is going
to defend with nine men? They lapped the sort of
thing up. That's what the team has built around. They're
so well organized, as you say, They've got the height
in the area, much taller generally than the phoenix. So
those crosses weren't working. But what could you see from
being at the ground, because sometimes it's hard to well,
(26:27):
it is harder to see on TV than when you
see it all you can see the full picture of
the field, because it did seem like there must have
been spaces somewhere, but for some reason they couldn't find them.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
The only spaces were wide, That's what I was seeing.
The only spaces were wide. If you basically draw lines
from the edges of the penalty area, the right and
left edge and just draw them up the field. Nobody
from Auckland FC was outside of those lines. They just
let Wellington Phoenix have the flanks pretty much until they
got right up by the pen the area. Then someone
(27:00):
would go out to challenge the cross but the others
would all just stand in the penalty area. They gave
Wellington Phoenix the white areas and I think we get
down to nine, that's what you do, you know, you
you you have to sacrifice space somewhere, So you sacrifice
space and the least dangerous part of the field, and
that is in the white areas. Yes, they can still
get the crosses and but they were dealing with those
as you say. And it's a great point you make.
(27:23):
If there's a team that you if you looked at
the A League table and said, right, there's a team
here and they're going to have nine men and they're
going to play for your life, which one would you choose?
I choose Aukland FC every day.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Of the week.
Speaker 5 (27:33):
Yeah, your life, your marriage, your kids, picked with any
of them.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
So look, I think they did it really really well.
Got to mention Callen Elliott. I thought he was terrific
all night actually because Carlo Amiento, who's been very very
good for Wellington, had a quiet night and I think
that's largely down to callin Elliott. But you know, in
that at the end, in those last ten twenty minutes,
he was just brilliant and you could tell how much
(27:58):
it meant to him to get that win against his
former side. Yeah, well we love that answered and we
gave on. I think it was last Wednesday at the
media session when we asked, you know, what do you
think of the Phoenix or something? He said, well, I
don't dislike them, but I don't like them either, you know,
And that's sort of and you could just he was
so driven the whole night the old point to prove
(28:21):
he's come in. He's probably the perfect kind of play
you want in that scenario. But just as the energy,
as you say, in the last twenty minutes when he
must have been feeling it, the whole Auckland team must
have been feeling it.
Speaker 5 (28:34):
It was pretty impressive stuff. And he's another guy that
is I would say a bit unlucky not to be
on the plane. Another situation that Darren Baisley had a chance,
because who's the guy with the greatest ceiling right now
him or Stormer in terms of where they're going in
their careers, you know, but timing of selection that can
be difficult.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
Yeah, And well, if Kellen continues to play well and
he's going to get a decent run on the side
with the Roki Sakey out for a bit, then he
does put himself front and sent and there is a
vacancy there. I reckon Tim Pain is out for a while,
he hopefully will be fit for the World Cup, and
he is probably still the first choice right back of
he is fit, but I reckon there's a there's absolutely
a vacancy for his backup and if Kalin Elliott continues
(29:14):
to play like that, then he has got every chance
of filling it.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
For me.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
A couple of other things.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
You've seen a couple of questions through to ponder ahead
of this, and you said to the Phoenix respect Auckland FC,
enough interesting question, do you not think they do?
Speaker 4 (29:29):
I just wonder. I just wonder mainly because of the
approach to the game.
Speaker 5 (29:32):
You know you're playing, you're playing the team that probably
recognizes the best team in the league.
Speaker 4 (29:39):
Certainly they're the most consistent team last year.
Speaker 5 (29:41):
Okay, they blew it in the semi finals, but they
are the most consistent team in the in the in
the A League. They're so ruthless when they get ahead.
It's it's a game that means so much to everyone,
but especially to the Wellington Phoenix fan base who are
desperate for a result. And then you come out with
this Cavali. You approach playing a high line with players
(30:03):
that haven't practiced it enough. So I'm sort of going
back to my highlane point. But just in general, it's
okay to talk about being brave and we're going to
attack and we're going to do with this, but you've
also got to think we're playing an absolute gun team
that have a deeper squad than us. So what's the
best way to get a result out of this game? Well,
first of all, we've got to make sure we're super
(30:23):
solid at the back. But instead what I saw was
two more crazy lapses, two more crazy goals, And if
you look at all the derbys, they have just conceded
a series of crazy goals. From the first one Hughes's
own goal on the second. They had another couple of
really bad concessions in the third derby.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
So I just I don't know.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
Sometimes you've got to say to yourself internally, Okay, we're
playing a really good team and we've got to prepare
for that and just give them a bit more respect.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
They're just losing the big moments, aren't they. They're losing
the big moments, the important moments in these big games,
and these derbies are big games. Both teams and Wellington
in particular, have painted this as hey, it's just another game.
They're all worth three points and that's mathematically correct. But
there is something about the derby. You know, we know
the psychological scars that losing the first one last year gave.
(31:13):
Wellington chiefly even admitted that it was part of our
pregame coverage on Sky an interview with him where he said,
losing the first Derby last year really hurt us. It
was a you know, it was a psychological blow. Well
goodness me, do everything you can not to let that
be repeated.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
And look they look.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
If they've managed to pull back an equalize or even
on Saturday night and taken something from that derby, something
from their night, then yes that we might be having
a slightly different conversation. But it's another defeat. I mean
her'd be a Phoenix fan today, I'd stay off social
media for starters. You know, Auckland FC fans are absolutely
loving them.
Speaker 5 (31:49):
Well yeah, I mean I feel for yellow fever because
I feel like in each derby they've done their part.
They were superb in the first derby, well yellow or
not Yellow, the Phoenix in general fans send up in
the first one. A whole lot of them came to
Auckland twice and the team kind of hasn't completely backed
that up. And that's where, yeah, that's where it just
(32:10):
gets hard because they've got another one of these in
a month and who's going to have all the momentum.
You're exactly right, like this is worth way more than
three points. It affects you for weeks, and you're right.
If the Phoenix had equalized. And by the way, I
think Rufer could have actually gambled a bit more. When
Luke brook Smith had that heater at the end and
(32:30):
it just dried past the far post, I was sitting
there thinking Chris Wood would have put that in because
he would have anticipated made the run and just finished
at the far post. So that was that was a shame.
But we also remember that Sam Coles Grow should have
scored in the first half. That's three to one Jesse
Randall at the post, so Auckland could have been even
(32:50):
further ahead. And that's what I kind of mean by
this cavalier approach.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
It's also a good chance to examine the strength of
the two sides and the depth that at Auckland f C,
which doesn't yet exist at Wellington Phoenix.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
I mean Auckland f C.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Next week or next game, because there's no game next
week could be without Or. They'll be without Psychi, They'll
be without Dan Hall, They'll be without Logan Rogerson. They
could be without Jake Brimmer depending on his shoulder. So
that's four big players they could be without. But Callan
Elliot's in for Hierarchy, Sarka, Nando Pineke's back for Dan Hall,
Logan Rogerson can be replaced by Liam Gillian or and
(33:25):
he hasn't even been starting Logan Rogerson, so you're not
worrying about a starting place, and Jake Brimmer. We just
put Felipe Geygoss in there, so.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
They don't actually lose.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
A lot from those big players not being there. But
with the Phoenix being without man Draker James Hadeki Ishiga
Tim Payn in particular, it just isn't the same side.
And I go back to it, like Hadecki Ishiga could
have given them something different late in that game eleven
v nine. He's the kind of player perhaps who would
(33:54):
have made a difference.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
Well, that's the.
Speaker 4 (33:57):
Thing we hadn't brought up.
Speaker 5 (33:58):
I did really feel for chief Ee because it's not
the first time he's come to a derby and hasn't
had his full strength team. And the three players you
mentioned missing, they're all just three absolutely key payers, the
most creative, this sort of soul of the team and
fantastic on the right pulling back and then their most
their best offender. So it was a real shame because
(34:19):
the full strength Phoenix team. Who knows, but the Phoenix
liked to complain about the resources of Auckland f C.
But they're exactly right, Like it's a fact aucklandf C
have got much more resources and they've got a much
deeper squad because they've got more more money to spend.
I mean, you made the point in cometary and you're
talking about the two benches, and the ukleanff CE bench
(34:42):
is full of all whites and a Chilean international and
the Phoenix bench. I think you said everyone was under
the age of twenty three, you know, So it's just
there's just there's just no comparison. So it's tough for
the Phoenix because Man for Man, Auckland have the edge,
don't they Quite clearly they do.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
So it means Auckland stay top ten points after their
four games. The Phoenix are seventh on five points. But
it is early and it's a tight table, so no
need to panic just yet. There is an international break
now then the Phoenix are at home to MacArthur and
Auckland FC are at home to Brisbane who had a
good one over the weekend. They beat Newcastle yesterday. Neither
team has to leave home now before the next derby.
(35:25):
The Phoenix have MacArthur and Adelaide at home and Auckland
FC have Brisbane and Newcastle at home. And then it
is the second derby in Auckland on December the sixth, Saturday,
December the sixth, which should be another great occasion.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
Good Bowl feaver on iHeartRadio and powered by newstalk Zedby.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
We better get to the women's side as well, who
had their first game on Saturday afternoon of their new
Ninja A League season, Wellington Phoenix won Canberra United one
beef Priestman's first game in charge. We saw debuts for
the freshly arrived football firm v Essen and c. J. Bott.
She was captain in her hometown imports, Allie Walker, brook Nunn,
Tessel Medach and Samba the Belize striker, and also ke
(36:08):
we tenp of Lock off the bench. Most of the
action in this game was in the first half. Actually
Canberra went won Dlla up totally avoidable goal really swung
in from the left MAURICEA Vandermere had a swing at it,
missed it. The Guessen was kind of unsighted and wrong
footed and the ball found its way in. But then
vander Meer down the other end from a Lara Wall
corner got the ball just over the line for one.
(36:30):
All so good to see her make up for early
mistake and also be back after two ACL injuries. Other
than that, Samba had a couple of chances. Emma Robas
for camera pushed aheader or had her head pushed up
onto the bar by v Essen, one all at half time,
one all at full time. The most taling comments to
me on this urge were from BEF priestman and CJ.
(36:50):
Bott afterwards, who said, look, we just got overawed by
the occasion. We didn't play the game. We played the occasion.
There's been so much hype around this team and so
much chantis patient about what they might do. I think
they're just pleased to get that one out of the way.
Speaker 5 (37:06):
Yeah, it's fair enough because there has been unprecedented hype,
isn't there by the standards of a Wellington Phoenix women's team,
and they'll be much better for it. Yeah, it was
not only their first game, but they're playing they're playing
on Derby Day, so there's a lot. There's a lot
around that in a week, isn't there?
Speaker 3 (37:22):
Absolutely right, Yeah, there's there is a lot about it.
I think they'll I feel like Pottido a park will
suit them better. Of course, you want to play in
the big stadiums and and on the big occasions, and
it was Derby Day, but when their game kicked off,
you know what, the place hadn't started to really fill
up at all. I think the pottydoor park, more intimate
atmosphere will suit this team a lot better. The crowd
will be a lot closer. You know, if there's two
(37:44):
or three thousand there, that'll feel like a big crowd
and is a good crowd. They play Newcastle at Pottidoor
Park on Sunday. I still, even though there was disappointment
that they couldn't win their first game and come out
and really show us.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
What they're all about.
Speaker 3 (37:58):
You know, the last three seasons the Phoenix have lost
their first game, you know, so it's actually a better
start than their last three seasons. And I'm still I
think Samba is going to be very fun to watch.
She gets herself in good positions, should have scored in
the first half, had a really good opportunity. But I
think she will be a really potent attacker in the
(38:19):
A League. I like the look at them. I think
they you know, and patches were good. And now that
that first game is out of the way, like I said,
I think they'll be I think they'll be a really
good proposition.
Speaker 5 (38:28):
Well, I mean Samber was one that didn't really let
the occasion get to her. I thought for a striker
coming in with a lot of hype as well, she
did really well and seems two footage it's got that pace,
showed a lot I think already looking like a really
really good acquisition.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
It's pretty even game, Phoenix fifty six to forty four.
In terms of possession. Camberra had thirteen shots to Wellington's eleven.
A couple of interesting positional peculiarities. Alyssa Wynham sort of
played at a right wing back role. I thought she
was good the first half, sort of getting into the
penalty area, getting into attacking positions. Interesting to see her
(39:05):
play a different position. There was a bit of talk
about Macy Fraser as well, not in the match day
squad that was asked. The question was asked to Bev
Priestman on the Friday, the day before the game, and
it's a natural question to ask, you know, Macy Fraser
brought back, you know, obviously the club's record women's sale
when she went off to Utah, came back, and I
(39:27):
think there was high excitement that she might recapture the
form and the ability that she showed when she was
here the first time. Bev basically answered with a pretty
straight bat and said that Macy hasn't had enough time
yet to get ready. I just hope that that she
can find her way back into the team because there's
(39:50):
just a bit of talk around about how she hasn't
made a comfortable landing back in Wellington. You know, she's
been sort of shed She hasn't been a full participants
in preseason training. There have been instances where she hasn't
been there. She wasn't even there the day before the game,
the team's final training, which is always a very light run,
(40:11):
she wasn't even there. So, I mean, it would just
be such a shame if we didn't get to see
the Macy Fraser we know is in there.
Speaker 4 (40:20):
Well.
Speaker 5 (40:20):
She could she could be one of the best midfielders
in the league. She showed that last time she was
in Wellington, and you know she's got more experienced. Obviously
a difficult time in the United States, but you would
have thought that would have made her doubly motivated to
come back and prove herself. So hearing what you say about,
(40:42):
you know, not being at all the trainings and not
being there the day before the game is yeah, it's
certainly concerning given how good she could be.
Speaker 3 (40:51):
I think we all want her back. We all wanted
to be back in there and firing. When Macy Fraser
was re signed, there was high excitement as I say,
you know, I remember the goals she scored and the
creative she showed. She won herself a Football Ferns call up. Yeah,
and I think we all hoped she would come back,
as you say, after a difficult time in Utah, come
back and reset her career and then maybe go again.
Look it's only game one, there is time for that.
(41:13):
But I just hope that we do get to see
Macy Fraser, you know, in significant fashion this season. So
Newcastle at pottido A Park on Sunday four o'clock. They
beat Canberra in round one, then had the buy a
bit of a keyw WE connection or a Phoenix connection
in the squad. An Elite is their goalkeeper, the Football
Ferns goalkeeper, so an elite and vic Essen the widely
(41:35):
regarded top two women's goalkeepers at the moment, head to
head former Phoenix players Claudia Chico, Kelly Brown and Charlotte
Lancaster and Stephen Hoyle, who was well known around New
Zealand football circles as their coach. So a bit of
a homecoming for some of these Newcastle players Perch.
Speaker 5 (41:50):
Indeed, Yeah, that just adds to the spice, doesn't it.
And I think you're exactly right about playing at Potter
to a park that is, you know, visiting. I mean
Stephen Hoyle's go and enjoy it as well analyte, but
in general visiting teams won't like playing there when the
crowd gets behind the Phoenix and there's a real atmosphere
and intensity, so it's a great call to play. I'm
(42:11):
not sure how many games are having there, but that's
a that will definitely suit them better and I'm sure
Bear Prismen that'll be her choice as well.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
Yeah, I think there's one other double header, but for
the rest of them they'll be at Pottydoor Park. Certainly
the next two Sundays they are Newcastle has say this
coming Sunday and then Melbourne victory the following Sunday. So
over these next two weeks they can make a bit
of a statement and you know, start to build a
fortress there. Then I think it'll be terrific. Looking forward
to seeing how they go this season now they are underway.
Speaker 1 (42:37):
The Football Fever podcast with Jason Wayne and Michael Burgess
just got.
Speaker 3 (42:43):
A bit of time right at the end of the
pod to discuss the upcoming international window. All Whites play
World Number thirteen Columbia on Sunday, that's one o'clock New
Zealand time. Then twenty third in the world Ecuador the
following Wednesday two thirty kickoff.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
No Chris Wood and the squad.
Speaker 3 (42:58):
As I mentioned before, Callum macowitt is in doubt and
all reports have Alex Paulson and Libby Kacacci also having
to withdraw. So there's some pretty big names not there
against some pretty decent sides. Purge, what are you hoping
to see from the all whites in this window?
Speaker 4 (43:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (43:14):
Well, these two teams they're playing could be the hardest
games of the year, couldn't it? I Meanguay, I mean not.
Ecuador finished ahead of Brazil and Uruguay in World Cup qualifying,
which sort of sums it up, doesn't it, And so
did Columbia. So I guess New Zealand you want to
see a really solid, really solid defensively that's a start,
because these teams, you know, they could think it going
(43:35):
could it could be really dangerous. And then the other
intriguing thing for me is what do they do without
Chris Wood? How do they deal with it? Do they
just have the same pattern with Ben Wayne or across
of the barusos or do they have a bit of
a false nine at times or two strikers. I think
they'll just play the same way. But it's it's not
(43:55):
easy without Chris there.
Speaker 3 (43:56):
Strikes me as quite quite an important window for Ben Wayne.
He's hardly been playing for Port Vale Over in the
UK and I think they're League One, so you know,
it's not like you can't get into a Premier League side.
He's not getting games over there.
Speaker 4 (44:10):
You know.
Speaker 3 (44:11):
I have said a couple of times on the pod
that if it's not going to be Chris Wood leading
the line, then you do change and you play a
different way. So do you actually need a backup to
Ben to Chris Wood?
Speaker 2 (44:20):
Anyway?
Speaker 3 (44:21):
But Ben Wayne, if he gets the chance to lead
the line in these games, has a really big opportunity
to say, you know what you're wrong, Piney, I do
need to be here and I am the heir apparent
to this, you know, to this position leading New Zealand's attack,
So I'll show you what I can do. Cost is
the other one as well. You know, my prediction of
Western Sydney being minor Premiers is already looking rather.
Speaker 2 (44:43):
Danger birds just the two points after their four games.
Speaker 3 (44:48):
Yeah, but I don't know, as you say, without Chris
Wood there and by the sounds of it, without Callum
macowitt there, attacking players like Ben Wayne and Costa. Barbarusis
looking forward to the opportunity that presents for them in
this window.
Speaker 5 (45:00):
Well, if Wayne can if Wayne can play and gets
a goal, that that might almost stamp his ticket for
the World Cup because it's like, okay, he can do
it against big teams and that that for me is
still the question over Costa. I know everyone loves Costro,
I know what he's done in the A League. But
but if you look closely at his career, you know
he's now played seventy games for the All Whites, nine goals,
(45:21):
but eight of those goals have come against Oceania teams,
you know, So that's one goal against in his whole
career against the non Oceania team, which you know.
Speaker 4 (45:32):
Must say something.
Speaker 5 (45:33):
So he's got a point to prove what he can
do at this level against against the big teams, because
he has seen probably as the backup to Wood, so
he's got he's got to really show it too.
Speaker 3 (45:43):
Just back to Jesse Randall, it'll be great to see
him with with high confidence go on this trip, wouldn't it?
And he might still, as I say, if they make
a late change and bring him in for mccaward or
or similar, because the guy's got to be flying a
you know, in any part of your life when things
are going well, you know, you're out.
Speaker 2 (46:00):
Of the house and puff your chest out of it,
don't you.
Speaker 3 (46:03):
I'm sure Jesse Randon would would would love the opportunity
to lock horns with with Columbia and Ecuador right now.
Speaker 4 (46:09):
Well, I saw him speaking to you after the game,
you know, and you just.
Speaker 5 (46:13):
You just just could see the joy, the joy on
his face, you know, and everything is going is going
right for him right now. So it would be absolutely
perfect timing to somehow get him on a plane.
Speaker 3 (46:28):
It also is a demonstration that if you play well
in the A League in front of your national coach,
then you are a chance. You know, we've mentioned Randall
a lot, Callan Elliott as well. Those guys, you know,
they've got a huge opportunity if they play well, just
as have all of the New Zealand players in the
two A League teams based in New Zealand to catch
(46:48):
the eye of the coach if Luke brook Smith goes
on a bit of a tear and scores ten goals
off the bench and proves himself to be an impact player,
then he'll be on the plane's there's no question about it.
And others as well, you know, but Randall and Elliott
are the most obvious ones at the moment. But as
the clock ticks towards the World Cup next year, the
(47:09):
best thing you can do is just play well for
your team. And if it's an A League team then
that actually doesn't matter, does it. You'd rather be playing
for an A League team than not playing for a
team in one of the other leagues up in Europe.
Speaker 5 (47:21):
Well, it sort of magnifies your chances, doesn't it. Because
the A League is in our time zone basically's watching
everyone's watching, compared to playing playing in the Championship League
one in England or somewhere in Europe.
Speaker 4 (47:33):
It's definite.
Speaker 5 (47:34):
I mean, Lachlan brook made the point the other day said,
you know, people shouldn't underestimate the A League. It is
a strong league, and okay, it's a pathway to Europe,
but it's still a good league in itself, and I
think everyone recognizes that now.
Speaker 3 (47:47):
They do.
Speaker 4 (47:47):
Indeed.
Speaker 3 (47:48):
Well, we've chatted for far too long probably, let's hope
we've kept most of our listeners from the start. There
was a lot to unpack in the derby. Good to
have the women playing in the international window coming up.
So just to repeat, on Sunday the Wellington fans at
home to the Newcastle Jets. That's four o'clock at Potidoa Park,
and earlier that day the All Whites are from one
o'clock on Sunday afternoon up against Columbia in their first
(48:11):
game in this international window. Football coming thick and fast, Birge.
We'll catch up with you again next Monday.
Speaker 4 (48:17):
Can't wait, mate, football Weaver
Football Fever the podcast keeping you up to date with
the beautiful Game with the voice of football Jason Pain
and INSI and heralds Michael Burgess, powered by news Talks Hebby.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Hello there, Welcome into Football Fever.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
As the man said, keeping you up with all things
to do with the beautiful game, in particular a league football,
men's and women's and our national sides. Ever since the
final also went on Saturday night, Bergs, I've been waiting
for the podcast to arrive so we could talk about it.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
How are you.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
I'm great now. I feel the same way.
Speaker 5 (00:31):
So much to talk about, still buzzing, and it's just
great in one of these things that we build up
so much, is so much hype around it and it
lives up to everything.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Wellington Phoenix one. Auckland FC too.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
As you say, what an occasion, high drama, energy, theater,
lots and lots of talking points. Auckland f C win
their fourth straight New Zealand Derby. But this one was different.
Do you think this was the best of the four
Derby's we've seen so far?
Speaker 5 (00:58):
Probably a lot of people certainly saying that I felt
it was in the heat of the moment on Saturday
night after thinking about it on a Sunday. The second
one was really good to the one in Auckland in
front of twenty six thousand. The Phoenix were quite competitive
for long periods that game and they came back they
must cost his goal, so that was pretty amazing too.
But for everything that happened on Saturday and probably seeing
(01:20):
also the best goal ever in a derby in terms
of is a strike? It probably was, wasn't it? What
do you think?
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Yeah? I have to agree.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
I came away afterwards thinking where do you start when
you try to unpack it?
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Where?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
What is the main talking point of the game? You know,
normally there are four or five things that happened in
that game that could be the talking point, you know,
Auckland FC breaking Wellington Phoenix's high line, is A's goal,
the red cards, just the emotion, you know the impact
of Corbyn Piper when he came on at halftime. You know,
I want to talk about all these things. Shall we
start at the start? Actually, because I know there would
(01:53):
have been people who hadn't even taken their seat at
the stadium, or perhaps hadn't even tuned into to the
coverage before Auckland FC will already one nil up.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
They break the high line.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
After twenty eight seconds, Jesse Randall sets up Sam Cosgrove.
Look up, we do need to address this high line.
So let's do that now. Do you think that that
chief he will persist with it. Do you think that
given the fact that it effectively cost them two goals
on Saturday night, will be enough reason for him to
(02:25):
change strategy or do you think he is all in
on it?
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Gee?
Speaker 5 (02:31):
I mean, I hope he does reconsider it. I really do,
because I don't know if it's gonna end well for
him or the Phoenix if he persists. He seems pretty
and you would have seen more of them Piney, but
he seems pretty sold on it. He's pretty determined to
go to in this route and take the team in
the totally opposite direction of last season in terms of
(02:52):
how they play. But there's danger signs all over the place,
and I can't see how it could get it could
get better.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:05):
I think you made the point last week, and it
was a very good one that they used it for
the first three games, but they hadn't come up come
up against a side with the attacking potency of Auckland.
FC and straight away on Saturday night. I mean, it
must have been beyond the wildest dreams of Steve Kriker.
That's something he strategized for. He said that afterwards, Yes,
we thought that was a weakness. We thought that we
(03:26):
could capitalize on it. I'm pretty sure he didn't think
it would happen in their very first attack just before
we gub any further on it. Let's hear from Chiefy
afterwards on the very question that I just asked you.
Will they persist with it and is it something that
he is basically all in on as far as the
strategy is concerned and wrapped into that, Why did it
(03:46):
leak them two goals on Saturday?
Speaker 6 (03:48):
If we execute and the line gets beaten because our
players are still in sync, and that's on me. But
when we mis execute, all the players going away from
what we instruct then it's more about correcting that in
the long term. I said at the beginning of the
season that no different to Perth and all the friendlies
(04:09):
that we played, We're going to have teething issues with
the line. It's going to take time, and I think
one of the biggest issues we've had over the last
four games is that I don't think I've had the
same starting back five. That makes a big difference. One
player being out of sync can make a big difference
to the line. So we're just going to go back.
We've got two weeks now to get ready for MacArthur.
We're just going to have to work very hard and
(04:30):
making sure that we're in sync, execute what we need
to and as time progresses will get better and better.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
So there you go.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
That's a man who is not going to give it
up Urge. I think he's going to keep doing it.
The problem will be if players keep not executing properly.
Because the first one I've watched this back a couple
of times today when Francis de Reees plays that ball, Hughes,
Sheridan and Kelly Healed are all on halfway where they
should be, but schwin Lock doesn't step up. I think
(04:59):
he's to strake did by Sam Cosgrove moving into the
Phoenix half well off side, but it's almost instinctual that
if there's a guy there, you step back. And when
he steps back, Cosgrove still offside, but he puts Jesse
Randall on side. He's away feeds an unmarked Sam Cosgrove
for a tap and even the second one. You know,
(05:21):
Randall has basically beaten the off side trap because he's
made a terrific run and stayed on side, you know,
by buy his tiptoes inside his own half again, you know,
do you have to legislate for that. It sounds like
he wants to keep doing it though, and we're four
games in and he said, well, we're not going to
give it up now. We want to keep going.
Speaker 5 (05:42):
And he made a good point, like the head players
out there really missed James. They had a lot of
kids for one of a better word in the back line.
But it's one of the hardest things to do in football,
you know, to perfect the high line. I mean Liverpool
had problems with it over the years with klop and
they you know, they talk about elite players that have
that have so much time in training sessions to work
(06:05):
on it. You also a need really quick defenders and
you need a really good press, like a really good
press to play the high line. Because Auckland could play
those those through balls pretty easily. They went, they went
under pressure, So I don't know, I can just see
I can just see a lot of issues with it.
I was talking to Auckland f C, one of the
(06:27):
coaching staff, not curric at training last week and he
made the point to me. He said, you know, we
play a high line, but they're playing a really high line,
and you could sort of see the glint in his
eye and it kind of unfolded just like that.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
It just opens the door, doesn't it. And it's been
talked about so much that it's that it's something now,
and I'm sure other coaches will look at what Auckland
FC did to break that line, and not everybody's going
to be able to Not everybody's got a guy with
the pace of Jesse Randall, for example. I don't want
to talk abut about him as well, but it is
a blueprint, isn't it. You know, if you can, if
you can work it out, because we talked last week
(07:04):
about how if you are going to play the high line,
it's important to press the guy with the ball so
he can't play the passes. And I think most of
us thought that would be brimmer or perhaps for Strata,
but both of the passes forward which led to the
goals came from Francis Devrees and we all know how
well he can knock a ball. Was there pressure on him.
(07:25):
There might have even been pressure on Franny as he
was playing those balls, but he's still pinpoints into the
path of Jesse Randall both times. And Randal is so
quick that you know, once he's away, he's away. There's
no stopping him. There's no catching him on either occasion.
So they've done it perfectly from left back to left
wing basically and on goal, goal and goal again. So
(07:49):
the blueprint is there. It couldn't have worked any better
for Steve Corriker. If that's what he planned, then it's
a brilliantly executed plan.
Speaker 5 (07:58):
And it was also a relatively straight ball and a
relatively straight run, you know, and we're taught over we're taught.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
You know, as players when we're young.
Speaker 5 (08:06):
Everyone the mantra is either and you've got to make
a you know, more of a diagonal run all the
ball's got to be more dug and otherwise it's quite
hard to do. But they did it with a straight
ball and a straight run because the timing was so
good and because as chief he said, the execution wasn't
quite there. But I don't think I felt you can't
pin it on the defenders and saying, oh, they didn't
do it what we instructed because they've only had a
(08:27):
few training sessions and you're talking about something that is
so hard to do a specially underpressure. You made a
great point that you see Cosgrove out of your corner
your eye, and you just take one step or two
steps in the other direction and suddenly you're playing randal On.
You know, it's just I really felt for the Phoenix defenders,
and you sort of noticed rufus comments after the match,
(08:50):
when the look on his face when he said, you know,
we just gave them two goals, and I don't know,
would some resentment build towards the defense because of the
midfield and the strikers are wondering, hey, guys, what are
you doing back there? You know, there's all these dangers
around the strategy that to me just seems super high
risk and pretty low reward. You know, I can't see
(09:12):
the reward out of taking such a risk against the
big teams. You made a really good point. They weren't
playing Brisbane or Perth. They're playing probably the best team.
Speaker 4 (09:21):
In the league.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
The point about not having the same back five together
is a little bit disingenuous as well, because Matt Sheridan's
played all four games, Lucas Kelly Heild's played all four games,
Carlo Armiento at left wing back has played all four games,
and there's just been the change at right wing back,
with Tim Pain playing the first two and Swinke the
second two, and then in central defense man Draker James
(09:44):
playing the first two and Isaac Hues the second two.
So it hasn't been mix and match to the degree
that you would expect mass confusion from week to week.
Matt Sheridan's been playing it for four weeks now, someone's
Lucas Kelly healed, and to be fair to those two guys,
they stayed in shape at the start. Schwindlock is a
young kid, a good promising player. But it's just that instinct,
(10:05):
doesn't it. You look to your left as you say, oh,
there's a man there, I better get back, and in
doing so you put Randal on side and look the
second one. I just want to mention Jesse Randall's first
touch for the second goal. The balls played down the
line and he somehow wrapped his left leg around it
as it falls and knocked it forward into space and
(10:26):
then he's away. He stayed on side. That's that's a
you know, that's a victory of precision for him. But
then just the ability to take the ball away from
Sheridan who's chasing him, use his own pace, get in,
you know, to the penalty area, put doubt and all
away in his mind and think it over the top
of him. Gee's playing well, Burge. We speak about him
(10:48):
every week on the podcast, but I think we have to.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
He's playing so well.
Speaker 4 (10:53):
He has been a regular topic, hasn't he But you're
exactly right.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
And just his ability to do what he did at
full pace, Like it's so hard to do that and
to come up with that kind of finish when you
when you're running at full pace. His his his confidence,
his belief is just must be, must be going through
the roof.
Speaker 4 (11:11):
I mean, I don't know.
Speaker 5 (11:14):
He feels like he's going to be one of the
biggest movers in the A League this season. He's always
had the ability. You mentioned it last week, but he
hasn't had much of a crack and now he's he's
had that season under his belt. So it's such good
signs for aucklanleft c such good signs for Randall and
and it could be really good signs for the Alwits
(11:37):
because I don't know how you feel, but to me,
he brings something really different to all the other options
we have, either in attacking midfield or obviously as a
second as a second striker, as a striker.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Yeah, we'll let me ask you this. I think if
Darren basically was picking the team today rather than a
week ago, do you think Jesse Randal would be in it?
Speaker 4 (11:59):
Yeah? I think you would.
Speaker 5 (12:01):
And I feel for Darren because you know, hindsight's was
a wonderful thing. They have to arrange the releases of
the players and all that sort of thing about it's
almost a week before the squad's actually named, so you've
got to sort of be crystal balling a bit. But
I asked him about it on the phone, and I
(12:22):
personally would have taken him because you've only got this
window in March and he just needs time in the environment.
You just want to see what he can do. They've
taken some players to me that are known quantities. You
know what they'll bring. You've seen them plenty of other times.
I know it's always it's political with selections. You've got
to be careful, but I would have had him on
the plane and just said I had to say sorry
(12:44):
to someone else. But it'll be hard to leave out
next time.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Absolutely well.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
We're recording this on Monday, and there was news over
the weekend that Callum macwitt might be under a bit
of an injury cloud. He was withdrawn at halftime in
his latest club match. So it may well be that
you know in the next day or so that if
a replacement is called up for Callum macowitt, then you know,
shivis Jeff Jesse Radle has to be at the front
of the queue. The way he's playing, he's he's done
(13:09):
everything he can. So let's just see what what transpires there.
Let's mention the goal of the game, as you call it.
I find is A's wonderful, wonderful strike uncharacteristically given away
by Jake Brimmer. Is the best thing about this, and
Paul Eifel pointed it out on television commentary, is the
little look that is A gives before he hits the ball.
(13:32):
He gets it, he's on the edge of the penalty
area and it's it's just a split second rais of
the eyes just to clock in his own mind where
Michael Vouder is and then make the decision of where
to put the ball.
Speaker 2 (13:44):
It is a terrific goal.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
Just just the way he I mean, how do you
measure a shot like that?
Speaker 5 (13:50):
You know, he hits it with power but also measures
it to get it over Michael Veld and into the corner.
Just just stupendous and what what he needed, what the
Yellow Fever needed him. Mean, he's becoming a bit of
a hero now. I mean, do you think that was
the best goal I've seen in the derby?
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Yeah, I'm just trying to think of the ones last
year there was. I mean Costers was sort of he
was put away one on one. It wasn't anything like that.
Brimmers were both close range in the first one G
six to choose from in the third derby, but I
mean Rogerson's was good. That was from outside the area
drilled in the Hatterer goal, I mean from Rogerson. Nate
(14:29):
Armadenos was outside the area his second goal. But yeah,
I think is As trumps them all. I think his
is if you line them all up, I think you know,
an Asden neutral. I think most of them are bick
is As.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Wouldn't they well I just think it does because, like
Rogerson was a great hit, but it was already four
nill at that stage from memory that you know, that
was so desperately needed at that time, you know, the
yellow fever. The Phoenix was still in a bit of shock,
even though the recovered, well, still in the shock from
random from the Cosgrove's goal and the way they conceded it.
(15:03):
So to come up was that with that just change changed.
Speaker 4 (15:07):
The mood massively. It was just fantastic.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Yeah, it just injected energy back into the game, didn't it.
It was you know, it's look, when you concede and
go one Neil down, it's hard enough when it happens
before you, you know, you've even got the chance to
sit down. That's got to be pretty demoralizing for Phoenix
fans who were looking forward to this game with great anticipation.
But yeah, Isa's goal just lifted their mood in that stadium.
And then of course with ten minutes to go until halftime,
(15:33):
we had the second goal. Do you know that they've
given that goal to Sam Cosgrove. Randall's done all of
the work and we just talked about it before he's
dinted it over Ollaway, Emmy and Cosgrove and Isaac Hughes
are coming together and it just sort of flicks off
Cosgrove's knee right on the line. But the official A
League website has given that goal to Sam Cosgrove.
Speaker 5 (15:53):
Oh, it's got to be an investigation here without being
too Jeff two V. I mean I saw that in
your notes Piney, and I was like, surely that doesn't
that Cosgo is going to get the goal. I mean,
this is a bit like Mariana having a hat trick
taken off him last year in the second in the
third derby. But it's actually worse because I hate those
kind of things, Like it's clearly Randall's goal. How can
(16:16):
it just drives me nuts that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (16:19):
Where's the common where's the common sense? Cosgroves probably saying, no,
that's my goal, because all number nine's take any goal
they can, whether it's from a yard out off your knee.
But like, look at what Jesse Randall's done. He deserves
his name on the scoreset for that.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
And I don't know, I mean Cosgrove what he got
the touch maybe as it was just on the line
about to cross the line. It was pretty sort of
it must have been very, very marginal. I don't think
it would be any protest from anyone if the goal's
just given to Randall.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Yeah, well it's it's Cosgroves at the moment. We'll wait
and see if there is an investigation. Steve Corika said
after the game, Look, I don't care who scores them
as long as they scored, and he's right, it actually
doesn't matter and it is a team game. So then
we went at half time at two to one. There
was very little to suggest what was about to unfold
in the second half, although right at the start of
(17:12):
the second half, charging out of the tunnel came Corbyn
Piper as if he was at the start of a
four hundred meter race. He just you know, and we
know he's on limited minutes and he's played sort of,
you know, around the sort of ten to twenty mark
in the first three games, but sent on at halftime
and an immediate impact in terms of the uplift and
energy for a start that he gives this team, but
(17:34):
also the fact that he got away early in the
second half, latched onto a ball that had been played through,
got away from Dan Hall and then was brought down
on the edge of the area and referee Ben Abraham
producing the red card. Now, before I get your view, Birge,
I spoke to Steve Coricker on the radio yesterday about this.
He had been in touch with referee's boss John Moss
(17:56):
or Terry mcflynn had shortly after the game. Here is
Steve coricker view on Dan Hall's red cart and then
onto Logan Rogerson's.
Speaker 6 (18:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (18:04):
Obviously terrym flinn's always in contact with John Moss. So yeah,
we think it was a bit harsh for a couple
of reasons. I think Piper hamballed around the halfway line,
I think when he first got contact of the ball,
and that also for me, I don't really see Dan
Hall as being the last man if you look how
close Francis was to him. So whether Andy comes out
(18:25):
of this, obviously I doubt it. But you know, for me,
it shouldn't have been a red card. And then really
the Logan one after that probably stems from the first one.
Speaker 2 (18:33):
I would say, in what way, you know, just.
Speaker 7 (18:36):
A little bit hard done by I think with Dan
Hall's one, so you know he's just getting stuck in.
Obviously he wasn't a good challenge I've got no problems
with him being sent off with that kind of challenge,
you know, but I think that's a little bit of
frustration as well from Dan Hall being sent off.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
All right, that's the voice of Steve Corriker. Did you
think Dan Halls was a red cart?
Speaker 5 (19:00):
I didn't have a massive problem with it, to be honest.
I like the fact that they stuck with the referees
call on the field because I think we forget so
many times that the referee often has the best view.
He's seeing things at full pace and I really hate
it when via goes through things and see slow motion
and it kind of it doesn't reflect what actually happened.
I mean, the Phoenix would have preferred that Pipe's throwng
(19:24):
goal and gets a shot away, you know, and Danhill
stopped them doing that. They would have preferred a chance
to have a shot. And knowing Piper the met he was,
anybody just smashed it and who knows what's happened, and
if they score, that's a much better outcome for them
than a red card.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
I take the point about the freeze.
Speaker 5 (19:42):
He was close, but it was also kind of on
his wrong side as a left foot, as he'd becoming
cross to make a slightly more awkward tackled. He might
have got to Piper, but I thought there was enough
in it to warrant a red card. But equally I
wouldn't have been completely surprised if downgraded to the yellow
after the after the VA.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
I thought it was a red card the first look
I did. And the last man or the phrase last
man is a bit of a red herring because that
phrase does not appear in the laws of the game
at all. You don't have to be the last man
to be denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity. It's often
used by coaches like Steve Carrick and others say hey, well,
(20:24):
I mean even if if you know, he wasn't the
last man and Freddie would have taken it off him,
So shouldn't have been a red card. He hasn't denied
the goal scoring opportunity. Well he still has Dan Hall,
he still has so yeah, I'm okay with it as well.
The handborne halfway is an interesting one. I don't know
the rule Burge whether the var can go back. I
don't think they can to say actually, this goal can't
(20:47):
stand because Corbyn Pipe has got a hand on this
on halfway? Does that then say okay, well if that,
you know, if we call it back for that, then
Dan Hall's indiscretion becomes invisible. I don't think, you know,
put it this way. I think if they appeal or
make an inquiry to the you know, to the disciplinary
panel on this, I don't think he's getting off the
(21:07):
red card. I think that the only way he gets
off is if a grievous era has been made, and
I don't think it has.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
The handball was a bit of a red herring. It
wasn't like he punched it. I've watched the replay a
few times and I'm still not sure if I can
completely see it. But football doesn't want to go down
the rugby route where Rugby has sort of got themselves
tired and tired in so many knots by going back
so far, because it just pisses everyone off, pisses the
(21:38):
fans of You know, you can You're exactly right, you
can only go back a certain degree. Otherwise, where do
you stop when you start going back? Yeah, it just
doesn't make sense.
Speaker 4 (21:49):
No, it doesn't.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
And if it had happened, you're right, and look, a
similar situation, not the same but similar as it, if
you score a goal and on replay the ball has
been shown to touch your hand in the penalty area,
then it's not a so and that's fair, that's a
fair enough thing. But if we're going, yeah, going back
to halfway on this occasion, then I think you're right,
we're going down a road that really do we really
(22:10):
want to go down the other A big part of
me thinks as well. But if the situation is reversed,
then Steve Corek is not saying that's not a red cat,
you know, at least at the very least he admitted
that Logan Rogerson's was. Because that's not a great tackle
from Logan Rogerson. He may well get at least two
weeks for that, and maybe three if it's a judge
to be reckless and dangerous and violent conduct, whatever the
(22:34):
right phrases. I think Dan Hall will probably get a
week off, but I wonder where the Logan might get
two and maybe three matches for that.
Speaker 5 (22:41):
The only thing that might save him is that is
that he was He did slip, you know, was slipping,
so they'll argue that was their intent there. But it
was very it was very high. He was obviously wound up.
I think Logan's a bit frustrated because he doesn't begin
the time he thinks he deserves. He just he's come
on and wants to make an impact. Craik is a
valid point. The players are probably pissed off about Hall's
(23:03):
red card, so that all adds up. But yeah, you just,
especially these days, you just you can't afford to do that.
But on haul again, like you've got to. You're exactly right,
you've got to. It's so hard to score goals, so
hard to make those make those kind of breaks. So
you've really got to maintain that that whole rule around
denying goal scoring opportunities because that's what the game's built on.
(23:24):
And sometimes it feels like defenders do get away with
a bit much with the with the jostling and the
holding and all that sort of thing.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
Yeah, just back to the to a comparison if Jesse
Randall had been brought down by Matt Sheridan for the
second goal that Auckland f C scored, but Isaac Hughes
was charging back, you know, to help out with the
argument remain the same that you know Hughes was back
as Francis de breeze was getting back anyway where we're
you know, we're talking around in circles here. What it
(23:51):
did do was give us an incredible finish. The site
of nine Auckland f C players defending eleven from Wellington
Phoenix as they desperately sort an equalizer. So Logan Rogerson
was sent off in the seventy ninth minute, eleven minutes
a regular time, then another nine or ten after, so
twenty minutes they are defending eleven v nine and without
(24:14):
Jake Brimmer. He'd gone off with a dislocated shoulders so
he wasn't involved. Ernando Pink, who's hardly played apart from
forty five minutes in the reserves last week.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
I didn't put this on the notes, but did you
think that was a penalty?
Speaker 3 (24:26):
When it came across and he's dived forward, it's kind
of looks like it's brushed his head and onto his arms.
Speaker 2 (24:32):
Do do you think that was a pen No?
Speaker 5 (24:34):
My first instant was no, his eyes were closed, he
was sort of looking down at the ground, so he
didn't really know what he was doing, so I didn't
see any intent and it did seem to brush his head.
But I'm the wrong guy to ask, Piney, because I'll
complain about most penalties. I'm super old fashioned and I
(24:55):
feel like there's actually far too many penalties given these
days will become a bit like hockey, where they're sort
of just always looking for the contact and the penalty.
Speaker 4 (25:04):
But that's a topic for another day now.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
I think you're the right person to ask in that case.
I think you're the exactly the right person to ask.
I didn't think it was a pen either. I didn't
think it was a penalty either. Could Wellington Phoenix have
done anything different? You know, you're eleven v nine and
often it's hard to play, like when a team gets
one man sent off eleven v ten, often the ten
men lift, don't they, And it's not unusual for ten
(25:27):
men to beat eleven men. But eleven v nine is
a very different situation. And that basically the team with
nine just parts of big bus. And that's what Auckland did,
and they made it a narrow bus. They basically just
put all nine of their players in the penalty area.
That's what they did, and Wellington Phoenix just couldn't penetrate.
They got forced into white areas. They were reduced to
(25:47):
kind of lumping crosses into the box and hoping for
the best.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
They don't have a sam Cosgrove in there.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
They don't have an.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Oscars of Vada in there anymore. They just I thought
lacked something different, some creativity on the edge of the area.
What they would have given for a ben Old for
example in that situation.
Speaker 5 (26:05):
Yeah, I mean it was Taylor made for Aukland f C.
Is there's any team in the league that is going
to defend with nine men? They lapped the sort of
thing up. That's what the team has built around. They're
so well organized, as you say, They've got the height
in the area, much taller generally than the phoenix. So
those crosses weren't working. But what could you see from
being at the ground, because sometimes it's hard to well,
(26:27):
it is harder to see on TV than when you
see it all you can see the full picture of
the field, because it did seem like there must have
been spaces somewhere, but for some reason they couldn't find them.
Speaker 3 (26:40):
The only spaces were wide, That's what I was seeing.
The only spaces were wide. If you basically draw lines
from the edges of the penalty area, the right and
left edge and just draw them up the field. Nobody
from Auckland FC was outside of those lines. They just
let Wellington Phoenix have the flanks pretty much until they
got right up by the pen the area. Then someone
(27:00):
would go out to challenge the cross but the others
would all just stand in the penalty area. They gave
Wellington Phoenix the white areas and I think we get
down to nine, that's what you do, you know, you
you you have to sacrifice space somewhere, So you sacrifice
space and the least dangerous part of the field, and
that is in the white areas. Yes, they can still
get the crosses and but they were dealing with those
as you say. And it's a great point you make.
(27:23):
If there's a team that you if you looked at
the A League table and said, right, there's a team
here and they're going to have nine men and they're
going to play for your life, which one would you choose?
I choose Aukland FC every day.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Of the week.
Speaker 5 (27:33):
Yeah, your life, your marriage, your kids, picked with any
of them.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (27:37):
So look, I think they did it really really well.
Got to mention Callen Elliott. I thought he was terrific
all night actually because Carlo Amiento, who's been very very
good for Wellington, had a quiet night and I think
that's largely down to callin Elliott. But you know, in
that at the end, in those last ten twenty minutes,
he was just brilliant and you could tell how much
(27:58):
it meant to him to get that win against his
former side. Yeah, well we love that answered and we
gave on. I think it was last Wednesday at the
media session when we asked, you know, what do you
think of the Phoenix or something? He said, well, I
don't dislike them, but I don't like them either, you know,
And that's sort of and you could just he was
so driven the whole night the old point to prove
(28:21):
he's come in. He's probably the perfect kind of play
you want in that scenario. But just as the energy,
as you say, in the last twenty minutes when he
must have been feeling it, the whole Auckland team must
have been feeling it.
Speaker 5 (28:34):
It was pretty impressive stuff. And he's another guy that
is I would say a bit unlucky not to be
on the plane. Another situation that Darren Baisley had a chance,
because who's the guy with the greatest ceiling right now
him or Stormer in terms of where they're going in
their careers, you know, but timing of selection that can
be difficult.
Speaker 3 (28:53):
Yeah, And well, if Kellen continues to play well and
he's going to get a decent run on the side
with the Roki Sakey out for a bit, then he
does put himself front and sent and there is a
vacancy there. I reckon Tim Pain is out for a while,
he hopefully will be fit for the World Cup, and
he is probably still the first choice right back of
he is fit, but I reckon there's a there's absolutely
a vacancy for his backup and if Kalin Elliott continues
(29:14):
to play like that, then he has got every chance
of filling it.
Speaker 4 (29:16):
For me.
Speaker 2 (29:17):
A couple of other things.
Speaker 3 (29:18):
You've seen a couple of questions through to ponder ahead
of this, and you said to the Phoenix respect Auckland FC,
enough interesting question, do you not think they do?
Speaker 4 (29:29):
I just wonder. I just wonder mainly because of the
approach to the game.
Speaker 5 (29:32):
You know you're playing, you're playing the team that probably
recognizes the best team in the league.
Speaker 4 (29:39):
Certainly they're the most consistent team last year.
Speaker 5 (29:41):
Okay, they blew it in the semi finals, but they
are the most consistent team in the in the in
the A League. They're so ruthless when they get ahead.
It's it's a game that means so much to everyone,
but especially to the Wellington Phoenix fan base who are
desperate for a result. And then you come out with
this Cavali. You approach playing a high line with players
(30:03):
that haven't practiced it enough. So I'm sort of going
back to my highlane point. But just in general, it's
okay to talk about being brave and we're going to
attack and we're going to do with this, but you've
also got to think we're playing an absolute gun team
that have a deeper squad than us. So what's the
best way to get a result out of this game? Well,
first of all, we've got to make sure we're super
(30:23):
solid at the back. But instead what I saw was
two more crazy lapses, two more crazy goals, And if
you look at all the derbys, they have just conceded
a series of crazy goals. From the first one Hughes's
own goal on the second. They had another couple of
really bad concessions in the third derby.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
So I just I don't know.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
Sometimes you've got to say to yourself internally, Okay, we're
playing a really good team and we've got to prepare
for that and just give them a bit more respect.
Speaker 3 (30:52):
They're just losing the big moments, aren't they. They're losing
the big moments, the important moments in these big games,
and these derbies are big games. Both teams and Wellington
in particular, have painted this as hey, it's just another game.
They're all worth three points and that's mathematically correct. But
there is something about the derby. You know, we know
the psychological scars that losing the first one last year gave.
(31:13):
Wellington chiefly even admitted that it was part of our
pregame coverage on Sky an interview with him where he said,
losing the first Derby last year really hurt us. It
was a you know, it was a psychological blow. Well
goodness me, do everything you can not to let that
be repeated.
Speaker 2 (31:28):
And look they look.
Speaker 3 (31:29):
If they've managed to pull back an equalize or even
on Saturday night and taken something from that derby, something
from their night, then yes that we might be having
a slightly different conversation. But it's another defeat. I mean
her'd be a Phoenix fan today, I'd stay off social
media for starters. You know, Auckland FC fans are absolutely
loving them.
Speaker 5 (31:49):
Well yeah, I mean I feel for yellow fever because
I feel like in each derby they've done their part.
They were superb in the first derby, well yellow or
not Yellow, the Phoenix in general fans send up in
the first one. A whole lot of them came to
Auckland twice and the team kind of hasn't completely backed
that up. And that's where, yeah, that's where it just
(32:10):
gets hard because they've got another one of these in
a month and who's going to have all the momentum.
You're exactly right, like this is worth way more than
three points. It affects you for weeks, and you're right.
If the Phoenix had equalized. And by the way, I
think Rufer could have actually gambled a bit more. When
Luke brook Smith had that heater at the end and
(32:30):
it just dried past the far post, I was sitting
there thinking Chris Wood would have put that in because
he would have anticipated made the run and just finished
at the far post. So that was that was a shame.
But we also remember that Sam Coles Grow should have
scored in the first half. That's three to one Jesse
Randall at the post, so Auckland could have been even
(32:50):
further ahead. And that's what I kind of mean by
this cavalier approach.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
It's also a good chance to examine the strength of
the two sides and the depth that at Auckland f C,
which doesn't yet exist at Wellington Phoenix.
Speaker 2 (33:03):
I mean Auckland f C.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
Next week or next game, because there's no game next
week could be without Or. They'll be without Psychi, They'll
be without Dan Hall, They'll be without Logan Rogerson. They
could be without Jake Brimmer depending on his shoulder. So
that's four big players they could be without. But Callan
Elliot's in for Hierarchy, Sarka, Nando Pineke's back for Dan Hall,
Logan Rogerson can be replaced by Liam Gillian or and
(33:25):
he hasn't even been starting Logan Rogerson, so you're not
worrying about a starting place, and Jake Brimmer. We just
put Felipe Geygoss in there, so.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
They don't actually lose.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
A lot from those big players not being there. But
with the Phoenix being without man Draker James Hadeki Ishiga
Tim Payn in particular, it just isn't the same side.
And I go back to it, like Hadecki Ishiga could
have given them something different late in that game eleven
v nine. He's the kind of player perhaps who would
(33:54):
have made a difference.
Speaker 2 (33:56):
Well, that's the.
Speaker 4 (33:57):
Thing we hadn't brought up.
Speaker 5 (33:58):
I did really feel for chief Ee because it's not
the first time he's come to a derby and hasn't
had his full strength team. And the three players you
mentioned missing, they're all just three absolutely key payers, the
most creative, this sort of soul of the team and
fantastic on the right pulling back and then their most
their best offender. So it was a real shame because
(34:19):
the full strength Phoenix team. Who knows, but the Phoenix
liked to complain about the resources of Auckland f C.
But they're exactly right, Like it's a fact aucklandf C
have got much more resources and they've got a much
deeper squad because they've got more more money to spend.
I mean, you made the point in cometary and you're
talking about the two benches, and the ukleanff CE bench
(34:42):
is full of all whites and a Chilean international and
the Phoenix bench. I think you said everyone was under
the age of twenty three, you know, So it's just
there's just there's just no comparison. So it's tough for
the Phoenix because Man for Man, Auckland have the edge,
don't they Quite clearly they do.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
So it means Auckland stay top ten points after their
four games. The Phoenix are seventh on five points. But
it is early and it's a tight table, so no
need to panic just yet. There is an international break
now then the Phoenix are at home to MacArthur and
Auckland FC are at home to Brisbane who had a
good one over the weekend. They beat Newcastle yesterday. Neither
team has to leave home now before the next derby.
(35:25):
The Phoenix have MacArthur and Adelaide at home and Auckland
FC have Brisbane and Newcastle at home. And then it
is the second derby in Auckland on December the sixth, Saturday,
December the sixth, which should be another great occasion.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
Good Bowl feaver on iHeartRadio and powered by newstalk Zedby.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
We better get to the women's side as well, who
had their first game on Saturday afternoon of their new
Ninja A League season, Wellington Phoenix won Canberra United one
beef Priestman's first game in charge. We saw debuts for
the freshly arrived football firm v Essen and c. J. Bott.
She was captain in her hometown imports, Allie Walker, brook Nunn,
Tessel Medach and Samba the Belize striker, and also ke
(36:08):
we tenp of Lock off the bench. Most of the
action in this game was in the first half. Actually
Canberra went won Dlla up totally avoidable goal really swung
in from the left MAURICEA Vandermere had a swing at it,
missed it. The Guessen was kind of unsighted and wrong
footed and the ball found its way in. But then
vander Meer down the other end from a Lara Wall
corner got the ball just over the line for one.
(36:30):
All so good to see her make up for early
mistake and also be back after two ACL injuries. Other
than that, Samba had a couple of chances. Emma Robas
for camera pushed aheader or had her head pushed up
onto the bar by v Essen, one all at half time,
one all at full time. The most taling comments to
me on this urge were from BEF priestman and CJ.
(36:50):
Bott afterwards, who said, look, we just got overawed by
the occasion. We didn't play the game. We played the occasion.
There's been so much hype around this team and so
much chantis patient about what they might do. I think
they're just pleased to get that one out of the way.
Speaker 5 (37:06):
Yeah, it's fair enough because there has been unprecedented hype,
isn't there by the standards of a Wellington Phoenix women's team,
and they'll be much better for it. Yeah, it was
not only their first game, but they're playing they're playing
on Derby Day, so there's a lot. There's a lot
around that in a week, isn't there?
Speaker 3 (37:22):
Absolutely right, Yeah, there's there is a lot about it.
I think they'll I feel like Pottido a park will
suit them better. Of course, you want to play in
the big stadiums and and on the big occasions, and
it was Derby Day, but when their game kicked off,
you know what, the place hadn't started to really fill
up at all. I think the pottydoor park, more intimate
atmosphere will suit this team a lot better. The crowd
will be a lot closer. You know, if there's two
(37:44):
or three thousand there, that'll feel like a big crowd
and is a good crowd. They play Newcastle at Pottidoor
Park on Sunday. I still, even though there was disappointment
that they couldn't win their first game and come out
and really show us.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
What they're all about.
Speaker 3 (37:58):
You know, the last three seasons the Phoenix have lost
their first game, you know, so it's actually a better
start than their last three seasons. And I'm still I
think Samba is going to be very fun to watch.
She gets herself in good positions, should have scored in
the first half, had a really good opportunity. But I
think she will be a really potent attacker in the
(38:19):
A League. I like the look at them. I think
they you know, and patches were good. And now that
that first game is out of the way, like I said,
I think they'll be I think they'll be a really
good proposition.
Speaker 5 (38:28):
Well, I mean Samber was one that didn't really let
the occasion get to her. I thought for a striker
coming in with a lot of hype as well, she
did really well and seems two footage it's got that pace,
showed a lot I think already looking like a really
really good acquisition.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
It's pretty even game, Phoenix fifty six to forty four.
In terms of possession. Camberra had thirteen shots to Wellington's eleven.
A couple of interesting positional peculiarities. Alyssa Wynham sort of
played at a right wing back role. I thought she
was good the first half, sort of getting into the
penalty area, getting into attacking positions. Interesting to see her
(39:05):
play a different position. There was a bit of talk
about Macy Fraser as well, not in the match day
squad that was asked. The question was asked to Bev
Priestman on the Friday, the day before the game, and
it's a natural question to ask, you know, Macy Fraser
brought back, you know, obviously the club's record women's sale
when she went off to Utah, came back, and I
(39:27):
think there was high excitement that she might recapture the
form and the ability that she showed when she was
here the first time. Bev basically answered with a pretty
straight bat and said that Macy hasn't had enough time
yet to get ready. I just hope that that she
can find her way back into the team because there's
(39:50):
just a bit of talk around about how she hasn't
made a comfortable landing back in Wellington. You know, she's
been sort of shed She hasn't been a full participants
in preseason training. There have been instances where she hasn't
been there. She wasn't even there the day before the game,
the team's final training, which is always a very light run,
(40:11):
she wasn't even there. So, I mean, it would just
be such a shame if we didn't get to see
the Macy Fraser we know is in there.
Speaker 4 (40:20):
Well.
Speaker 5 (40:20):
She could she could be one of the best midfielders
in the league. She showed that last time she was
in Wellington, and you know she's got more experienced. Obviously
a difficult time in the United States, but you would
have thought that would have made her doubly motivated to
come back and prove herself. So hearing what you say about,
(40:42):
you know, not being at all the trainings and not
being there the day before the game is yeah, it's
certainly concerning given how good she could be.
Speaker 3 (40:51):
I think we all want her back. We all wanted
to be back in there and firing. When Macy Fraser
was re signed, there was high excitement as I say,
you know, I remember the goals she scored and the
creative she showed. She won herself a Football Ferns call up. Yeah,
and I think we all hoped she would come back,
as you say, after a difficult time in Utah, come
back and reset her career and then maybe go again.
Look it's only game one, there is time for that.
(41:13):
But I just hope that we do get to see
Macy Fraser, you know, in significant fashion this season. So
Newcastle at pottido A Park on Sunday four o'clock. They
beat Canberra in round one, then had the buy a
bit of a keyw WE connection or a Phoenix connection
in the squad. An Elite is their goalkeeper, the Football
Ferns goalkeeper, so an elite and vic Essen the widely
(41:35):
regarded top two women's goalkeepers at the moment, head to
head former Phoenix players Claudia Chico, Kelly Brown and Charlotte
Lancaster and Stephen Hoyle, who was well known around New
Zealand football circles as their coach. So a bit of
a homecoming for some of these Newcastle players Perch.
Speaker 5 (41:50):
Indeed, Yeah, that just adds to the spice, doesn't it.
And I think you're exactly right about playing at Potter
to a park that is, you know, visiting. I mean
Stephen Hoyle's go and enjoy it as well analyte, but
in general visiting teams won't like playing there when the
crowd gets behind the Phoenix and there's a real atmosphere
and intensity, so it's a great call to play. I'm
(42:11):
not sure how many games are having there, but that's
a that will definitely suit them better and I'm sure
Bear Prismen that'll be her choice as well.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
Yeah, I think there's one other double header, but for
the rest of them they'll be at Pottydoor Park. Certainly
the next two Sundays they are Newcastle has say this
coming Sunday and then Melbourne victory the following Sunday. So
over these next two weeks they can make a bit
of a statement and you know, start to build a
fortress there. Then I think it'll be terrific. Looking forward
to seeing how they go this season now they are underway.
Speaker 1 (42:37):
The Football Fever podcast with Jason Wayne and Michael Burgess
just got.
Speaker 3 (42:43):
A bit of time right at the end of the
pod to discuss the upcoming international window. All Whites play
World Number thirteen Columbia on Sunday, that's one o'clock New
Zealand time. Then twenty third in the world Ecuador the
following Wednesday two thirty kickoff.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
No Chris Wood and the squad.
Speaker 3 (42:58):
As I mentioned before, Callum macowitt is in doubt and
all reports have Alex Paulson and Libby Kacacci also having
to withdraw. So there's some pretty big names not there
against some pretty decent sides. Purge, what are you hoping
to see from the all whites in this window?
Speaker 4 (43:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (43:14):
Well, these two teams they're playing could be the hardest
games of the year, couldn't it? I Meanguay, I mean not.
Ecuador finished ahead of Brazil and Uruguay in World Cup qualifying,
which sort of sums it up, doesn't it, And so
did Columbia. So I guess New Zealand you want to
see a really solid, really solid defensively that's a start,
because these teams, you know, they could think it going
(43:35):
could it could be really dangerous. And then the other
intriguing thing for me is what do they do without
Chris Wood? How do they deal with it? Do they
just have the same pattern with Ben Wayne or across
of the barusos or do they have a bit of
a false nine at times or two strikers. I think
they'll just play the same way. But it's it's not
(43:55):
easy without Chris there.
Speaker 3 (43:56):
Strikes me as quite quite an important window for Ben Wayne.
He's hardly been playing for Port Vale Over in the
UK and I think they're League One, so you know,
it's not like you can't get into a Premier League side.
He's not getting games over there.
Speaker 4 (44:10):
You know.
Speaker 3 (44:11):
I have said a couple of times on the pod
that if it's not going to be Chris Wood leading
the line, then you do change and you play a
different way. So do you actually need a backup to
Ben to Chris Wood?
Speaker 2 (44:20):
Anyway?
Speaker 3 (44:21):
But Ben Wayne, if he gets the chance to lead
the line in these games, has a really big opportunity
to say, you know what you're wrong, Piney, I do
need to be here and I am the heir apparent
to this, you know, to this position leading New Zealand's attack,
So I'll show you what I can do. Cost is
the other one as well. You know, my prediction of
Western Sydney being minor Premiers is already looking rather.
Speaker 2 (44:43):
Danger birds just the two points after their four games.
Speaker 3 (44:48):
Yeah, but I don't know, as you say, without Chris
Wood there and by the sounds of it, without Callum
macowitt there, attacking players like Ben Wayne and Costa. Barbarusis
looking forward to the opportunity that presents for them in
this window.
Speaker 5 (45:00):
Well, if Wayne can if Wayne can play and gets
a goal, that that might almost stamp his ticket for
the World Cup because it's like, okay, he can do
it against big teams and that that for me is
still the question over Costa. I know everyone loves Costro,
I know what he's done in the A League. But
but if you look closely at his career, you know
he's now played seventy games for the All Whites, nine goals,
(45:21):
but eight of those goals have come against Oceania teams,
you know, So that's one goal against in his whole
career against the non Oceania team, which you know.
Speaker 4 (45:32):
Must say something.
Speaker 5 (45:33):
So he's got a point to prove what he can
do at this level against against the big teams, because
he has seen probably as the backup to Wood, so
he's got he's got to really show it too.
Speaker 3 (45:43):
Just back to Jesse Randall, it'll be great to see
him with with high confidence go on this trip, wouldn't it?
And he might still, as I say, if they make
a late change and bring him in for mccaward or
or similar, because the guy's got to be flying a
you know, in any part of your life when things
are going well, you know, you're out.
Speaker 2 (46:00):
Of the house and puff your chest out of it,
don't you.
Speaker 3 (46:03):
I'm sure Jesse Randon would would would love the opportunity
to lock horns with with Columbia and Ecuador right now.
Speaker 4 (46:09):
Well, I saw him speaking to you after the game,
you know, and you just.
Speaker 5 (46:13):
You just just could see the joy, the joy on
his face, you know, and everything is going is going
right for him right now. So it would be absolutely
perfect timing to somehow get him on a plane.
Speaker 3 (46:28):
It also is a demonstration that if you play well
in the A League in front of your national coach,
then you are a chance. You know, we've mentioned Randall
a lot, Callan Elliott as well. Those guys, you know,
they've got a huge opportunity if they play well, just
as have all of the New Zealand players in the
two A League teams based in New Zealand to catch
(46:48):
the eye of the coach if Luke brook Smith goes
on a bit of a tear and scores ten goals
off the bench and proves himself to be an impact player,
then he'll be on the plane's there's no question about it.
And others as well, you know, but Randall and Elliott
are the most obvious ones at the moment. But as
the clock ticks towards the World Cup next year, the
(47:09):
best thing you can do is just play well for
your team. And if it's an A League team then
that actually doesn't matter, does it. You'd rather be playing
for an A League team than not playing for a
team in one of the other leagues up in Europe.
Speaker 5 (47:21):
Well, it sort of magnifies your chances, doesn't it. Because
the A League is in our time zone basically's watching
everyone's watching, compared to playing playing in the Championship League
one in England or somewhere in Europe.
Speaker 4 (47:33):
It's definite.
Speaker 5 (47:34):
I mean, Lachlan brook made the point the other day said,
you know, people shouldn't underestimate the A League. It is
a strong league, and okay, it's a pathway to Europe,
but it's still a good league in itself, and I
think everyone recognizes that now.
Speaker 3 (47:47):
They do.
Speaker 4 (47:47):
Indeed.
Speaker 3 (47:48):
Well, we've chatted for far too long probably, let's hope
we've kept most of our listeners from the start. There
was a lot to unpack in the derby. Good to
have the women playing in the international window coming up.
So just to repeat, on Sunday the Wellington fans at
home to the Newcastle Jets. That's four o'clock at Potidoa Park,
and earlier that day the All Whites are from one
o'clock on Sunday afternoon up against Columbia in their first
(48:11):
game in this international window. Football coming thick and fast, Birge.
We'll catch up with you again next Monday.
Speaker 4 (48:17):
Can't wait, mate, football Weaver
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Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.