January 1, 2026 • 42 mins
Jason Pine and Michael Burgess review the latest A-League matches for Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC.
The Phoenix women win back-to-back matches to leap into the playoff spots, but the Nix men fall to a heavy 5-1 defeat away at Melbourne Victory
Meantime, the Newcastle Jets spoil Auckland FC's New Year's Day party with a defensive masterclass.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Football Fever, the podcast keeping you up to date.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
It's a beautiful game with the voice of football Jason
Paine and insid heralds Michael Burgess, powered by Newstalk ZBBI.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
A very happy New Year to you and a very
warm welcome and to the Football Fever Podcast, the first
edition for twenty twenty six. At the start of what
is said to be we hope, anyway, are quite memorable
footballing year. I'm Jason Pine. Michael Burgess has heid too.
I think we've done the happy New Year. We've dispensed
with all that urge. But has twenty twenty six started
(00:32):
well for you?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Well? Yeah, it's been a strange that hasn't the sunshine
which has been great, but the football which we're about
to get to was truly bizarre on news day. But
apart from that, yeah, the year has its started well.
It's a good feeling here we are, twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Indeed World Cup year, of course, and we look forward
to counting down towards June when the All Whites make
a reappearance at the biggest show on Earth for the
first time since twenty ten. But let's get to New
Year's Day at Media stadium. Did anybody see this coming?
Auckland FC won the Newcastle Jets three. The Jets become
(01:09):
the first team to beat Auckland FC in consecutive matches,
both of them in Auckland, both in the space of
the last five weeks or so, and utterly incredible defensive performance,
but really berts the way this game started. The first
twenty odd minutes just chaos.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
It was nuts. It was a mad, mad period. You
sort of looking around thinking what's going on here? Sort
of the spirit of New Year's Eve has been transposed
onto the pitch. There were things happening all over the place.
It was so open and its chaos is the word
to see. Three goals and a red card in the
(01:47):
first twenty one minutes of football is pretty incredible.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Let's try and go chronologically here before any goals were scored.
Alex Batlato, who scored a hat trick for Newcastle in
the early games of the season and has been one
of their most important attacking players, went down under challenge
from Kallan ally had no suggestion of anything wrong from
Callen's point of view, but he fell awkwardly. He had
his knee twisted and he was out of the game.
You know, as I say, shortly after the game had started,
(02:14):
Will Dobson came on. I just want to mention as well.
I think anyone who was booing Alex Battlato when he
went down out of the port just needs to give
themselves a bit of an uppercut. I think most fans
were well aware that it was a genuine injury. I'm
not sure what the bowin was about, but what that
did actually was get Will Dobson on the pitch and
I think across the ninety odd minutes that followed the
(02:36):
young was he eighteen year old Will Dobson was one
of the better players out there.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Well you mentioned young, like every time they panned to
a close up of the Newcastle team, half of them
seemed they look like school kids. It's so fresh faced.
You know, it's absolutely incredible. But I think that does
bring a bravado, a lack of fear. You know, they're
coming to play Auckland when the best teams in the
competition at their fortress. And again they didn't seem overawed
(03:10):
at all. Well, especially in the first twenty minutes. And
your Dobson excellent. So many there are other young players
excellent and really stood up to the occasion.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Again, I think you land on a great point, Berch,
and that there is that naivete, and it's a positive naivete,
isn't it. They don't know, they don't care about what's
happened before. They honestly, they'd relish it, wouldn't they. I
mean these guys are yeah, I mean, well, I'm sure
Will Dobson's not shaving yet. You know, he's got those
smooth cheeks of a youngster. But gee, what a player
(03:40):
he is. And yeah, a number of the others out there,
some of the slightly older guard guys in their early twenties,
also prominent. Lachland Rose scoring the first goal. I thought
he was left alone in the six yard box. Both
Hall and Goodwood Rike were there, but Rose was pretty
much untroubled to volley home the first goal.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
I thought it was. I've watched this back a few
times this morning. I mean, probably Elliott won't like the
fact he was beaten on his outside to get the
cross in. And then yeah, both central defenders sort of
stopped and Rose didn't, and he volley's home very well
from a couple of meters out. It was a strange lapse,
(04:23):
but Auckland have had a few of these this season.
But yeah, just to Corocer and Danny Hay will hate
that to have a striker come through that close to
the goal and get in space.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
And an early goal as well, which the Jets have
become famous for. That's the sixth goal they've scored this
season inside the first fifteen minutes of matches, so they
are absolute fast starters. But it didn't take long for
Auckland FC to draw level Jesse Randall with the free
kick after thirteen minutes. I'd be interested in your thoughts.
Was this very clever from Jesse Randall? Was it poor
(04:53):
Goulkin or a bit of a combination of both of
those things.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
It was mostly just absolutely brilliant strike. I thought the
angle was incredible and then the fact that he got
it just just inside the post, because if it's slightly more,
you know, towards the middle of the goal, it's going
to be saved. Hits it well. The audacity to go
for it it was, you know, the keeper was probably
a step out of position, but obviously he was expecting
(05:22):
the cross. But to pull that shot off, I mean
random might try that ten times today training or tomorrow,
and it would be hard to replicate. I just thought
it was a brilliant, brilliant strike. Obviously the keeper will
be disappointed.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Yeah, because the obvious deliverer of that cross as Francis
Devriez on his left foot, and he's there as well,
makes the little decor a run. But it's not as
though Delianov then didn't have time in his own mind
to think, okay, well Devrez hasn't taken it, so it
is Randall. But yeah, I think probably still expecting the cross,
a right footed cross into a throng of players, but yeah,
instead arrowed it into the near post to make it
(05:57):
one one. But the league didn't last very long Wells
and the aforementioned making it.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Two to one.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
I thought, this is a sloppy piece of play from
Auckland FC, who were normally so good, you know, bringing
the ball out from defense. It was a rare misstep
from Dan Hall to give that ball away. But the
Jets broke so quickly, didn't they Afterwards?
Speaker 1 (06:15):
It was funny, Pinty because we spoke to Danny Hay
last week. Steve Crocker was six, so Danny Hay was
doing the media and he talked about Newcastle are so
dangerous on the counter, so we've got to be really
they're really dangerous when we're in possession, so we're going
to really get our rest defense right and our setup
right and all that sort of thing. And you're thinking
(06:37):
they knew all that, and for Dan Hall to take
such a chance, it was so uncharacteristic, wasn't it him
to sort of be driving forward, then it's a loose touch,
he gets robbed in halfway. He's been such a good defender,
such a good player for this team. It was a
weird moment. But then yeah, they just the speed that
(06:57):
they broke though, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
That was wasn't it. It was just lightning and down
they went and the shot came in, powered by Michael
Vaut and Dobson following up to score. We're not even
at the twenty minute mark, by the way, but at
this point and then Max Cooper, who'd already received a
yellow in fact, it was a yellow card from the
free kick from which Randall scored. And then he's had
(07:19):
a very heavy touch on halfway has gone to try
and make up for his error. Sam Cosgroves nipped in
taking the ball away Cooper's taken him out. I don't
think there can be any argument that's a yellow card,
Absolutely no argument. But all of a sudden, the Jets
are down to ten away at the league leaders with
still seventeen minutes to go.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Berg That was the thing. It was like you were thinking, Okay, well,
this is gonna change the complexion of the game completely.
It took a while to change because the Jets, I
guess they still had an attacking shape for a while
in the second half they just retreated completely. But it actually,
I don't know, I don't know what you think. You
(07:58):
always hear that the coaches do say it's harder than
you think to play against ten men, and maybe it
just got it did get in the minds of Auckland
and see a bit instead of just playing their normal game. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
I think the direct comparison is what happened in the
derby down and Wellington when Auckland FC went down to
ten men and then later on went down to nine.
But when they were down to ten exactly the same
as what Newcastle did. You just pack the central areas,
you pack the box. You kind of let the other
team have the wide areas. If you're going to offer
up space anywhere you offer that space up in wide areas,
(08:33):
that is perilous though against Auckland f C, who we
know are such good deliverers of the football. Francis to
reason Raki Sakai of course, who came on in the
second half, and others who can whip in a good cross.
But I'm trying to think back Burgee. I've watched it
back this morning as well in preparation for this. Were
there any really good clear cut chances for Auckland FC
(08:56):
from two one down? I mean, it seems like they
had all of the ball. The steps to tell you
they had seventy one percent possession across the game, But
can you remember a really clear cut good goal scoring opportunity?
Speaker 1 (09:09):
I mean there weren't too many. Were There were a couple,
but from twenty two shots and all the possession, all
the territory, not as much as they would expect. There
was never a big sense that a goal was coming
or a lot of goals were coming. There was definitely
something missing and what they were trying to do. There
(09:29):
were chances. Logan Rogerson and John ty Bidoir kind of
got in each other's way, but they both had a
shot from six yards out which they seemed to scuff
and normally you'd want to put those away, I thought,
I actually thought it will probably all focus on the
second half, when it was just a complete rear good action.
But I thought the game was probably lost in the
first half. In the second part of the first half,
(09:50):
when it still looked like more of a normal match,
Newcastle was still attacking a bit, so there was more
space and I thought Auckland had some decent chances in
that period. Sam Kovgrove had one where he could have
released Yam and Maia, there were a couple others, so
I thought that that was actually pretty crucial, And then
the second half was a bit more of as you say,
it was just it was just the rock strift, everyone
(10:12):
behind the ball, everyone in their own penalty area.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Yeah, there was one point where a quarter got taken
right at the end and Michael vaud had come up
for that corner, and we'll get to the end of
the game in a moment, but every single player apart
from Marley Franzois who was taking the corner, was in
that bed in the area. It was just quite incredible.
The Jets of those days were down to nine as well,
because Christian Braco had come on, had to limp off
and the Jets had no more subs. Anyway, let's go back.
(10:35):
But you know, stats, they can tell you anything you want,
but they do illustrate the point of this game. Auckland
FC made seventy six penalty area entries. They put in
fifty nine crosses. The Jets, what about this booch? Sixty
one clearances sixty one Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
What a day for the end of day. The defenders
that don't always get the glory, what a day?
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Have done anything differently? I remember us talking about this
with the Phoenix against Auckland, when, as I said before,
they were you know, they had the numerical superiority and
just kind of kept on lumping crosses and hoping for
the best. It felt like a little bit like that yesterday,
although I did on occasion, more than one occasion, notice
Auckland try to do different things. They try and do
something on the edge of the box, try and slider pass,
(11:27):
and they put a couple of low crosses in. Could
they have done anything differently?
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Yeah, I mean it's obviously harder than we think, isn't it,
Because look what you go on, You're thinking, Okay, they're
playing against ten men, they'll break through eventually. But Coracer
after the match was disappointed with the fact they didn't
really His comment was, didn't really hurt. The Jets didn't
really move the ball fast enough. They probably didn't get
enough shots away. I guess a couple of times they
had chanced to shoot and went for the extra pass.
(11:54):
But you're right, there were trying different things, different angles.
They tried just about every possible angle in terms of
delivering a ball attacking from deeper. I don't know. I
did feel maybe that Kyraker overdid the subs. I think
sometimes you can throw on subs like confetti and just
hope for things to happen. But for example, I wondered
(12:15):
if Jesse Randal hadn't been in the game much. I
know that, but but someone like him, he is the
kind of guy that can make things happen, make a
goal happen. So I was a bit surprised, for example,
that he went off. I think Kraker used all five
of his subs, didn't they Yep, he did, he did.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
I thought that was strange too, with rand were coming off,
And also I thought it was strange also taking Lachlan
Brook off. I know, you know, he just seems to
me to be the one who hazard in his locker
to create something in different ways on the edge of
the area, with a long shot or with like a
little slipped pass or something like that. I thought his
(12:51):
withdrawal was interesting, you know, clearly putting John ty Bidoi on,
he's another He's a bigger body, isn't he. So they
had they had two big bodies in the box, Cosgrove
and Bidoir, and so clearly the you know, the strategy
was that kind of aerial assault. I don't know. I mean,
you roll the dice, don't you, and you try different
things and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I mean,
(13:14):
Howison coming on, Francois coming on, I don't know, just
just on the formation. I know they want to get
Gagemo my back into the starting eleven birch, but I
was disappointed to see Lochland brook revert to that wide role.
I think he's been excellent in that ten role, and
I know May is my he's a player of the air.
Last year, of course you got to try and get
him in there. But I was disappointed to see Lochland
(13:37):
Brook revert to a wide role. I think he's been
really good in that ten pocket.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
It's inter you say that because I was sitting there
in the first half and there are a couple of
moments when all the players going down the left, Brooks
stuck way over on the right, and there's a couple
of times if there's a chance to sort of ping
him along pass and it didn't go his way and
he sort of, you know, put his hands up in frustration.
I was thinking a similar thing to you, that he's
(14:03):
a guy who's so dangerous, so unpredictable, has been so
effective and suddenly he's just where Newcastle won him miles
from anywhere, can't get to the ball. So it's a
conundrum because I guess the question is can my and
Brook be in the same eleven or do you have
to sacrifice one for the other. I'm not sure, but
(14:27):
I think you're right. I agree with you in that Brook,
when you take him out of that number ten role,
it's much harder for him to have an impact on
the match.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
I mean, like Rogerson was the one sacrificed from the
starting eleven yesterday, which I think is about stuff. Actually
but again you want to get my in there, and yeah,
I mean five and the four simthing doesn't go, you know, Cosgrove, Randall,
my Brook and Rogerson can't all play. They can't you know,
you can't play all five of them. Somebody is going
to miss out. So I guess it's a juggling act
(15:01):
for Steve Kayriker. He went with my yesterday push broke
out Rogerson off the bench. But yeah, I don't know.
I just thought it was an interesting, interesting strategic decision. Actually,
the Jets had a really good chance midway through the
second half to go three one up. They got a
rare free kick down in Auckland Territory, swung towards the
far post Joe Shawness. He headed it down. Max Burgess,
(15:22):
he's six yards out on his good foot. He should
score that, shouldn't he?
Speaker 1 (15:26):
Oh, he should have. My father's still talking about my
father's favorite player. My father's name is Max. So my
father loves Max Burgess ever since he played for the Phoenix,
and he's very disappointed that Max missed his opportunity yesterday.
But no, he should have. He should have. He should
have buried it and that would have been that would
have been game over. Yeah, So yeah, it was a
(15:49):
it was just a it was just quite a weird,
weird day, a weird feeling at the ground because I
felt like the massive crowd there all ready to celebrate,
and you, I don't know who you felt, but you
thought that, Okay, if they did score one, they're probably
going to get a few more because the Jets were
getting exhausted. But as long as the Jets hung on,
you could feel the anxiety and the frustration growing, both
(16:11):
in the crowd and among the players.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Yeah, and the clock just tacks on and on, doesn't it.
The clock doesn't stop. You look up and there's seventy
minutes gone, You look up and there's eighty minutes gone,
and then you start to think, man, are we going
to get this goal? And you're right, I think there
was just that feeling of anxiety, certainly in the crowd
and to a lesser extent, I guess amongst the players
as well. And then right right right at the end,
as I say, with Newcastle down to nine by this point,
(16:35):
with Cooper having been scenes off and Bracco injured, a
corner for Auckland FC towards the near post Lochland Rose
gets the header away and then goodness only knows how
he had the energy for this. In the ninety six
minute sprints off downfield. Mark Natter, the center backer was
very good yesterday, gets it, plays it into Lochland Rose's path.
(16:56):
Michael vows up for the corner and Rose tucks it away,
to the delight of his teammates and the small pocket
and Newcastle fans. I mean, what a what a finish
to this game. I always love it when keepers come
up for corners, and I haven't seen Michael vad but
I can only imagine he was trying to desperately get
back knowing he wasn't going to be able to and
(17:16):
I mean want to finish to a quite remarkable game
of football.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
We were hoping for an Allison Becker moment where we
to be honest, but it also summed up the data
degree because that that corner with everyone up needs to
either go, you know, to the middle of the goal
or to the far post. And Francis de Breeze is
probably exhausted and he it's a poor delivery by he
standers doesn't even clear the first the first offender, and
(17:41):
that creates that that creates the danger and that's that's
that's game over.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Yeah, game over indeed, So that's the Jets.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Now.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
They've come to New Zealand three times in five weeks
and they've won all three games. They must love coming
through Customs over to New Zealand to play football. Auckland
FC stay top, but Sydney FC can go past them
if they beat Melbourne City tomorrow night. Look, I think
this feels like a blip to me. I don't think
we need to panic you look at the table in
Auckland FC is still up the top. They next played
(18:09):
MacArthur away on Monday night. But just before we moved
from Auckland f C. Are they actually a better away
team than they are at home? You've talked a lot
about how they play so well away. They've only lost
two of eighteen away games. Yesterday was their fourth home
loss in twenty home games. Again, stats only tell part
of it, but actually, are they slightly better on the
(18:32):
road than they are at home?
Speaker 1 (18:33):
I mean it's a good stat I have you thinking
about this. I just do feel that that sort of
home aura that they had for all of last season,
because they only lost once there, and they remember and
they were always just rescuing a draw getting a win
with a late goal. I feel like that slipped a
bit because if you look at the fact that they
had that draw against Brisbane, which was Brisbane probably good
(18:53):
really for the winner, it was pretty ugly lost in
Newcastle in the rain, and then lost to Newcastle again.
It feels like the fortress factor has just slipped a bit.
I think you're right, like it was a blurp, a
pretty strange game. I think they'll be okay, but they've
got what is it, three away games in twelve days
(19:15):
or something crazy, pretty tough schedule and the fact they've
already dropped eight points at home could be costly later
on in the season when you're talking about finishing positions.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
You're right, three games away MacArthur Monday night, then Brisbane
on the Friday. So I'll stay over there next week
for the Monday Friday turnaround and then come back home
and then go back for Melbourne City on the sixteenth.
Next home game isn't until Saturday, the twenty fourth of
January when they take on the Central Coast Mariners. So yeah,
a quite remarkable game at go Media Stadium yesterday.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
The Football Fever Podcast with Jason Vine and Michael Burgess.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Can we circle back to Monday Night at this time
of the year. I don't think anybody knows what date is.
That was the twenty ninth of December, Monday Night, Melbourne
Victory five Wellington Phoenix won at Amy Park. The Amy
Park curse continues for Wellington, who haven't won there since
twenty seventeen, a third loss in four matches during December,
(20:18):
during which time they've conceded twelve goals. I want to
jump straight to the decision to start Amon McCarran in
goal for Wellington. He'd come off the bench in the
previous match when josh olaway Emy had suffered the knee injury.
That injury kept him out of this one. I just
thought it was an era of judgment to start Amon
(20:42):
McCarran and hindsight's always twenty twenty as we know, but
he was clearly out of his depth. And when you've
got LB Kelly heeled there, who played eight games last
season took the number one spot from Josh olaway Emy
would have held on to it, I presume except for
injury that ruled him out for the back end of
the season. Why on earth would you start an eighteen
(21:06):
year old kid in the absolute firestorm of Amy Park.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Yeah, I was baffled. I'm still baffled. Like you can
talk about hindsight, but when I saw the teamless come out,
I you know, immediately thought, what's going on? Would they
why would they do this? There may be another factor
we don't know about Piney, but it just it just
doesn't make any sense because you've got to you've got
(21:35):
to look after young players, especially young goalkeepers. I think
young goalkeepers are particularly vulnerable and these kind of things
can can actually do a lot of damage. And you know,
you might talk to him a year later and he'll say, oh,
I took a few months to get over that. Like
I just the main thing was it just felt unnecessary.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Yep, that's exactly what it was. Unnecess Look. I understand
that there's a pecking order within a goalkeeping cohort at
a club. There's normally, well many times there's an obvious
number one, and in the case of the Phoenix it
has been Josh Olaway Emmy, so that leaves Amon McCarran
and Elbi Kelly Hill to battle it out for the
(22:18):
number two spot. And to be honest, that battle doesn't
really matter too much because you know, all things being equal,
your number one is going to be there the whole time.
It only becomes an issue when your number one gets injured,
which is the situation we found ourselves in here against
the Mariners the other week. It had to be McCarran
who came on because he was the reserve goalkeeper that day,
(22:38):
but he didn't have to start at Amy Park. John
Calotaliano and goalkeeping coach Dylan Cope had a choice to make.
They could have gone with Lbie Kelly Heel, who had
to watch this all unfold from the bench. To me, Birch,
I just think it's it's irresponsible to throw a kid
in like that. You're so right. He's an eighteen year
old kid, do you know. Towards the back end of
(22:59):
the game, I bet he was just praying for that
final whistle wo come so he could get off the grass.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
You know.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Smacks of twenty seventeen eighteen when Daria Kelisch, who had
Lewis a Taliano tandover Laffi and Olie Salin. His squad
overlooked all three of them and played eighteen year old
Keegan Smith for the first six games of that season.
It wasn't quite so bad as a five to one hammering,
but he was clearly out of his depth as well.
I just think you've got to be a bit more responsible.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Yeah, it's a good parallel action, and you do, and
it continues, it continues a pattern of decisions that are
hard to understand. I mean, he wasn't at fault for
all of the goals obviously, but I think there was something.
What did Melbourn Victory had six shots on target and
(23:49):
they've got five goals. Who as a goalkeeper, you're feeling
you know, you're feeling awful. And he's obviously very promising
to be in the position he's in at his age.
He's obviously, you know, an undoubted talent and you've got
to nurture that talent and make sure that he's ready
when you need him and he's going to be at
his best. So yeah, why you put him in those
(24:10):
circumstances with everything else going on at the club and
the fact there's been issues. Yeah, I just.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
I talked to him to Ruben Parker, the previous goalkeeping coach,
about Alex Paulson actually, and he said, what what normally
happens with goalkeepers is that they tend to mature a
bit later than outfield players. So if you're putting a
goalkeeper in at the age of twenty two twenty three,
that's like playing an eighteen nineteen year old in the outfield,
(24:37):
if you get my drift. So what does it say
if you're throwing an eighteen year old into goal? Is
that the equivalent of a fourteen or fifteen year old
being thrown into an outfield position. Look, I think Aman mccaarran.
I hope he bounces back and has a long and
successful career. I really hope that, because to get to
a point that you're you know, you're playing professional football
(24:58):
at eighteen, the kids clearly got something about him. I
just hope, against hope, you know, I just really hope
that what happened on Monday night doesn't set him back
or have a permanent effect on him. Look, I don't
know Aman McCarran at all. He might be very, very
mentally strong and have good support networks around him, and
I hope that's the case. But for me, if that
team list comes out tomorrow night when they take on
(25:20):
Brisbane Raw, another very physical team at Redcliffe, which is
a more intimate ground than sun Court where the fans
are right on top of you. If that team list
has Amon mccarroon on it again tomorrow night, then then
I'll be I'll be doubly baffled.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Birch, especially as they did the hard yards last season
with alb Kelly Hill, so they went through, you know,
a similar thing with him. He had his baptism. He
he you know, he got through it and so he's
he's had a taste. So yeah, it's it's it's obvious,
isn't it. I mean, I don't want to be an
armchair coach, and selecting teams is the hardest thing. And
(25:56):
there's all these things around training form and maybe Aimon
has been training the house down, but you got to
think beyond that and think about what he's going to
face on the night.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Yeah, exactly right, And I just think you protect him
as well. I think the right thing to do for
your for your young players is to is to offer
them a degree of protection. As you say, five shots
or five goals with six shots on target, I think
you know, a different keeper probably saves a couple of them,
you know, Josh Olowemi by the sounds of it won't
be available for tomorrow night. May work may be back
(26:26):
for the next game, but yeah, we'll wait and see. Look,
Phoenix were well beaten it It certainly wasn't Amon mccararan's
fault that they got beat five to one, just the
two shots on target. At the other end, the goal
they scored was due to an horrendous era from a
very experienced player in Jason Davidson, who basically just presented
it on a plate for Remy Nazerene. Other than that,
just one shot on target. And to make matters even worse,
(26:49):
Alex Rufer limped off late in the game with what
looked like a hamstring strain. So you know, josh Alawami
and Alex Rufer have been the Phoenix's best two players
and they might go into the game against Brisbane without
either of them. So look at it's a tight table,
as we often say, just start to stretch a bit.
The Nicks are tenth on eleven points, still just four
points off the top six though, so it's not panic stations.
(27:11):
But yeah, I mean, it just was a very very
demoralizing way to finish the year for Phoenix fans, I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Yeah, exactly and the turnout was amazing, Like to see
that contingent of fans bolstered by the Barmai army, but
to see that many Phoenix fans in Melbourne was brilliant.
Good on them making the trip from Sydney or Melbourne
or across the townsman fantastic And yet again it felt
like they've been let down, like there are only four
(27:40):
points out of the sixth but where are those four
points coming from?
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Yeah, well you look at January Brisbane away tomorrow night,
then Adelaide at home, Sydney FC away Newcastle we've talked
about at length away and the Melbourne City last year's
champions at home. So there are no easy games. I'd
be struggle to line up five, you know, relatively straightforward games.
(28:04):
But as you've said often and I totally agree, the
Phoenix do have the ability within their squads to actually
string results together. On their day they beat Adelaide, they
were very good that day, you know, they beat the
Mariners having lost their goalkeeper early on. They do have
it in them, but it's just the consistency that is
(28:25):
needed to It's so type perche and honestly, I think
Sydney you've seen Auckland have cleared off any of the
other teams pretty much. I mean the Wanderers, I mean
they've been terrible, but they're still just hanging in. Even
the Mariners, you know, they were good the other night
until the ninety fifth minute, ninety fourth minute when Brisbane
got their winner. No easy games in this league. Everybody's
fighting for the six. You've got to pick up points.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
I'm quite worried about the Phoenix in January. I think
it could get a bit a bit dark. I thought,
you know, defending was really bad for the goals, and
that's say something. But then I also thought it wasn't
great to have ginclo Otelli I labeling that, labeling that
defending comical. I don't think that helps either because it's
(29:11):
fine for me or you to call the defending comical,
but when your coach is saying it, and then I
don't know how the players would feel about that, and
then they go to train the next day and he's
trying to get them up for this game coming.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
I yeah, I think I think your praise publicly and
criticized privately, that's.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
A That's That's what I'm trying to say.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Yeah, and you're right when you when you've got to
watch your coach call it comical like he was clearly
upset with what had happened, as I'm sure all of
the players are. All they can do is move on.
All they can do is move on, and look it's shaping.
Is a very very tricky game against Brisbane, who has
a say of you know, the cheapest that came the
other night, just absolute carnage areas with Valcanus getting a
(29:57):
red card and players having to go at each other
and the yellow cards here there and everywhere, and oh
all sorts. So yeah, Brisbane are a tricky proposition at
the moment and building momentum. I think we've got eighteen points.
They have got eighteen points, so you know, entrenched in
the top three. So yeah, very very tricky game for
the Phoenix men tomorrow night, at the start of a
very very challenging month for them.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Food balls either with Jason Paide and Michael Burgers.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
But on a brighter note as far as the Wellington
Phoenix are concerned, Tuesday Nights Western Sydney Wanderer's nil Wellington
Phoenix Women three. That is just a ninth away win
in forty three matches across the Tasman. That tells a
story that we've talked about before. But that's now ten
unanswered goals in the last two games, seven nil against Sydney,
(30:46):
three nil against Western Sydney. The Wellington Phoenix Women have
finally arrived in the season, Birch.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
Well, they have and I think I don't know how
you feel, but I think it might be time to
adjust our expectations around this team. Like I don't want
to get carried away, but I'm probably going to. But
what I'm about to say is that I think they
are going to make the playoffs. I think that's clear
(31:14):
they're going to make the playoffs based on what you've
just said that they're just about the best defensive team
in the competition and that's that's how you make the playoffs, right.
So what they've conceded four goals, I think it is
across the season, the lowest in the league. I think
they've only given up four shots on target too in
the last four games, which is extraordinary. So they've got
that base. But what I'm trying to say is I
think they're going to make the playoffs. I've seen enough now.
(31:37):
But beyond that, I'm starting to see them as contenders,
you know, so without getting carried away, I think they
could really be going places.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
I agree, I agree, and I think they've in the
last two weeks kind of found their goal scoring mojo.
That was what was missing in the first month or
so of the season was the goals. You know, one
all draws at home against Camber and Newcastle. They got
the one that win against Victory, but then those two
one nill losses away when as you say, you know,
they defended brilliantly but just couldn't score at the other ends.
(32:10):
They've added that now, and goodness me, they you know,
as we go into the new year, I think I
think we're right to feel optimistic and to and to
re set our expectations about this team. I think we
always thought they were a playoff team with Beef Priestman
coming in and the signings she had made, and we
were starting to doubt it just a little bit after
(32:30):
five games, weren't we just the one win and a
couple of losses. But but now it's looking a heck
of a lot Rosier. How good is it watching the
Nepalese football fans turn up everywhere Samba goes. It's just
so cool.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
The A League must be just ecstatic about the situation
because it's creating an amazing atmosphere and as I think
one of the players said after the match, they're feeding
off it. It was great for both teams really, but
they're of it and now things are starting to flow
for for Samba. I mean, I haven't seen such a
reception on such a regular basis before. I don't think
(33:11):
it's just it's just brilliant.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
I think there were more Phoenix fans there on on
what night was it, Tuesday night against Western Sydney than
there were Western Sydney fans. You know, that would have
felt like a home game because the stand that the
camera was facing was just utterly packed with Nipalese fans,
so by extension are Wellington Phoenix fans. And when they
zoomed in you could see, you know, the Phoenix fans
(33:33):
with the you know, the the yellow and black on
you know, sort of dotted and amongst all of these
incredibly passionate Honestly, every time Sama just has to bring
the ball down and the crowd goes bad. And when
she scored her goal, my goodness, just as you say,
the a league must just be loving it that that,
you know, the support that she's guarded, and look, maybe
(33:55):
it's a it's a it's a lesson that these are
the kinds of players we need to look to to
our competition because they bring with them such passionate pockets
of fans that exist really clearly on both sides of
the test.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
Well, I've always won, well, not always wondered it hasn't
been going along, But I wondered to myself if aucnlef
C would think about signing a Korean player, for example,
you know, sign a prominent Korean player. There's that massive
Korean population in Auckland and they're quite well known for
how they support their team. So yeah, there is there
are opportunities like that because but the other thing it's
(34:29):
doing is is Samber's feeding off. The way she took
that goal, it wasn't easy, and she reacted so quickly
then took the goal, defenders all around her. And then
another thing I noticed, the way she sprinted away to
set up the third goal, was like, what's up that
knee problem? It's all gone. You know, she's she's gone,
and her teammates responding as well. I mean that finished
(34:52):
by Mamain for the first goal that was that was
not easy. The ball sort of fired in and just
directs at home. So there's quite a bit clicking in
the final third, although I'm sure bev priest One would
tell us there's a lot of work to be done
in the final third. But it seems that the defense
has sorted out. So that's why I'm excited, because there's
(35:13):
so much more to come, I imagine attacking wise.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
Yeah, and I think she's still got some options there
as well. Emma Main As you say, she hadn't scored
before this game, and she even said afterwards that she
was starting to weigh on her a little bit. Got
a couple of goals.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
Obviously.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
That was her forty ninth game, so she'll become the
fourth Wellington Phoenix player to bring up fifty games for
the women's team when they face Brisbane tomorrow. Good to
see her there, but I think Sara is going to play.
But p of Locke, speaking of young players, I'm so
impressed by this kid, and she is just a kid.
What is she's seventeen. She looks every inch of player
(35:49):
with a big future. Brooke Nunn looks good and busy,
there's Elliott who has sort of gone between a starting
player and off the bench. Emma Pinenberg's joined the team. Yeah,
and defensively, you're right Berg. I mean they look so
solid at the back with vic Es and Alie Walker,
Mac Bowry, MAURICEA. VanderMeer and CJ. Bott sitting in front,
(36:11):
and how are you supposed to get through that?
Speaker 1 (36:13):
It is difficult, Yeah, it is difficult. And essen's another one.
She must love being back at home after all that
time away, and she was probably a bit nervous coming
into the season, had a lot to prove that would
have all gone now settled, so there's a lot to
build on Lock. I completely agree. You've talked about it
quite a bit. I sensed you were sort of a
(36:35):
quite impressed with her from the start of the season.
But yeah, there was a moment in the game. I
think it led to the second goal where she just
showed great persistence to keep the ball and shrug off
a couple of defenders, and then I think none took over.
Did the same thing ends up in the area and
they score so dogged as well as skillful.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
Yeah, and I think just straight away she's just completely
unfazed by it all. You know, some players come into
a professional environment and they take a bit of time, right,
they just need to find their feet at the next
level up from what they're used to previously. She looks
at home already at this level. She's as you say,
she's robust, so it doesn't mind a challenge. And if
you're getting in there and putting your challenges, and then
(37:16):
I think you're involved in the game rather than sitting
on the periphery of it. And yeah, she's been, she's
been terrific. I you know, as I say, she started
a few games, has come off the bench in a couple. Look,
I think she's doing everything, you know, to force Beef
Briestman's hand to keep on starting. Her up to fifth
the Phoenix just three points behind the third place Mariners
and with two games in hand. It's with the buy
(37:38):
and also this period where some teams get a couple
of games ahead of the others, I mean cheap is
the Phoenix should come out the back end of January
virgin as you say, really being in contention, Brisbane away tomorrow,
Melbourne City at home, Canberra away, Adelaide United at home.
That's their January, so two on either side of the
Tasman they could well be in the top three in
(37:59):
a month from now.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
Well, no one's going to want to come to Wellington
to face this team, and the crowds are going to
get better and better in the Capitol because of the
way they're going. And then, as we've talked about, hopefully
the travel demons which were never really there for this team.
It's more historical. I think, as you said at the start,
what was it, three hundred and fifty days, is that
(38:22):
a win or something? Yeah? Yeah, nine games in a row,
so hopefully that's all gone now and there's so much
to be excited about. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Indeed, there is so doubleheader actually for the Wellington Phoenix
tomorrow at Cayo Stadium in Redcliffe. The men's games first,
which I think is an interesting, interesting way of scheduling things.
I'm not sure what the reason for that is, but
it'll be the men first, followed by the women, so
Wellington Phoenix against Brisbane Raw in both the men's and
the women's tomorrow night, depending on when you're listening to this,
this is a recording on the Friday so Saturday night
(38:54):
for that one, and then the Auckland FC side of
the chance to bounce quickly back from that defeat to
the Newcastle j when they visit Campbelltown on the fifth
of January, which is Monday. The other thing I heard
yesterday Birge, and it hasn't been confirmed yet, is is
a revised date for the Sydney FC game that was
that was canceled I'm not sure or postponed. Rather the
(39:15):
game that couldn't get played at Leichhart because of a
substandard pitch. I'm hearing that that game is likely now
to be played in February. The MacArthur game which they're
playing on Monday night is rescheduled from February around that
weekend of the fourteenth and fifteenth. So while Sydney FC
(39:36):
will have a game that weekend, Auckland FC won't, and
I'm hearing it's going to be on the Tuesday night,
the Tuesday night which I think is the seventeenth of February.
But what it is, it's off the back of a
weekend where Auckland FC don't have a game. They'll go
across to Sydney plan on the Tuesday and then they
come back for the third derby. So that's what I'm hearing.
(39:58):
It's going to be in the middle of February, the
schedule game against sdny FC.
Speaker 1 (40:02):
And the postpone was a real shame, wasn't it? Of
game was real looking forward to that game. But it's done.
Can I just talk about the incident that annoyed me
the most over the last six or seven days.
Speaker 3 (40:13):
Well, we've got through forty minutes and you haven't mentioned it.
The marvelous self control from you, But please, what do we.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
Talk about Roderick Miranda, who's now my least favorite player
in the A League. I mean, what's he doing? The
Phoenix were a goal, Nazari scores that. Nazaren scores that goal,
celebrating in front of the victory fans, and Miranda comes
over and starts shoving him away and telling him to
get out of here. You can't celebrate here. I thought
(40:41):
that was ridiculous and I've never seen that before. I've
never seen that before. I've seen players been pushed, you know,
from being trying to get the ball, your favorite thing
or whatever. But he's allowed to celebrate wherever he wants,
isn't he? Yep? Absolutely he is.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
I could not agree more and add and to add
to this, I was I saw some footage of the
Wellington Phoenix Melbourne Victory game from two years ago where
Melbourne Victory knocked the Phoenix out of you know, that
was the second leg of the semi in Wellington and
when Chris Economedi scored what is what turned out to
(41:16):
be the winning goal. Who's that celebrating in front of
yellow fever Roderick Miranda. So you know, a bit of
hypocrisy at play as well, But you're so right. They
can do what they like on the pitch. It's not
to Roderick Miranda to decide where where his opposition players
celebrated goal, like, totally agree.
Speaker 1 (41:35):
Completely bizarre. He's just he's a good player. But yeah,
he just he needs to take a look at himself
for that one.
Speaker 3 (41:40):
Well, I'm glad you got that off your chest. I
would hate to have finished the hate to have finished
the podcast and not given you the opportunity to expel
that that frustration.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
Go home, kicking the cat door or something exactly right.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
Yeah, well you don't have to do that. Now it's
out in the open and we can all just breathe
a little bit easier. A lot of FOOTBA to come
over the next three or four days as we say,
with a double header for the Phoenix Saturday and then
Auckland play on Monday. So at some point next week
I don't know what date it will be or what
day it will be, but we'll reconvene, Burch. Great to
have the football matches coming, so thinking fast at the moment,
isn't it.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
Oh, it's brilliant, it's brilliant. There's so much to look
forward to, as you've just outlined with the with the
games coming. I don't know what data is either, but
there's a lot of games coming and quite a bit
riding on all these matches for all three teams. So
can't wait, can't wait.
Speaker 3 (42:28):
Indeed, see you next week.
Football Fever, the podcast keeping you up to date.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
It's a beautiful game with the voice of football Jason
Paine and insid heralds Michael Burgess, powered by Newstalk ZBBI.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
A very happy New Year to you and a very
warm welcome and to the Football Fever Podcast, the first
edition for twenty twenty six. At the start of what
is said to be we hope, anyway, are quite memorable
footballing year. I'm Jason Pine. Michael Burgess has heid too.
I think we've done the happy New Year. We've dispensed
with all that urge. But has twenty twenty six started
(00:32):
well for you?
Speaker 1 (00:33):
Well? Yeah, it's been a strange that hasn't the sunshine
which has been great, but the football which we're about
to get to was truly bizarre on news day. But
apart from that, yeah, the year has its started well.
It's a good feeling here we are, twenty twenty six.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Indeed World Cup year, of course, and we look forward
to counting down towards June when the All Whites make
a reappearance at the biggest show on Earth for the
first time since twenty ten. But let's get to New
Year's Day at Media stadium. Did anybody see this coming?
Auckland FC won the Newcastle Jets three. The Jets become
(01:09):
the first team to beat Auckland FC in consecutive matches,
both of them in Auckland, both in the space of
the last five weeks or so, and utterly incredible defensive performance,
but really berts the way this game started. The first
twenty odd minutes just chaos.
Speaker 1 (01:26):
It was nuts. It was a mad, mad period. You
sort of looking around thinking what's going on here? Sort
of the spirit of New Year's Eve has been transposed
onto the pitch. There were things happening all over the place.
It was so open and its chaos is the word
to see. Three goals and a red card in the
(01:47):
first twenty one minutes of football is pretty incredible.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Let's try and go chronologically here before any goals were scored.
Alex Batlato, who scored a hat trick for Newcastle in
the early games of the season and has been one
of their most important attacking players, went down under challenge
from Kallan ally had no suggestion of anything wrong from
Callen's point of view, but he fell awkwardly. He had
his knee twisted and he was out of the game.
You know, as I say, shortly after the game had started,
(02:14):
Will Dobson came on. I just want to mention as well.
I think anyone who was booing Alex Battlato when he
went down out of the port just needs to give
themselves a bit of an uppercut. I think most fans
were well aware that it was a genuine injury. I'm
not sure what the bowin was about, but what that
did actually was get Will Dobson on the pitch and
I think across the ninety odd minutes that followed the
(02:36):
young was he eighteen year old Will Dobson was one
of the better players out there.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Well you mentioned young, like every time they panned to
a close up of the Newcastle team, half of them
seemed they look like school kids. It's so fresh faced.
You know, it's absolutely incredible. But I think that does
bring a bravado, a lack of fear. You know, they're
coming to play Auckland when the best teams in the
competition at their fortress. And again they didn't seem overawed
(03:10):
at all. Well, especially in the first twenty minutes. And
your Dobson excellent. So many there are other young players
excellent and really stood up to the occasion.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Again, I think you land on a great point, Berch,
and that there is that naivete, and it's a positive naivete,
isn't it. They don't know, they don't care about what's
happened before. They honestly, they'd relish it, wouldn't they. I
mean these guys are yeah, I mean, well, I'm sure
Will Dobson's not shaving yet. You know, he's got those
smooth cheeks of a youngster. But gee, what a player
(03:40):
he is. And yeah, a number of the others out there,
some of the slightly older guard guys in their early twenties,
also prominent. Lachland Rose scoring the first goal. I thought
he was left alone in the six yard box. Both
Hall and Goodwood Rike were there, but Rose was pretty
much untroubled to volley home the first goal.
Speaker 1 (03:59):
I thought it was. I've watched this back a few
times this morning. I mean, probably Elliott won't like the
fact he was beaten on his outside to get the
cross in. And then yeah, both central defenders sort of
stopped and Rose didn't, and he volley's home very well
from a couple of meters out. It was a strange lapse,
(04:23):
but Auckland have had a few of these this season.
But yeah, just to Corocer and Danny Hay will hate
that to have a striker come through that close to
the goal and get in space.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
And an early goal as well, which the Jets have
become famous for. That's the sixth goal they've scored this
season inside the first fifteen minutes of matches, so they
are absolute fast starters. But it didn't take long for
Auckland FC to draw level Jesse Randall with the free
kick after thirteen minutes. I'd be interested in your thoughts.
Was this very clever from Jesse Randall? Was it poor
(04:53):
Goulkin or a bit of a combination of both of
those things.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
It was mostly just absolutely brilliant strike. I thought the
angle was incredible and then the fact that he got
it just just inside the post, because if it's slightly more,
you know, towards the middle of the goal, it's going
to be saved. Hits it well. The audacity to go
for it it was, you know, the keeper was probably
a step out of position, but obviously he was expecting
(05:22):
the cross. But to pull that shot off, I mean
random might try that ten times today training or tomorrow,
and it would be hard to replicate. I just thought
it was a brilliant, brilliant strike. Obviously the keeper will
be disappointed.
Speaker 3 (05:35):
Yeah, because the obvious deliverer of that cross as Francis
Devriez on his left foot, and he's there as well,
makes the little decor a run. But it's not as
though Delianov then didn't have time in his own mind
to think, okay, well Devrez hasn't taken it, so it
is Randall. But yeah, I think probably still expecting the cross,
a right footed cross into a throng of players, but yeah,
instead arrowed it into the near post to make it
(05:57):
one one. But the league didn't last very long Wells
and the aforementioned making it.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Two to one.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
I thought, this is a sloppy piece of play from
Auckland FC, who were normally so good, you know, bringing
the ball out from defense. It was a rare misstep
from Dan Hall to give that ball away. But the
Jets broke so quickly, didn't they Afterwards?
Speaker 1 (06:15):
It was funny, Pinty because we spoke to Danny Hay
last week. Steve Crocker was six, so Danny Hay was
doing the media and he talked about Newcastle are so
dangerous on the counter, so we've got to be really
they're really dangerous when we're in possession, so we're going
to really get our rest defense right and our setup
right and all that sort of thing. And you're thinking
(06:37):
they knew all that, and for Dan Hall to take
such a chance, it was so uncharacteristic, wasn't it him
to sort of be driving forward, then it's a loose touch,
he gets robbed in halfway. He's been such a good defender,
such a good player for this team. It was a
weird moment. But then yeah, they just the speed that
(06:57):
they broke though, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
That was wasn't it. It was just lightning and down
they went and the shot came in, powered by Michael
Vaut and Dobson following up to score. We're not even
at the twenty minute mark, by the way, but at
this point and then Max Cooper, who'd already received a
yellow in fact, it was a yellow card from the
free kick from which Randall scored. And then he's had
(07:19):
a very heavy touch on halfway has gone to try
and make up for his error. Sam Cosgroves nipped in
taking the ball away Cooper's taken him out. I don't
think there can be any argument that's a yellow card,
Absolutely no argument. But all of a sudden, the Jets
are down to ten away at the league leaders with
still seventeen minutes to go.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Berg That was the thing. It was like you were thinking, Okay, well,
this is gonna change the complexion of the game completely.
It took a while to change because the Jets, I
guess they still had an attacking shape for a while
in the second half they just retreated completely. But it actually,
I don't know, I don't know what you think. You
(07:58):
always hear that the coaches do say it's harder than
you think to play against ten men, and maybe it
just got it did get in the minds of Auckland
and see a bit instead of just playing their normal game. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
I think the direct comparison is what happened in the
derby down and Wellington when Auckland FC went down to
ten men and then later on went down to nine.
But when they were down to ten exactly the same
as what Newcastle did. You just pack the central areas,
you pack the box. You kind of let the other
team have the wide areas. If you're going to offer
up space anywhere you offer that space up in wide areas,
(08:33):
that is perilous though against Auckland f C, who we
know are such good deliverers of the football. Francis to
reason Raki Sakai of course, who came on in the
second half, and others who can whip in a good cross.
But I'm trying to think back Burgee. I've watched it
back this morning as well in preparation for this. Were
there any really good clear cut chances for Auckland FC
(08:56):
from two one down? I mean, it seems like they
had all of the ball. The steps to tell you
they had seventy one percent possession across the game, But
can you remember a really clear cut good goal scoring opportunity?
Speaker 1 (09:09):
I mean there weren't too many. Were There were a couple,
but from twenty two shots and all the possession, all
the territory, not as much as they would expect. There
was never a big sense that a goal was coming
or a lot of goals were coming. There was definitely
something missing and what they were trying to do. There
(09:29):
were chances. Logan Rogerson and John ty Bidoir kind of
got in each other's way, but they both had a
shot from six yards out which they seemed to scuff
and normally you'd want to put those away, I thought,
I actually thought it will probably all focus on the
second half, when it was just a complete rear good action.
But I thought the game was probably lost in the
first half. In the second part of the first half,
(09:50):
when it still looked like more of a normal match,
Newcastle was still attacking a bit, so there was more
space and I thought Auckland had some decent chances in
that period. Sam Kovgrove had one where he could have
released Yam and Maia, there were a couple others, so
I thought that that was actually pretty crucial, And then
the second half was a bit more of as you say,
it was just it was just the rock strift, everyone
(10:12):
behind the ball, everyone in their own penalty area.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Yeah, there was one point where a quarter got taken
right at the end and Michael vaud had come up
for that corner, and we'll get to the end of
the game in a moment, but every single player apart
from Marley Franzois who was taking the corner, was in
that bed in the area. It was just quite incredible.
The Jets of those days were down to nine as well,
because Christian Braco had come on, had to limp off
and the Jets had no more subs. Anyway, let's go back.
(10:35):
But you know, stats, they can tell you anything you want,
but they do illustrate the point of this game. Auckland
FC made seventy six penalty area entries. They put in
fifty nine crosses. The Jets, what about this booch? Sixty
one clearances sixty one Oh my god.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
What a day for the end of day. The defenders
that don't always get the glory, what a day?
Speaker 3 (11:05):
Have done anything differently? I remember us talking about this
with the Phoenix against Auckland, when, as I said before,
they were you know, they had the numerical superiority and
just kind of kept on lumping crosses and hoping for
the best. It felt like a little bit like that yesterday,
although I did on occasion, more than one occasion, notice
Auckland try to do different things. They try and do
something on the edge of the box, try and slider pass,
(11:27):
and they put a couple of low crosses in. Could
they have done anything differently?
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Yeah, I mean it's obviously harder than we think, isn't it,
Because look what you go on, You're thinking, Okay, they're
playing against ten men, they'll break through eventually. But Coracer
after the match was disappointed with the fact they didn't
really His comment was, didn't really hurt. The Jets didn't
really move the ball fast enough. They probably didn't get
enough shots away. I guess a couple of times they
had chanced to shoot and went for the extra pass.
(11:54):
But you're right, there were trying different things, different angles.
They tried just about every possible angle in terms of
delivering a ball attacking from deeper. I don't know. I
did feel maybe that Kyraker overdid the subs. I think
sometimes you can throw on subs like confetti and just
hope for things to happen. But for example, I wondered
(12:15):
if Jesse Randal hadn't been in the game much. I
know that, but but someone like him, he is the
kind of guy that can make things happen, make a
goal happen. So I was a bit surprised, for example,
that he went off. I think Kraker used all five
of his subs, didn't they Yep, he did, he did.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
I thought that was strange too, with rand were coming off,
And also I thought it was strange also taking Lachlan
Brook off. I know, you know, he just seems to
me to be the one who hazard in his locker
to create something in different ways on the edge of
the area, with a long shot or with like a
little slipped pass or something like that. I thought his
(12:51):
withdrawal was interesting, you know, clearly putting John ty Bidoi on,
he's another He's a bigger body, isn't he. So they
had they had two big bodies in the box, Cosgrove
and Bidoir, and so clearly the you know, the strategy
was that kind of aerial assault. I don't know. I mean,
you roll the dice, don't you, and you try different
things and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I mean,
(13:14):
Howison coming on, Francois coming on, I don't know, just
just on the formation. I know they want to get
Gagemo my back into the starting eleven birch, but I
was disappointed to see Lochland brook revert to that wide role.
I think he's been excellent in that ten role, and
I know May is my he's a player of the air.
Last year, of course you got to try and get
him in there. But I was disappointed to see Lochland
(13:37):
Brook revert to a wide role. I think he's been
really good in that ten pocket.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
It's inter you say that because I was sitting there
in the first half and there are a couple of
moments when all the players going down the left, Brooks
stuck way over on the right, and there's a couple
of times if there's a chance to sort of ping
him along pass and it didn't go his way and
he sort of, you know, put his hands up in frustration.
I was thinking a similar thing to you, that he's
(14:03):
a guy who's so dangerous, so unpredictable, has been so
effective and suddenly he's just where Newcastle won him miles
from anywhere, can't get to the ball. So it's a
conundrum because I guess the question is can my and
Brook be in the same eleven or do you have
to sacrifice one for the other. I'm not sure, but
(14:27):
I think you're right. I agree with you in that Brook,
when you take him out of that number ten role,
it's much harder for him to have an impact on
the match.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
I mean, like Rogerson was the one sacrificed from the
starting eleven yesterday, which I think is about stuff. Actually
but again you want to get my in there, and yeah,
I mean five and the four simthing doesn't go, you know, Cosgrove, Randall,
my Brook and Rogerson can't all play. They can't you know,
you can't play all five of them. Somebody is going
to miss out. So I guess it's a juggling act
(15:01):
for Steve Kayriker. He went with my yesterday push broke
out Rogerson off the bench. But yeah, I don't know.
I just thought it was an interesting, interesting strategic decision. Actually,
the Jets had a really good chance midway through the
second half to go three one up. They got a
rare free kick down in Auckland Territory, swung towards the
far post Joe Shawness. He headed it down. Max Burgess,
(15:22):
he's six yards out on his good foot. He should
score that, shouldn't he?
Speaker 1 (15:26):
Oh, he should have. My father's still talking about my
father's favorite player. My father's name is Max. So my
father loves Max Burgess ever since he played for the Phoenix,
and he's very disappointed that Max missed his opportunity yesterday.
But no, he should have. He should have. He should
have buried it and that would have been that would
have been game over. Yeah, So yeah, it was a
(15:49):
it was just a it was just quite a weird,
weird day, a weird feeling at the ground because I
felt like the massive crowd there all ready to celebrate,
and you, I don't know who you felt, but you
thought that, Okay, if they did score one, they're probably
going to get a few more because the Jets were
getting exhausted. But as long as the Jets hung on,
you could feel the anxiety and the frustration growing, both
(16:11):
in the crowd and among the players.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Yeah, and the clock just tacks on and on, doesn't it.
The clock doesn't stop. You look up and there's seventy
minutes gone, You look up and there's eighty minutes gone,
and then you start to think, man, are we going
to get this goal? And you're right, I think there
was just that feeling of anxiety, certainly in the crowd
and to a lesser extent, I guess amongst the players
as well. And then right right right at the end,
as I say, with Newcastle down to nine by this point,
(16:35):
with Cooper having been scenes off and Bracco injured, a
corner for Auckland FC towards the near post Lochland Rose
gets the header away and then goodness only knows how
he had the energy for this. In the ninety six
minute sprints off downfield. Mark Natter, the center backer was
very good yesterday, gets it, plays it into Lochland Rose's path.
(16:56):
Michael vows up for the corner and Rose tucks it away,
to the delight of his teammates and the small pocket
and Newcastle fans. I mean, what a what a finish
to this game. I always love it when keepers come
up for corners, and I haven't seen Michael vad but
I can only imagine he was trying to desperately get
back knowing he wasn't going to be able to and
(17:16):
I mean want to finish to a quite remarkable game
of football.
Speaker 1 (17:20):
We were hoping for an Allison Becker moment where we
to be honest, but it also summed up the data
degree because that that corner with everyone up needs to
either go, you know, to the middle of the goal
or to the far post. And Francis de Breeze is
probably exhausted and he it's a poor delivery by he
standers doesn't even clear the first the first offender, and
(17:41):
that creates that that creates the danger and that's that's
that's game over.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Yeah, game over indeed, So that's the Jets.
Speaker 1 (17:48):
Now.
Speaker 3 (17:48):
They've come to New Zealand three times in five weeks
and they've won all three games. They must love coming
through Customs over to New Zealand to play football. Auckland
FC stay top, but Sydney FC can go past them
if they beat Melbourne City tomorrow night. Look, I think
this feels like a blip to me. I don't think
we need to panic you look at the table in
Auckland FC is still up the top. They next played
(18:09):
MacArthur away on Monday night. But just before we moved
from Auckland f C. Are they actually a better away
team than they are at home? You've talked a lot
about how they play so well away. They've only lost
two of eighteen away games. Yesterday was their fourth home
loss in twenty home games. Again, stats only tell part
of it, but actually, are they slightly better on the
(18:32):
road than they are at home?
Speaker 1 (18:33):
I mean it's a good stat I have you thinking
about this. I just do feel that that sort of
home aura that they had for all of last season,
because they only lost once there, and they remember and
they were always just rescuing a draw getting a win
with a late goal. I feel like that slipped a
bit because if you look at the fact that they
had that draw against Brisbane, which was Brisbane probably good
(18:53):
really for the winner, it was pretty ugly lost in
Newcastle in the rain, and then lost to Newcastle again.
It feels like the fortress factor has just slipped a bit.
I think you're right, like it was a blurp, a
pretty strange game. I think they'll be okay, but they've
got what is it, three away games in twelve days
(19:15):
or something crazy, pretty tough schedule and the fact they've
already dropped eight points at home could be costly later
on in the season when you're talking about finishing positions.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
You're right, three games away MacArthur Monday night, then Brisbane
on the Friday. So I'll stay over there next week
for the Monday Friday turnaround and then come back home
and then go back for Melbourne City on the sixteenth.
Next home game isn't until Saturday, the twenty fourth of
January when they take on the Central Coast Mariners. So yeah,
a quite remarkable game at go Media Stadium yesterday.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
The Football Fever Podcast with Jason Vine and Michael Burgess.
Speaker 3 (19:57):
Can we circle back to Monday Night at this time
of the year. I don't think anybody knows what date is.
That was the twenty ninth of December, Monday Night, Melbourne
Victory five Wellington Phoenix won at Amy Park. The Amy
Park curse continues for Wellington, who haven't won there since
twenty seventeen, a third loss in four matches during December,
(20:18):
during which time they've conceded twelve goals. I want to
jump straight to the decision to start Amon McCarran in
goal for Wellington. He'd come off the bench in the
previous match when josh olaway Emy had suffered the knee injury.
That injury kept him out of this one. I just
thought it was an era of judgment to start Amon
(20:42):
McCarran and hindsight's always twenty twenty as we know, but
he was clearly out of his depth. And when you've
got LB Kelly heeled there, who played eight games last
season took the number one spot from Josh olaway Emy
would have held on to it, I presume except for
injury that ruled him out for the back end of
the season. Why on earth would you start an eighteen
(21:06):
year old kid in the absolute firestorm of Amy Park.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Yeah, I was baffled. I'm still baffled. Like you can
talk about hindsight, but when I saw the teamless come out,
I you know, immediately thought, what's going on? Would they
why would they do this? There may be another factor
we don't know about Piney, but it just it just
doesn't make any sense because you've got to you've got
(21:35):
to look after young players, especially young goalkeepers. I think
young goalkeepers are particularly vulnerable and these kind of things
can can actually do a lot of damage. And you know,
you might talk to him a year later and he'll say, oh,
I took a few months to get over that. Like
I just the main thing was it just felt unnecessary.
Speaker 3 (21:57):
Yep, that's exactly what it was. Unnecess Look. I understand
that there's a pecking order within a goalkeeping cohort at
a club. There's normally, well many times there's an obvious
number one, and in the case of the Phoenix it
has been Josh Olaway Emmy, so that leaves Amon McCarran
and Elbi Kelly Hill to battle it out for the
(22:18):
number two spot. And to be honest, that battle doesn't
really matter too much because you know, all things being equal,
your number one is going to be there the whole time.
It only becomes an issue when your number one gets injured,
which is the situation we found ourselves in here against
the Mariners the other week. It had to be McCarran
who came on because he was the reserve goalkeeper that day,
(22:38):
but he didn't have to start at Amy Park. John
Calotaliano and goalkeeping coach Dylan Cope had a choice to make.
They could have gone with Lbie Kelly Heel, who had
to watch this all unfold from the bench. To me, Birch,
I just think it's it's irresponsible to throw a kid
in like that. You're so right. He's an eighteen year
old kid, do you know. Towards the back end of
(22:59):
the game, I bet he was just praying for that
final whistle wo come so he could get off the grass.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
You know.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
Smacks of twenty seventeen eighteen when Daria Kelisch, who had
Lewis a Taliano tandover Laffi and Olie Salin. His squad
overlooked all three of them and played eighteen year old
Keegan Smith for the first six games of that season.
It wasn't quite so bad as a five to one hammering,
but he was clearly out of his depth as well.
I just think you've got to be a bit more responsible.
Speaker 1 (23:27):
Yeah, it's a good parallel action, and you do, and
it continues, it continues a pattern of decisions that are
hard to understand. I mean, he wasn't at fault for
all of the goals obviously, but I think there was something.
What did Melbourn Victory had six shots on target and
(23:49):
they've got five goals. Who as a goalkeeper, you're feeling
you know, you're feeling awful. And he's obviously very promising
to be in the position he's in at his age.
He's obviously, you know, an undoubted talent and you've got
to nurture that talent and make sure that he's ready
when you need him and he's going to be at
his best. So yeah, why you put him in those
(24:10):
circumstances with everything else going on at the club and
the fact there's been issues. Yeah, I just.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
I talked to him to Ruben Parker, the previous goalkeeping coach,
about Alex Paulson actually, and he said, what what normally
happens with goalkeepers is that they tend to mature a
bit later than outfield players. So if you're putting a
goalkeeper in at the age of twenty two twenty three,
that's like playing an eighteen nineteen year old in the outfield,
(24:37):
if you get my drift. So what does it say
if you're throwing an eighteen year old into goal? Is
that the equivalent of a fourteen or fifteen year old
being thrown into an outfield position. Look, I think Aman mccaarran.
I hope he bounces back and has a long and
successful career. I really hope that, because to get to
a point that you're you know, you're playing professional football
(24:58):
at eighteen, the kids clearly got something about him. I
just hope, against hope, you know, I just really hope
that what happened on Monday night doesn't set him back
or have a permanent effect on him. Look, I don't
know Aman McCarran at all. He might be very, very
mentally strong and have good support networks around him, and
I hope that's the case. But for me, if that
team list comes out tomorrow night when they take on
(25:20):
Brisbane Raw, another very physical team at Redcliffe, which is
a more intimate ground than sun Court where the fans
are right on top of you. If that team list
has Amon mccarroon on it again tomorrow night, then then
I'll be I'll be doubly baffled.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Birch, especially as they did the hard yards last season
with alb Kelly Hill, so they went through, you know,
a similar thing with him. He had his baptism. He
he you know, he got through it and so he's
he's had a taste. So yeah, it's it's it's obvious,
isn't it. I mean, I don't want to be an
armchair coach, and selecting teams is the hardest thing. And
(25:56):
there's all these things around training form and maybe Aimon
has been training the house down, but you got to
think beyond that and think about what he's going to
face on the night.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Yeah, exactly right, And I just think you protect him
as well. I think the right thing to do for
your for your young players is to is to offer
them a degree of protection. As you say, five shots
or five goals with six shots on target, I think
you know, a different keeper probably saves a couple of them,
you know, Josh Olowemi by the sounds of it won't
be available for tomorrow night. May work may be back
(26:26):
for the next game, but yeah, we'll wait and see. Look,
Phoenix were well beaten it It certainly wasn't Amon mccararan's
fault that they got beat five to one, just the
two shots on target. At the other end, the goal
they scored was due to an horrendous era from a
very experienced player in Jason Davidson, who basically just presented
it on a plate for Remy Nazerene. Other than that,
just one shot on target. And to make matters even worse,
(26:49):
Alex Rufer limped off late in the game with what
looked like a hamstring strain. So you know, josh Alawami
and Alex Rufer have been the Phoenix's best two players
and they might go into the game against Brisbane without
either of them. So look at it's a tight table,
as we often say, just start to stretch a bit.
The Nicks are tenth on eleven points, still just four
points off the top six though, so it's not panic stations.
(27:11):
But yeah, I mean, it just was a very very
demoralizing way to finish the year for Phoenix fans, I'm sure.
Speaker 1 (27:20):
Yeah, exactly and the turnout was amazing, Like to see
that contingent of fans bolstered by the Barmai army, but
to see that many Phoenix fans in Melbourne was brilliant.
Good on them making the trip from Sydney or Melbourne
or across the townsman fantastic And yet again it felt
like they've been let down, like there are only four
(27:40):
points out of the sixth but where are those four
points coming from?
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Yeah, well you look at January Brisbane away tomorrow night,
then Adelaide at home, Sydney FC away Newcastle we've talked
about at length away and the Melbourne City last year's
champions at home. So there are no easy games. I'd
be struggle to line up five, you know, relatively straightforward games.
(28:04):
But as you've said often and I totally agree, the
Phoenix do have the ability within their squads to actually
string results together. On their day they beat Adelaide, they
were very good that day, you know, they beat the
Mariners having lost their goalkeeper early on. They do have
it in them, but it's just the consistency that is
(28:25):
needed to It's so type perche and honestly, I think
Sydney you've seen Auckland have cleared off any of the
other teams pretty much. I mean the Wanderers, I mean
they've been terrible, but they're still just hanging in. Even
the Mariners, you know, they were good the other night
until the ninety fifth minute, ninety fourth minute when Brisbane
got their winner. No easy games in this league. Everybody's
fighting for the six. You've got to pick up points.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
I'm quite worried about the Phoenix in January. I think
it could get a bit a bit dark. I thought,
you know, defending was really bad for the goals, and
that's say something. But then I also thought it wasn't
great to have ginclo Otelli I labeling that, labeling that
defending comical. I don't think that helps either because it's
(29:11):
fine for me or you to call the defending comical,
but when your coach is saying it, and then I
don't know how the players would feel about that, and
then they go to train the next day and he's
trying to get them up for this game coming.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
I yeah, I think I think your praise publicly and
criticized privately, that's.
Speaker 1 (29:31):
A That's That's what I'm trying to say.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
Yeah, and you're right when you when you've got to
watch your coach call it comical like he was clearly
upset with what had happened, as I'm sure all of
the players are. All they can do is move on.
All they can do is move on, and look it's shaping.
Is a very very tricky game against Brisbane, who has
a say of you know, the cheapest that came the
other night, just absolute carnage areas with Valcanus getting a
(29:57):
red card and players having to go at each other
and the yellow cards here there and everywhere, and oh
all sorts. So yeah, Brisbane are a tricky proposition at
the moment and building momentum. I think we've got eighteen points.
They have got eighteen points, so you know, entrenched in
the top three. So yeah, very very tricky game for
the Phoenix men tomorrow night, at the start of a
very very challenging month for them.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Food balls either with Jason Paide and Michael Burgers.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
But on a brighter note as far as the Wellington
Phoenix are concerned, Tuesday Nights Western Sydney Wanderer's nil Wellington
Phoenix Women three. That is just a ninth away win
in forty three matches across the Tasman. That tells a
story that we've talked about before. But that's now ten
unanswered goals in the last two games, seven nil against Sydney,
(30:46):
three nil against Western Sydney. The Wellington Phoenix Women have
finally arrived in the season, Birch.
Speaker 1 (30:53):
Well, they have and I think I don't know how
you feel, but I think it might be time to
adjust our expectations around this team. Like I don't want
to get carried away, but I'm probably going to. But
what I'm about to say is that I think they
are going to make the playoffs. I think that's clear
(31:14):
they're going to make the playoffs based on what you've
just said that they're just about the best defensive team
in the competition and that's that's how you make the playoffs, right.
So what they've conceded four goals, I think it is
across the season, the lowest in the league. I think
they've only given up four shots on target too in
the last four games, which is extraordinary. So they've got
that base. But what I'm trying to say is I
think they're going to make the playoffs. I've seen enough now.
(31:37):
But beyond that, I'm starting to see them as contenders,
you know, so without getting carried away, I think they
could really be going places.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
I agree, I agree, and I think they've in the
last two weeks kind of found their goal scoring mojo.
That was what was missing in the first month or
so of the season was the goals. You know, one
all draws at home against Camber and Newcastle. They got
the one that win against Victory, but then those two
one nill losses away when as you say, you know,
they defended brilliantly but just couldn't score at the other ends.
(32:10):
They've added that now, and goodness me, they you know,
as we go into the new year, I think I
think we're right to feel optimistic and to and to
re set our expectations about this team. I think we
always thought they were a playoff team with Beef Priestman
coming in and the signings she had made, and we
were starting to doubt it just a little bit after
(32:30):
five games, weren't we just the one win and a
couple of losses. But but now it's looking a heck
of a lot Rosier. How good is it watching the
Nepalese football fans turn up everywhere Samba goes. It's just
so cool.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
The A League must be just ecstatic about the situation
because it's creating an amazing atmosphere and as I think
one of the players said after the match, they're feeding
off it. It was great for both teams really, but
they're of it and now things are starting to flow
for for Samba. I mean, I haven't seen such a
reception on such a regular basis before. I don't think
(33:11):
it's just it's just brilliant.
Speaker 3 (33:12):
I think there were more Phoenix fans there on on
what night was it, Tuesday night against Western Sydney than
there were Western Sydney fans. You know, that would have
felt like a home game because the stand that the
camera was facing was just utterly packed with Nipalese fans,
so by extension are Wellington Phoenix fans. And when they
zoomed in you could see, you know, the Phoenix fans
(33:33):
with the you know, the the yellow and black on
you know, sort of dotted and amongst all of these
incredibly passionate Honestly, every time Sama just has to bring
the ball down and the crowd goes bad. And when
she scored her goal, my goodness, just as you say,
the a league must just be loving it that that,
you know, the support that she's guarded, and look, maybe
(33:55):
it's a it's a it's a lesson that these are
the kinds of players we need to look to to
our competition because they bring with them such passionate pockets
of fans that exist really clearly on both sides of
the test.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
Well, I've always won, well, not always wondered it hasn't
been going along, But I wondered to myself if aucnlef
C would think about signing a Korean player, for example,
you know, sign a prominent Korean player. There's that massive
Korean population in Auckland and they're quite well known for
how they support their team. So yeah, there is there
are opportunities like that because but the other thing it's
(34:29):
doing is is Samber's feeding off. The way she took
that goal, it wasn't easy, and she reacted so quickly
then took the goal, defenders all around her. And then
another thing I noticed, the way she sprinted away to
set up the third goal, was like, what's up that
knee problem? It's all gone. You know, she's she's gone,
and her teammates responding as well. I mean that finished
(34:52):
by Mamain for the first goal that was that was
not easy. The ball sort of fired in and just
directs at home. So there's quite a bit clicking in
the final third, although I'm sure bev priest One would
tell us there's a lot of work to be done
in the final third. But it seems that the defense
has sorted out. So that's why I'm excited, because there's
(35:13):
so much more to come, I imagine attacking wise.
Speaker 3 (35:16):
Yeah, and I think she's still got some options there
as well. Emma Main As you say, she hadn't scored
before this game, and she even said afterwards that she
was starting to weigh on her a little bit. Got
a couple of goals.
Speaker 1 (35:28):
Obviously.
Speaker 3 (35:29):
That was her forty ninth game, so she'll become the
fourth Wellington Phoenix player to bring up fifty games for
the women's team when they face Brisbane tomorrow. Good to
see her there, but I think Sara is going to play.
But p of Locke, speaking of young players, I'm so
impressed by this kid, and she is just a kid.
What is she's seventeen. She looks every inch of player
(35:49):
with a big future. Brooke Nunn looks good and busy,
there's Elliott who has sort of gone between a starting
player and off the bench. Emma Pinenberg's joined the team. Yeah,
and defensively, you're right Berg. I mean they look so
solid at the back with vic Es and Alie Walker,
Mac Bowry, MAURICEA. VanderMeer and CJ. Bott sitting in front,
(36:11):
and how are you supposed to get through that?
Speaker 1 (36:13):
It is difficult, Yeah, it is difficult. And essen's another one.
She must love being back at home after all that
time away, and she was probably a bit nervous coming
into the season, had a lot to prove that would
have all gone now settled, so there's a lot to
build on Lock. I completely agree. You've talked about it
quite a bit. I sensed you were sort of a
(36:35):
quite impressed with her from the start of the season.
But yeah, there was a moment in the game. I
think it led to the second goal where she just
showed great persistence to keep the ball and shrug off
a couple of defenders, and then I think none took over.
Did the same thing ends up in the area and
they score so dogged as well as skillful.
Speaker 3 (36:54):
Yeah, and I think just straight away she's just completely
unfazed by it all. You know, some players come into
a professional environment and they take a bit of time, right,
they just need to find their feet at the next
level up from what they're used to previously. She looks
at home already at this level. She's as you say,
she's robust, so it doesn't mind a challenge. And if
you're getting in there and putting your challenges, and then
(37:16):
I think you're involved in the game rather than sitting
on the periphery of it. And yeah, she's been, she's
been terrific. I you know, as I say, she started
a few games, has come off the bench in a couple. Look,
I think she's doing everything, you know, to force Beef
Briestman's hand to keep on starting. Her up to fifth
the Phoenix just three points behind the third place Mariners
and with two games in hand. It's with the buy
(37:38):
and also this period where some teams get a couple
of games ahead of the others, I mean cheap is
the Phoenix should come out the back end of January
virgin as you say, really being in contention, Brisbane away tomorrow,
Melbourne City at home, Canberra away, Adelaide United at home.
That's their January, so two on either side of the
Tasman they could well be in the top three in
(37:59):
a month from now.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
Well, no one's going to want to come to Wellington
to face this team, and the crowds are going to
get better and better in the Capitol because of the
way they're going. And then, as we've talked about, hopefully
the travel demons which were never really there for this team.
It's more historical. I think, as you said at the start,
what was it, three hundred and fifty days, is that
(38:22):
a win or something? Yeah? Yeah, nine games in a row,
so hopefully that's all gone now and there's so much
to be excited about. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:32):
Indeed, there is so doubleheader actually for the Wellington Phoenix
tomorrow at Cayo Stadium in Redcliffe. The men's games first,
which I think is an interesting, interesting way of scheduling things.
I'm not sure what the reason for that is, but
it'll be the men first, followed by the women, so
Wellington Phoenix against Brisbane Raw in both the men's and
the women's tomorrow night, depending on when you're listening to this,
this is a recording on the Friday so Saturday night
(38:54):
for that one, and then the Auckland FC side of
the chance to bounce quickly back from that defeat to
the Newcastle j when they visit Campbelltown on the fifth
of January, which is Monday. The other thing I heard
yesterday Birge, and it hasn't been confirmed yet, is is
a revised date for the Sydney FC game that was
that was canceled I'm not sure or postponed. Rather the
(39:15):
game that couldn't get played at Leichhart because of a
substandard pitch. I'm hearing that that game is likely now
to be played in February. The MacArthur game which they're
playing on Monday night is rescheduled from February around that
weekend of the fourteenth and fifteenth. So while Sydney FC
(39:36):
will have a game that weekend, Auckland FC won't, and
I'm hearing it's going to be on the Tuesday night,
the Tuesday night which I think is the seventeenth of February.
But what it is, it's off the back of a
weekend where Auckland FC don't have a game. They'll go
across to Sydney plan on the Tuesday and then they
come back for the third derby. So that's what I'm hearing.
(39:58):
It's going to be in the middle of February, the
schedule game against sdny FC.
Speaker 1 (40:02):
And the postpone was a real shame, wasn't it? Of
game was real looking forward to that game. But it's done.
Can I just talk about the incident that annoyed me
the most over the last six or seven days.
Speaker 3 (40:13):
Well, we've got through forty minutes and you haven't mentioned it.
The marvelous self control from you, But please, what do we.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
Talk about Roderick Miranda, who's now my least favorite player
in the A League. I mean, what's he doing? The
Phoenix were a goal, Nazari scores that. Nazaren scores that goal,
celebrating in front of the victory fans, and Miranda comes
over and starts shoving him away and telling him to
get out of here. You can't celebrate here. I thought
(40:41):
that was ridiculous and I've never seen that before. I've
never seen that before. I've seen players been pushed, you know,
from being trying to get the ball, your favorite thing
or whatever. But he's allowed to celebrate wherever he wants,
isn't he? Yep? Absolutely he is.
Speaker 3 (40:56):
I could not agree more and add and to add
to this, I was I saw some footage of the
Wellington Phoenix Melbourne Victory game from two years ago where
Melbourne Victory knocked the Phoenix out of you know, that
was the second leg of the semi in Wellington and
when Chris Economedi scored what is what turned out to
(41:16):
be the winning goal. Who's that celebrating in front of
yellow fever Roderick Miranda. So you know, a bit of
hypocrisy at play as well, But you're so right. They
can do what they like on the pitch. It's not
to Roderick Miranda to decide where where his opposition players
celebrated goal, like, totally agree.
Speaker 1 (41:35):
Completely bizarre. He's just he's a good player. But yeah,
he just he needs to take a look at himself
for that one.
Speaker 3 (41:40):
Well, I'm glad you got that off your chest. I
would hate to have finished the hate to have finished
the podcast and not given you the opportunity to expel
that that frustration.
Speaker 1 (41:51):
Go home, kicking the cat door or something exactly right.
Speaker 3 (41:54):
Yeah, well you don't have to do that. Now it's
out in the open and we can all just breathe
a little bit easier. A lot of FOOTBA to come
over the next three or four days as we say,
with a double header for the Phoenix Saturday and then
Auckland play on Monday. So at some point next week
I don't know what date it will be or what
day it will be, but we'll reconvene, Burch. Great to
have the football matches coming, so thinking fast at the moment,
isn't it.
Speaker 1 (42:14):
Oh, it's brilliant, it's brilliant. There's so much to look
forward to, as you've just outlined with the with the
games coming. I don't know what data is either, but
there's a lot of games coming and quite a bit
riding on all these matches for all three teams. So
can't wait, can't wait.
Speaker 3 (42:28):
Indeed, see you next week.
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