December 27, 2024 • 9 mins
Wellington Phoenix take on A-League Women leaders Melbourne City today.
The team look to maintain a winning streak after beating two-time defending A-League Women champions Sydney FC last week.
Phoenix Captain Annalie Longo
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
The Wellington Phoenix Women in action tonight against Melbourne City
seven o'clock in Melbourne. It's at Casey Fields. They come
in in fine form, a club record four matches unbeaten
for the Phoenix Women, including a win over double defending
champion Sydney FC last weekend.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
They continue to commit numbers forward Wellington and mcneakon doubles
the lead. It was a powerful heater it had been
coming through out the second half and the number two
rises and heads home past Franco and goal. Wellington take
a tuner lead over Sydney.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
And one at two. Nila Potty to a park last weekend.
So off to Melbourn where they take on Melbourne City.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
To night.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Captain Annalie Longo joined us. Thanks for having a chat
on match day, Annalie. Unbeaten in your last four now
up to fifth on the table. What have been the
main reasons for the team's really good form.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Yeah, they were really pleased. I think I think the
most pleasing thing for me is around being our defensive shape,
not considering cheap goals and you know, really working hard,
defensitively and being able to hang on to you know,
one or two goal leagues and you know, all that
results where last season we seemed to struggle. So yes,
been really pleasing to see. We've played some really good
(01:29):
teams in the last four weeks as well. So good son, and.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
How much confidence have you taken from the unbeaten run
of four games, especially after three straight defeats to start
the season.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Definitely tall about building that momentum and how we want
to continue to do that. And I think although those
were two games, I thought you actually played some good
football and I think the performances were there were just
lacking in those you know file bit of quality moments.
So I think, you know, these classball game. It's definitely improved,
and the squad's growing and the debts growing in the
squad and yes, yeah, good good things are you know
(02:03):
kind of ruling and people are getting into form and
fitness and things that. So yeah, the team's jelling well
together and yeah, looking forward to two more thans coming ahead.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
So last weekend to nil over Sydney FC, but the
game took a bit longer than usual with a break
for the threat of lightning, strikes. Have you ever had
a match interrupted by the threat of lightning before?
Speaker 5 (02:25):
I have. Actually it was a World Cup match against
Canada in an opening group game against sell it Old
coach John Hoodman, and we actually battled the first ten.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
Minutes of the game. We're struggling and down and we
went to the chest and it probably did us a
bit of a favor and we come back out and
we managed to scrap a draw out of that game.
So it was a similar feeling when we went into
the get. I think we were getting better than that
first staf against the FU were struggling to climbing the energy,
all kind of shrim passes and hang on with a
few scary moments, and yeah, I think that the weather
(03:01):
probably lessened.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
To our favor.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Were able to reset and kind of refocus and come
out and I think that you can lockdown TUCT.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
I heard your coach Paul Temple afterwards say that during
that break, which was about forty five minutes, you just
watched the first half back basically in order to work out,
you know, what had been not quite going as well
as you would have hoped, and to be able to
make some tweaks for the second half. Is that basically
what happened in the in the sheds at half time.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
Yeah, we had a couple of laptop stuff and those
that wanted to watch some Fordage or stay clips specific
you know what could help us were sitting down and
looking at those. And yeah, there was a mixture of
things going on, but yeah, it was all about kind
of trying to reset the mind and make sure the
body was ready to go and refocus to step that
out and put in a much improved performance in that
(03:46):
second half.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
All right, So Melbourne City up next tonight, top of
the league, unbeaten at home for them, they've scored twenty
goals in their seven games, so given all of that
has been defensively sound been a big focus ahead of
this one.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
Yeah, and we have we we only considered you know
fully goals or goals that you know are easy for
teams before. So yeah, compacts and defensively strong is always
you know, we always the clanging one game, So we
want to go out and defense would be strong.
Speaker 5 (04:21):
But in saying that, we know the targets then so yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
We're going to try and go out them and all
to play for I think is obviously against the quality
side in the last four days. We want to continue
that and you know when we take it to a
very good city size.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
And leading the line from Melbourne City is one of
your former teammates made on a spectma now wearing the
sky blue of Melbourne City. But you know a bit
about it having been a teammate last year. Just having
some inside information on her help you to nullify the
specific threat that she'll bring tonight.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
Yes she's a quality player, but yeah, definitely we know
a lot about her and a lot about the City side.
Speaker 5 (05:00):
You know, they play style of football that they don't
kind of.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Shy away from, and they sit to it even when
potentially they're sitting press store, you know, in tough parts
of the game. So I think, I think we can
stand up and be strong and go at them. Then
I can differently cause them. So hearing a lot about
City and the way they like to play, and I
think sometimes you can go out and cause a bit
(05:26):
of an outset m I thing.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
So you seem that things sort of out at the
defensive end, Annale, with just the four goals conceded in
the last six games. At the other end, though you've
scored just eight in eight games this season, is having
a better cutting edge scoring more goals? Is that a
bit of a work.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
On for you?
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Absolutely, I think, of course we'd like to win games
by more and make them more comfortable. But I think
what I have liked is you've seen a range of
scorers around the squad. I think probably eight goals in
almost seven or eight different scorers as well, and that
is a good sign that a lot of people are
scoring and you're not relying on that one person. But yeah,
of course would like to score more goals and create
(06:04):
more I think I f games just there, create a
lot more chances and get into their box a lot more.
We just want to continue to do that. And obviously
more shots on target this key. And as we've seen
in the last two weeks, if you don't shoot, you
don't score. And I think we've probably been a little
bit luckier. I've picked up a couple that save. You're
a little bit lucky, But that's cy. If you don't shoot,
(06:26):
you don't score, And so I'm going to take that
mooste into the game.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
And the nature of the A League, both the men's
and the women's competition, is that squads tend to turn
over season after season. Your you know, lose players, you
gain players. But you've got five new imports at Wellington
Phoenix this season Carolinavillau, Maya McCutcheon, Olivia Ferguson, Olivia Kelly
and mayber Tanaka. How have you gone about assimilating them
(06:51):
into your team and how have they filled in?
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Yeah, they'd been excellent so far. They've come in and
I think they're really enjoying their time here in New Zealand.
And yeah, it's all about dating those connections. I think
you've obviously seen the quality that they bring out on
the field and just make in the field welcoming at
home and comfortable. And I think when people feel like
they're field values that they before their best. So yeah,
I think they've all been the outstanding so far. And yeah,
(07:15):
this was important to seeing them grow throughout the season
and in fact that can bring it all left.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
And can I ask you about a young Kiwi player
who plays in a similar position to you in midfield,
and that's Daisy brazen Dale. She's featured on every game
this season, some from the start, some off the bench.
How do you assess her development as one of the
younger players and what her possible ceiling might be.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
Yeah, I think David's really grind. She's really impressed me.
Her growth from last season to this season has been amens,
both on the field and mentally off the field. So yes,
he's exciting. And I think she plays the out and
out sixth role. She's defensively within the right positions and
she gets you know, she does a lot of work
and gets around there the pitch. But when she's on
the ball, I think he's come and she's clean with
(07:59):
her passes, and yeah, I think just the growth from
last season to the season has been amens. Yeah, we
can continue in her development. I'm sure you'll see more
and more.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
Game times for her and really kind of cementing.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
The spots of course.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
And I know you're only focusing on the A League
at the moment, but we saw you in the football
fern shirt at the Olympics earlier this year. One hundred
and thirty six caps for you now, Annalie, is there
more to come from you at international level?
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Yeah, and I'm sure at the moment where obviously I'm
sure what's got interim coach with Michael Mayne, and yeah,
not to be sure that the next steps. So yeah,
taking kind of one day to time and then yeah,
hopefully it's continuing to put performance into for the Phoenix
and see what happens in February.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
All right, well we'll wait and see on that. In
the meantime, all the best tonight against Melbourne City. Annally
to you on the team, thanks for joining us. That's
Annalie longer captain of the Wellington Phoenix woman's side. She's
been terrific, a big part of why they've been so
good in recent times. So tonight Melbourne City seven o'clock.
That's New Zealand time. They play over in Melbourne at
(09:06):
Casey Fields. Already a couple of games in this round
of the A League women's competition. Last night Adelaide one
nil winners over the Western Sydney Wanderers. Central Coast Marion
is one nil winners over Perth Glory. Melbourne said they
are a good side five wins and two draws from
their seven games. As I mentioned to Annally during that chat,
twenty goals they've scored so far, so it'll take a
good defensive effort from the Phoenix women. Although they've shown
(09:29):
in the last four games that they're well and truly
up to that, just four goals conceded in six games,
which is I'm sure very pleasing to coach Paul Temple.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine
from Newstalks EDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
The Wellington Phoenix Women in action tonight against Melbourne City
seven o'clock in Melbourne. It's at Casey Fields. They come
in in fine form, a club record four matches unbeaten
for the Phoenix Women, including a win over double defending
champion Sydney FC last weekend.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
They continue to commit numbers forward Wellington and mcneakon doubles
the lead. It was a powerful heater it had been
coming through out the second half and the number two
rises and heads home past Franco and goal. Wellington take
a tuner lead over Sydney.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
And one at two. Nila Potty to a park last weekend.
So off to Melbourn where they take on Melbourne City.
Speaker 4 (00:55):
To night.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
Captain Annalie Longo joined us. Thanks for having a chat
on match day, Annalie. Unbeaten in your last four now
up to fifth on the table. What have been the
main reasons for the team's really good form.
Speaker 4 (01:08):
Yeah, they were really pleased. I think I think the
most pleasing thing for me is around being our defensive shape,
not considering cheap goals and you know, really working hard,
defensitively and being able to hang on to you know,
one or two goal leagues and you know, all that
results where last season we seemed to struggle. So yes,
been really pleasing to see. We've played some really good
(01:29):
teams in the last four weeks as well. So good son, and.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
How much confidence have you taken from the unbeaten run
of four games, especially after three straight defeats to start
the season.
Speaker 4 (01:41):
Definitely tall about building that momentum and how we want
to continue to do that. And I think although those
were two games, I thought you actually played some good
football and I think the performances were there were just
lacking in those you know file bit of quality moments.
So I think, you know, these classball game. It's definitely improved,
and the squad's growing and the debts growing in the
squad and yes, yeah, good good things are you know
(02:03):
kind of ruling and people are getting into form and
fitness and things that. So yeah, the team's jelling well
together and yeah, looking forward to two more thans coming ahead.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
So last weekend to nil over Sydney FC, but the
game took a bit longer than usual with a break
for the threat of lightning, strikes. Have you ever had
a match interrupted by the threat of lightning before?
Speaker 5 (02:25):
I have. Actually it was a World Cup match against
Canada in an opening group game against sell it Old
coach John Hoodman, and we actually battled the first ten.
Speaker 4 (02:38):
Minutes of the game. We're struggling and down and we
went to the chest and it probably did us a
bit of a favor and we come back out and
we managed to scrap a draw out of that game.
So it was a similar feeling when we went into
the get. I think we were getting better than that
first staf against the FU were struggling to climbing the energy,
all kind of shrim passes and hang on with a
few scary moments, and yeah, I think that the weather
(03:01):
probably lessened.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
To our favor.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
Were able to reset and kind of refocus and come
out and I think that you can lockdown TUCT.
Speaker 2 (03:08):
I heard your coach Paul Temple afterwards say that during
that break, which was about forty five minutes, you just
watched the first half back basically in order to work out,
you know, what had been not quite going as well
as you would have hoped, and to be able to
make some tweaks for the second half. Is that basically
what happened in the in the sheds at half time.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
Yeah, we had a couple of laptop stuff and those
that wanted to watch some Fordage or stay clips specific
you know what could help us were sitting down and
looking at those. And yeah, there was a mixture of
things going on, but yeah, it was all about kind
of trying to reset the mind and make sure the
body was ready to go and refocus to step that
out and put in a much improved performance in that
(03:46):
second half.
Speaker 2 (03:47):
All right, So Melbourne City up next tonight, top of
the league, unbeaten at home for them, they've scored twenty
goals in their seven games, so given all of that
has been defensively sound been a big focus ahead of
this one.
Speaker 4 (04:03):
Yeah, and we have we we only considered you know
fully goals or goals that you know are easy for
teams before. So yeah, compacts and defensively strong is always
you know, we always the clanging one game, So we
want to go out and defense would be strong.
Speaker 5 (04:21):
But in saying that, we know the targets then so yeah.
Speaker 4 (04:25):
We're going to try and go out them and all
to play for I think is obviously against the quality
side in the last four days. We want to continue
that and you know when we take it to a
very good city size.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
And leading the line from Melbourne City is one of
your former teammates made on a spectma now wearing the
sky blue of Melbourne City. But you know a bit
about it having been a teammate last year. Just having
some inside information on her help you to nullify the
specific threat that she'll bring tonight.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
Yes she's a quality player, but yeah, definitely we know
a lot about her and a lot about the City side.
Speaker 5 (05:00):
You know, they play style of football that they don't
kind of.
Speaker 4 (05:02):
Shy away from, and they sit to it even when
potentially they're sitting press store, you know, in tough parts
of the game. So I think, I think we can
stand up and be strong and go at them. Then
I can differently cause them. So hearing a lot about
City and the way they like to play, and I
think sometimes you can go out and cause a bit
(05:26):
of an outset m I thing.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
So you seem that things sort of out at the
defensive end, Annale, with just the four goals conceded in
the last six games. At the other end, though you've
scored just eight in eight games this season, is having
a better cutting edge scoring more goals? Is that a
bit of a work.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
On for you?
Speaker 4 (05:44):
Absolutely, I think, of course we'd like to win games
by more and make them more comfortable. But I think
what I have liked is you've seen a range of
scorers around the squad. I think probably eight goals in
almost seven or eight different scorers as well, and that
is a good sign that a lot of people are
scoring and you're not relying on that one person. But yeah,
of course would like to score more goals and create
(06:04):
more I think I f games just there, create a
lot more chances and get into their box a lot more.
We just want to continue to do that. And obviously
more shots on target this key. And as we've seen
in the last two weeks, if you don't shoot, you
don't score. And I think we've probably been a little
bit luckier. I've picked up a couple that save. You're
a little bit lucky, But that's cy. If you don't shoot,
(06:26):
you don't score, And so I'm going to take that
mooste into the game.
Speaker 2 (06:28):
And the nature of the A League, both the men's
and the women's competition, is that squads tend to turn
over season after season. Your you know, lose players, you
gain players. But you've got five new imports at Wellington
Phoenix this season Carolinavillau, Maya McCutcheon, Olivia Ferguson, Olivia Kelly
and mayber Tanaka. How have you gone about assimilating them
(06:51):
into your team and how have they filled in?
Speaker 4 (06:54):
Yeah, they'd been excellent so far. They've come in and
I think they're really enjoying their time here in New Zealand.
And yeah, it's all about dating those connections. I think
you've obviously seen the quality that they bring out on
the field and just make in the field welcoming at
home and comfortable. And I think when people feel like
they're field values that they before their best. So yeah,
I think they've all been the outstanding so far. And yeah,
(07:15):
this was important to seeing them grow throughout the season
and in fact that can bring it all left.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
And can I ask you about a young Kiwi player
who plays in a similar position to you in midfield,
and that's Daisy brazen Dale. She's featured on every game
this season, some from the start, some off the bench.
How do you assess her development as one of the
younger players and what her possible ceiling might be.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
Yeah, I think David's really grind. She's really impressed me.
Her growth from last season to this season has been amens,
both on the field and mentally off the field. So yes,
he's exciting. And I think she plays the out and
out sixth role. She's defensively within the right positions and
she gets you know, she does a lot of work
and gets around there the pitch. But when she's on
the ball, I think he's come and she's clean with
(07:59):
her passes, and yeah, I think just the growth from
last season to the season has been amens. Yeah, we
can continue in her development. I'm sure you'll see more
and more.
Speaker 5 (08:09):
Game times for her and really kind of cementing.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
The spots of course.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
And I know you're only focusing on the A League
at the moment, but we saw you in the football
fern shirt at the Olympics earlier this year. One hundred
and thirty six caps for you now, Annalie, is there
more to come from you at international level?
Speaker 4 (08:28):
Yeah, and I'm sure at the moment where obviously I'm
sure what's got interim coach with Michael Mayne, and yeah,
not to be sure that the next steps. So yeah,
taking kind of one day to time and then yeah,
hopefully it's continuing to put performance into for the Phoenix
and see what happens in February.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
All right, well we'll wait and see on that. In
the meantime, all the best tonight against Melbourne City. Annally
to you on the team, thanks for joining us. That's
Annalie longer captain of the Wellington Phoenix woman's side. She's
been terrific, a big part of why they've been so
good in recent times. So tonight Melbourne City seven o'clock.
That's New Zealand time. They play over in Melbourne at
(09:06):
Casey Fields. Already a couple of games in this round
of the A League women's competition. Last night Adelaide one
nil winners over the Western Sydney Wanderers. Central Coast Marion
is one nil winners over Perth Glory. Melbourne said they
are a good side five wins and two draws from
their seven games. As I mentioned to Annally during that chat,
twenty goals they've scored so far, so it'll take a
good defensive effort from the Phoenix women. Although they've shown
(09:29):
in the last four games that they're well and truly
up to that, just four goals conceded in six games,
which is I'm sure very pleasing to coach Paul Temple.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk zed B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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