April 13, 2025 • 40 mins
Piney and Bonnie break down the latest A-League men's and women's action for both Auckland FC and the Wellington Phoenix.
The Black Knights extended their unbeaten run to 12 matches, coming back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Sydney FC and stay four points clear at the top.
The 'Nix men go down 3-2 to Melbourne Victory to have their playoff hopes officially extinguished and the Wellington women are also out of finals contention after a 1-0 loss at Canberra.
Football Fever with Jason Pine & Bonnie Jansen is the weekly podcast to keep up with all the action from the beautiful game!
Our voice of football Jason Pine and sport journalist Bonnie Jansen follow the Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC on their quest for an A-League title - all the goals, all the drama, all the glory!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Football Fevers.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Yes, hello, they're welcome in to Football Fever, a fresh
episode as the A League seasons boiled towards their respective climaxes,
both men and women. Rather than try and do any
sort of control, just bringing the co host Bonnie Jensen, Hollo.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Bonny Kildavaney, how are you good?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
I'm not really sure where I was going there, so
let's just get straight into I was trying to actually
work out in my head what order we should do things,
and I think we should probably start with Auckland FC,
given the fact that they are the one remaining team
still in contention, well and truly in contention. I mean
they're in the playoffs, still in contention to win the
premiers played and will unpick the math behind it at
(00:52):
a moment, But first of all, Saturday night in Sydney
Auckland f C two Sydney FC two, Auckland twelve games unbeaten,
five draws now in their last six. But this one
was different, wasn't it. They had to come back from
two nil down, so I think they'll probably take the
draw on this occasion, would they?
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Yeah? I think they will. Piney, I have to admit
I was pretty nervous with you know, coming into this
match with how good you know Sydney, Arren and cam
Be and obviously Steve Corker has a lot of history there,
so I was nervous. I don't think Auckland FC have
been playing the way or playing to their full potential
(01:30):
at the moment. Again, I don't think they did last night.
But as you say, you know, a draw's a draw,
the biggest you know, obviously it extended their unbeaten run
games run to to twelve now, I think, but it
is what their fifth draw in six games or something
like that, which is kind of a bit a bit
(01:51):
nerve wracking.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Yeah. Again though, I think that coming back from two
nil down to draw is a lot better than than
losing leads to draw, which they've actually been doing in
past matches, haven't they. They've you know, they've they've taken
the lead only to be pegged back. And I think
Steve Coriker I listened to his press conference afterwards, and
he seemed a lot less dissatisfied, shall we say. I
(02:14):
think he was happy enough to take the point and
get out of Sydney with it, given the fact that
Adrian Segacic had had smashed in these two absolute bangers
in the first half an hour, so all of a sudden,
Auckland FC. I think the only other time they've been
too nil down all year was that four niel loss
at home to Western United all the way back pre Christmas.
(02:34):
So I kind of feel as though you have to
give it to them. They've They've shown another way of
getting a result, shown some resilience and in fact probably
could have won the game near the end.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Well, I think they've shown that they can't be beaten,
you know, and that's got to be threatening to opposition
coming into these last three weeks plus the playoffs. You know,
Auckland FC have found you know, time and time again
away to get a result, which, yeah, as you mentioned
Pioneers is super pleasing. So yeah, and some cracking goals
(03:07):
as well from Auckland obviously some cracking goals from Sydney,
but I think silly errors that led to those opportunities.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yeah. I think Segacicic's second goal, I think it was
all given away by Marley Francois in his own defensive third.
It might have been the first goal anyway, It was
one of them he gave the ball away and Segacic, man,
what a player. He's going to be only twenty years old,
but just absolutely terrific potential. So yeah too, Nell. But then,
as I say, you have to give it to Auckland FC.
(03:37):
Very quickly after the second goal, they pulled one back
Logan Rogerson from close range after Marley Francois had his
shot saved, and then our old mate Franny Francis debrees
with the equalizer midway through the second half. Look, they
could have won it, couldn't they Auckland. They had a
couple of chances, laid on Na Modano back in the
(03:57):
side off the bench and and almost capitalizing on an
absolute brain fade by Sidney FC's keeper Harrison Devinish Mears
couldn't find the target and then Jake Brumer had one
cleared off the line at the end, so they could
easily have taken the three points.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Yeah, I want to say I quite liked the lineup
and I text you Piney, I think you were commentating
still the Wellington Phoenix game, but I text you saying
I'm pretty sure Steve Corker listens to football fever, So Hi, Steve,
welcome thanks for joining us, But I thought that was
why he changed the lineup to have Cam Howison and
(04:33):
the alongside gmom I, which I really liked and I
think it worked. However, I just found out and got
told by fellow football writer Michael Burgess that actually it
was because Max Mutter was injured. So I'm not sure
if Steve listens to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
I think both things can be true. He could listen
to the podcast and also have made the change because
of Max MARTA's injury. I guess we wait and see
what happens when fit again.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Yeah, exactly. I'm still not sure, and I hate to
single out one player. I'm just still not sure. If
I like Marley frant Soire starting, I feel like he
made errors in both those goals conceded. Yes, he somewhat
got an assist in Logan Rogerson's goal, but I'm just
not sure he provides as much attacking prowess and probably
(05:27):
also isn't as good defensively as someone like Jesse Randall
or Nate Modeno or even someone like Liam Gillion.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
His place, I think will certainly come under scrutiny for
the rest of the season now that Modano's fit again
now that Gillian's fit again, that competition which has existed
all season for those attacking spots will now intensify even
more with those two back. And yeah, I agree with you.
I'm almost certain without knowing, and we could perhaps mention
(05:57):
it if we think Steve's listening to the podcast that
Madina will return to the starting lineup for the victory
game this coming weekend if he's if he's fit enough
to come on when he did, and give I'm just
trying to work out when he came on. It was
about Yeah, after about an hour he came on for Francois.
If he can get through thirty minutes, then I'm almost
(06:17):
positive he can start a game of football seven days later.
So yeah, I think that's probably what he'll do. I
liked I liked the Hollison because he could have gone
with Brimmer. Couldn't He could have gone with Jake Brimmer
if he was looking for somebody to sort of play
in that advanced role. I was pleased that Cam Howson
got the start. I don't think he started a game
since the derby in December, the two to one derby
(06:41):
in December. I think that might be the last time
that Cam Howison started a game for Auckland FC, so
you know, it's been a very long time between games
from the start for him.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Cam. Yeah, I feel kind of bad for him that
he probably hasn't had as much game time as we
initially discussed before the season even started. You know, I
feel like Piney and I, you and I would have
possibly had him in the starting lineup before we knew
how strong the lucks of Vestrata and Gagos were going
to be in there. So I do feel bad for
(07:17):
him and it probably would have been hard for him
watching his former club Auckland City when the Nation's League
Cup or some sort of tournament overseas. So yeah, I'm
pleased he got the start, and I think both him
and Brimmer offered something different and both exciting, and it's
(07:38):
a great option for Steve Carricket to have you two
different players of that caliber.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I just checked actually my fact on Cam House and
he hasn't actually started since the first derby, which is
back in round three, so that's his first start for
Auckland f C since the second of November. He's got
a lot of time off the bench and has proven
himself to be a really valuable asset for Steve Coriker
to use in whichever fashion he needs him to be used,
(08:04):
you know, in games. But yeah, it was pleased to
see him get a start. Whether he keeps a spot,
I guess remains to be seen. Pretty even game Sydney
FC fifty three percent possession, Auckland FC forty seven percent.
Auckland had slightly more efforts on goal seventeen to thirteen.
Steve Coriker's first time back at Sydney as Auckland FC coach.
Of course, he won championships and premierships as a player
(08:27):
and a coach at Sydney FC. And I quite like
the fact that right throughout the week and even after
the game, when he was asked about how it felt,
he said, look, it does feel a bit strange to me.
He could easily have said, I, you know, that's in
the past. I don't think about that. It's just another game,
but he made a point of saying, look, this is
unusual for me because Sydney FC was such a big
part of his life.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
I think that game to Steve Corocker would have felt
like the Phoenix Derby would have felt for someone like
Alex Paulson or Logan Rogerson. You know, yeah, I feel
like he treated this game with a bit more intensity
than he did the derby. Yes, he knew how big
the derby was going to be, but he kind of
just brushed those ones off as another game, whereas this
(09:10):
one clearly meant a lot more.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
To Steve amazing traveling support too. Must mention the Port
who who set off in really big numbers. I think
this was the first really organized away trip that they
had and to see them behind the goal that I think, well,
I know, three of the four goals were scored and
certainly Auckland FC's equalizer was down that end. It was
just great to see so many traveling fans, you know,
(09:33):
that's a big part of this league, fans traveling, you know,
trans Tasman to away games, and it was good to
see a great contingent of the Port and the other
Auckland FC fans there.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yeah, definitely huge and I feel like they'll all be
nervously waiting to see which side Auckland FC potentially draw
in a away semi final match. So yeah, I don't
think it'll be their first trip across the ditch.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Now. We just need to mention one of the port's
foundation members who made the trip, but it hasn't gone
exactly the way he would have hoped by the sounds
of things, bond.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
No, John o'ross. He's one of the founding members of
Auckland def sees Port. As you mentioned Piney and yeah,
he suffered a bit of chest pain. I believe he
just posted to social media saying, yeah, he stuffered a
bit of chest pain early on in the game and
had to leave in the twentieth minute and is now
(10:29):
over in Sydney and stuck in a hospital and had
to cancel his flight. So absolutely gutted for him and
sending best wishes because he's been Yeah. Probably they're arguably
their biggest supporter all season long.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Yeah, all the best to you, johno. If you're listening,
maybe passing some time as you as you recover, maybe
you could get to the Melbourne game on Saturday, if
you still open the let's over for a speedy recovery
for you, John. Okay, here's the equation, Bonnie. Let's look
at the equation. We were messaging one another last night.
I was trying to explo to you. You are trying
to explain stuff back to me. I couldn't keep up
(11:03):
with most of it. But here's what I think we've
landed on. Here's what we know. Auckland FC have a
four point lead with three games to go. Now, two
wins in their last three games would get them the
Premiers played. That would give them fifty three points and
nobody else can get to fifty three points. But they
may not even need to do that depending on other results.
(11:27):
There are five teams who can still mathematically win The
Premiers played. Auckland FC obviously forty seven, Melbourne City forty
three points, Western United forty one, Western Sydney thirty nine,
Melbourne Victory thirty nine. It would be, it would be.
It's as highly unlikely those last two can get up
and win it. It would need Auckland f C to completely
(11:49):
fall over and only and get basically no points from
their last three games. So let's narrow it down to
Auckland FC, Melbourne City and Western United. Auckland FC have
got Melbourne victory away, per at home and Western United away.
Melbourne City I feel has as though have the toughest
run in. They've got Western Sydney away, then Adelaide at home,
then Sydney at home. And Western United have Brisbane away,
(12:12):
Sydney at home and then that last game against Auckland FC.
It feels to me as though it's still very much
Auckland f C's premiers played.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Yeah, it's well, it's their to lose, right, I'm nervous
when you say, you know, they've got to get two
wins in their last three games. You look at Melbourne
Victories display against the Wellington Phoenix and just how good
they always are at the back end of the season.
And then Western United have obviously hurt Auckland f C
(12:42):
before and obviously right up in there, so that makes
me nervous. But then I remember they're four points clear
at the top and those other hard games that Melbourne
City and Western United have.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
As you say, I'm just trying to do some hypotheticals
here for argument's sake, that on Saturday night Auckland FC
get a draw against Melbourne Victory. So let's just assume
that they go from forty seven to forty eight points
Melbourne City go to Western Sydney. That is a very
very tough game for them. Western Sydney are in red
(13:16):
hot form, so Western Sydney could quite easily win that
game against Melbourne City. Yes, Melbourne City are a good side,
but Western Sydney could easily win that game. So let's
say that happens, Melbourne City would stay on forty three.
Western United have Brisbane Raw who have been terrible, you know,
they really have been very, very poor, So let's give
(13:37):
Western United the three points there. So if Auckland FC draw,
Melbourne City lose and Western United win, then Auckland f
C would still have a four point lead with only
two games to go. It would be a four point
lead over Western United and Melbourne City would be a
point back. So it feels to me as though, like
(13:58):
I say, I unless Auckland FC lose this weekend to
Melbourne victory, I still feel like it's very much theirs
to win.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
They need a point this weekend. I think if they
lose their they're ye cutting it too fine and there's
going to be a few nervous fans. A point or
a win this weekend will yeah just ease everything. And
surely it's pretty much a dundale.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
What would like to see a is them be able
to win it at home against Perth, and there is
a series of results which could happen that would allow
them to do that. But it really feels to me
as though it's going down to the last weekend a
little bit. You know, Western United, like I say, should
beat Brisbane away this summer. I think that game's on
Thursday night actually going into Easter weekend. Yes, it is,
(14:47):
so they should win that on Thursday night really and
close close the gap up. They'd go to forty four
and Auckland f C on forty seven, but with a
game extra, Yeah, it would be It would be very
cool if they could secure the Premiers plate at home
with a win over Perth the following Sunday. But a
(15:07):
lot of stuff has to happen for that to happen.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Yeah, but they'll want to be the obviously, Auckland f
C will want that, and they've enjoyed so much playing
at home and thrived at home this season that I
think that's what they'll I mean, they'll want to get
it done as soon as possible, right, so they'll go
over to Melbourne with that mindset we need a win.
I mean, I'm sure they do that every game, but
(15:32):
I think they'll just have that a little bit more
hunger than what they normally would for an away game.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
There is a circum set of circumstances where Auckland FC
could win it this weekend, but it would need Western
United to lose to Brisbane Raw and I just can't
see it. And even though that game's in Brisbane and
Western United lost to Western Sydney last night, Like I say,
Brisbane have been so bad two wins from twenty two games,
They've just been really, really poor. I just can't see
(16:02):
Western United not beating them on Thursday night? Can you?
Speaker 1 (16:04):
In saying that Pioneer Perth Glory had a huge win
over Adelaide, which I wouldn't have picked either.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
No, you're right, you're right. Four one yeah, and Adelaide United,
that's another interesting case. They could miss out on the
top six. You know, you know when they had that
four all draw, that was only about a month ago,
and I remember I think I even said to you
at the time that could be the Grand Final because
Adelaide were terrific. But the season's just gone off a cliff.
(16:32):
They still I think there's still six. No they're not.
They've dropped out of the six. There's seventh now a
point behind Sydney FC. After that, As you say that
lost to Perth, who up until that had also only
won two of their twenty three games, Adelaide. Yeah, and
of course they announced last week that Carlvett, their coach,
will be leaving at the end of the season. I
(16:52):
think that's a very odd decision. First of all, it's
an odd decision for him to leave, but it's an
odd time to announce it too, isn't it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
You look at these other teams and how inconsistent they've been,
you know, Western United, up and down results all season, Adelaide.
As you mentioned, another one is Western Sydney wander is
just recently finding their form and I think you go
back to Auckland FC. Yes, they've had a run of draws,
(17:21):
but they have been consistent and they've been consistent and
not losing, so that's really promising. I just hope that
the fact they haven't won in a long time isn't
any sort of lack of momentum heading into these playoffs.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Yeah. Just the two defeats in twenty three games, it's
quite the record, isn't it. The next best is six
and it's shared by the four teams immediately below the
Melbourne City, Western United, Western Sydney and melbourn Victory. I've
all had six defeats, whereas Auckland FC have just had
the two. Yes, they've had a lot more draws than
those sides, but you pick up points and this sort
of thing happens. So yeah, it's still there for Auckland
(17:58):
f C. I get the feeling that they will get there. Okay,
it's just a matter of when. So next up for
them away at Melbourne Victory seven o'clock on Saturday night.
That game at Amy Park in Melbourne. So let's go
(18:20):
slightly earlier Saturday where Wellington Phoenix met Melbourne Victory at Skystadium.
That was a five o'clock kickoff on Saturday, beautiful day
and Wellington ninth game in a row between these two
which has been either drawn or decided by one goal,
Melbourne Victory winning at three to two. I thought it
was a good game to watch, you know, apart from
the fact that it extinguished Wellington Phoenix is very very
(18:41):
slim top Sex hopes. I thought it was a good game.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
I don't think they were ever winning that game against
Melbourne Victory. No kind of hard feelings of the Phoenix,
but yeah, I was. I was surprisingly pleased with the
way they performed and got on the score sheet, and yeah,
kind of kept the fight right in. Melbourne Victory were
clearly the better side, but I don't think the Phoenix
(19:06):
necessarily bowed down to them.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
No, they definitely didn't. And while Melbourne Victory had by
far the greater attacking opportunities twenty two shots to Wellington's seven,
and ten of those were on target, Josh Olowimi made
a number of good saves. Possession was actually pretty even.
Melbourne Victory fifty five Phoenix forty five. And you look
at the first goal that the Phoenix scored. Corbyn Piper
(19:30):
finished it off. But it was almost like, okay, here's
Chiefy ball, you know, passing through the press, you know,
moving up field in numbers with slick passing. I think
there were nine passes from the back all the way
to the front. Sam Sutton provides the final ball for
Corbyn Piper to put it in from close range. You
just got a glimpse of Chiefy ball from last season
(19:50):
in that one move.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Yeah, and I feel like chief is kind of saying, okay,
you know, watch us, watch what we're going to be like.
And you know, come the end of the year, at
the next season when these these younger players are a
little bit older, a little bit wiser and got in
use to this league a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
So.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Yeah, really really really pleased. And Corbyn Piper, how good
is he? I love Pony that you're a big fan
of Corbyn Piper based off the tweets I've seen you tweet.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
I'm a huge fan of Corbyn Piper. I love the
way he goes about it. Yeah. One of the things
I tweeted out was something that Ernie Merrick said about
Ben Sigmund when when Ernie was Phoenix coach and SIGGI
was a big part of their team. He said, look,
you can't have a team full of artists. You have
to have the odd panel beater in there, you know,
guys who were just going to get stuck in. I
(20:39):
think everybody understands the analogy and Corbyn Piper and I
must I must give props to the Yellow Fever podcast
here because without knowing that I stole their line. But
Corbyn Piper is Ben Sigmund, you know, version two point zero.
He just, you know, even looks a bit like it.
He just never gives up.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
Yeah, you're right. Do you think poney though he'll be
in all white ever, or do you think he's potentially
too much of that panel Beata style player that potentially
might miss out because he's not, as I don't know,
technically savvy.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Great question. I think he has the ability to upscale
himself and you know, to polish some rough edges. I
think you know the thing that you can't you cannot coach.
I don't think you cannot coach heart or commitment. That
has to be intrinsic in a player. And if he
wants it badly enough, then I think he can probably
do it. I wonder what his best position is. I
(21:35):
feel like he's a defender, that's what All the qualities
he has are similar to what SIGGI had, and SIGGI
was a center back and SIGGI went very very hard
at polishing his edges in terms of being able to
you know, play out from the back and you know,
play passes between five, ten, fifteen, twenty twenty five meters
whatever was required. He polished his edges. I think Corbyn
(21:55):
Piper probably can, but I wonder what his position is now.
It might well be that if Scott woulden't goes and
all signs are saying that he will. Corbyn Piper could
start at center back next year and play the whole
season at center back, get forward for set pieces, not
in a goal or two, but just be a lion
hearted center back. And I think, yes, there's a lot
(22:16):
of competition for that role at the moment and the
All Whites, but I think that might be his best
opportunity to earn higher honors.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
I think as well, you look at someone like Corbyn Piper,
you know maybe in twelve months time would be a
perfect player with a little bit more experience under him
to bring to a World Cup where you have him
on the bench and you can bring him on almost anywhere.
You know, one of those great utility players. I've referenced
it before on the podcast. He's kind of like a
(22:43):
Mickey Foster where you can put them anywhere and know
they'll do a job. So yeah, I think that's you know,
you don't want to be a utility bench player all
your life, but potentially that is his way into the
All Whites, knowing that he is Yeah, very.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Yeah, it's a great point. You're right if you're looking
for a you know, if you're picking a squad of
twenty three. You know, one way you can go as
you pick three goalkeepers and then two players for each
of the ten outfield positions, or you can you can
pick players who, like Corbyn Piper can play four or
five different positions because their versatility is so valuable in
a situation like that. So yeah, look, I think he's
(23:23):
been one of the bright spots in this Phoenix season.
Great to see him score another goal. Always love the
way he whacks the badge you know when he scores
a goal. He's from Auckland, of course, and I see
there are there are some little murmurings perhaps that Auckland
FC might be interested in bringing Corbyn Piper back home.
(23:43):
I would obviously love to see him stay in Wellington.
I think they should. They should probably look at extending
his contract before too much longer to ward off any
possibility of going to Auckland. I thought Melbourne Victory's third
goal was was pretty poor defending from Wellington Phoenix. The
fact that Nikos Vergos got the ball probably midway between
(24:06):
his own penalty area in halfway and ran all the
way to the edge of the other penalty area and
scored without really being closed down.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Absolutely piney. I also wrote on my notes to brigand
here that that third goal in particular, I think along
with the other two, but that third goal was an
experience defending how you you need to go to the ball.
There's you know, you shadow defend like that for some time,
but it's got to be before you know, well before
(24:35):
the eighteen yard box, that someone's got to press that player,
and no one did it.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
I feel like that's something you get taught quite early though, right,
you know you talk about it being an experience, yeah,
of course, but you know, I think any defender who's
made it to the A League knows that if a
guy's running towards a penalty area, you close them down
and probably you have to you know, target perhaps the
midfielders before you even look at the defenders. You know.
I haven't looked back at it close, but he must
(25:01):
have been sort of almost ushered all the way there
by a couple of Wellington Phoenix midfield players as well.
I feel like somebody should have stopped them around halfway.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
And it's not like he was, you know, it was
a one B one situation where there were no Phoenix
defenders behind. I think Isaac Hughes was the one closest
to the ball, but it's not like there, you know,
it was a one b one situation. There were other
defenders around for someone to step in, knowing that if
they did get beaten there would be cover there. So yeah,
(25:31):
very very interesting and one that will probably be a
whiteboard session, I would say so.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
And there was really no one else there from Melbourne Victory.
I think Niche and Volupela arrived quite late, so it
wasn't as though, you know, there were other players there
drawing those defenders away. A very odd piece of defending
from from Wellington who were normally normally defensively quite good.
Parlo Retro getting a goal which was a very very
nice goal, top corner from the penalty arc, but then
(25:57):
looked like he pulled his hamstring in the in the
act of actually scoring the goal. So he'd come on
as a sub, scored a goal and then had to
go off. So that was a shame, and also it
was a shame to see Rena Episcopo also suffer the
same fate. He came on as a sub, look to
have suffered quite a nasty injury and he had to
go off as well. He has been so unlucky Reno
with injuries when he was here, when he was at Newcastle,
(26:20):
now is at Victory. He just doesn't seem to be
able to shake off these niggly injuries that don't allow
him to get any sort of momentum because he can
be one of the best players going around, Rena Piscopo
when he's fit.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
I I don't know if that's hearsh really, I just
can't stand those players that are always injured. I remember
Rafael on the Dahal, the tennis player. He was my favorite,
but he was just always injured and I hated it.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Well he got he wasn't the odd Major though, didn't
he Raffa.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I do feel bad though, I mean,
that's me now retired, injured all the time right well.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
As far as the Phoenix concern, that now does mathematically
take them out of top six contention. There was a
mathematical chance before the weekend that they could if they
won their last four games, still squeak in. They cannot
now that is not now within their reach. They are
officially out of the top six. Three games to go,
Adelaide away on Friday night, then Brisbane away, and then
Perth at home. So three other sides that currently sit
(27:15):
outside the top six, two of them also cannot make it,
Brisbane and Perth. So hopefully the Phoenix can finish strongly
with some good results and at least at least, you know,
give the back end of their season some bit of
a rosy glow. Just before we move on to the women,
Western Sydney Wanderers fullback Alex Gerzbach scored the five hundredth
(27:36):
goal of the season yesterday last night against Western United
and that came in the one hundred and fiftieth game
of the season. So that's the fastest that a season
has ever reached its five hundredth goal in Australian men's
league history. So I guess let's a roundabout way of
saying that there have been plenty of goals this season,
lots to enjoy from the strikers. This is what. And
(28:06):
so to the Wellington Phoenix women, who are also now
officially out of top six contention. A one nil loss
away at Canberra, Madison Asen scoring the goal for Canberra
in the twenty fifth minute from a corner. Wellington Phoenix
sixty two percent possession, eighteen shots, no goals. And I
(28:28):
think the story really is in the last ten games
since they beat Newcastle at home on the nineteenth of January,
at which point they moved into fifth place, They've had
a win, a drawer and eight losses in their last
ten games, four points from a possible thirty, just six
goals in those ten games and none in their last three.
(28:50):
The season has, just after promising so much in the
middle of January, has just rarely spectacularly failed to deliver
absolute flop.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
Piney. I don't I can't put it, you know anymore.
Simply the fact even yesterday when they you know, needed
a win to stay in it and stay in that
playoff fight, and they have eighteen shots on goal and
can't convert one. You know, it just baffles me. And
(29:20):
I put it down to a bigger New Zealand football
kind of system pathway. I don't know. I feel like
everyone's in their heads now about an inability to score goals.
It absolutely sucks. And I listened to Paul Tempo after
the game and he said, you know, ultimately the responsibility's
got to fall on him as coach, and it absolutely does,
(29:44):
particularly when you dish out those stats. Pinety of them
in the second half of the season. But yeah, a
massive kind of overhaul. You know, something needs to happen,
given that this is basically exactly how it played out
last season as well.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
In many ways. Well, actually, statistically they are going to
be worse than last season in terms of points, because,
as you say, this is exactly what happened last season.
They looked promising till about the halfway point and then
just were unable to pick up points consistently towards the
back end. But they still finished with twenty eight points.
Even if the Phoenix win their last game against Western
(30:21):
United on the weekend, they'll only only get to twenty six.
And I think arguably last season squad was stronger, particularly
with Maddy Nispeckmyer there and a couple of other players
who have since moved on, the likes of Mickey Foster
and Kate Taylor. So last season was probably a stronger squad.
But I don't know, it just it felt as though
(30:42):
there were opportunities, particularly at home. I look at that goodness,
I've mentioned March so often on this podcast until I'm
blue in the face. Four games, four games at home
in March that could really have defined their season and
have defined their season because they could only win one
of those four games at home plus the away game
(31:04):
that they lost to Sydney FC. So yeah, March could
have been you know, well, March was the making and
breaking and unfortunately it was the breaking of their season.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
I think as well, it's probably going to hurt a
lot of those football ferns in the squad, you know,
the likes of Mac Barry, Grace, Jarley Manaiah Elliott, Alyssa
Winnen probably would have been on the cusp, Emma Maine
another one. You know. Yes, you know it's hard to
say your team's not your club. Teams not performing, so
(31:34):
I'm not going to select you. Obviously, Michael Main, interim
football Fans coach, is going to select the best players.
But it doesn't help, you know, it doesn't help their
case that they've completely dropped off the radar in this
A league season. So yeah, I think the Phoenix really
need to on the women's academy really need to sit
down and look at the bigger problem here. You do
(31:56):
wonder if Paul Temple will get his job again next season.
I did have a thought maybe he's someone in line
for the Football firn's job. That's another story in itself,
but yeah, it's all up in the air surely.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Well just on that too. You know, you talk about
players not being on the national radar when things aren't
going well. It's not as though Paul Temple comes in
with any impressive body of work in the last two years.
He hasn't been able to get the Phoenix to the
playoffs in the last two years. Yes, he has improved them,
of course he has. But the first two seasons of
the Wellington Phoenix women's life where you know, we're pretty mediocre,
(32:33):
you know, just seven points from fourteen games in their
first season, then thirteen from eighteen games in their second season.
So absolutely he has improved them. But they're still after
four seasons now waiting for their first entry into the
top six. And it was there for them this season.
I honestly believe it was there for them this season.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
I agree, Piney. I think you're right With've probably had
a weaker squad this season, but in that first half
of the season they looked better I think than they
did last season. I think they'll feel grateful that it
sounds like Auckland f C's women's team isn't coming next
next year, so you know, maybe it'll give them a
(33:17):
bit more breathing room to make their case, because I
feel like if Auckland f C were to deliver a
woman's program, it's surely going to replicate the men's and
be a bit more of a success than what the
Phoenix women's has been. I mean, I don't want to
crucify it too much, because I am hearing some really
really good things out of the academy, in particular that
(33:38):
they you know, hire and pay a lot more full
time staff down there than what some of the other
A League women's clubs do, and they're clearly trying with
a lack of resources over here in New Zealand. But yeah,
it is tough when it seems to just be the
same story every game and for the last two seasons.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Read with interest your piece about the Auckland women's team.
I know you've got sort of wind of this last week.
Have you heard any more? Are we really now in
a situation where Auckland f C will not have a
women's team next season?
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Yeah? From most people I've spoken to, I feel like
that's the way it's going, and it's being driven more
by a league decision rather than Auckland f C simply
because of broadcast rights over in Australia, which is super
frustrating and I feel personally a bit pissed off about it,
(34:35):
which I know I shouldn't. I've got to be a
neutral journalist. But I remember Bill Foley and Nick Becker,
the owner and the CEO of Auckland f C, looked
me in the eye when when they launched the men's side,
saying that it'll be there that second year and we
want to do it right and that's why it's coming
a year later. It's also really confusing because it seemed
(34:56):
to be a requirement of any expansion team joining the
A League now that they had to come with a
women's team, So it is all very confusing. I know
there's not a lot of money in the A League
right now, but from what I'm hearing is it's going
to be delayed.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
Okay. That is such a shame because I think all
they had to do was look at the success of
the men's team as a startup, didn't they and think
to themselves, wow, if that's the way they approach building
a football team, then let's you know, I can't wait
to see what they do with the women's team. That's
what I'd be doing if I was at a league headquarters, saying, look, guys,
go for it. But yeah, look, it is a shame
(35:33):
because we were talking about potential targets, weren't we. And
it's a similar discussion that we were having a year
ago when they were, you know, starting to put together
the men's team. Who might they go for, who might
their big names be, who might their imports be, what positions?
You know, what will the tarbis be? Like all that stuff,
And it's such a shame that that now may not happen.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
I think you're so right as well, Piney, when you
mentioned the success of the men's team and why not
they like, why can't the A League take a chance
on this women's team, and you know, Auckland f C
Would hopefully do a good job. It sounded like they
had already planned for the women's team to be based
out at North Harbor Stadium, which is slightly smaller, but
they felt they could still deliver all of the in
(36:14):
game entertainment like the Fairest Wheel and things like that.
So yeah, and as you say, players were already speaking
with the club, I understand, and elite Katie Bowen were
a few names kind of floating around and they had
already shortlisted and interviewed coaches for the job.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
So it is.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
It is a real shame. And yeah, you wonder you
get excited about how many tickets they've probably sow, you know,
just a couple of weeks ago when Super Rugby didn't
get as many fans as Auckland f C did on
a Saturday night in Auckland. So yeah, it's it was exciting,
but show must go.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
On, all right. Well, we'll keep our eyes peeled for
any confirmation of that. Yeah, let's hope that there is
a change of heart and that does happen because I
and you'll probably know more about this than me, But
Terry mcflynn, I know, was really working hard. Once the
men's team was up and running. He had turned his
focus almost fully to getting the women's program going, hadn't.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
He He had? And I've also been talking with you know,
some some people kind of in the Northern League space
and in the you know, the top women's competition in
Auckland called the Lotto and RFL, and I think if
an Auckland FC a League team doesn't come along, I
wonder if it's worth looking at starting to build an
(37:31):
academy team regardless that can play in that that Auckland
Domestic League and the National League eventually when that comes around.
So I think that that could be a good option.
I haven't discussed it with the club. I don't know
if that's on their radar, but that could be a
way where they still start, you know, building a talent
in a group of players and pathways and fans.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
I'll keep clicking on your byline on the New Zealand
Herald too, because that's where it will turn up first.
I'm sure I'll keep eye peled on your excellent work there.
So Wellington Phoenix, they finished their season at home Easter
Sunday against Western United. Regardless of that result, they cannot
make the top six. I'm still going to get along
to that game. I'm looking forward to watching them for
(38:12):
one more time this season. But the top six is confirmed.
Melbourne City, Melbourne Victory, Adelaide, Western United, the Central Coast
Mariners and Canberra Melbourne City. What a season. They'll win
the Premier's Plate if they beat Perth Glory away on
Friday Night, A draw would almost certainly be enough as well.
They're two points clear with a much better goal difference
than Melbourne Victory and if they do win or draw,
(38:34):
that would complete an unbeaten regular season for them. If
they were to lose to Perth somehow, Victory could claim
the Premier's plate if they beat Brisbane at home on Saturday.
For Victory to have even kept up with Melbourne City,
it's quite something, isn't it. I mean, this is obviously
the Grand Final we're headed towards, but what a season
for both of these Melbourne teams. Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (38:56):
It always seems to be those two teams right up there,
as well as Sydney who haven't been great at all
this season, but really cool to have. Obviously, Cotier Bunge
for Melbourne Victory and Rebecca Stott for Melbourne City, both
football firm center backs and they'll likely go at it
now in the playoffs and hopefully in the finals. So
(39:17):
both have had amazing campaigns and your hats off to
them for an incredible season.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
All right. That pretty much brings to a closed football
fever for today. This coming weekend. Wellington Phoenix Men away
at Adelaide on Friday, night. Saturday night at seven this
will be a cracker Auckland FC away at Melbourne Victory.
And then Sunday afternoon, that's Easter Sunday four o'clock it's
the Wellington Phoenix Women wrapping their season at home to
(39:42):
Western United. Bonnie have an excellent week and well, I'm
not even even checked your availability for Easter Monday. Are
you available on Easter Monday to record a podcast?
Speaker 1 (39:53):
Should we make it happen? Poney? Well make it happen.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
I've got a very empty life with not much going on,
far too old and get think too big for Easter eggs.
So if you're around next month, if you're around next Monday,
let's make it happen.
Speaker 1 (40:05):
Yeah, let's do it, Pining, We'll see you then.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
Foa football weaver
Welcome to Football Fevers.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Yes, hello, they're welcome in to Football Fever, a fresh
episode as the A League seasons boiled towards their respective climaxes,
both men and women. Rather than try and do any
sort of control, just bringing the co host Bonnie Jensen, Hollo.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Bonny Kildavaney, how are you good?
Speaker 2 (00:30):
I'm not really sure where I was going there, so
let's just get straight into I was trying to actually
work out in my head what order we should do things,
and I think we should probably start with Auckland FC,
given the fact that they are the one remaining team
still in contention, well and truly in contention. I mean
they're in the playoffs, still in contention to win the
premiers played and will unpick the math behind it at
(00:52):
a moment, But first of all, Saturday night in Sydney
Auckland f C two Sydney FC two, Auckland twelve games unbeaten,
five draws now in their last six. But this one
was different, wasn't it. They had to come back from
two nil down, so I think they'll probably take the
draw on this occasion, would they?
Speaker 1 (01:09):
Yeah? I think they will. Piney, I have to admit
I was pretty nervous with you know, coming into this
match with how good you know Sydney, Arren and cam
Be and obviously Steve Corker has a lot of history there,
so I was nervous. I don't think Auckland FC have
been playing the way or playing to their full potential
(01:30):
at the moment. Again, I don't think they did last night.
But as you say, you know, a draw's a draw,
the biggest you know, obviously it extended their unbeaten run
games run to to twelve now, I think, but it
is what their fifth draw in six games or something
like that, which is kind of a bit a bit
(01:51):
nerve wracking.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Yeah. Again though, I think that coming back from two
nil down to draw is a lot better than than
losing leads to draw, which they've actually been doing in
past matches, haven't they. They've you know, they've they've taken
the lead only to be pegged back. And I think
Steve Coriker I listened to his press conference afterwards, and
he seemed a lot less dissatisfied, shall we say. I
(02:14):
think he was happy enough to take the point and
get out of Sydney with it, given the fact that
Adrian Segacic had had smashed in these two absolute bangers
in the first half an hour, so all of a sudden,
Auckland FC. I think the only other time they've been
too nil down all year was that four niel loss
at home to Western United all the way back pre Christmas.
(02:34):
So I kind of feel as though you have to
give it to them. They've They've shown another way of
getting a result, shown some resilience and in fact probably
could have won the game near the end.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
Well, I think they've shown that they can't be beaten,
you know, and that's got to be threatening to opposition
coming into these last three weeks plus the playoffs. You know,
Auckland FC have found you know, time and time again
away to get a result, which, yeah, as you mentioned
Pioneers is super pleasing. So yeah, and some cracking goals
(03:07):
as well from Auckland obviously some cracking goals from Sydney,
but I think silly errors that led to those opportunities.
Speaker 2 (03:17):
Yeah. I think Segacicic's second goal, I think it was
all given away by Marley Francois in his own defensive third.
It might have been the first goal anyway, It was
one of them he gave the ball away and Segacic, man,
what a player. He's going to be only twenty years old,
but just absolutely terrific potential. So yeah too, Nell. But then,
as I say, you have to give it to Auckland FC.
(03:37):
Very quickly after the second goal, they pulled one back
Logan Rogerson from close range after Marley Francois had his
shot saved, and then our old mate Franny Francis debrees
with the equalizer midway through the second half. Look, they
could have won it, couldn't they Auckland. They had a
couple of chances, laid on Na Modano back in the
(03:57):
side off the bench and and almost capitalizing on an
absolute brain fade by Sidney FC's keeper Harrison Devinish Mears
couldn't find the target and then Jake Brumer had one
cleared off the line at the end, so they could
easily have taken the three points.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Yeah, I want to say I quite liked the lineup
and I text you Piney, I think you were commentating
still the Wellington Phoenix game, but I text you saying
I'm pretty sure Steve Corker listens to football fever, So Hi, Steve,
welcome thanks for joining us, But I thought that was
why he changed the lineup to have Cam Howison and
(04:33):
the alongside gmom I, which I really liked and I
think it worked. However, I just found out and got
told by fellow football writer Michael Burgess that actually it
was because Max Mutter was injured. So I'm not sure
if Steve listens to the podcast.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
I think both things can be true. He could listen
to the podcast and also have made the change because
of Max MARTA's injury. I guess we wait and see
what happens when fit again.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Yeah, exactly. I'm still not sure, and I hate to
single out one player. I'm just still not sure. If
I like Marley frant Soire starting, I feel like he
made errors in both those goals conceded. Yes, he somewhat
got an assist in Logan Rogerson's goal, but I'm just
not sure he provides as much attacking prowess and probably
(05:27):
also isn't as good defensively as someone like Jesse Randall
or Nate Modeno or even someone like Liam Gillion.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
His place, I think will certainly come under scrutiny for
the rest of the season now that Modano's fit again
now that Gillian's fit again, that competition which has existed
all season for those attacking spots will now intensify even
more with those two back. And yeah, I agree with you.
I'm almost certain without knowing, and we could perhaps mention
(05:57):
it if we think Steve's listening to the podcast that
Madina will return to the starting lineup for the victory
game this coming weekend if he's if he's fit enough
to come on when he did, and give I'm just
trying to work out when he came on. It was
about Yeah, after about an hour he came on for Francois.
If he can get through thirty minutes, then I'm almost
(06:17):
positive he can start a game of football seven days later.
So yeah, I think that's probably what he'll do. I
liked I liked the Hollison because he could have gone
with Brimmer. Couldn't He could have gone with Jake Brimmer
if he was looking for somebody to sort of play
in that advanced role. I was pleased that Cam Howson
got the start. I don't think he started a game
since the derby in December, the two to one derby
(06:41):
in December. I think that might be the last time
that Cam Howison started a game for Auckland FC, so
you know, it's been a very long time between games
from the start for him.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Cam. Yeah, I feel kind of bad for him that
he probably hasn't had as much game time as we
initially discussed before the season even started. You know, I
feel like Piney and I, you and I would have
possibly had him in the starting lineup before we knew
how strong the lucks of Vestrata and Gagos were going
to be in there. So I do feel bad for
(07:17):
him and it probably would have been hard for him
watching his former club Auckland City when the Nation's League
Cup or some sort of tournament overseas. So yeah, I'm
pleased he got the start, and I think both him
and Brimmer offered something different and both exciting, and it's
(07:38):
a great option for Steve Carricket to have you two
different players of that caliber.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
I just checked actually my fact on Cam House and
he hasn't actually started since the first derby, which is
back in round three, so that's his first start for
Auckland f C since the second of November. He's got
a lot of time off the bench and has proven
himself to be a really valuable asset for Steve Coriker
to use in whichever fashion he needs him to be used,
(08:04):
you know, in games. But yeah, it was pleased to
see him get a start. Whether he keeps a spot,
I guess remains to be seen. Pretty even game Sydney
FC fifty three percent possession, Auckland FC forty seven percent.
Auckland had slightly more efforts on goal seventeen to thirteen.
Steve Coriker's first time back at Sydney as Auckland FC coach.
Of course, he won championships and premierships as a player
(08:27):
and a coach at Sydney FC. And I quite like
the fact that right throughout the week and even after
the game, when he was asked about how it felt,
he said, look, it does feel a bit strange to me.
He could easily have said, I, you know, that's in
the past. I don't think about that. It's just another game,
but he made a point of saying, look, this is
unusual for me because Sydney FC was such a big
part of his life.
Speaker 1 (08:48):
I think that game to Steve Corocker would have felt
like the Phoenix Derby would have felt for someone like
Alex Paulson or Logan Rogerson. You know, yeah, I feel
like he treated this game with a bit more intensity
than he did the derby. Yes, he knew how big
the derby was going to be, but he kind of
just brushed those ones off as another game, whereas this
(09:10):
one clearly meant a lot more.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
To Steve amazing traveling support too. Must mention the Port
who who set off in really big numbers. I think
this was the first really organized away trip that they
had and to see them behind the goal that I think, well,
I know, three of the four goals were scored and
certainly Auckland FC's equalizer was down that end. It was
just great to see so many traveling fans, you know,
(09:33):
that's a big part of this league, fans traveling, you know,
trans Tasman to away games, and it was good to
see a great contingent of the Port and the other
Auckland FC fans there.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yeah, definitely huge and I feel like they'll all be
nervously waiting to see which side Auckland FC potentially draw
in a away semi final match. So yeah, I don't
think it'll be their first trip across the ditch.
Speaker 2 (09:59):
Now. We just need to mention one of the port's
foundation members who made the trip, but it hasn't gone
exactly the way he would have hoped by the sounds
of things, bond.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
No, John o'ross. He's one of the founding members of
Auckland def sees Port. As you mentioned Piney and yeah,
he suffered a bit of chest pain. I believe he
just posted to social media saying, yeah, he stuffered a
bit of chest pain early on in the game and
had to leave in the twentieth minute and is now
(10:29):
over in Sydney and stuck in a hospital and had
to cancel his flight. So absolutely gutted for him and
sending best wishes because he's been Yeah. Probably they're arguably
their biggest supporter all season long.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
Yeah, all the best to you, johno. If you're listening,
maybe passing some time as you as you recover, maybe
you could get to the Melbourne game on Saturday, if
you still open the let's over for a speedy recovery
for you, John. Okay, here's the equation, Bonnie. Let's look
at the equation. We were messaging one another last night.
I was trying to explo to you. You are trying
to explain stuff back to me. I couldn't keep up
(11:03):
with most of it. But here's what I think we've
landed on. Here's what we know. Auckland FC have a
four point lead with three games to go. Now, two
wins in their last three games would get them the
Premiers played. That would give them fifty three points and
nobody else can get to fifty three points. But they
may not even need to do that depending on other results.
(11:27):
There are five teams who can still mathematically win The
Premiers played. Auckland FC obviously forty seven, Melbourne City forty
three points, Western United forty one, Western Sydney thirty nine,
Melbourne Victory thirty nine. It would be, it would be.
It's as highly unlikely those last two can get up
and win it. It would need Auckland f C to completely
(11:49):
fall over and only and get basically no points from
their last three games. So let's narrow it down to
Auckland FC, Melbourne City and Western United. Auckland FC have
got Melbourne victory away, per at home and Western United away.
Melbourne City I feel has as though have the toughest
run in. They've got Western Sydney away, then Adelaide at home,
then Sydney at home. And Western United have Brisbane away,
(12:12):
Sydney at home and then that last game against Auckland FC.
It feels to me as though it's still very much
Auckland f C's premiers played.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
Yeah, it's well, it's their to lose, right, I'm nervous
when you say, you know, they've got to get two
wins in their last three games. You look at Melbourne
Victories display against the Wellington Phoenix and just how good
they always are at the back end of the season.
And then Western United have obviously hurt Auckland f C
(12:42):
before and obviously right up in there, so that makes
me nervous. But then I remember they're four points clear
at the top and those other hard games that Melbourne
City and Western United have.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
As you say, I'm just trying to do some hypotheticals
here for argument's sake, that on Saturday night Auckland FC
get a draw against Melbourne Victory. So let's just assume
that they go from forty seven to forty eight points
Melbourne City go to Western Sydney. That is a very
very tough game for them. Western Sydney are in red
(13:16):
hot form, so Western Sydney could quite easily win that
game against Melbourne City. Yes, Melbourne City are a good side,
but Western Sydney could easily win that game. So let's
say that happens, Melbourne City would stay on forty three.
Western United have Brisbane Raw who have been terrible, you know,
they really have been very, very poor, So let's give
(13:37):
Western United the three points there. So if Auckland FC draw,
Melbourne City lose and Western United win, then Auckland f
C would still have a four point lead with only
two games to go. It would be a four point
lead over Western United and Melbourne City would be a
point back. So it feels to me as though, like
(13:58):
I say, I unless Auckland FC lose this weekend to
Melbourne victory, I still feel like it's very much theirs
to win.
Speaker 1 (14:08):
They need a point this weekend. I think if they
lose their they're ye cutting it too fine and there's
going to be a few nervous fans. A point or
a win this weekend will yeah just ease everything. And
surely it's pretty much a dundale.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
What would like to see a is them be able
to win it at home against Perth, and there is
a series of results which could happen that would allow
them to do that. But it really feels to me
as though it's going down to the last weekend a
little bit. You know, Western United, like I say, should
beat Brisbane away this summer. I think that game's on
Thursday night actually going into Easter weekend. Yes, it is,
(14:47):
so they should win that on Thursday night really and
close close the gap up. They'd go to forty four
and Auckland f C on forty seven, but with a
game extra, Yeah, it would be It would be very
cool if they could secure the Premiers plate at home
with a win over Perth the following Sunday. But a
(15:07):
lot of stuff has to happen for that to happen.
Speaker 1 (15:10):
Yeah, but they'll want to be the obviously, Auckland f
C will want that, and they've enjoyed so much playing
at home and thrived at home this season that I
think that's what they'll I mean, they'll want to get
it done as soon as possible, right, so they'll go
over to Melbourne with that mindset we need a win.
I mean, I'm sure they do that every game, but
(15:32):
I think they'll just have that a little bit more
hunger than what they normally would for an away game.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
There is a circum set of circumstances where Auckland FC
could win it this weekend, but it would need Western
United to lose to Brisbane Raw and I just can't
see it. And even though that game's in Brisbane and
Western United lost to Western Sydney last night, Like I say,
Brisbane have been so bad two wins from twenty two games,
They've just been really, really poor. I just can't see
(16:02):
Western United not beating them on Thursday night? Can you?
Speaker 1 (16:04):
In saying that Pioneer Perth Glory had a huge win
over Adelaide, which I wouldn't have picked either.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
No, you're right, you're right. Four one yeah, and Adelaide United,
that's another interesting case. They could miss out on the
top six. You know, you know when they had that
four all draw, that was only about a month ago,
and I remember I think I even said to you
at the time that could be the Grand Final because
Adelaide were terrific. But the season's just gone off a cliff.
(16:32):
They still I think there's still six. No they're not.
They've dropped out of the six. There's seventh now a
point behind Sydney FC. After that, As you say that
lost to Perth, who up until that had also only
won two of their twenty three games, Adelaide. Yeah, and
of course they announced last week that Carlvett, their coach,
will be leaving at the end of the season. I
(16:52):
think that's a very odd decision. First of all, it's
an odd decision for him to leave, but it's an
odd time to announce it too, isn't it. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
You look at these other teams and how inconsistent they've been,
you know, Western United, up and down results all season, Adelaide.
As you mentioned, another one is Western Sydney wander is
just recently finding their form and I think you go
back to Auckland FC. Yes, they've had a run of draws,
(17:21):
but they have been consistent and they've been consistent and
not losing, so that's really promising. I just hope that
the fact they haven't won in a long time isn't
any sort of lack of momentum heading into these playoffs.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Yeah. Just the two defeats in twenty three games, it's
quite the record, isn't it. The next best is six
and it's shared by the four teams immediately below the
Melbourne City, Western United, Western Sydney and melbourn Victory. I've
all had six defeats, whereas Auckland FC have just had
the two. Yes, they've had a lot more draws than
those sides, but you pick up points and this sort
of thing happens. So yeah, it's still there for Auckland
(17:58):
f C. I get the feeling that they will get there. Okay,
it's just a matter of when. So next up for
them away at Melbourne Victory seven o'clock on Saturday night.
That game at Amy Park in Melbourne. So let's go
(18:20):
slightly earlier Saturday where Wellington Phoenix met Melbourne Victory at Skystadium.
That was a five o'clock kickoff on Saturday, beautiful day
and Wellington ninth game in a row between these two
which has been either drawn or decided by one goal,
Melbourne Victory winning at three to two. I thought it
was a good game to watch, you know, apart from
the fact that it extinguished Wellington Phoenix is very very
(18:41):
slim top Sex hopes. I thought it was a good game.
Speaker 1 (18:44):
I don't think they were ever winning that game against
Melbourne Victory. No kind of hard feelings of the Phoenix,
but yeah, I was. I was surprisingly pleased with the
way they performed and got on the score sheet, and yeah,
kind of kept the fight right in. Melbourne Victory were
clearly the better side, but I don't think the Phoenix
(19:06):
necessarily bowed down to them.
Speaker 2 (19:08):
No, they definitely didn't. And while Melbourne Victory had by
far the greater attacking opportunities twenty two shots to Wellington's seven,
and ten of those were on target, Josh Olowimi made
a number of good saves. Possession was actually pretty even.
Melbourne Victory fifty five Phoenix forty five. And you look
at the first goal that the Phoenix scored. Corbyn Piper
(19:30):
finished it off. But it was almost like, okay, here's
Chiefy ball, you know, passing through the press, you know,
moving up field in numbers with slick passing. I think
there were nine passes from the back all the way
to the front. Sam Sutton provides the final ball for
Corbyn Piper to put it in from close range. You
just got a glimpse of Chiefy ball from last season
(19:50):
in that one move.
Speaker 1 (19:52):
Yeah, and I feel like chief is kind of saying, okay,
you know, watch us, watch what we're going to be like.
And you know, come the end of the year, at
the next season when these these younger players are a
little bit older, a little bit wiser and got in
use to this league a little bit more.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
So.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
Yeah, really really really pleased. And Corbyn Piper, how good
is he? I love Pony that you're a big fan
of Corbyn Piper based off the tweets I've seen you tweet.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
I'm a huge fan of Corbyn Piper. I love the
way he goes about it. Yeah. One of the things
I tweeted out was something that Ernie Merrick said about
Ben Sigmund when when Ernie was Phoenix coach and SIGGI
was a big part of their team. He said, look,
you can't have a team full of artists. You have
to have the odd panel beater in there, you know,
guys who were just going to get stuck in. I
(20:39):
think everybody understands the analogy and Corbyn Piper and I
must I must give props to the Yellow Fever podcast
here because without knowing that I stole their line. But
Corbyn Piper is Ben Sigmund, you know, version two point zero.
He just, you know, even looks a bit like it.
He just never gives up.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
Yeah, you're right. Do you think poney though he'll be
in all white ever, or do you think he's potentially
too much of that panel Beata style player that potentially
might miss out because he's not, as I don't know,
technically savvy.
Speaker 2 (21:12):
Great question. I think he has the ability to upscale
himself and you know, to polish some rough edges. I
think you know the thing that you can't you cannot coach.
I don't think you cannot coach heart or commitment. That
has to be intrinsic in a player. And if he
wants it badly enough, then I think he can probably
do it. I wonder what his best position is. I
(21:35):
feel like he's a defender, that's what All the qualities
he has are similar to what SIGGI had, and SIGGI
was a center back and SIGGI went very very hard
at polishing his edges in terms of being able to
you know, play out from the back and you know,
play passes between five, ten, fifteen, twenty twenty five meters
whatever was required. He polished his edges. I think Corbyn
(21:55):
Piper probably can, but I wonder what his position is now.
It might well be that if Scott woulden't goes and
all signs are saying that he will. Corbyn Piper could
start at center back next year and play the whole
season at center back, get forward for set pieces, not
in a goal or two, but just be a lion
hearted center back. And I think, yes, there's a lot
(22:16):
of competition for that role at the moment and the
All Whites, but I think that might be his best
opportunity to earn higher honors.
Speaker 1 (22:22):
I think as well, you look at someone like Corbyn Piper,
you know maybe in twelve months time would be a
perfect player with a little bit more experience under him
to bring to a World Cup where you have him
on the bench and you can bring him on almost anywhere.
You know, one of those great utility players. I've referenced
it before on the podcast. He's kind of like a
(22:43):
Mickey Foster where you can put them anywhere and know
they'll do a job. So yeah, I think that's you know,
you don't want to be a utility bench player all
your life, but potentially that is his way into the
All Whites, knowing that he is Yeah, very.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Yeah, it's a great point. You're right if you're looking
for a you know, if you're picking a squad of
twenty three. You know, one way you can go as
you pick three goalkeepers and then two players for each
of the ten outfield positions, or you can you can
pick players who, like Corbyn Piper can play four or
five different positions because their versatility is so valuable in
a situation like that. So yeah, look, I think he's
(23:23):
been one of the bright spots in this Phoenix season.
Great to see him score another goal. Always love the
way he whacks the badge you know when he scores
a goal. He's from Auckland, of course, and I see
there are there are some little murmurings perhaps that Auckland
FC might be interested in bringing Corbyn Piper back home.
(23:43):
I would obviously love to see him stay in Wellington.
I think they should. They should probably look at extending
his contract before too much longer to ward off any
possibility of going to Auckland. I thought Melbourne Victory's third
goal was was pretty poor defending from Wellington Phoenix. The
fact that Nikos Vergos got the ball probably midway between
(24:06):
his own penalty area in halfway and ran all the
way to the edge of the other penalty area and
scored without really being closed down.
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Absolutely piney. I also wrote on my notes to brigand
here that that third goal in particular, I think along
with the other two, but that third goal was an
experience defending how you you need to go to the ball.
There's you know, you shadow defend like that for some time,
but it's got to be before you know, well before
(24:35):
the eighteen yard box, that someone's got to press that player,
and no one did it.
Speaker 2 (24:40):
I feel like that's something you get taught quite early though, right,
you know you talk about it being an experience, yeah,
of course, but you know, I think any defender who's
made it to the A League knows that if a
guy's running towards a penalty area, you close them down
and probably you have to you know, target perhaps the
midfielders before you even look at the defenders. You know.
I haven't looked back at it close, but he must
(25:01):
have been sort of almost ushered all the way there
by a couple of Wellington Phoenix midfield players as well.
I feel like somebody should have stopped them around halfway.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
And it's not like he was, you know, it was
a one B one situation where there were no Phoenix
defenders behind. I think Isaac Hughes was the one closest
to the ball, but it's not like there, you know,
it was a one b one situation. There were other
defenders around for someone to step in, knowing that if
they did get beaten there would be cover there. So yeah,
(25:31):
very very interesting and one that will probably be a
whiteboard session, I would say so.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
And there was really no one else there from Melbourne Victory.
I think Niche and Volupela arrived quite late, so it
wasn't as though, you know, there were other players there
drawing those defenders away. A very odd piece of defending
from from Wellington who were normally normally defensively quite good.
Parlo Retro getting a goal which was a very very
nice goal, top corner from the penalty arc, but then
(25:57):
looked like he pulled his hamstring in the in the
act of actually scoring the goal. So he'd come on
as a sub, scored a goal and then had to
go off. So that was a shame, and also it
was a shame to see Rena Episcopo also suffer the
same fate. He came on as a sub, look to
have suffered quite a nasty injury and he had to
go off as well. He has been so unlucky Reno
with injuries when he was here, when he was at Newcastle,
(26:20):
now is at Victory. He just doesn't seem to be
able to shake off these niggly injuries that don't allow
him to get any sort of momentum because he can
be one of the best players going around, Rena Piscopo
when he's fit.
Speaker 1 (26:32):
I I don't know if that's hearsh really, I just
can't stand those players that are always injured. I remember
Rafael on the Dahal, the tennis player. He was my favorite,
but he was just always injured and I hated it.
Speaker 2 (26:43):
Well he got he wasn't the odd Major though, didn't
he Raffa.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I do feel bad though, I mean,
that's me now retired, injured all the time right well.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
As far as the Phoenix concern, that now does mathematically
take them out of top six contention. There was a
mathematical chance before the weekend that they could if they
won their last four games, still squeak in. They cannot
now that is not now within their reach. They are
officially out of the top six. Three games to go,
Adelaide away on Friday night, then Brisbane away, and then
Perth at home. So three other sides that currently sit
(27:15):
outside the top six, two of them also cannot make it,
Brisbane and Perth. So hopefully the Phoenix can finish strongly
with some good results and at least at least, you know,
give the back end of their season some bit of
a rosy glow. Just before we move on to the women,
Western Sydney Wanderers fullback Alex Gerzbach scored the five hundredth
(27:36):
goal of the season yesterday last night against Western United
and that came in the one hundred and fiftieth game
of the season. So that's the fastest that a season
has ever reached its five hundredth goal in Australian men's
league history. So I guess let's a roundabout way of
saying that there have been plenty of goals this season,
lots to enjoy from the strikers. This is what. And
(28:06):
so to the Wellington Phoenix women, who are also now
officially out of top six contention. A one nil loss
away at Canberra, Madison Asen scoring the goal for Canberra
in the twenty fifth minute from a corner. Wellington Phoenix
sixty two percent possession, eighteen shots, no goals. And I
(28:28):
think the story really is in the last ten games
since they beat Newcastle at home on the nineteenth of January,
at which point they moved into fifth place, They've had
a win, a drawer and eight losses in their last
ten games, four points from a possible thirty, just six
goals in those ten games and none in their last three.
(28:50):
The season has, just after promising so much in the
middle of January, has just rarely spectacularly failed to deliver
absolute flop.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
Piney. I don't I can't put it, you know anymore.
Simply the fact even yesterday when they you know, needed
a win to stay in it and stay in that
playoff fight, and they have eighteen shots on goal and
can't convert one. You know, it just baffles me. And
(29:20):
I put it down to a bigger New Zealand football
kind of system pathway. I don't know. I feel like
everyone's in their heads now about an inability to score goals.
It absolutely sucks. And I listened to Paul Tempo after
the game and he said, you know, ultimately the responsibility's
got to fall on him as coach, and it absolutely does,
(29:44):
particularly when you dish out those stats. Pinety of them
in the second half of the season. But yeah, a
massive kind of overhaul. You know, something needs to happen,
given that this is basically exactly how it played out
last season as well.
Speaker 2 (29:59):
In many ways. Well, actually, statistically they are going to
be worse than last season in terms of points, because,
as you say, this is exactly what happened last season.
They looked promising till about the halfway point and then
just were unable to pick up points consistently towards the
back end. But they still finished with twenty eight points.
Even if the Phoenix win their last game against Western
(30:21):
United on the weekend, they'll only only get to twenty six.
And I think arguably last season squad was stronger, particularly
with Maddy Nispeckmyer there and a couple of other players
who have since moved on, the likes of Mickey Foster
and Kate Taylor. So last season was probably a stronger squad.
But I don't know, it just it felt as though
(30:42):
there were opportunities, particularly at home. I look at that goodness,
I've mentioned March so often on this podcast until I'm
blue in the face. Four games, four games at home
in March that could really have defined their season and
have defined their season because they could only win one
of those four games at home plus the away game
(31:04):
that they lost to Sydney FC. So yeah, March could
have been you know, well, March was the making and
breaking and unfortunately it was the breaking of their season.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
I think as well, it's probably going to hurt a
lot of those football ferns in the squad, you know,
the likes of Mac Barry, Grace, Jarley Manaiah Elliott, Alyssa
Winnen probably would have been on the cusp, Emma Maine
another one. You know. Yes, you know it's hard to
say your team's not your club. Teams not performing, so
(31:34):
I'm not going to select you. Obviously, Michael Main, interim
football Fans coach, is going to select the best players.
But it doesn't help, you know, it doesn't help their
case that they've completely dropped off the radar in this
A league season. So yeah, I think the Phoenix really
need to on the women's academy really need to sit
down and look at the bigger problem here. You do
(31:56):
wonder if Paul Temple will get his job again next season.
I did have a thought maybe he's someone in line
for the Football firn's job. That's another story in itself,
but yeah, it's all up in the air surely.
Speaker 2 (32:08):
Well just on that too. You know, you talk about
players not being on the national radar when things aren't
going well. It's not as though Paul Temple comes in
with any impressive body of work in the last two years.
He hasn't been able to get the Phoenix to the
playoffs in the last two years. Yes, he has improved them,
of course he has. But the first two seasons of
the Wellington Phoenix women's life where you know, we're pretty mediocre,
(32:33):
you know, just seven points from fourteen games in their
first season, then thirteen from eighteen games in their second season.
So absolutely he has improved them. But they're still after
four seasons now waiting for their first entry into the
top six. And it was there for them this season.
I honestly believe it was there for them this season.
Speaker 1 (32:55):
I agree, Piney. I think you're right With've probably had
a weaker squad this season, but in that first half
of the season they looked better I think than they
did last season. I think they'll feel grateful that it
sounds like Auckland f C's women's team isn't coming next
next year, so you know, maybe it'll give them a
(33:17):
bit more breathing room to make their case, because I
feel like if Auckland f C were to deliver a
woman's program, it's surely going to replicate the men's and
be a bit more of a success than what the
Phoenix women's has been. I mean, I don't want to
crucify it too much, because I am hearing some really
really good things out of the academy, in particular that
(33:38):
they you know, hire and pay a lot more full
time staff down there than what some of the other
A League women's clubs do, and they're clearly trying with
a lack of resources over here in New Zealand. But yeah,
it is tough when it seems to just be the
same story every game and for the last two seasons.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
Read with interest your piece about the Auckland women's team.
I know you've got sort of wind of this last week.
Have you heard any more? Are we really now in
a situation where Auckland f C will not have a
women's team next season?
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Yeah? From most people I've spoken to, I feel like
that's the way it's going, and it's being driven more
by a league decision rather than Auckland f C simply
because of broadcast rights over in Australia, which is super
frustrating and I feel personally a bit pissed off about it,
(34:35):
which I know I shouldn't. I've got to be a
neutral journalist. But I remember Bill Foley and Nick Becker,
the owner and the CEO of Auckland f C, looked
me in the eye when when they launched the men's side,
saying that it'll be there that second year and we
want to do it right and that's why it's coming
a year later. It's also really confusing because it seemed
(34:56):
to be a requirement of any expansion team joining the
A League now that they had to come with a
women's team, So it is all very confusing. I know
there's not a lot of money in the A League
right now, but from what I'm hearing is it's going
to be delayed.
Speaker 2 (35:10):
Okay. That is such a shame because I think all
they had to do was look at the success of
the men's team as a startup, didn't they and think
to themselves, wow, if that's the way they approach building
a football team, then let's you know, I can't wait
to see what they do with the women's team. That's
what I'd be doing if I was at a league headquarters, saying, look, guys,
go for it. But yeah, look, it is a shame
(35:33):
because we were talking about potential targets, weren't we. And
it's a similar discussion that we were having a year
ago when they were, you know, starting to put together
the men's team. Who might they go for, who might
their big names be, who might their imports be, what positions?
You know, what will the tarbis be? Like all that stuff,
And it's such a shame that that now may not happen.
Speaker 1 (35:52):
I think you're so right as well, Piney, when you
mentioned the success of the men's team and why not
they like, why can't the A League take a chance
on this women's team, and you know, Auckland f C
Would hopefully do a good job. It sounded like they
had already planned for the women's team to be based
out at North Harbor Stadium, which is slightly smaller, but
they felt they could still deliver all of the in
(36:14):
game entertainment like the Fairest Wheel and things like that.
So yeah, and as you say, players were already speaking
with the club, I understand, and elite Katie Bowen were
a few names kind of floating around and they had
already shortlisted and interviewed coaches for the job.
Speaker 2 (36:30):
So it is.
Speaker 1 (36:31):
It is a real shame. And yeah, you wonder you
get excited about how many tickets they've probably sow, you know,
just a couple of weeks ago when Super Rugby didn't
get as many fans as Auckland f C did on
a Saturday night in Auckland. So yeah, it's it was exciting,
but show must go.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
On, all right. Well, we'll keep our eyes peeled for
any confirmation of that. Yeah, let's hope that there is
a change of heart and that does happen because I
and you'll probably know more about this than me, But
Terry mcflynn, I know, was really working hard. Once the
men's team was up and running. He had turned his
focus almost fully to getting the women's program going, hadn't.
Speaker 1 (37:10):
He He had? And I've also been talking with you know,
some some people kind of in the Northern League space
and in the you know, the top women's competition in
Auckland called the Lotto and RFL, and I think if
an Auckland FC a League team doesn't come along, I
wonder if it's worth looking at starting to build an
(37:31):
academy team regardless that can play in that that Auckland
Domestic League and the National League eventually when that comes around.
So I think that that could be a good option.
I haven't discussed it with the club. I don't know
if that's on their radar, but that could be a
way where they still start, you know, building a talent
in a group of players and pathways and fans.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
I'll keep clicking on your byline on the New Zealand
Herald too, because that's where it will turn up first.
I'm sure I'll keep eye peled on your excellent work there.
So Wellington Phoenix, they finished their season at home Easter
Sunday against Western United. Regardless of that result, they cannot
make the top six. I'm still going to get along
to that game. I'm looking forward to watching them for
(38:12):
one more time this season. But the top six is confirmed.
Melbourne City, Melbourne Victory, Adelaide, Western United, the Central Coast
Mariners and Canberra Melbourne City. What a season. They'll win
the Premier's Plate if they beat Perth Glory away on
Friday Night, A draw would almost certainly be enough as well.
They're two points clear with a much better goal difference
than Melbourne Victory and if they do win or draw,
(38:34):
that would complete an unbeaten regular season for them. If
they were to lose to Perth somehow, Victory could claim
the Premier's plate if they beat Brisbane at home on Saturday.
For Victory to have even kept up with Melbourne City,
it's quite something, isn't it. I mean, this is obviously
the Grand Final we're headed towards, but what a season
for both of these Melbourne teams. Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (38:56):
It always seems to be those two teams right up there,
as well as Sydney who haven't been great at all
this season, but really cool to have. Obviously, Cotier Bunge
for Melbourne Victory and Rebecca Stott for Melbourne City, both
football firm center backs and they'll likely go at it
now in the playoffs and hopefully in the finals. So
(39:17):
both have had amazing campaigns and your hats off to
them for an incredible season.
Speaker 2 (39:22):
All right. That pretty much brings to a closed football
fever for today. This coming weekend. Wellington Phoenix Men away
at Adelaide on Friday, night. Saturday night at seven this
will be a cracker Auckland FC away at Melbourne Victory.
And then Sunday afternoon, that's Easter Sunday four o'clock it's
the Wellington Phoenix Women wrapping their season at home to
(39:42):
Western United. Bonnie have an excellent week and well, I'm
not even even checked your availability for Easter Monday. Are
you available on Easter Monday to record a podcast?
Speaker 1 (39:53):
Should we make it happen? Poney? Well make it happen.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
I've got a very empty life with not much going on,
far too old and get think too big for Easter eggs.
So if you're around next month, if you're around next Monday,
let's make it happen.
Speaker 1 (40:05):
Yeah, let's do it, Pining, We'll see you then.
Speaker 2 (40:11):
Foa football weaver
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