Wellington Phoenix

Higgins

Fifteen years since he joined the Phoenix but still only 32 so hopefully he still has a bit of mileage left in his legs in what will probably be his last professional contract.

I can never feel the same after he walked out on the Nix after a year on his two year contract. Waste of a wage as I doubt he came cheap as far as I’m concerned he’s not the same blockbusting players as he was 5 years ago be better off giving the likes of Van Hattum or Bidois a full time contract.

booboo

@mikey07 said in Wellington Phoenix:

I can never feel the same after he walked out on the Nix after a year on his two year contract. Waste of a wage as I doubt he came cheap as far as I’m concerned he’s not the same blockbusting players as he was 5 years ago be better off giving the likes of Van Hattum or Bidois a full time contract.

Has to be a descendant of Frank?

Bovidae

@booboo Oskar van Hattum is Frank's nephew. He is a forward.

8 months later

1 month later

10 months later

Canes4life

Phoenix just beat Macarthur to go 5 points clear at the top of the A-League with 18 games played. Pretty awesome considering they were predicted wooden spooners at the beginning of the campaign.

Bovidae

That was a gutsy win with 5 starters out.

JK

Yeah very gutsy. Excellent season so far.

2 months later

canefan

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The Phoenix fight to earn a draw in the first leg of the semis vs Melbourne, away at a place they rarely do well. The decider will be in Wellington in 6 days

Canes4life

@canefan expect a huge crowd at the Cake Tin for this, they deserve it and hope they win and get into the final.

Bovidae

If guilty, Lewis can kiss goodbye his professional career and won't play for the All Whites again.

Report I saw was they were given 10k$ for it, FFS, that's peanuts

canefan

Shocking non call by VAR, Phoenix should have a penalty

Canes4life

Jeez so many hollywoods

canefan

How can that Melbourne player not have a YC by now?

Bovidae

A cagey 1st half.

The Phoenix look dangerous on the break but need to be more clinical with their finishing.

canefan

VAR mulling over a Phoenix penalty shout that for me doesn't look like a pen.

canefan

Wow. Penalty given. Pretty unlucky for the Melbourne player, his arm was up but the ball hits his body first and ricocheted onto the arm

canefan

No more penalties for Rufer. Missed one to cost us the league trophy, now bottles one in the SF.

canefan

A screamer of a goal from the Melbourne defender Traore. Totally lucked it, first goal in 10 years. The desperation level has shot up now, assuming there is no away goals rule, we need a goal with about 6 minutes plus added time to go

canefan

Phoenix score with the final kick of regulation plus added time. Total speculator that reminds me of a Spurs goal in the UCL semi vs Ajax a few years ago. We will have extra time

Chris B.

@canefan Just when it looked like they were shepherding in another disappointment.

A very good goal, as well.

canefan

@Chris-B said in Wellington Phoenix:

@canefan Just when it looked like they were shepherding in another disappointment.

A very good goal, as well.

Cool finish by Ziwada, beautiful assist from Costa

canefan

Melbourne apparently took off a bunch of attacking players whereas the Phoenix have fresh attackers because they had to chase the game. Time to put them to the sword now

canefan

Ugh, we go down one again. Plenty of time to equalise

@canefan said in Wellington Phoenix:

Ugh, we go down one again. Plenty of time to equalise

A minute ago, they should have been taking it to the goal but were a little bit too timid and have paid the price.

canefan

@LABCAT said in Wellington Phoenix:

@canefan said in Wellington Phoenix:

Ugh, we go down one again. Plenty of time to equalise

A minute ago, they should have been taking it to the goal but were a little bit too timid and have paid the price.

Conceding from a set piece is a coach killer at this stage of the game

canefan

We are in panic mode. Ben Old still looks dangerous but we are running out of time

Donsteppa

Overcooked corners...

canefan

Damn. Great season, just couldn't take the chances when they presented. Melbourne were very professional though, super solid

canefan

Alex Rufer's penalty taking confidence might be shot after two misses cost us a league trophy and a trip to the finals

Cyclops

@canefan

Mariners would still have finished ahead on the tiebreaker if Rufer Had buried the penalty against the jets, but who knows how the season changes.

I don't think there's anyone on the team that I'd be really confident lining up a penalty. More generally, I think our dead ball work is the area that we need to improve - I think 1 goal from a corner (and even that was second ball recycled on the edge of the area and a cracking shot) and 1 goal from a free kick (that one was a good one!).

Bovidae

Ecstasy and then agony. Poor defending from that corner. The Phoenix were unlucky with the Old shot hitting the post but these games are all about small margins.

Let's go CCM.

canefan

@Bovidae said in Wellington Phoenix:

Ecstasy and then agony. Poor defending from that corner. The Phoenix were unlucky with the Old shot hitting the post but these games are all about small margins.

Let's go CCM.

Kraev's header wide of goal hurt too, he should have at least got that on target

Cyclops

@Bovidae said in Wellington Phoenix:

Ecstasy and then agony. Poor defending from that corner. The Phoenix were unlucky with the Old shot hitting the post but these games are all about small margins.

Let's go CCM.

I was at the game, and the moment that goal went in was the biggest release of emotion by a crowd I've ever experienced. Just a sensational feeling to be in amongst it. I wasn't at the last sold out playoff back in the Herbert era, but I've been to other playoffs and other big crowds (both Phoenix and other sports, caketin and other stadiums). Even though we lost, still makes me smile just thinking about it.

Bovidae

@Cyclops said in Wellington Phoenix:

I was at the game, and the moment that goal went in was the biggest release of emotion by a crowd I've ever experienced. Just a sensational feeling to be in amongst it.

I was there, and at that end of the stadium, for Rory Fallon's goal against Bahrain, so I know the feeling.