Speaker 1: Football Fever with News Talks enb's voice of Football Jason
Speaker 1: Payne and Bonnie Jensen.
Speaker 2: Hello there and welcome into Football Fever. We have been
Speaker 2: signed on again for twenty twenty five. They're letting us
Speaker 2: do it again. I'm Jason Pine. Bonnie Jensen said two.
Speaker 2: I don't want to say Happy New Year. It's far
Speaker 2: too late in January for that, Bonnie, So welcome back
Speaker 2: to Football Fever.
Speaker 3: Yeah, Kilder Pine, it is a bit late for that,
Speaker 3: but not a very good start to the season as
Speaker 3: it would start to the year. Rather for our Kiwi
Speaker 3: A League teams. Pretty gustet that it's started this way.
Speaker 2: Yeah. Indeed, we come back with the rather unfortunate task
Speaker 2: of having to review three defeats for both Phoenix Sides
Speaker 2: and Auckland FC over the last weekend. So well, I mean,
Speaker 2: we have to do what we have to do, so
Speaker 2: let's kick into it starting Let's do this chronologically, starting
Speaker 2: with the A League Men and the Wellington Phoenix Men.
Speaker 2: Saturday afternoon, welcomed Adelaide United to sky Stadium looking to
Speaker 2: kind of get out of the rut that they find
Speaker 2: themselves in. Unfortunately not able to do so, going down
Speaker 2: two to one, an early own goal Matt Sheridan turning
Speaker 2: it into his own neck Corbyn Piper. I loved seeing
Speaker 2: him score his first Phoenix goal after halftime to make
Speaker 2: it one orbit. A mistake with fifteen minutes to go
Speaker 2: from Josh all Away m Me allowed Luki Ivanovitch to
Speaker 2: pounce and score the goal, which would give Adelaide United
Speaker 2: the two to one win, five losses in their last six.
Speaker 2: Now for Wellington, it's becoming a fairly challenging season, isn't it.
Speaker 1: For players, for coaching staff, and for fans.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's pretty dire, piney and absolutely gutted for them
Speaker 3: given what they did last season coming off the back
Speaker 3: of that. I just think personally the sides too inexperienced.
Speaker 3: I think, you know, there's a lot of young scholarship
Speaker 3: players in the squad and they're great players for what
Speaker 3: they are we they've come from, but not right now
Speaker 3: they're not at you know, their peak or where they
Speaker 3: need to be to help help this team move forward
Speaker 3: in the A League. And I feel like as fans,
Speaker 3: you know, is for you and I and and Yellow
Speaker 3: Fever and people that follow this team, maybe the expectations
Speaker 3: need to be lowered potentially because they're not where they
Speaker 3: were last season, kind of like what happened to the Warriors.
Speaker 2: Yeah, look, I totally agree with all of that. You
Speaker 2: look at last season and and everything just went right,
Speaker 2: didn't it. You know, they were winning from week to
Speaker 2: week when games were tight, they found a way, and yeah,
Speaker 2: you look at the relative inexperience of the side and
Speaker 2: the Look, let's let's give some context to this. There
Speaker 2: are some experienced players not available to chief you right now.
Speaker 2: Alex Rufer is out, Tim Payne is out, Marco Rojas
Speaker 2: is out potentially now. Sam Sutton might not be available
Speaker 2: for the next little while. Stephan Kolakowsky a season ending
Speaker 2: injury for him, So you know, he's called on a
Speaker 2: lot of young kids and they are just kids, the
Speaker 2: likes of Matt Sheridan, Isaac Hughes, lukebrook Smith, Nathan Walker
Speaker 2: and others to try and fill those gaps. And the
Speaker 2: other thing I just don't think they have this year
Speaker 2: is real quality in their imports. I like Kazuki Nagasawa,
Speaker 2: and I like Hideki Ashiga, but they are not Oscar
Speaker 2: Zavada or bojed Ar Krave.
Speaker 1: In fact, they're not even Ben Old.
Speaker 2: That's that's I think something which is becoming increasingly obvious
Speaker 2: is that the quality is just not there compared to
Speaker 2: last year.
Speaker 4: Yeah, exactly right.
Speaker 3: And I think they're potentially scouted wrong as well, you know.
Speaker 4: They.
Speaker 3: I mean, you can't put all the all the reliance
Speaker 3: on someone like Costa Barbarusis and Marco Rojas who obviously
Speaker 3: hasn't really been there. But maybe center backs should have
Speaker 3: been more of a focus. It's obviously a weak area.
Speaker 3: They considered another own goal on the weekend. It was
Speaker 3: sloppy defending and maybe that was an area that chief
Speaker 3: he should have looked. You know, hopefully there's announcement this
Speaker 3: January January window. But yeah, it's I think it's kind
Speaker 3: of gone all wrong for the Phoenix.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and it doesn't show any signs of improvement unfortunately.
Speaker 2: Having said that, I thought the first half hour of
Speaker 2: the second half on Saturday was promising from Wellington. The
Speaker 2: first half was a really tough watch, you know, watching
Speaker 2: them just sit and soak up and for the first
Speaker 2: time in a long time there were booze ringing out
Speaker 2: at sky Stadium for the way that Wellington were playing.
Speaker 2: I think the fans are just now, you know, a
Speaker 2: large segment of them just a little bit fed up
Speaker 2: with watching such a lack of attacking intent from the site.
Speaker 2: I get what they're doing, and it worked for them
Speaker 2: last year. They made themselves very difficult to break down
Speaker 2: and they look to catch teams on the break and
Speaker 2: score goals that way, and they did it so effectively.
Speaker 2: But when you don't have that part, you just look
Speaker 2: increasingly negative when nothing is being created in the middle
Speaker 2: of the attacking third.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's it's quite concerning as well to hear the
Speaker 3: hear the fans doing and you know they've they've been
Speaker 3: a lot with the Phoenix side and they you know,
Speaker 3: have been there through thick in them. But Chief he's
Speaker 3: even said it, you know, there's there's seems to be
Speaker 3: a real attitude problem within the in the group right now.
Speaker 3: And I wonder if it would take someone like maybe
Speaker 3: even David Ball, like where has he been? He obviously
Speaker 3: gets along with the younger players in this in the
Speaker 3: academy scholarship set up playing for that that reserve team.
Speaker 3: Maybe bringing someone like him back into the game day
Speaker 3: squad to really rally this group might be what they need,
Speaker 3: especially with their senior players like RUFA like Tim Payne
Speaker 3: out and unavailable at the moment.
Speaker 2: Well, it's funny you bring David Ball up because just
Speaker 2: dropping into my own box right now is a release
Speaker 2: about David Ball.
Speaker 1: Now.
Speaker 2: We're recording this late on Monday morning, early this afternoon.
Speaker 2: This announcement is going to be made that David Ball's
Speaker 2: contract has been mutually terminated. Yep, So the remaining six
Speaker 2: months of David Ball's playing contract has basically being mutually
Speaker 2: agreed between David Ball and the club to be terminated.
Speaker 2: So that is it for David Ball at Wellington Phoenix
Speaker 2: Football Club. This has been in the wind, I think
Speaker 2: for a bit. We haven't seen David Ball on the
Speaker 2: field since Round one. He's been outside the match day
Speaker 2: squad let alone anywhere near the playing eleven. And this
Speaker 2: has been whispered about and talked loudly about so by
Speaker 2: the sounds of it. In fact, confirmation today that David
Speaker 2: Ball will be leaving Wellington Phoenix Football Club, bringing to
Speaker 2: an end a five year stay during which he's become
Speaker 2: extremely popular. Was very very effective in many different ways.
Speaker 2: Played through injury, made personal sacrifices to go and live
Speaker 2: in Australia when his family were back here. You know,
Speaker 2: I think there's a probably another day that we can
Speaker 2: really pay tribute to David Ball. But I guess what
Speaker 2: it does on the positive side for Wellington as opens
Speaker 2: up an import spot and you'd have to think they'll
Speaker 2: have an idea of how they want to use that
Speaker 2: import spot for the second half of the season.
Speaker 3: Yeah, that's that's really sad to hear that. And he's
Speaker 3: about David Ball. He has been such a key part
Speaker 3: to this this squad on and off the field, and
Speaker 3: I know he's given a lot of advice personally to
Speaker 3: the to the women's team who have you know, they're
Speaker 3: quite new to it and the players there. So yeah,
Speaker 3: big loss David Ball. But yeah, I think an opportunity here.
Speaker 3: He obviously wasn't playing, so I'm sure Chief he has
Speaker 3: something in mind. And I as I mentioned before, I
Speaker 3: hope he's looking at the defensive end for a replacement.
Speaker 2: Well we asked in that after the game the other
Speaker 2: day and he said yes, but also looking at at
Speaker 2: at another attacking player, somebody to help take the press off.
Speaker 2: Cost of barbarusis up top. I mean Marco Rojas hasn't
Speaker 2: played for a while, so hopefully he'll come back because
Speaker 2: he did look good for the little glimpses that we
Speaker 2: saw of Marco Rojas, including you know, setting up goals
Speaker 2: for cost of Barbarusis and looking really good. So yeah,
Speaker 2: we wait to see what happens. The transfer window opens
Speaker 2: this week, so I'm almost certain that Wellington will bring
Speaker 2: at least one and maybe two players, and Oscar van
Speaker 2: HadAM meantime, has also departed. He's gone to Sligo Rovers.
Speaker 2: That was the club that Nando Pinneka and Max Marta
Speaker 2: were playing at together for a while, both now of
Speaker 2: course at Auckland FC. So Oscar van HadAM another guy
Speaker 2: who last year you know, was used so regularly in
Speaker 2: that impact role. He came off the bench, he set
Speaker 2: up goals, he scored his first A League goal. He
Speaker 2: looked like a really integral part of the squad. This season,
Speaker 2: he's hardly had any opportunities at all. I'm just looking
Speaker 2: at the stats. He's only played four times a start
Speaker 2: and then three matches off the bench. So I think
Speaker 2: for oscarvan had him probably quite a good move for him.
Speaker 3: Yeah, really good for him, and I see him as
Speaker 3: someone that could grow what he'd still be under twenty three,
Speaker 3: he'd probably be on track for the next Olympic Games.
Speaker 3: And yeah, he's someone who could grow and get experience overseas.
Speaker 4: But it is odd.
Speaker 3: It is odd that and back to Piney just to
Speaker 3: go back on potentially them signing a forward. My kind
Speaker 3: of thought is though, why, you know, I feel like
Speaker 3: Costa Barbarusis and Marco Rojas when he's back and the
Speaker 3: Japanese imports, they're great, but there's no point getting more,
Speaker 3: signing more forwards, you know, if the ball can't get
Speaker 3: to them. And that's why I feel like it's got
Speaker 3: to be someone either in a defensive midfield position or
Speaker 3: a center back so the ball can get up to them.
Speaker 3: There's no point signing all these really good forwards if
Speaker 3: they can't get the ball to them.
Speaker 2: Yeah, or keep the ball out of the back of
Speaker 2: the net is the other one. And early goals too.
Speaker 2: I mean they've conceded inside the first seven minute in
Speaker 2: four of their last five games, which always puts you
Speaker 2: on the back foot, you know again, and they don't
Speaker 2: want to keep harping back to next year, but the
Speaker 2: comparison is there. They conceded so few goals last season,
Speaker 2: particularly early. I remember, you know, for a while they
Speaker 2: hadn't considered a first half goal for seven or eight games.
Speaker 2: You know, going one kneel down early, it kind of
Speaker 2: almost throws your plans out the window, doesn't it. You know,
Speaker 2: you come out to say, right, let's keep it tight
Speaker 2: for you know, for the first half hour and then
Speaker 2: go from there. Well, when you one kneel down after
Speaker 2: seven minutes, as they have been four times in the
Speaker 2: last five games, then you you kind of have to, you.
Speaker 1: Know, to change things around.
Speaker 2: So the Phoenix are tenth, there're seven points off the
Speaker 2: top six and they've got a quick turnaround. This coming
Speaker 2: Wednesday night they welcome Sydney FC to Sky Stadium. They're
Speaker 2: on a five match unbeaten run, so the games don't
Speaker 2: get any easier for Wellington first time book Talay has
Speaker 2: come back to Wellington since he left after the twenty
Speaker 2: twenty two to twenty three season. Had four years at
Speaker 2: the helm of Wellington Phoenix of course, and guided them
Speaker 2: to the playoffs and three of those four seasons. Always
Speaker 2: been very popular guy who took tala, so'll be good
Speaker 2: to see him back in Wellington. But yeah, it's it
Speaker 2: just looks like a really tough road to hope for Wellington.
Speaker 2: Beyond this game, they've got to travel to MacArthur. Then
Speaker 2: they welcome the Mariners, although that game is in christ
Speaker 2: Church and Brisbane after that, So maybe back in a January,
Speaker 2: in too February, when they're playing the likes of the
Speaker 2: Mariners and Brisbane both on New Zealand soil, they might
Speaker 2: look at stringing a couple of results together and getting
Speaker 2: things back on track.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 3: What I'd like to see from the Phoenix, you know,
Speaker 3: going forward seeing out the rest of this A league season,
Speaker 3: is tidy up on those unforced eras or maybe fourced eras.
Speaker 3: You know that the own goals I've conceded, what that's
Speaker 3: two own goals they've also competed, considered a sloppy penalty
Speaker 3: eras goalkeeping eras. That's where they've got a tidy up.
Speaker 3: And once they do that, it's going to help build
Speaker 3: their confidence and hopefully gain a bit more momentum.
Speaker 2: Yep, let's hope for better things head for Wellington Phoenix.
Speaker 2: As I say, the next game is this coming Wednesday night,
Speaker 2: seven o'clock kickoff against Sydney FC at Sky Stadium.
Speaker 1: The FFV with Piny and Bonny, so we finished watching
Speaker 1: The Phoenix.
Speaker 2: Then there were a couple more games and then eleven
Speaker 2: forty five on Saturday nights, which very late to be
Speaker 2: watching a game of football the new distance derby Auckland
Speaker 2: FC over in Western Australia to take on a struggling
Speaker 2: Perth Glory who had lost their last seven home matches,
Speaker 2: not just not won them, lost them seven straight home
Speaker 2: losses in a row. But that came to an end
Speaker 2: at the expense of Auckland FC. Perth Glory one Auckland
Speaker 2: f C. Neil did you see this coming?
Speaker 3: I don't know what it says about me, Piney as
Speaker 3: you know a key we living in Auckland. But I
Speaker 3: kind of felt really happy for Perth. I think they
Speaker 3: played a really good game in terms of getting in
Speaker 3: the heads of the Black Knights and yeah, coming out
Speaker 3: with that result for Olie Sale and between the poet
Speaker 3: for Perth. They has had a rough couple of years
Speaker 3: since leaving the Phoenix, and yeah, I kind of felt
Speaker 3: stoked for them, and it was, yeah, bloody disappointing for Auckland.
Speaker 2: I thought Oli Sat had a really good game, you know,
Speaker 2: he and you know he looks down the other end
Speaker 2: and sees Alex Paulson there and thinks to himself, you know,
Speaker 2: there's a guy who has overtaken me in the pecking
Speaker 2: order for the All Whites, even at Perth. As you say,
Speaker 2: it's been difficult for him. He's been in and out
Speaker 2: of the team. He was really good on he sale.
Speaker 2: I think he played a massive part in this win.
Speaker 2: Made a couple of really crucial saves. Perth had a
Speaker 2: goal ruled out early. Jared Caluccio put it on the
Speaker 2: net but he was offside. But then he set up
Speaker 2: the goal for Jalen Perman who's smashed it in the
Speaker 2: top corner on the half hour marks. Only eighteen years old.
Speaker 2: This kid, Hiroki Saki off at halftime. He was in
Speaker 2: the penalty area and the ball came fizzing in and
Speaker 2: smacked him in the side of their head. He looked
Speaker 2: really groggy getting up. May have to go through concussion
Speaker 2: protocols Auckland had the chances sixteen shots, no goals, sixty
Speaker 2: five per possession. I'm still really really interested to see
Speaker 2: how they improve their cutting edge Auckland FC.
Speaker 3: Oh, I think you're exactly right, Piney and they need
Speaker 3: to shake up up top. They've proven they can, you know,
Speaker 3: they're they're very tight defensively. Even losing Dan Hall, They've
Speaker 3: still been really solid defensively. But something needs to change
Speaker 3: up top, and I'm not sure whether that's personnel or structurally.
Speaker 3: They've obviously got this new signing Marley francois coming in,
Speaker 3: but I don't know, maybe it's it's changing it up.
Speaker 3: Liam Gillian's great at creating opportunities. He hasn't He hasn't
Speaker 3: scored yet though Gmomi. He also takes some incredible shots
Speaker 3: and takes some players like no one else, but again
Speaker 3: hasn't scored in a while. So I'm just just wondering what.
Speaker 3: You know, something's got to give up there.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I noticed, you know, the angels that Steve
Speaker 2: Coriker made were quite early in the piece, weren't they.
Speaker 2: He brought on Jesse Randall and Logan Rogerson at halftime
Speaker 2: for Nadal Modino and Felipe guy Goss. Then Max Mutter
Speaker 2: replaced Liam Gillion even before the hour mark. I just
Speaker 2: think he's mixing and matching up there alongside alongside Gizu
Speaker 2: MAMAI to try and find the formula you're right about
Speaker 2: Liam Gillian. I love the way he plays the game,
Speaker 2: but if I'm Liam Gillion, I'd want to score a
Speaker 2: goal at some stage.
Speaker 4: Yeah, and he said that recently.
Speaker 3: I can't quite remember if it was before or after Christmas,
Speaker 3: maybe beforehand, but he said he's feeling it. You know,
Speaker 3: as a Ford you want to be scoring and it's
Speaker 3: not great for your confidence if you're not.
Speaker 4: So I have a feeling for Liam.
Speaker 3: Once that first goal comes, it's just going to keep
Speaker 3: coming and and he can score.
Speaker 4: I've spoken about it on the podcast before that.
Speaker 3: You know, he had a great scoring record for Auckland
Speaker 3: City playing back in the Northern League, so there's no reason.
Speaker 4: Why it can't come.
Speaker 3: It's just it's just finding what's what's going to work
Speaker 3: for this side. And yeah, right now it's it's not
Speaker 3: really showing. But also again hats off to Olie Sail
Speaker 3: who who's stopped those those sixteen shots. You know, Auckland
Speaker 3: Auckland f C were definitely the better team on the night,
Speaker 3: but he kept deciding it.
Speaker 2: I thought Max Martter should have scored. That was a
Speaker 2: really really good chance over the bar from seven yards.
Speaker 2: Max Martter is another one, you know, he just looks
Speaker 2: like a guy to me who's just a little bit
Speaker 2: short on confidence, you know, is wondering where his next
Speaker 2: goal is going to come from. You know, he's a
Speaker 2: center forward. He should be pushing Gazumo may for a
Speaker 2: starting spot up top. But you know he had the
Speaker 2: had the best chance of the evening. He couldn't bury
Speaker 2: it from a fairly handy position. Gazuma my himself, had
Speaker 2: a couple of good chances, and then late in the piece,
Speaker 2: Adama Kulabali, who'd come on as with about I think
Speaker 2: eleven or twelve minutes to go for his Auckland FC debut,
Speaker 2: was sent off. I wonder why he did this. I
Speaker 2: know that Joel and Nasmo, the Perth Glory player is
Speaker 2: on goal.
Speaker 1: I mean he.
Speaker 2: Basically picked up the ball on the edge of his
Speaker 2: own penalty area, sprinted all the way downfield with a
Speaker 2: Dahmaicula Bally stride for stride with him. It's right at
Speaker 2: the end of the game, you're one kneil down anyway,
Speaker 2: I don't know why a Damaicula Bali did that.
Speaker 3: I mean I kind of feel it, I kind of
Speaker 3: you know, don't mind what he did. When the Perth
Speaker 3: forward goes one on one with Alex Paulson. You know,
Speaker 3: he was getting away on a dama, so I'm not
Speaker 3: I'm pretty sure Perth would have scored there, and you know,
Speaker 3: I'd like to back Alex Paulson to save it, but
Speaker 3: I'm not sure.
Speaker 2: Doesn't matter though. I mean, you're one neel down, it
Speaker 2: wouldn't be two nil. You're still going to lose a game.
Speaker 4: But it's not like he's a player.
Speaker 3: It's not like it's Hiroki Saka that you're going to
Speaker 3: need next week type thing.
Speaker 4: He's like taking one for the team. One noil looks
Speaker 4: better than two.
Speaker 2: Now I suppose, yeah, I suppose. I just thought it
Speaker 2: was an interesting decision, heat of the moment stuff. You know,
Speaker 2: it's a red. He was already on a yellow. So
Speaker 2: even if you know, even if he'd done even if
Speaker 2: he had done that sort of further back, he might
Speaker 2: not have got a red, but he would have got
Speaker 2: a second yellow. So anyway, the upshotters that Auckland f
Speaker 2: C drop out of top spot, down to third place actually,
Speaker 2: but only one point behind Melbourne City and Adelaide. And
Speaker 2: they host Melbourne City on Saturday, and they've got a
Speaker 2: game in hand over them, so they could just as
Speaker 2: easily jump back up to the top.
Speaker 1: I have seen it suggested. You know, there was all this.
Speaker 2: Talk and and Chiefy's comments around how Auckland f C
Speaker 2: have been lucky was sort of magnified in and around
Speaker 2: the second derby. But since that second derby, Auckland f
Speaker 2: C have gone draw loss, win, draw loss five points
Speaker 2: from fifteen games. They've had to travel away obviously, They've
Speaker 2: been to Perth, they've been to the Mariners, they've been
Speaker 2: to Melbourne City. So I don't know, maybe they were
Speaker 2: lucky early on Bonnie.
Speaker 4: I don't know they were lucky.
Speaker 3: And yeah, wise old chief he knew he was right.
Speaker 3: He knew it would come back to bite them, and
Speaker 3: it definitely has. And you know, I think Auckland FC
Speaker 3: obviously the travels played a factor, but I think they
Speaker 3: got too comfortable with the home crowd. I think that's
Speaker 3: played played so much into their early success and not
Speaker 3: having that overseas as obviously hurt them. So yeah, they're
Speaker 3: going to need to adjust their mindset and adjust the
Speaker 3: way they play overseas.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and look they came back home as a say
Speaker 2: for Melbourne City on Saturday. Then they're away again to
Speaker 2: Adelaide and to Western Sydney Wanderers. So January is tough
Speaker 2: for them. Look, they're still a good side. There's still
Speaker 2: the best defensive team in the camp. Only nine goals
Speaker 2: can set at all seas and that's fewer than anybody else.
Speaker 2: It's the other end though, and at the risk of
Speaker 2: laboring the point, only sixteen goals. Everybody else in the
Speaker 2: top eight has scored more goals than Auckland have. Marley Francois,
Speaker 2: I think we'll probably be given a crack, you know,
Speaker 2: as Steve Coriker searches for the right recipe up top.
Speaker 2: Joey Champness we know has left. He's turned up and
Speaker 2: I did you see that he signed for Havida in Iran.
Speaker 4: Ah, well, good on it. Hopefully he gets some minutes.
Speaker 3: It was still not really sure why he left or
Speaker 3: why he wasn't really given an opportunity at Auckland. But yeah,
Speaker 3: hopefully he gets a shot there.
Speaker 1: All right.
Speaker 2: So Auckland f C against Melbourne City this coming Saturday
Speaker 2: at go Media Stadium. Look, it's one v three and
Speaker 2: Auckland FC fans have turned out in big numbers so far.
Speaker 2: Nothing to suggest they won't again. I think we're heading
Speaker 2: heading north of fifteen sixteen thousand again. Should be a
Speaker 2: great occasion when Auckland FC host Melbourne City at go
Speaker 2: Media Stadium on Saturday Football.
Speaker 1: Fever with Jason Faine and Bonnie Jensen.
Speaker 2: So two up, two down, we were looking for a
Speaker 2: bright spot from the Wellington Phoenix Women who came to
Speaker 2: Adelaide yesterday in really good nick. They had a terrific
Speaker 2: win over the Western Sydney Wanderers on Thursday away from
Speaker 2: home three nil, completely dominant and up into the top four.
Speaker 2: But in the heat of Adelaide reportably thirty three degrees
Speaker 2: there yesterday when the game kicked off, they were unable
Speaker 2: to continue that run, going down two to one. In
Speaker 2: general terms, do you think they deserved a point out
Speaker 2: of the game or do you think this result was fair?
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean maybe with the heat and the conditions there,
Speaker 3: potentially could have got a little bit more out the game.
Speaker 3: Out of the game. I think I wouldn't be too
Speaker 3: gutted by the result. Obviously, playing in Adelaide, it's an
Speaker 3: away game. They came close and you know, speaking of
Speaker 3: their game midweek, I had all these notes Pioneer about
Speaker 3: how good I think that the Phoenix are playing at
Speaker 3: the moment. So yeah, I wouldn't feel hard done by,
Speaker 3: and hopefully it's just an opportunity, you know, to move
Speaker 3: on and learn from that match.
Speaker 2: I think those notes are still relevant. I made some
Speaker 2: as well, and during the Western Sydney game of the
Speaker 2: team's playing really well for the first time this season,
Speaker 2: really against Western Sydney on Thursday, and I know their
Speaker 2: goalkeeper was sent off and they were playing against ten.
Speaker 2: They looked like a top six Wellington, didn't they They
Speaker 2: looked like a top sixteen, you know, dominant in all
Speaker 2: the stats. Alyssa Winnham's goal was a worldy you know,
Speaker 2: Olivia Kelly getting a goal, Emma Maine coming off the
Speaker 2: bench and getting a goal. They were well worth the
Speaker 2: win and probably could have won by more. And look,
Speaker 2: you know, losing last night in Adelaide doesn't you know,
Speaker 2: doesn't scup at their chances. They are still in and
Speaker 2: around the top six. In fact, they're fifth, but it
Speaker 2: was around about this time last season that they went
Speaker 2: on a run of not picking up enough points, particularly
Speaker 2: away from home. If they are to be a top
Speaker 2: six side, they need to pick up points more regularly away,
Speaker 2: I think because they are playing well at home.
Speaker 4: Don't jinxit piney, don't jinx it.
Speaker 3: But no, I completely agree. I really like the way
Speaker 3: they're playing, and they're playing with confidence. You know, Paul
Speaker 3: Temple keeps changing this starting lineup. It's very unknown. I mean,
Speaker 3: Alyssa Winnheim after she scores that Worldy doesn't start then
Speaker 3: again yesterday, which was kind of confusing in another topic
Speaker 3: in itself, but I mean, you know, they're playing with
Speaker 3: this kind of flaring confidence that we haven't seen before,
Speaker 3: and I hope, hope they can go all the way.
Speaker 3: And it's kind of you know, they're not as high
Speaker 3: up the ladder is what the men's team were last season,
Speaker 3: but it's kind of like they're in this mindset and
Speaker 3: playing the style of football making a statement for the
Speaker 3: Auckland FC women's team that are joining next season. So
Speaker 3: it's yeah, it's good, kind of marking their territory.
Speaker 2: Yeah, no, I like it. I'm just looking back comparing
Speaker 2: it to last year. So after eleven games last season,
Speaker 2: the Phoenix had sixteen points. That's exactly the same number
Speaker 2: that they have after eleven games this season. So they're
Speaker 2: on target, but like I say, they went through a
Speaker 2: spout at around about this time from memory where they
Speaker 2: just couldn't pick.
Speaker 1: Up points regularly enough.
Speaker 2: They're back at home on Sunday against Newcastle, got to
Speaker 2: really be targeting all three points in that one. And
Speaker 2: as I say, they've got form on their side because
Speaker 2: they were very good away at Western Sydney on Thursday.
Speaker 2: Adelaide scored their goals pretty quickly at the back end
Speaker 2: of the first half. Aliza Winnham came on and created
Speaker 2: the chants which saw Adelaide score an own goal brought
Speaker 2: it back to two to one, but when able to
Speaker 2: find a winner, it just looked so hot. Eh, I
Speaker 2: was watching the game. The pitch looked really harsh. It
Speaker 2: just looked so hot. They were stopping for water breaks
Speaker 2: every fifteen minutes and draping wet towels over their heads.
Speaker 2: It looked very uncomfortable over there.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I feel like those kind of I mean,
Speaker 3: obviously you can't control the weather, but the pitch itself
Speaker 3: looked very hard and hard to run on. The players
Speaker 3: looked quite you know, holdue respect like heavy, like they
Speaker 3: couldn't run on this type of pitch. And I do
Speaker 3: wonder if that pitch would be allowed to be played
Speaker 3: on over on the men's side. You know, got to
Speaker 3: put it out there. But yeah, not ideal conditions whatsoever.
Speaker 3: That's why I feel like it's okay to go down
Speaker 3: to one away.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you are going to lose games.
Speaker 2: You are And even though they would have sensed the
Speaker 2: chance to take something from this game, given the fact
Speaker 2: they beat Adelaide in your night round earlier in the season,
Speaker 2: wasn't to beat. It's not terminal. Still plenty of time
Speaker 2: for Paul Temple and his team to find their way. Well,
Speaker 2: they're in the top six now. To stay in the
Speaker 2: top six, that is absolutely what they need to do
Speaker 2: from here on and there is plenty of opportunity for
Speaker 2: them to do that over the next two.
Speaker 1: Or three months.
Speaker 2: Football Fever, let's finish with kiwis overseas. An elite has
Speaker 2: left aston Villa by mutual consent. She joined in twenty
Speaker 2: twenty two, made twenty two appearances and all competitions. A
Speaker 2: statement noted she wants to be closer to her family.
Speaker 2: You mentioned Auckland f C's women's side, are an elite's
Speaker 2: family anywhere close to Auckland f C. Does you want
Speaker 2: to be closer to family and maybe might pop up
Speaker 2: at Auckland f C.
Speaker 3: I think an elite from memory down south in the
Speaker 3: South Island. I want to say, maybe around Nelson or
Speaker 3: maybe christ Church. Don't quote me on that, but I
Speaker 3: do remember she moved to Auckland when she was quite
Speaker 3: young and and played up here and for high school.
Speaker 3: Just being up in Auckland around the national camps. Again,
Speaker 3: don't quote me on that. I could be wrong, but
Speaker 3: an elite I feel like could be coming back to
Speaker 3: play for Auckland f C.
Speaker 1: That'd be a good move, wouldn't What'd be great for
Speaker 1: Auckland f C.
Speaker 2: Would it be a backward step for her from from
Speaker 2: you know, from from the heights of England the Super
Speaker 2: League over there to to a brand new club in
Speaker 2: the A League.
Speaker 3: It's tough because we've spoken about this on the men's side,
Speaker 3: where maybe coming back to the A League or maybe
Speaker 3: Alex Paulson, you know, playing another season and in the
Speaker 3: A League and getting consistent minutes wouldn't be a bad thing,
Speaker 3: particularly in the football firm set up. None of our
Speaker 3: goalkeepers are starting goalkeepers at their clubs over I think
Speaker 3: Vicky sin might be getting more minutes now, but they
Speaker 3: haven't really been in the past, so yes, it would
Speaker 3: be a step back in terms of club level for
Speaker 3: an elite you know, playing in the Woman's Super League.
Speaker 3: You know, it doesn't get much better than that. But yeah,
Speaker 3: getting consistent minutes wouldn't be a bad thing. And what
Speaker 3: a statement for Auckland f C to have two of
Speaker 3: New Zealand's you know, on the men's side and the
Speaker 3: women's side, to have two of the best goalkeepers.
Speaker 2: I just think she probably needs minutes, right because she
Speaker 2: hasn't really been getting minutes at aston Villa and they've
Speaker 2: probably her and her agent or whoever looks after her
Speaker 2: have probably looked around and thought to themselves, OK, where
Speaker 2: could she go. The problem with goalkeeper is if there's
Speaker 2: an established goalkeeper at a club, you've got to earn
Speaker 2: your place, right. If you're a defender or a midfielder,
Speaker 2: you can kind of work your way and there might
Speaker 2: be two or three opportunities for you to, you know,
Speaker 2: to find a place in the side. Goalkeeper is very
Speaker 2: different if there's an established number one in front of you,
Speaker 2: very very hard to break into the team. An Analyte,
Speaker 2: from from a football ferns point of view, needs to
Speaker 2: be playing because she has established herself now as the
Speaker 2: number one. She played all three games at the Olympics,
Speaker 2: didn't she in goal? So she needs to keep playing.
Speaker 2: Vick Essen's playing for Rangers, so Analyte needs to be playing.
Speaker 2: Won't She won't have any football presumably between now and
Speaker 2: the Alex season. Although could she pop up in at
Speaker 2: an Auckland club somewhere she could play in the winter,
Speaker 2: couldn't she?
Speaker 4: I mean, yeah, she definitely could.
Speaker 3: We have seen it before from these A league players
Speaker 3: getting minutes, you know. Obviously a league woman's is only
Speaker 3: a part time gigs, so yeah, it would probably make sense.
Speaker 3: I understand that some of the potential women's players for
Speaker 3: AFC trials may have started and they might be kind
Speaker 3: of kicking a footy around together. So hopefully she's starting
Speaker 3: to get back into fitness because the Women's Super League
Speaker 3: have been on off on their summer break.
Speaker 4: But yeah, she could pop up at a club all right.
Speaker 2: We'll look forward to seeing how that plays out. I
Speaker 2: had Terry mcflynn, the director of football for Roukland de FC,
Speaker 2: on the radio last couple of weeks and he said, yeah,
Speaker 2: a lot of his focus now is on pulling together
Speaker 2: the women's program, which I mean they'll it's January now,
Speaker 2: that season will start in October November. It seems like
Speaker 2: a long way away, but it'll rush up, just like
Speaker 2: with the men. They've got to pull together a playing
Speaker 2: squad and a coach. Getting any oil on who the
Speaker 2: front runner for coach might be.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I've done a story in The Herald, if anyone's
Speaker 3: anyone listening has read it. But there's a couple of
Speaker 3: people put forward or on a short list, the likes
Speaker 3: of Katie Duncan Alana Gunn, who are domestic coaches here
Speaker 3: in New Zealand. And there's also a couple of a
Speaker 3: couple of more experienced coaches currently the four I forget
Speaker 3: his name, but the form the current Melbourne Victory.
Speaker 1: Head coach Jeff Hopkins.
Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, Jeff Hopkins. So I think he potentially could
Speaker 3: be a front runner. I'm hoping to hear more this week,
Speaker 3: so stay tuned for four and next week on who
Speaker 3: that might be. But I just hope you know Auckland
Speaker 3: f C, which no doubt they will give the same
Speaker 3: amount of attention and focus and investment to the women's
Speaker 3: side as they have done the men's because it'd be
Speaker 3: great to see them just as you know, kick off
Speaker 3: just as successfully.
Speaker 2: I'd like to also see them do the same sorts
Speaker 2: of things that they've done with the men's team in
Speaker 2: terms of recruitment. You know, go and get some football
Speaker 2: ferns and bring them home, you know, like they did
Speaker 2: with Nando Pineke, you know, bring him home, Max Marter,
Speaker 2: bring him home. And then give guys who have been
Speaker 2: playing domestically and doing it well, Francis Devrez, Cam Howison
Speaker 2: and others Leam Gillian give them opportunities and then flesh
Speaker 2: out your team with young Kiwis. Yes, gets some importance.
Speaker 2: But if they follow the same model as they have
Speaker 2: with the men's team, it's worked. I think they'll also
Speaker 2: really endear themselves to the fan base. I think that's
Speaker 2: what people like about Auckland f C. I like a
Speaker 2: lot of things about them, but the fact that there
Speaker 2: are a lot of keywis in that in that squad,
Speaker 2: yeah exactly.
Speaker 3: And I've connected so well with the fans, and you know,
Speaker 3: I think of players like Charlotte rope shoe Is, you know,
Speaker 3: playing so well for Auckland United and the domestic league
Speaker 3: here and there's so many other players I've misseduff but
Speaker 3: you know, just there's there's so many, so many good
Speaker 3: players that haven't been able to move to Wellington or
Speaker 3: haven't you know, had opportunities abroad that could could make
Speaker 3: big waves for Auckland f C. I guess the other
Speaker 3: thing as well as where will they play? Will they
Speaker 3: play at go Medium, Ount Smart or somewhere else, It's
Speaker 3: all all up in the air.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's another good point. Initially we know the Wellington
Speaker 2: Phoenix women played at Sky but Sky's Daddium but yeah,
Speaker 2: the prottydoor parks the home and it's a much better
Speaker 2: place for them, a nice intimate ground, you know, where
Speaker 2: we can hear the fans and that sort of thing.
Speaker 2: You know, I'm sure that's another decision to be made
Speaker 2: for Auckland f C. I didn't mean to spit ball
Speaker 2: this today, but I'm just looking at a list of
Speaker 2: overseas football ferns and you know what I said before
Speaker 2: is who could you bring home? And look, maybe we
Speaker 2: won't go into it today. Maybe that's a discussion for
Speaker 2: another day, but there are a lot of a lot
Speaker 2: of good players who are at clubs overseas who aren't
Speaker 2: necessarily getting the opportunities that they might hope. So you know,
Speaker 2: nothing wrong with coming home for a bit. It doesn't
Speaker 2: mean you have to stay come home and play here
Speaker 2: for a bit and then go again.
Speaker 4: Exactly.
Speaker 3: It's a kind of part time league. Why not come
Speaker 3: and have a summer in New Zealand and yeah, see
Speaker 3: what happens. But it will be interesting whether any Wellington
Speaker 3: Phoenix players are poached and move, Yeah, move up to
Speaker 3: and the ft see that that whole dynamic like we
Speaker 3: saw with Alex Paulson and a bit of a touchy subject,
Speaker 3: but yeah, it will be interesting to see the whole dynamics.
Speaker 2: The difference as well is that most of the players
Speaker 2: at Wellington are the women's players are on one year deals,
Speaker 2: so you know they're off contract at the end of
Speaker 2: the season. That's just the nature of the A League
Speaker 2: women's competition at the moment. So all of those players
Speaker 2: are available to be talked to.
Speaker 1: And if I'm Terry mcflynn, I'm just talking.
Speaker 2: To all of them, you know, even even if you
Speaker 2: think there's no chance they'll come that just just open
Speaker 2: a conversation with any of those players in Wellington. You
Speaker 2: know some of them are from Auckland, aren't they or
Speaker 2: have have ties with Auckland or the Upper North Island.
Speaker 2: I'd be talking to them and I'm sure they are.
Speaker 2: I'm sure they are. Anyway, that's a that's a very
Speaker 2: long discussion about analyte. That's look. I'm so looking forward
Speaker 2: to Auckland FC joining the women's competition. I love watching
Speaker 2: the Wellington Phoenix women play. Can't wait for a women's derby.
Speaker 3: I'm so excited and hopefully they you know, I'm sure
Speaker 3: that the marketing team is smart, but they are doing
Speaker 3: double headers for the derby's as well. Maybe get it
Speaker 3: at Eden Park, like a massive festival of football in
Speaker 3: New Zealand. I'm already picturing it now. Party.
Speaker 1: It's gonna be great, a double headed derby. I'm here.
Speaker 1: I'm here for it.
Speaker 2: I am absolutely here for it. I'll just ripped through
Speaker 2: some other key he's playing overseas. We've been away for
Speaker 2: a while on the podcast, so there's plenty to cover,
Speaker 2: but just some of the highlights. Chris Wood keeps scoring
Speaker 2: for Nottingham Forest incredible the latest and the three nil
Speaker 2: winover Wolves twelve Premier League goals now for Chris Wood
Speaker 2: eighty one all time. It's rarefied here a forest, speaking
Speaker 2: of rare fight here third in the Premier League, incredible.
Speaker 2: Leby Cacaci got a goal the other day for EMPELI.
Speaker 2: He's playing slightly more advanced for them now, more of
Speaker 2: a wingers role. So whether that might be something that
Speaker 2: Darren Basely looks at too, I guess remains to be seen.
Speaker 2: Sarpretzen got a couple of goals for his Portuguese club,
Speaker 2: Nico Kerwin, Andre Diyong also scoring goals for per Doova
Speaker 2: and Stllenbosch respectively early in twenty twenty five. And I
Speaker 2: see Kate Taylor got a goal this morning for Dijon
Speaker 2: in a big six nil win in the French Cup.
Speaker 2: So Kate Taylor on the score sheet, enjoying life in
Speaker 2: France as well.
Speaker 1: All right, Bonnie, and we'll we're back for twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2: Let's hope that when we chat again next Monday that
Speaker 2: the results are slightly better.
Speaker 1: Are all three teams have got have got games?
Speaker 2: Wellington Phoenix's men Wednesday night, Auckland FC's men Saturday night,
Speaker 2: Wellington Phoenix's women Sunday afternoon.
Speaker 1: So let's hope by this time next week we've.
Speaker 2: Got some more more positive results to talk about For
Speaker 2: the New Zealand sites.
Speaker 4: He is hoping nine points.
Speaker 1: Bring it on, Bring it on. This is football team.