Speaker 1: Football Fever with News Talks nb's voice of Football Jason
Speaker 1: Paine and Bonny Jansen. Hello there and welcome into Football Fever.
Speaker 1: It is your podcast for all things New Zealand football,
Speaker 1: both here in O Theodora and overseas as well. Lots
Speaker 1: to talk about, a heap to talk about. We've held
Speaker 1: off until today to record because we wanted to get
Speaker 1: the all white squad confirmed so that we could also
Speaker 1: add that in. I'm Jason Pine. Bonnie chances here too.
Speaker 2: Hello Bonnie, Hello pineyy. What a weekend? No, what a weekend?
Speaker 1: Incredible? In fact, let's start there. Let's start with the
Speaker 1: first ever Kiwee Darby and the A League Men's Saturday
Speaker 1: at sky Stadium, Wellington Phoenix nil Auckland FC two. Auckland
Speaker 1: FC become just the second side to start life with
Speaker 1: three straight wins and the A League Men's Gold Coast
Speaker 1: to that in two thousand and nine ten and just
Speaker 1: the second side to start life with three straight clean
Speaker 1: sheets Adelaide United did that in two thousand and two
Speaker 1: thousand and six. Do you think Auckland f C deserved
Speaker 1: to win the game.
Speaker 2: I mean yes, they were clinical when they needed to be,
Speaker 2: but it could have gone either way, and I think
Speaker 2: a draw would have probably been a fairer result.
Speaker 1: I was thinking about this on Monday, and I think
Speaker 1: all three results would have been okay. You know, I
Speaker 1: don't think you look back if the Phoenix had won
Speaker 1: the game, if it had been a drawer, or as
Speaker 1: it turned out, Auckland f C winning I don't think
Speaker 1: any of those results would have been an unfair result
Speaker 1: given the way the ninety seven minutes played. You're right,
Speaker 1: Auckland just took their chances right at the end, the
Speaker 1: first of which was presented to them, which we can
Speaker 1: talk about in just a second. But at the end
Speaker 1: of the day, they won the football match. And if
Speaker 1: the A League, the history of the A League has
Speaker 1: told us anything, it's often just the fact that you
Speaker 1: just got to win these games. And like I say,
Speaker 1: they've won three in a row, haven't let a goal
Speaker 1: in top of the league. What a start.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, and I agree that, you know, either any of
Speaker 2: those results would have been unreal. I picked Auckland to
Speaker 2: win it, you know, before the match, but as the
Speaker 2: game went on, I thought the Phoenix had surprised me
Speaker 2: how competitive they had come out and towards the end
Speaker 2: of the game. Before Auckland scored, I was hoping it
Speaker 2: would end in a drawer. I think, considering how cagy
Speaker 2: the game was and the chances were coming at both ends,
Speaker 2: it would have been nice to see it nil all
Speaker 2: and it comes up to Auckland and we go again.
Speaker 2: So now that Auckland did get the win, I'm hoping,
Speaker 2: you know, in less than a month it's the phoenix.
Speaker 2: Then now go one up. But yeah, as you say,
Speaker 2: the fact that Auckland have taken their chances, it's like
Speaker 2: three games of jammy goals and have just made the
Speaker 2: most of it.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I want to draw down with that in just
Speaker 1: a seconds. Well, but interesting what you said there. I
Speaker 1: thought well Inton came out with so much more fizz
Speaker 1: then certainly they did in their first game against Western
Speaker 1: United and even against Perth. I thought it clearly the
Speaker 1: Derby had lit something up under them and they came
Speaker 1: out for zinks. So did Auckland. I think on the whole,
Speaker 1: Auckland kind of had control of the game for large
Speaker 1: parts through the way they played, the way they pressed
Speaker 1: out of possession. But I think Wellington probably had the
Speaker 1: better chances. Costa had a really, really good chance in
Speaker 1: the first half. A Shiga had that header in the
Speaker 1: second which I think if he had his time again,
Speaker 1: he wouldn't stoop down to head because he headed it
Speaker 1: straight to the ground and up over the crossbar. I
Speaker 1: think he'd probably use one of his feet to try
Speaker 1: and divert that towards the goal. Apart from the goals
Speaker 1: that Auckland FC scored, I think Liam Gillian had a
Speaker 1: couple of opportunities which were reasonably easily dealt with. You
Speaker 1: know that it's not as though they've had a hugely
Speaker 1: effective cutting edge across the first three games, but they've
Speaker 1: found a way. They've found a way.
Speaker 2: I think that was Auckland's hardest game, and obviously the
Speaker 2: occasion would have played into that. But I think the
Speaker 2: Phoenix certainly, as you say, gave them a run and
Speaker 2: had plenty of chances where they could have taken the
Speaker 2: lead and changed the game completely. So yes, Auckland came
Speaker 2: out on top, but I think it's fair to say
Speaker 2: they were lucky and they were handed that goal and
Speaker 2: then that obviously you know, changed a bit. But it
Speaker 2: certainly creates a great narrative heading up to Auckland.
Speaker 1: Absolutely it does, and I think of the things that
Speaker 1: have come out of this is the Darby has already
Speaker 1: become appointment viewing. It's already this marquee fixture that people
Speaker 1: can't wait for the next one. And I think it's
Speaker 1: really cool that the next one isn't there far away.
Speaker 1: That game in Auckland is going to be an absolute
Speaker 1: belter in early December. It'll completely sell out. There's no
Speaker 1: problem with that. But just back to this one. Jake
Speaker 1: Brimmer off the bench got both of the goals. I
Speaker 1: spoke to Jake Brimmer on the radio the day after
Speaker 1: and interesting he said he was watching from the sideline
Speaker 1: and taking it all in and he just noticed that
Speaker 1: the way Wellington played out from the back might open
Speaker 1: something up for him. And so you know the way
Speaker 1: he capitalized and what was a mistake a real howl,
Speaker 1: a really from Josh all Away, Yemmy, is something that
Speaker 1: was premeditated. He knew that if he just was there
Speaker 1: or thereabouts, he was willing to take the risk of
Speaker 1: being passed through and leaving gaps behind him. And it
Speaker 1: paid off and it was actually I watched it a
Speaker 1: lot of times. He's still going to get a ball
Speaker 1: in the net and it's a really nice little finish.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's so clever from Jake Brimmer, and it's so
Speaker 2: smart that he was watching that play from the sidelines
Speaker 2: before he came on. I even noticed how the Phoenix
Speaker 2: were kind of cutting it close for much of that game,
Speaker 2: playing out of the back, and also in their previous games.
Speaker 2: It's obviously something chief he is trying to, you know,
Speaker 2: implant on them, and they're pulling it off for the
Speaker 2: most part. But it will catch them out and if
Speaker 2: the Phoenix can take anything away from it, they'll learn
Speaker 2: from it, you know. But what I loved seeing on
Speaker 2: Twitter afterwards was Alex Paulson was meant to be the
Speaker 2: villain of the day, but it ended up being Josh
Speaker 2: all Away Me and I felt quite bad for the guy.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I I just want to mention as well
Speaker 1: that he and I said this on the radio two
Speaker 1: during the weekend. I think I tweeted it as well.
Speaker 1: After the game, players stay out to sign autographs and
Speaker 1: you know, the home team, and he stayed out and
Speaker 1: signed every autograph, he posted, every selfie. He was chatting.
Speaker 1: He must have been mortified inside. I'd be out of there,
Speaker 1: I'd be under the stands and just hiding away. And
Speaker 1: I've seen players, you know, go under the stand for far,
Speaker 1: you know, less high profile things than that. They've just
Speaker 1: gone under and haven't met the fans. He stayed out
Speaker 1: till the very end. I thought that was really classy.
Speaker 1: He must have inside been thinking, oh what have I
Speaker 1: done here? But they'll wrap support around him. And there
Speaker 1: was Phoenix media today and Isaac Hughes said, chiefly's reaction
Speaker 1: to what happened was we are doubling down. Now. We're
Speaker 1: not going to stop playing this way. We're going to
Speaker 1: continue to play this way. So you know, you can't
Speaker 1: just bin something because one mistake happens and it costs
Speaker 1: a goal. And look, if a midfield or a striker
Speaker 1: gives the ball away doesn't usually mean anything. When you're
Speaker 1: a keeper that you know, the circumstances and the and
Speaker 1: the outcome consequences can be far worse than it just
Speaker 1: proved to be the case. But you know, Jake Brimmer
Speaker 1: was there and then was there for the second goal
Speaker 1: as well. Lewis Toomey. Louis Toomey rather came off the
Speaker 1: bench set up the second m too. Nell take the points.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it was pretty classy from Louis and his A
Speaker 2: League debut and a great run up that left hand
Speaker 2: side and super stoked from him. He obviously comes out
Speaker 2: of Eastern Suburbs as most recent clubs, so yeah, really
Speaker 2: really impressed. He's been kind of ridden with injuries the
Speaker 2: last few years and obviously was late to start the season,
Speaker 2: but yeah, there's something special in him.
Speaker 1: Yep. Nada Moreno also saw him for the first time.
Speaker 1: What do you predict for I don't know whether we
Speaker 1: saw enough of him, but he is one of the
Speaker 1: imports and we've set off and on the podcast. You
Speaker 1: have to really be a starting player, otherwise why are
Speaker 1: you there? I haven't seen I didn't see quite enough
Speaker 1: of Nada Moreno, but hell of us work cut out
Speaker 1: to make the site the starting side of the likes
Speaker 1: of Gillian and Rogerson.
Speaker 2: Oh, he definitely will, and I don't think Steve Corica
Speaker 2: will necessarily hand it to him, even though there's that
Speaker 2: whole kind of stigma. You have to play the imports.
Speaker 2: You can see what Steve did with with Jake Brimmer.
Speaker 2: Obviously he was carrying an injury two weeks ago. Put
Speaker 2: in Cam Howison, who had a great game and then
Speaker 2: started Cam again just this weekend against the Phoenix, so
Speaker 2: the same thing might be for Merino. He's got a tough,
Speaker 2: tough work to come in over someone like Logan Rogerson
Speaker 2: or Liam Gillian who obviously has just been named in
Speaker 2: the All Whites, which will get too soon. But yeah,
Speaker 2: it's going to be interesting what he does up there.
Speaker 2: But great to have options, isn't it.
Speaker 1: It's always good to have options. And you look at
Speaker 1: some there are some very good players not getting a game.
Speaker 1: You know, that's the first time we've seen Louis Toomey.
Speaker 1: We haven't seen Ellen Elliott at all. We haven't seen
Speaker 1: Scott Galloway at all, and others you know, who are
Speaker 1: all pushing for places now. They all want to play.
Speaker 1: But yeah, it's some it's the sign of the depth
Speaker 1: that they have built. Their back line is already becoming
Speaker 1: really good. I just look at you know, Sarki Hall,
Speaker 1: Pineker Devrees. They're all physical specimens. They're quick there, they're combative,
Speaker 1: and then even if you get past them, you've got
Speaker 1: Alex Paulson to get past. Already they look good at
Speaker 1: the back.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's kind of giving vibes from last season where
Speaker 2: the Phoenix back line was just so strong and they
Speaker 2: were so solid and that's what got them through the
Speaker 2: league as well as they did. And you know, even
Speaker 2: if they're not clinical up the top Auckland, they kind
Speaker 2: of have been in big moments so far. But they're
Speaker 2: obviously going to need to improve that. But they've, Yeah,
Speaker 2: they've kind of got some things covered with that strength
Speaker 2: of that back line and Paulson, as you.
Speaker 1: Say, just on the Phoenix. Marco Rojas his first appearance
Speaker 1: of the season as well, hopefully the first of many
Speaker 1: for Marco Rojas, first Phoenix game for over five thousand
Speaker 1: days since he left the club after his first couple
Speaker 1: of seasons. Great to see Marco Rojas back out there.
Speaker 1: There was some conjecture around Alex Rufer. On the Thursday
Speaker 1: before the game was he was listed as being injured
Speaker 1: and wouldn't play a part. The very next day, he
Speaker 1: took part in a captain's press conference with Hiroki Sakai,
Speaker 1: which kind of raised a few eyebrows. If he wasn't
Speaker 1: going to play, why was he fronting the captain's press conference?
Speaker 1: And then love and Behold, he passes a fitness test
Speaker 1: on the Saturday morning and plays the entire game. I
Speaker 1: think one of the best players out there. I've heard
Speaker 1: suggestions that was that he wasn't injured at all. This
Speaker 1: was mine games.
Speaker 2: Oh, definitely premeditated. As soon as I saw that announcement coming,
Speaker 2: I laughed out loud and I was like, this is
Speaker 2: pretty good from the Phoenix because, as you say, Alex
Speaker 2: Rufer was so big in that game, and he's been
Speaker 2: so big for the Phoenix for a while now, and
Speaker 2: Steve Corriker definitely would have kind of made changes around
Speaker 2: that player. So to announce in what nine minutes before
Speaker 2: the game was pretty good from the Phoenix. Obviously didn't
Speaker 2: pull it off, but I don't mind it.
Speaker 1: So you reckon he was he was never injured.
Speaker 2: Oh maybe he had a niggle, but I reckon, you know,
Speaker 2: to rule him out was a bit extreme. I didn't know. Interestingly,
Speaker 2: how do you rule someone out and then they all
Speaker 2: of a sudden pass it.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it's allowed. It's not as though you
Speaker 1: have to stick to the team that you submit. But yeah,
Speaker 1: So basically, what you're suggesting is that there was never
Speaker 1: any doubt that he was going to play, but it
Speaker 1: was It was a it was a mind game. By
Speaker 1: Wellington to say hey, Rufe is not playing, just so
Speaker 1: Auckland f C would say, Okay, Ruf is not playing.
Speaker 2: Yeah, otherwise it's a big it's a big screw up
Speaker 2: from the medical team, you know, in the first place
Speaker 2: they could have been, they could have set up differently.
Speaker 2: But yeah, I think it was absolutely premeditated.
Speaker 1: All right, Interesting, Well, it's yeah, Rufa did play game
Speaker 1: one hundred and fifty, so joins a select group of
Speaker 1: six players who have played one hundred and fifty games
Speaker 1: for Wellington Phoenix. Congratulations to him. The crowd twenty six
Speaker 1: two five to absolutely magnificent, best regular season crowd for
Speaker 1: a Wellington Phoenix home game, you know, huge, huge numbers
Speaker 1: through the gates. I thought though the traveling port fans
Speaker 1: were magnificent as well. I thought they made noise, they
Speaker 1: marched from their pregame bar, they added to the the
Speaker 1: you know, the vibe of the occasion. Clearly afterwards they
Speaker 1: were just absolutely delighted because their team had won. But
Speaker 1: to see traveling fans at a Phoenix game and to
Speaker 1: see twenty six thousand turnout for two New Zealand teams
Speaker 1: to play game of football, I honestly I never thought
Speaker 1: I'd see the day.
Speaker 2: It's amazing how this crowd has been so quickly manufactured.
Speaker 2: I guess over over the last what month, I mean
Speaker 2: a year, I guess since Auckland FC got announced. But
Speaker 2: a rivalry is usually something right that would build through
Speaker 2: through the play on the pitch and over years. Something
Speaker 2: like that takes years. And you can't really name another
Speaker 2: professional sports team in New Zealand or teams that have
Speaker 2: a same rival rivalry what the Hurricanes and the Blues,
Speaker 2: I don't think so. The only other lever I could
Speaker 2: probably think of is domestic you know, amateur amateur sport
Speaker 2: where it's it's club base and that you know, the
Speaker 2: community come out. That's probably the only the closest we've
Speaker 2: got to rivalry, but nothing professionally, so it's it's just
Speaker 2: amazing and I'm honestly not surprised. The football fans are
Speaker 2: a different breed, you know. And I was talking to
Speaker 2: someone from the port recently and asked, why what is
Speaker 2: it with football fans? Why are they different? And he said,
Speaker 2: we're not like rugby fans because you wait so long
Speaker 2: for a goal and football and when that moment comes,
Speaker 2: it's just you know, absolute satisfaction and you're just over
Speaker 2: the moon and it's just this unmatched feeling. So yeah,
Speaker 2: I thought that was pretty cool. But it was amazing
Speaker 2: to watch on TV.
Speaker 1: Yeah, great description of it, and they have to wait
Speaker 1: eighty nine minutes, so the explosion of joy was going
Speaker 1: to be even more and then the second goal obviously
Speaker 1: was just the cherry on top. I must say I
Speaker 1: absolutely loved the billboard afterwards. As everybody was leaving, Go
Speaker 1: Media are a sponsor of Auckland FC, so they've got
Speaker 1: their digital billboards and there's one that goes across the
Speaker 1: it's like an overbridge that leads across to sky Stadium,
Speaker 1: and as everybody was leaving, they'd put up a billboard.
Speaker 1: I know a lot of people have seen this, but
Speaker 1: it said welcome to Ellington, we took the w back
Speaker 1: to Auckland. I just thought that was brilliant heat. I
Speaker 1: loved it, loved it.
Speaker 2: It's so good. It's so good, and I mean, we
Speaker 2: know what Auckland have done with their marketing all season long,
Speaker 2: and they've absolutely nailed it and that's half the reason
Speaker 2: they've got the fan base that they've got. So so
Speaker 2: good on them. I will just say, going back Piney
Speaker 2: to being a fan, and we spoke last week about
Speaker 2: how it's hard to choose from you know who to
Speaker 2: support from pre existing fans, and I felt watching it
Speaker 2: on on the TV, I was naturally going to support
Speaker 2: the Phoenix just because they were the team in yellow
Speaker 2: and that's the team I've supported from the get go,
Speaker 2: and I don't support any other team than the yellow team.
Speaker 2: And so I had to keep tricking my brain watching this.
Speaker 2: Every time there was a run against the Phoenix, I
Speaker 2: was going no, no, no, and then I was going, oh, wait,
Speaker 2: it's okay, maybe Auckland score like it was. Yeah, it
Speaker 2: was a real mind games.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I understand. I understand. That was a terrific occasion.
Speaker 1: The next one, as I say, Mount Smart December seventh,
Speaker 1: going to be huge. Before that, actually AUKANDFC don't have
Speaker 1: a game for a while. I've got to buy this weekend,
Speaker 1: then the international break, they play against MacArthur U Nite
Speaker 1: Round in Sydney on November twenty fourth, back home against
Speaker 1: Newcastle November thirty, and then that derby against the Phoenix
Speaker 1: Mount Smart December the seventh. The Phoenix play the marin
Speaker 1: Is away this weekend that's Sunday at six, then the
Speaker 1: international break, then they have Melbourne victory during U Nite rounds,
Speaker 1: then the derby and then back home. They're not back
Speaker 1: home until the fourteenth of December, so quite a long
Speaker 1: time before either Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix are back
Speaker 1: at their respective home grounds. However, they have provided us
Speaker 1: with a terrific launching pad for what will be a
Speaker 1: long long standing football rivalry. Football Fever with Jason Vine
Speaker 1: and Bonnie Jensen alegu women. Wellington Phoenix Women had their
Speaker 1: first game this weekend. It was on Friday Night. Three
Speaker 1: debutants and they're starting eleven against Western United Carolina Vilau,
Speaker 1: Miya McCutcheon and Macbay Tanaka. Three of the imports scored
Speaker 1: in the first feed and fifteen minutes are but then
Speaker 1: let four in the in a twenty minute period before
Speaker 1: halftime due to some absolutely appalling defending, which Paul Temple
Speaker 1: afterwards was at a complete loss to explain.
Speaker 2: Yeah, well, it's quite an ironic that they're going to
Speaker 2: be naming a signing today with as a defender, because yeah,
Speaker 2: it was. It was horrific defending, as you say, and
Speaker 2: defending you wouldn't expect from someone like Mackenzie Barry and
Speaker 2: Rebecca Lakes are really really disappointing. I was, however, not
Speaker 2: so mad with the performance as a whole. I was,
Speaker 2: you know, probably expecting maybe a worse performance. The Phoenix
Speaker 2: Women have kind of flown under the radar this season
Speaker 2: so far or in the build up to the season,
Speaker 2: sadly because of this derby and things like that. But
Speaker 2: Western United are a good side, and they definitely were
Speaker 2: going to have a tough game regardless. But yet, you know,
Speaker 2: you look at the stats and they kind of held
Speaker 2: their own in scoring two goals on the night. Isn't
Speaker 2: too bad?
Speaker 1: Yeah? I agree. They actually had more shots than Western
Speaker 1: United and had sixty percent possession, So that doesn't talk
Speaker 1: to a game that they were completely outplayed in it. It
Speaker 1: was just that inexplicable twenty minutes where for whatever reason,
Speaker 1: you know, high quality players just completely forgot how to offend.
Speaker 1: It was just I was watching it thinking, what is
Speaker 1: happening here? You know, and you're right, like high quality players,
Speaker 1: I Kenzie Barry got taken off at half time. That
Speaker 1: never happens. Tiana Jaber got taken off at halftime as
Speaker 1: well as Tanaka, so a triple change at half time
Speaker 1: when you're four one down. I guess Paul Temple thought
Speaker 1: to himself, I got to do something. Bought Lara wall On.
Speaker 1: I thought she was good on debut, Zoey mcmeekon and
Speaker 1: Daisy Brazendale. Maya McCutcheon dropped back into the middle of
Speaker 1: the back four. I think she's a good acquisition alongside
Speaker 1: Rebecca Lake. It was much improved second half. But yeah,
Speaker 1: you mentioned the new signing. Look, I think we can
Speaker 1: we can probably say the new signing's name. By the
Speaker 1: time most people listen to this, the embargo will have
Speaker 1: dropped a Canadian born Algerian international, Emma Chabell. She is
Speaker 1: a defender left sided, could debut on Sunday, so they've
Speaker 1: got a bit of extra defense of reinforcement coming in.
Speaker 1: I wonder whether they might go with the old back three.
Speaker 1: Maybe it's a Bowie Lake Chabelle situation on Sunday.
Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely could be. There's obviously got to be some
Speaker 2: work there. And I don't mind that that Temps pulled
Speaker 2: off Mackenzie Barry and you know Mac as a player
Speaker 2: that would know she screwed up and she'll learn from that.
Speaker 2: It's the first game, not a bad time to have
Speaker 2: that twenty minute lapse. It's obviously not ideal, but could
Speaker 2: could definitely be worse. And as we say, it was
Speaker 2: promising that they were good in other areas of the
Speaker 2: park and in the game. But yes, there's differitely options there.
Speaker 2: It's a younger and experienced team this season, so I'm
Speaker 2: a little bit, you know, not sure how they'll go.
Speaker 2: Someone who also impressed me was a listen win them.
Speaker 2: I'm really excited for her this season. She obviously had
Speaker 2: her breakout season a couple of years ago. Last year
Speaker 2: didn't get too much game time, but I dub mainly
Speaker 2: because Macy Fraser was kind of playing a similar style,
Speaker 2: a similar position. But she's come out this season. She
Speaker 2: got her start and I think she's going to be
Speaker 2: key for the next YEP this year.
Speaker 1: I agree. Emma Main got a goal penalty. Good to
Speaker 1: see her off the mark. It's always nice for a
Speaker 1: striker to get off the mark nice and early. She
Speaker 1: has six Wellington Phoenix goals now, same number as Grace Jarley,
Speaker 1: only Muddy unaspect Myra ahead of them with her ten
Speaker 1: goals from last season, so Emma Main up and running.
Speaker 1: First home game. Next up for Wellington Phoenix. They host
Speaker 1: Canberra Pottydoor Park on Sunday at four o'clock. Very much
Speaker 1: looking forward to this because as we know, last year
Speaker 1: one of the Phoenix were way better at home that
Speaker 1: they ever were away. Canberra started with a three two
Speaker 1: win over Brisbane Raw. But yeah, I think the Phoenix
Speaker 1: will back themselves, you know, to eliminate the you know,
Speaker 1: as I said before, the inexplicable defending that happened in
Speaker 1: that twenty minutes. They'll work hard on that this week
Speaker 1: and I think be a lot better for it and
Speaker 1: hopefully put on a much better showing when Canberra turned
Speaker 1: up on Sunday.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it'll be their real test and they'll learn from it,
Speaker 2: you know, as the Phoenix men would have with that
Speaker 2: laps at the back. And it's probably the best thing
Speaker 2: that happened early on in the season.
Speaker 1: And it wasn't as though the Phoenix were the only
Speaker 1: team that can see goals over the weekend. There were
Speaker 1: thirty one goals across the six games, so it was
Speaker 1: five per game. I think it's actually a record across
Speaker 1: it's either a record across an entire Women's A League
Speaker 1: round or a first round anyway. Thirty one goals across
Speaker 1: the six games, so plenty for the spectators to enjoy.
Speaker 1: Not a good look though, is it not so much
Speaker 1: for the goalkeepers? Hando's in charge of defending. But it
Speaker 1: wasn't as though it was. It was only only the
Speaker 1: Phoenix who were poor defensively. Actually, just while we're on
Speaker 1: the A League Women's Devin Jackson a goal on debut
Speaker 1: for Newcastle Only there are two two draw with Western Sydney,
Speaker 1: so she's up and running for the new season.
Speaker 2: Yes, she started for Newcastle, which I think that team
Speaker 2: is probably a better fit for her where she's come
Speaker 2: from Canberra last season. And she scored a nice heater
Speaker 2: off a corner. And then also great to see Kelly
Speaker 2: Brown as well, who's left the Phoenix She's headed to
Speaker 2: per Glory. She also scored in her opening game, a
Speaker 2: worldie as you call it, from way outside the box
Speaker 2: against Melbourne City.
Speaker 1: Yep, it was good to see Kelly Brown on the
Speaker 1: score yet they lost unfortunately five to two, but yeah,
Speaker 1: good to see her open her account for her new
Speaker 1: side Perth Glory and what is now the Ninja A
Speaker 1: League We've got to call it the Ninja A League,
Speaker 1: its new sponsor. We look forward to seeing Wellington Phoenix
Speaker 1: take on Canberra on Sunday afternoon four o'clock. This is foot.
Speaker 1: Let's go to the all white twenty four man squad
Speaker 1: name for upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers. Friday November fifteenth,
Speaker 1: they played Vanawatu at Whitecatle Stadium seven thirty and then
Speaker 1: on the Monday that follows SUMMOA at go Media Stadium
Speaker 1: in Auckland, also seven thirty kickoff twenty four man squad,
Speaker 1: which is I mean they're not going to need twenty
Speaker 1: four to beat these two teams, but great have twenty
Speaker 1: four of them together. Joe Bell, Callum Macowitt, Sarprech Singh
Speaker 1: and Finn Sermon are all back. Francis Devrees gets a
Speaker 1: recall having last played in June of twenty twenty two,
Speaker 1: and you picked at Bonnie Liam gilly And gets a
Speaker 1: maiden call up.
Speaker 2: Oh, he absolutely deserves it. I think he's bided his time,
Speaker 2: you know, playing at the club level for Auckland City
Speaker 2: or lay Olay before that and then played for Auckland City,
Speaker 2: got his call up to Auckland FC. Could have gone
Speaker 2: down to the Phoenix where his brother was, but decided
Speaker 2: to stay in Auckland. And he's just excelled for AFC
Speaker 2: so far in the A League. As we mentioned, you know,
Speaker 2: he's all but cemented that spot on the wing. So yeah,
Speaker 2: I think he's absolutely deserving of that call up.
Speaker 1: I think when ben Old's fit, maybe he takes Liam
Speaker 1: Gillion's place. That's not you know, that's not nothing against
Speaker 1: Liam Gillion. He's been playing well, but I think if
Speaker 1: ben Old was fit, he would probably take that spot.
Speaker 1: Having said that, Liam Gillions made every post winner in
Speaker 1: the A League. He's keeping you know, keeping other I
Speaker 1: guess on the face of it, more highly credential players
Speaker 1: out of the team. So yeah, he gets a chance
Speaker 1: to impress Darren Beazlen in all Whites camp.
Speaker 2: You know, I actually think if ben Old comes back,
Speaker 2: he takes over from Logan Rogerson and I think, you know,
Speaker 2: going back to Auckland f C, I think right now
Speaker 2: the better of the wingers is Liam over Logan. That
Speaker 2: could obviously change, and Liam's yet to be on the
Speaker 2: score sheet for Auckland, but in terms of his performance,
Speaker 2: I think he's yeah, definitely a standout.
Speaker 1: Not for a lack of trying it the crossbutony against
Speaker 1: against Sidney FC Liam Gillian and had a couple of
Speaker 1: chances against Phoenix On the weekend, Cam Howison and Sam
Speaker 1: Sutton drop out from the last squad. I guess it's
Speaker 1: just an indication of I mean, because both good players,
Speaker 1: of how much talent there is now for Darren Baizley
Speaker 1: to choose from. And I was just trying to find
Speaker 1: out during the week where the World Cup squads are
Speaker 1: twenty three as they always have been, or if they've
Speaker 1: been extended to twenty six. At the World Cup in Kuta,
Speaker 1: they were twenty six man squads because it happened in
Speaker 1: and around Covid and it was in season for the
Speaker 1: European leagues. Remember it was November December. Whether they go
Speaker 1: back to twenty three for the twenty twenty six World Cup,
Speaker 1: I haven't been able to absolutely confirm. But if it's
Speaker 1: twenty three or even if it's twenty six, there are
Speaker 1: some stiff competition for places.
Speaker 2: Oh, it's so stiff And wouldn't it depend on how
Speaker 2: big the sizes? I guess with the draw because there's
Speaker 2: obviously more teams going to the World Cup, which means
Speaker 2: that there would be another round, potentially like a round
Speaker 2: of sixteen, a round of thirty six.
Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, thirty two yeah yeah, no you're.
Speaker 2: Yeah, So they had have an extra game, meaning that
Speaker 2: they probably would need bigger squads. Who knows, but yeah,
Speaker 2: it's It's also going to be key for Baisley to
Speaker 2: lock down what is structure is going to be, whether
Speaker 2: they're playing a back three, diamond midfield, you know, a
Speaker 2: four four two, what personnel are going to fit, you know,
Speaker 2: whatever style of football they want to play. So that's
Speaker 2: going to be really interesting over the next eighteen months
Speaker 2: as they build towards that World Cup.
Speaker 1: From what I understand, the team as a collective have
Speaker 1: basically indicated their desire to to say, okay, tell us
Speaker 1: what the formation is and we'll stick to that regardless
Speaker 1: of who the opposition are. Whereas you know, in an
Speaker 1: A league situation, sometimes you might tinker with a back three,
Speaker 1: in a back you know, three center backs with wing backs,
Speaker 1: or a flat back four, depending on who you're playing against.
Speaker 1: As I understand it, the all Whites players have said, hey,
Speaker 1: we like a back four, let's stick with that regardless
Speaker 1: of who we play against. It doesn't matter against fun
Speaker 1: who are to in some more. You know, they could
Speaker 1: play anything really and without without wanting to disrespect the
Speaker 1: island nations too much. New Zealand will win these games utterly, comfortably.
Speaker 1: But once you get into the World Cup cycle, you know,
Speaker 1: if and when they do qualify and they're playing again
Speaker 1: aainst other teams in the warm up to the World Cup.
Speaker 1: I mean, I like the back four. You know, it's
Speaker 1: Libby on the left, probably Tim Payin on the right.
Speaker 1: Then there's some you know, some decisions to be made
Speaker 1: at center back. But I like the back four, and
Speaker 1: I think the players do too.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I quite like the back four. From my history
Speaker 2: working with Darren Baizley, he you know, was a former
Speaker 2: director of football at Eastern Suburbs, I know that he
Speaker 2: quite likes the back three. And with you know, the
Speaker 2: amount of center backs that they've got coming up coming
Speaker 2: through the ranks, you know, maybe a back three would
Speaker 2: make sense. But I like the idea of picking one
Speaker 2: and sticking to it. You know, the national teams have
Speaker 2: such limited time together that there's no point shopping and
Speaker 2: changing and learning two formations and what works best. I
Speaker 2: kind of like that motive from the players. Let stick
Speaker 2: with it. I do wonder do you reckon Tim Payne?
Speaker 2: This is maybe a conversation for another day. Do you
Speaker 2: reckon it's still be good an eighteen months time?
Speaker 1: Oh? Yeah, absolutely? Yeah. Yeah. He takes pretty good care
Speaker 1: of himself. He's not an old guy. He's been around
Speaker 1: for a while. I think it'd only be thirty thirty one,
Speaker 1: So yeah, I think he's sorry, Tim, Yeah, did you
Speaker 1: think he was thirty seven or thirty eight or something? Oh?
Speaker 2: I did't. I just feel like he's there's probably maybe
Speaker 2: a junior player like Sam Sutton or something coming through.
Speaker 1: Yeah, but I mean again those saying I mean he's
Speaker 1: left left side. It doesn't need The other thing about
Speaker 1: Tim payin is that who is the next best right back?
Speaker 1: You know, you look at the squad and you think, okay,
Speaker 1: if it's not Tim Payne, who does play right back
Speaker 1: for this team? Does Tyler Binden go out and play there,
Speaker 1: for example, or do you look at at a at
Speaker 1: a left sided player to go and play on the right.
Speaker 1: I don't know, because it's the one position I think
Speaker 1: in the All Whites where there really isn't a lot
Speaker 1: of depth. Oh Storm Roos the other one of course
Speaker 1: Storm Roos and the squad, so he's probably your man.
Speaker 1: But but it's it's a position that you know, we're
Speaker 1: not overflowing on the left side behind Libby. You see
Speaker 1: Francis Devreeze is in this team. Sam Sutton's dropped out,
Speaker 1: You've got Lucas, Kelly hil who's played there, James mcgowry.
Speaker 1: There's a lot of left sided fullbacks to back up
Speaker 1: Libby Cacacci, not so many on the right.
Speaker 2: Well, maybe that's the on the other because we know
Speaker 2: Libby's capabilities, you move him to the right hand side
Speaker 2: and then you make way for someone like Francis Derees
Speaker 2: or James McGarry, as you say. But yeah, very interesting,
Speaker 2: and Bays, I'm sure is very pleased with the plenty
Speaker 2: of options he's got. I wouldn't rule out someone like
Speaker 2: Cam Howison. I think he's been pretty good these last
Speaker 2: two games for Auckland, and you know he'll be hungry
Speaker 2: to push his case in the next next year or so.
Speaker 1: I just think with him, I think Rufe has just
Speaker 1: gone past him, and I think Alex Rufer's trajectory and look,
Speaker 1: I agree, I think Cam's been good I've always liked
Speaker 1: him as a player domestically, he's been excellent for a
Speaker 1: long time. Chance to play pro terrific. I just think
Speaker 1: Rufer has just someone even suggested to me the other
Speaker 1: day that Alex Rufer is now on a par with
Speaker 1: Joe Bell in this team, that in the starting eleven,
Speaker 1: Joe Bell's got some real competition in that number six
Speaker 1: spot from Alex Rufer. And look, every time Rufer plays,
Speaker 1: you think he's been come this player, you know.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think rufaz is arrogance about him, probably which
Speaker 2: played into the decision, you know, to name him out
Speaker 2: and then and on the weekend. But he's got this
Speaker 2: arrogance and confidence and seeing him through the years, he's
Speaker 2: carried with it, and I think it's finally, you know,
Speaker 2: he's found a way to make it work for him
Speaker 2: and he's he's impressed me. You know, last year I
Speaker 2: wasn't much of a fan at the start of last season,
Speaker 2: but yeah, he's he's definitely earned his place. But so
Speaker 2: many midfielders like Marco Staminich, sa Prich, you know, it's
Speaker 2: just it's just insane what depth they've got in the midfield.
Speaker 1: Yeah, with Sarpre like he is ready the only guy
Speaker 1: who can play in that ten role in this team.
Speaker 1: They've given Garba to go there, He's not ready a ten.
Speaker 1: He's not a ten, neither a Starminich, neither is anybody
Speaker 1: else on this team. So if they are going to
Speaker 1: play a diamond for example, with let's say Bell, Starminich,
Speaker 1: Garbet and then a ten, who'll be seeing that Sing's
Speaker 1: the only guy who can play there in this team.
Speaker 1: For me, I don't think there's anybody else who has
Speaker 1: the same range of skills as sarpri The next closest,
Speaker 1: I think is Marco Rojas, and he's obviously nowhere close
Speaker 1: to it at the moment. But so sorry, Bonnie, if're
Speaker 1: if you're gonna stick with the same formation, and because
Speaker 1: Sarprek has been so in and out with injury, I
Speaker 1: wonder where he's Okay, we're not going to play the diamonds,
Speaker 1: We're going to play a four three three, and so Sarprek,
Speaker 1: you're you're battling away, you know, for one of those
Speaker 1: front three spots with Chris Wood plus two.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Well that's why I kind of go back to
Speaker 2: Can because he has been playing the ten right for
Speaker 2: AFC so he would probably be the next one to
Speaker 2: come in there. Yes, typically he plays a bit more
Speaker 2: defensively in the midfield, but I feel like he is
Speaker 2: quite flexible. But as you say, it's just going to
Speaker 2: depend on on what structure they want to play, you know,
Speaker 2: do you take another midfielder over a winger or things
Speaker 2: like that. So definitely a big headache for Darren Basley.
Speaker 1: Just before we left the All Whites. What what do
Speaker 1: you want to see in these two games score line wise?
Speaker 2: Oh, dominance? I say every time, they need to be clinical.
Speaker 2: We need to be better at giveing chriss Wood, you know,
Speaker 2: nice balls and he's been so good, which we'll get
Speaker 2: to but he's he's a Premier League goal scorer, Premier
Speaker 2: League top goal scorer, and we need to be far
Speaker 2: more clinical at the top of the park. And there's
Speaker 2: no reason why we we can't do that.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree. I think you need to win these
Speaker 1: games and win them well just just dominate, you know,
Speaker 1: be the big fish and Oceania. As I've said before,
Speaker 1: you know, get these games that being played at home
Speaker 1: for miliar conditions for New Zealanders, good surfaces in Hamilton
Speaker 1: and it go media. Yeah, I want to see them.
Speaker 1: I want to see them dominate and win both games. Well,
Speaker 1: Football Fever just before we go, keep's playing overseas. We
Speaker 1: mentioned Kelly Brown and Devin Jackson earlier, but other football
Speaker 1: ferns playing around the world. Bonnie.
Speaker 2: Yeah. A couple more scoring big, big goals over the weekend.
Speaker 2: Mickey Foster scored her first goal for Durham in a
Speaker 2: three to win over Blackburn and Katie Kitchenk scored two
Speaker 2: goals for Sunderland in their four to three win over
Speaker 2: Bristol City in the Championship. So great to see those two,
Speaker 2: adding to Kelly and Devon. Also, Millie Kleig finally made
Speaker 2: her NWSL debut for Racing Louisville. She came off the
Speaker 2: bench in the seventy second minute of their very last game.
Speaker 2: They didn't make the playoffs. Sadly they played San Diego
Speaker 2: Wave in that that was a must win. But she
Speaker 2: became the youngest non US player to get minutes in
Speaker 2: the NWSL this year, and she obviously joined fellow KIWI
Speaker 2: teammate Abby Ersig who's played every single minute of the
Speaker 2: season for Racing. Abby u Sig was one of the
Speaker 2: iron women. I think one of six players to play
Speaker 2: every single minute, so pretty cool.
Speaker 1: Has she absolutely retired from international football? ABBYU sig like,
Speaker 1: depending on who the new Football Firns coaches, could she
Speaker 1: play again?
Speaker 2: I reckon she would depending on who it is, But yeah,
Speaker 2: I don't think she would be she It wouldn't be
Speaker 2: easy for her to come back. She's got a pretty
Speaker 2: good thing going over there, but who knows. I'd love
Speaker 2: to see her back, but I don't know if she'd
Speaker 2: have much more in her for another whole cycle, so
Speaker 2: would it be worth it. She's obviously a great player.
Speaker 2: I'm gutted she wasn't at the World Cup last year,
Speaker 2: but that's another story for another day.
Speaker 1: But she keeps herself so physically fit, doesn't she. I mean,
Speaker 1: she's she's an absolute weapon.
Speaker 2: Oh she's an athlete and you know, as we just mentioned,
Speaker 2: she's played every single minute for Racing. I think, yeah,
Speaker 2: she's she might be the skipper of that team and
Speaker 2: she's been so key for them, and I think she's
Speaker 2: just such a you know, a big player that we
Speaker 2: miss in the in the scene. I think she would
Speaker 2: have been great to captain or co captain the Ferns
Speaker 2: over the last year when all of this stuff, you know,
Speaker 2: everything unfolded, a really big presence on and off the field.
Speaker 2: So yeah, I mean, maybe maybe she's got another cycle
Speaker 2: in her and maybe I'll give her a call. I'll
Speaker 2: try to reach out.
Speaker 1: Go on, then go on, then do that, leave it
Speaker 1: and see if we can find out what her situation is,
Speaker 1: because yeah, we don't know when the new Ferns coach
Speaker 1: is going to be named. Maybe Abby has left the
Speaker 1: door open depending on who that is. We'll wait and
Speaker 1: see as far as the men are concerned. Another goal
Speaker 1: for Chris Wood. As you mentioned before, he's just on fire.
Speaker 1: The first and a three mil win over west Ham
Speaker 1: eight in the Premier League season. Now only Earling Harland
Speaker 1: has more with eleven. This is incredible. Chris Wood also
Speaker 1: has eight goals in his last eight games for club
Speaker 1: and country, scored in both of the All Whites most
Speaker 1: recent matches and just absolutely just representing us so well
Speaker 1: in the Premier League. Not Eingham Forest fans absolutely love
Speaker 1: Chris Wood, which is great. Tyler Bindon, still only nineteen
Speaker 1: years old, captained Reading in their FA Cup first round
Speaker 1: match against Fleetwood and scored the opening goal in a
Speaker 1: two nil win. They'll play Harborer in the second round.
Speaker 1: Tyler bind and a guy with a big future for
Speaker 1: club and country. And Ben Way got another goal scored
Speaker 1: for Mansfield Town and their FA Cup first round match
Speaker 1: a four nill win over Curzon Ashton, who will freely
Speaker 1: admit I had never heard of. They play in National
Speaker 1: League North, which is the sixth tier of English football.
Speaker 1: Mansfield three to the second round where they will play Stevenage.
Speaker 1: All right, Bonnie, that is us for another edition of
Speaker 1: Football Fever. We've got the Wellington Phoenix men and women
Speaker 1: to look forward to on Sunday, so we can review
Speaker 1: those on Monday. Nothing for Auckland f So what do
Speaker 1: the Auckland f C boys do during their downtime? Are
Speaker 1: they outsort of you know, drinking lattes on Ponsonby Road
Speaker 1: or what are they doing?
Speaker 2: I'm not sure what they're doing. Maybe when I hit
Speaker 2: the town on Saturday night I might run into a
Speaker 2: few of them, but no, I think Steve Corricker is
Speaker 2: absolutely gutted that you know they have this break now,
Speaker 2: because I remember him saying if we go and get
Speaker 2: three from three, we want to keep going. We want
Speaker 2: to keep riding off this momentum, so they'll have to
Speaker 2: sit patiently, sit tight, and hopefully they come back with
Speaker 2: the same, if not even more energy in a few weeks.
Speaker 1: I'm sure they will. We're back with another episode of
Speaker 1: Football Fever on Monday with Pony and Bonny.