Speaker 1: Football Fever with News Talks MB's voice of Football Jason
Speaker 1: Paine and Bonnie Jensen. Hi there and welcome into Football Fever.
Speaker 2: It's a chance for us to kick around the major
Speaker 2: issues of the footballing weekend in an Australasian sense, a
Speaker 2: league men's and women's action to discuss send a bit
Speaker 2: more besides I'm Jason Pine Bonnie Jensen is here.
Speaker 3: Hello, Bonnie Yoda piney how are you good?
Speaker 1: Divided focus last night?
Speaker 2: Wasn't there at seven o'clock last night New Zealand time
Speaker 2: we had to decide which was on the big screen
Speaker 2: and which was on the second screen. With both Auckland
Speaker 2: FC's men and Wellington Phoenix's women playing at the same time.
Speaker 1: We can talk a bit about.
Speaker 2: How to avoid scheduling clashes like this, perhaps a little
Speaker 2: bit later on, But can we start with Auckland FC.
Speaker 2: Nothing against the Wellington Phoenix woman. But let's start with
Speaker 2: Auckland f C, who in the ninety fifth minute found
Speaker 2: another late goal and another when they go back to
Speaker 2: the top of the table. They're actually just the real deal,
Speaker 2: aren't they? The Black Knights.
Speaker 3: Oh, they just get the job done.
Speaker 4: I'm not sure how I'm not sure where it comes from,
Speaker 4: but they're on another level, this team. And you know,
Speaker 4: they went through that lull kind of a few weeks
Speaker 4: ago when we were questioning, you know, how good really
Speaker 4: are they? But as you say, party, I think they
Speaker 4: are the real deal.
Speaker 2: Well, three games and nine days that's tough anyway, plus
Speaker 2: a bit of travel in there too, quite a bit
Speaker 2: of travel they had to. They played Melbourne City, then
Speaker 2: they got on a plane and played Adelaide midweek and
Speaker 2: then went from Adelaide to Sydney for the game last
Speaker 2: night against the Wanderers. Three games and nine days. That
Speaker 2: off the back of a five game street where that
Speaker 2: only won one of those five. They've gone win, draw, win,
Speaker 2: seven points from a possible nine. Couple of clean sheets
Speaker 2: in there. They're pretty bloody good, aren't they.
Speaker 3: Yeah, they are.
Speaker 4: And you know those teams that you mentioned, two of
Speaker 4: those were the two other top teams in the league,
Speaker 4: Melbourne City and Adelaide. So to come away with what
Speaker 4: is it, eight eight points, so seven human points from
Speaker 4: from that week is pretty incredible. And I think you know,
Speaker 4: probably that we lull they had where they had a
Speaker 4: couple of defeats was just what they needed. And I
Speaker 4: think Steve Coriker has nailed keeping the squad competitive and
Speaker 4: rotating the team and making each player kind of earn
Speaker 4: their spot. Yeah, it's come down to the perfect recipe
Speaker 4: for the success that they continue having.
Speaker 2: Yeah, he's done some tinkering, hasn't he. I think he's
Speaker 2: what he's done, is what it seems to me. Anyways,
Speaker 2: he settled on seven or eight players who are pretty
Speaker 2: much going to start every week, you know, all things
Speaker 2: being equal with regards to injuries and things like that,
Speaker 2: and then he tinkers with the rest and he's still
Speaker 2: I think, trying to find the right combination up front.
Speaker 2: We've talked about how he's gone to the front two
Speaker 2: center forwards with Max Mutter and Gazumo Mine. I think
Speaker 2: Gazumomie is one of those guys who will start every week.
Speaker 2: It's just what he done around him. But Max Marte
Speaker 2: has now started the last three games, those three and
Speaker 2: nine days. Whether he goes back to just my up
Speaker 2: top and changes it again, I guess remains to be seen.
Speaker 2: Liam Gillian's an interesting one, isn't he. He came off
Speaker 2: the bench in the game against Melbourne City, didn't feature
Speaker 2: last time off the bench. Sorry against Adelaide didn't get
Speaker 2: used and last night wasn't in the squad at all,
Speaker 2: so I'm not sure what's going on there.
Speaker 4: Yeah. I spoke with Steve Croker last week or just
Speaker 4: before last night's game, and he used the term he
Speaker 4: wanted Liam to freshen up. I don't know whether that
Speaker 4: kind of you know, Curriker's using that as he's not
Speaker 4: playing to the standard he is and hents he needs
Speaker 4: to be dropped, or maybe he just genuinely needs some
Speaker 4: time away from the purch. He's had a huge responsibility,
Speaker 4: he's not on the score sheet, you know, and he's
Speaker 4: again probably not playing how he started the season.
Speaker 3: So a little bit fishy there.
Speaker 4: I'm not sure exactly what it is, but I am
Speaker 4: really gutted for Liam because I think, you know, as
Speaker 4: a young player who's started exceptionally well earned as all
Speaker 4: whites call up because of it, and yes he hasn't scored,
Speaker 4: but to be dropped out completely out of the squad
Speaker 4: for two games in a row after that start, I
Speaker 4: think is a bit harsh.
Speaker 2: Yeah, there's some real competition for those attacking places at
Speaker 2: the moment. For the last three games, it's been Randall, Rogerson,
Speaker 2: Marta and my who are the sort of the front
Speaker 2: four if you like. That's been consistent for these last
Speaker 2: three games and nine days. You know, you throw Liam
Speaker 2: Gillian into that mix, Nadal, but I know who I'm
Speaker 2: going to get to in a moment. Marley Francois is
Speaker 2: now also there. Riley Bidoir has come off the bench
Speaker 2: in the last two games. So yeah, like I say,
Speaker 2: Steve Carriker, I know he hasn't settled on his best,
Speaker 2: on his best eleven or who comes off, but it
Speaker 2: seems to be working because Nate, I know again for
Speaker 2: the second time in four days, came off the bench
Speaker 2: scored a goal last night. It was in the ninety
Speaker 2: fifth minute. All four of his goals have come off
Speaker 2: the bench. I just think that's his role. He's an
Speaker 2: impact sub, isn't he.
Speaker 4: He definitely is, Buddy, And we spoke about this last
Speaker 4: week as well. Maybe we've commentator cursed it a little bit,
Speaker 4: but we kind of said we weren't, you know, one
Speaker 4: hundred percent sure on Nadal Modino, like in his ability.
Speaker 3: I think I said he's not fit enough.
Speaker 4: I'm not sure, but yes, I think they've nailed that
Speaker 4: spot with him off the bench, and you know he
Speaker 4: clearly loves it and is owning his role.
Speaker 3: You know, he probably prefers to start, but if you're
Speaker 3: coming off the bench and scoring every time, I would
Speaker 3: much prefer doing that.
Speaker 2: Yeah, well he's certainly making a name for himself in
Speaker 2: that role. Auckland FC continue to be the masters of
Speaker 2: late goals. That's nine goals this season now after the
Speaker 2: eighty third minute and one, two, three, four, five beyond
Speaker 2: the ninetieth minute. This is and they often talk about
Speaker 2: their mantra, you know, never give up, never back down,
Speaker 2: we keep going. All those sorts of things. They're kind
Speaker 2: of almost corporate cliches, aren't they, But actually they are
Speaker 2: walking the walk of that talk.
Speaker 4: They are, I understand as well. They're following you know,
Speaker 4: a lot of the training regime and data and insights
Speaker 4: and stats from AFC Bournemouth obviously the sister club or
Speaker 4: owned by the Black Knight Football Club Bill Foley as well.
Speaker 3: Which I think really helps.
Speaker 4: You know, if they're trying to keep to a Premier
Speaker 4: League standard here playing in the A League, they're just
Speaker 4: going to outlast and outrun these teams. And Steve Corker
Speaker 4: said it in the press conference last night. He's trying
Speaker 4: to keep this team really fit so they can out
Speaker 4: outlast as I say, on the contrary to that, though,
Speaker 4: I'm sure you've got the stats. They're pioneers, the amount
Speaker 4: of shots they had on goal, and they weren't clinical enough.
Speaker 4: I think they need to start making their jobs easier.
Speaker 4: And again it comes down to that forward rotation that
Speaker 4: Steve Krok is obviously trying to figure out.
Speaker 1: Twenty two shots on twenty two shots one goal.
Speaker 4: Crazy yeah, crazy, and they had majority of the position
Speaker 4: right or yep, a little bit more, yeah, and they
Speaker 4: just they need to make their lives easier. It's great
Speaker 4: they can get the job done in big moments. Those
Speaker 4: late goals they're going to come in handy, and that
Speaker 4: mindset and that attitude's going to come in handy when
Speaker 4: they get to the playoffs. But they need to start, yeah,
Speaker 4: kind of getting on the board earlier.
Speaker 2: It was a pretty evid game in terms of possession.
Speaker 2: Auckland had the better opportunities. I think, really good chance
Speaker 2: for Logan Rogerson. I'm not sure what happened there when
Speaker 2: he put it into the side netting from only a
Speaker 2: couple of yards out. I thought he must have seen
Speaker 2: a flag up because it was like he wasn't even
Speaker 2: really trying to put it in the net.
Speaker 4: It doesn't seem like Logan Rogerson, who's been actually quite
Speaker 4: quite clinical from that back post. He scored a couple
Speaker 4: from there. So yeah, lapse in concentration, that happens. But again,
Speaker 4: it can't happen if they are wanting to you go
Speaker 4: all the way, as they've kind of discussed, they need
Speaker 4: to start finding find in the back of the net.
Speaker 4: So obvious, so cliche. And that's what Steve Corriker said
Speaker 4: again when I chatted to him last week. He said
Speaker 4: he wants these forwards, these abundance of fords, he's got
Speaker 4: so many options, players missing out on squads. He wants
Speaker 4: them to stand up and put their hand up and go, yeah,
Speaker 4: I deserve to start. So I'm sure that's what they're
Speaker 4: all trying to do.
Speaker 2: Indeed, at the back, another clean sheet, eight clean sheets
Speaker 2: now the season and fourteen games. We know they kept
Speaker 2: at what five in a row at the start of
Speaker 2: the season, but water tight at the back again. So
Speaker 2: their top now thirty points after fourteen games, two points
Speaker 2: ahead of Adelaide, who do have a game in hand,
Speaker 2: So if Adelaide win that game in hand, then they
Speaker 2: would go.
Speaker 1: Back to the top.
Speaker 2: But if we look back to last season, the Mariners
Speaker 2: after fourteen games, who finished top of the regular season
Speaker 2: last season, after fourteen games they had twenty two points,
Speaker 2: already have eight more points at the same stage than
Speaker 2: the side who finished top last season. It's it's remarkable, really,
Speaker 2: and not team you asked me this morning, because any
Speaker 2: team ever won the A League at the first time
Speaker 2: of asking, and the only one who has is Sydney
Speaker 2: FC in the very first season of the A League
Speaker 2: when everybody was in their first season. And ironically enough,
Speaker 2: Steve Coriic has scored the winner in the Grand Final.
Speaker 2: Are we going to have a full circle moment here
Speaker 2: in May?
Speaker 4: I actually really hope that's the case with Steve cara
Speaker 4: I really like the like the guys. Obviously a brilliant coach.
Speaker 4: But as we've seen some clips on social media the
Speaker 4: last two, the last two matches, his passion, you know,
Speaker 4: in that Adelaide game when he turned around and you know,
Speaker 4: fasts up to the to the Adelaide supporters, and he's
Speaker 4: even again last night. He's so passionate and I love
Speaker 4: it and you can see the fight. He's really, you know,
Speaker 4: really wanting to go all the way and make history.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you get the feeling he was getting it from
Speaker 2: the Adelaide fans during that game, don't you. And it
Speaker 2: was in the one hundredth minute. It's just a mental
Speaker 2: game of football. That Logan Rogerson, who hardly ever scores
Speaker 2: with his head, you know, his attributes are his pace
Speaker 2: and things like that. But yeah, the header at the
Speaker 2: near post, and yeah, all of a sudden they get
Speaker 2: the point, they go on, they get another late goal
Speaker 2: last night, so.
Speaker 1: Top of the table. Auckland left c.
Speaker 2: They'll come home and next host MacArthur on Saturday night
Speaker 2: or Saturday afternoon five o'clock, whatever you want to call
Speaker 2: that afternoon evening five o'clock anyway at go Media Stadium.
Speaker 2: MacArthur having good season. They're third at the moment, so
Speaker 2: they won't be an easy beat. They've already come to
Speaker 2: New Zealand once and beaten the Phoenix earlier this season,
Speaker 2: so it'll be another good test for Steve Corriker's side
Speaker 2: when they take on MacArthur five o'clock on Saturday.
Speaker 1: Football Fever with Jason Vine and Bonnie Jensen.
Speaker 2: Let's go to the other seven o'clock game last night,
Speaker 2: the Wellington Phoenix Woman against the Central Coast Mariners. So
Speaker 2: do you think they can find a way of not
Speaker 2: having shit a clashes when two New Zealand teams are playing.
Speaker 4: I mean it's so hard, you know, like they obviously
Speaker 4: want to prioritize Auckland f C.
Speaker 3: Dare I say it? You know?
Speaker 4: And and the kind of the women's the woman's competition
Speaker 4: is always the understudy. It shouldn't be, but it is.
Speaker 4: And yeah, I'm just I'm gutted that it was so
Speaker 4: hard to watch the two games last night, especially when
Speaker 4: you've got to come and review it on a Monday
Speaker 4: on the podcast. But yeah, gutted about the scheduling clashes.
Speaker 4: And I hope next season when there's you know, the
Speaker 4: Auckland f C women's team as well, that's obviously going
Speaker 4: to make it harder. But I mean probably the Australian
Speaker 4: fans and teams put up with it all the time,
Speaker 4: so yeah, maybe I shouldn't complain.
Speaker 2: No, Yeah, it's interesting, isn't it. You know when they
Speaker 2: do the scheduling, do they do they look at Okay,
Speaker 2: the Auckland f C Men and the Wellington Phoenix Women.
Speaker 2: There's a schedule class here, so we should we should
Speaker 2: change it, clearly they don't, and I you know, obviously
Speaker 2: if it's two teams from the same club, I don't
Speaker 2: think I've ever seen stand to be corrected here. And
Speaker 2: actually something is telling me that this might have happened
Speaker 2: that both Phoenix teams, the men and the women have
Speaker 2: played at the same time. I don't think that's happened.
Speaker 2: Almost almost certain they would keep them apart, as they
Speaker 2: will when the Auckland FC women join. I'd say they'll
Speaker 2: keep those two teams apart in terms of scheduling. But
Speaker 2: I guess when you go, you know, Auckland FC men
Speaker 2: and Wellington Phoenix Women, it's only a clash for people
Speaker 2: like us, probably.
Speaker 4: Yeah, but that's a big part of the audience as well,
Speaker 4: the New Zealand based fans. And because there are only
Speaker 4: three teams right now for next year, it's or next season,
Speaker 4: it's not going to be like the amount of Ossie teams.
Speaker 4: Like maybe they should consider that New Zealand market. I'm
Speaker 4: not sure, but it is a tricky one.
Speaker 2: Yep is indeed all right, So the Wellington Phoenix women
Speaker 2: going down one nill to the Mariners last night. I
Speaker 2: don't know, Bonnie, this felt like points dropped to me.
Speaker 4: I see, I feel different, Piney. I think that they
Speaker 4: should feel gutted that they didn't get the win, especially
Speaker 4: because of the next two tough games that they're going
Speaker 4: to have, and this was probablyably the easier one out
Speaker 4: of them. But you know, it's so hard, and to
Speaker 4: kind of quote Paul Temple who spoke after the match,
Speaker 4: you know, it's so hard to play away and get points,
Speaker 4: and the league is so tight in that that woman's
Speaker 4: competition that you know it's actually a big ass to
Speaker 4: go away and get points.
Speaker 3: They didn't last night.
Speaker 4: A draw would have been nice, But I don't think
Speaker 4: they necessarily have to feel too down about it, especially
Speaker 4: given the goal they conceded it.
Speaker 2: Yeah, Oi, what a goal from a sixteen year old
Speaker 2: Tianna Fuller was born in July of two thousand and eight. Man,
Speaker 2: that makes me feel old and she's scoring a specky
Speaker 2: like that.
Speaker 3: Yeah that's actually crazy.
Speaker 4: Yeah, really really good goal And those kind of moments
Speaker 4: for young players, they get picked up pretty quickly, So yeah,
Speaker 4: tough to concede that one, and Paul Temple said it hurts.
Speaker 4: It hurts a bit more when you can see one
Speaker 4: like that because you have to kind of congratulate the player.
Speaker 3: But yeah, I.
Speaker 4: Think the Phoenix woman, they still look good and I
Speaker 4: still think they're a top six side. I think this
Speaker 4: season's different to any other year.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I hope you're right.
Speaker 2: And I've banged on about this last couple of podcasts
Speaker 2: that you know that this is the time last season
Speaker 2: where the Wheels came off just a bit and they
Speaker 2: failed to make the top six. Yeah, look, I agree,
Speaker 2: they do still look like a top six side. Well,
Speaker 2: they're sixth now on goal difference, he out of Western United.
Speaker 2: They've got nineteen points, so have Western United. But the
Speaker 2: Phoenix have a much better goal difference. But then you
Speaker 2: look up the table and the Mariners are only one
Speaker 2: point ahead with that win last night they jumped over
Speaker 2: the Phoenix, and Brisbane, who the Phoenix play next, are
Speaker 2: only two points ahead. So look this time next week,
Speaker 2: if the Phoenix can go to Brisbane get a win,
Speaker 2: you know we're talking about a top four side potentially.
Speaker 2: So yeah, I agree with you. The raw materials are
Speaker 2: definitely there. A couple of chances. I think Grace Jarlay
Speaker 2: and Olivia Ferguson probably had the better of the chances. Yeah, look,
Speaker 2: I'm certainly not saying it's panic stations. I just thought
Speaker 2: they probably would have thought they deserved something from last night,
Speaker 2: even a point.
Speaker 4: Oh yeah, definitely, and they would have targeted that game
Speaker 4: knowing the next too that they've got coming up. I
Speaker 4: think now what's key for this team is getting some
Speaker 4: points from the next two games, obviously really really difficult,
Speaker 4: as with Brisbane Raw. I'm surprised that they are only
Speaker 4: a couple points ahead of the Knicks on the table
Speaker 4: because they have been such a solid, high scoring team
Speaker 4: this season. And then I think it's Melbourne Victory next,
Speaker 4: which is again going to be another tough asks. So
Speaker 4: I think getting points from those two games is going
Speaker 4: to be crucial.
Speaker 2: Well, I guess they'll look back to the times they've
Speaker 2: played those teams already. They beat Brisbane two to one
Speaker 2: in Polydoer and a Lilongo with two goals that day,
Speaker 2: and then they got that drawer away at Melbourne Victory
Speaker 2: with a very late header from Maniah Elliott. So you
Speaker 2: know it's a reverse in terms of homes and aways
Speaker 2: are there, away at Brisbane and home to Melbourn victory,
Speaker 2: but I don't reckon they'll be intimidated or not up
Speaker 2: to the challenge. And then it's a way to Perth
Speaker 2: and then a couple of games against Adelaide United at
Speaker 2: home and Western Sydney at home. In fact, March they
Speaker 2: have four of their five games at home. So as
Speaker 2: long as they can just stay in touch, I feel
Speaker 2: like they can really come home with a wheat sale
Speaker 2: in those home games at the end.
Speaker 4: Yeah, that would be perfect for them. And they've had
Speaker 4: such a good run I believe. I want to say
Speaker 4: it's like six games at home unbeaten or something crazy
Speaker 4: like that. So yeah, as you say, Piney, as long
Speaker 4: as they can stay tight. I think someone who's been
Speaker 4: stand out for me is Carolyn Balau and goal. I
Speaker 4: think he's made such a difference a season and kept
Speaker 4: the team in it, you know, more often than not.
Speaker 4: And yeah, hopefully it's those players like that that step up.
Speaker 4: I'm still not sure Paul Temple knows who is kind
Speaker 4: of front three are similar I guess to Auckland FC.
Speaker 3: But they've got options, yeah they do.
Speaker 2: And he's stuck very much with a sixteen squad A
Speaker 2: strong squad, hasn't he It's the same sixteen pretty much
Speaker 2: all the time. Although I see livingham got on last night.
Speaker 2: She's been outside of that squad. But yeah, you're so right.
Speaker 2: It's he's you know, he's got Manaiah Ralliott and Emma
Speaker 2: Main and Tanaka, Olivia Ferguson plays most weeks, alisall win
Speaker 2: him most of the time, and a Leilongo of course.
Speaker 1: But yeah, he can.
Speaker 2: He can sprinkle in players here and there to try
Speaker 2: and you know, to try and keep it keep things fresh.
Speaker 2: Amelia Abbott, we still haven't seen her. I asked Paul
Speaker 2: Temple about that last week in the media session. He said, yeah, no,
Speaker 2: she's just she's getting back up to fitness, he said,
Speaker 2: you have to remember she has she's hardly played, and
Speaker 2: you know, everybody else in this team is now thirteen
Speaker 2: games into a season, so to get her up to
Speaker 2: you know, up to speed. I think she might have
Speaker 2: also picked up a slide injury. So I mean she
Speaker 2: might be a player who comes into the team with
Speaker 2: great effect later in the season.
Speaker 4: Oh, unreal, that'd be perfect. Yeah, I'm not sure why
Speaker 4: that Tanaka was left out of the squad last night
Speaker 4: could be a niggle, but she's someone that's jumped in
Speaker 4: and out most weeks of the starting eleven. I kind
Speaker 4: of rate her, and I think these Japanese players bring
Speaker 4: something else to the teams. So interesting to see what
Speaker 4: Paul Temple kind of how he shapes up for these
Speaker 4: next two really tough games.
Speaker 2: Totally agree on Valour too, by the way, I think
Speaker 2: that's an absolute upgrade on last season, not necessarily on
Speaker 2: Brianna Redwards, but certainly for me on Riley Foster. I
Speaker 2: think Carolina Vlau has looked really, really good, made some
Speaker 2: good saves last night, good with her feet. Yeah, she's
Speaker 2: been a terrific acquisition. Just one final thing before we
Speaker 2: move on from the Phoenix women. We saw Alyssa Winhim
Speaker 2: bring up her fifty games last weekend and Zoe mcmeekon
Speaker 2: is now on forty nine games for Wellington Phoenix. So
Speaker 2: it's interesting though, because you know, when Mackenzie Bowry and
Speaker 2: Alyssa Winning brought up their fifty games, they were both
Speaker 2: captain for the day. But it's a bit different with
Speaker 2: mcmeekon because she doesn't necessarily always start, So I don't
Speaker 2: know what Paul Temple is going to do on Sunday
Speaker 2: night when I'm sure Zoe will be in the squad,
Speaker 2: But will she start and captain the team because it's
Speaker 2: her fiftieth I get the feeling if that's the if
Speaker 2: it's the right thing to do for her to start,
Speaker 2: then yes, But it might be she comes off the
Speaker 2: bench for the last ten minutes in a fiftieth game.
Speaker 2: It's still your fiftieth game.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and shack of the arm man.
Speaker 4: Then I don't think Paul Temple will start her for
Speaker 4: the sake of starting, or I certainly wouldn't want to,
Speaker 4: you know, Or I would want the best team to
Speaker 4: be on the field, especially with the two games I've
Speaker 4: got coming up. And if that's not Zoe McMeekin, who knows.
Speaker 4: It could be She's had a few starts this season.
Speaker 4: But yeah, I feel like maybe it's a bring on,
Speaker 4: give her the armband for the rest of the game
Speaker 4: type six.
Speaker 2: So Wellington Phoenix sixth on nineteen points, next away at
Speaker 2: fourth place Brisbane Sunday night, then back home to Melbourne
Speaker 2: victory on the eighth of February. That's the next home
Speaker 2: game at Pottydoor Park.
Speaker 1: The fee with finy and.
Speaker 2: Body, and so to the Wellington Phoenix men who for
Speaker 2: the first time in nine years played the game in
Speaker 2: christ Church. It seems so strange when I saw that
Speaker 2: stat that it was nine years. But then, of course
Speaker 2: you remember that the Wellington Phoenix took a lot of
Speaker 2: games away from Wellington but to Auckland over the last
Speaker 2: nine years, and there's no point taking an away game
Speaker 2: to Aalkland. Now that's well and truly off the table.
Speaker 2: So back to christ Church nil mill against the Central
Speaker 2: Coast Mariners. That's three games unbeaten now and just one
Speaker 2: goal conceded in those three games, so they're starting to
Speaker 2: track back in the right direction. The big talking point
Speaker 2: I thinking of this game was the two penalty shouts,
Speaker 2: one in each half that Wellington Phoenix had examined by
Speaker 2: the VR on both occasions and basically rejected by the
Speaker 2: VR on both occasions.
Speaker 1: What did you think of these two?
Speaker 4: Yeah, I have just been watching them back again this morning,
Speaker 4: and I'm kind of feeling different to other people, And
Speaker 4: the fact that I think that first one in the
Speaker 4: first half, just after that I think it was a
Speaker 4: thirty second minute. I think that was more so of
Speaker 4: a penalty shout because the way we were looking on
Speaker 4: on goal the second half one also could have equally
Speaker 4: been a penalty. But yeah, the angles weren't right.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I think, okay, let's go through them one by
Speaker 2: But the first one is Brian Keltak and Kazuki Nagasawa.
Speaker 2: The ball sort of bounces rather awkwardly and Keltech has
Speaker 2: to turn around and see where Nagasawa is. He's gone
Speaker 2: towards I guess it's tracking across goal and falls across
Speaker 2: an outstretched leg of Brian Keltak, and so clearly the
Speaker 2: VAI has decided that it wasn't a leg that was
Speaker 2: put out to foul. It was just there and Nagasawa
Speaker 2: fell over it. There's been a suggestion of Nagasawa had
Speaker 2: gone down because he tried to keep his feet to
Speaker 2: get the shot away. There's been a suggestion that if
Speaker 2: he'd gone down it might have been a penalty. I
Speaker 2: don't know if that's true or not. The second one
Speaker 2: it's Diesel Herrington who goes through the back of Nagasawa again,
Speaker 2: and it's really hard to tell from the angles we've
Speaker 2: seen whether Herrington gets the ball. Even if he does
Speaker 2: that doesn't necessarily rule that the penalty. Because he does,
Speaker 2: it seems to me take Nagasawa's legs out from under him.
Speaker 2: I thought that one was a penalty.
Speaker 4: The second one, yeah, yeah, it's it is really really
Speaker 4: tricky because you can see how they haven't been able
Speaker 4: to call it because of the angles. But I think, yeah,
Speaker 4: both of them are enough enough of a foul to
Speaker 4: call a penalty. I you know, if I had the
Speaker 4: whistle in my hand, I would have called it. So
Speaker 4: I'm yeah, I'd feel a bit ripped off were the
Speaker 4: fans down in chrish Church.
Speaker 2: Another way of looking at it is this, if tim
Speaker 2: and Danascus gives a penalty for one or both, is
Speaker 2: that decision overturned by VR And I think the answer
Speaker 2: is no. I think if he gives a penalty for
Speaker 2: one or both of those, var doesn't overturn. It's not
Speaker 2: a howler. It's not an absolute error. It's one of
Speaker 2: those where you need little bit of you know, objectivity
Speaker 2: perhaps to have a look at it and say, okay,
Speaker 2: has he made an absolute howler there? And if it
Speaker 2: given either of those penalties, I think the answers no.
Speaker 2: So so they I think they fallen between that absolutely
Speaker 2: a penalty. Absolutely not a penalty. It's in that wonderful
Speaker 2: gray area that fans love to debate.
Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 4: I actually think I saw over the weekend Ian Wright,
Speaker 4: the legend from Arsenal, calling out the referees in charge
Speaker 4: over in the Premier League, saying that you know, things
Speaker 4: aren't being called and then they need top people for
Speaker 4: the job. You do kind of feel for the referees
Speaker 4: in this this instance, but I think you know that
Speaker 4: these the Phoenix weren't reaching, you know, they weren't exaggerating
Speaker 4: their falls. They were genuinely locking on goal and probably
Speaker 4: both had goal scoring opportunities. So that's why I see
Speaker 4: both as penalties.
Speaker 2: All right, not given though, and anila all score line,
Speaker 2: very even game. Phoenix had fifty three percent possession to
Speaker 2: the marin Is forty seven, ten shots to nine, pretty close.
Speaker 2: Rarely other than the penalty shouts, just trying to remember
Speaker 2: the best opportunities for either side. Nathan Walker, who I
Speaker 2: thought had a really good game, actually had a shot
Speaker 2: in the first half that went into the keeper's chest.
Speaker 2: There was a shot on the turn by a Shiga
Speaker 2: that was palmed away in the second for the Mariners.
Speaker 2: I don't really recall LB kelly Healed being troubled at all,
Speaker 2: so yeah, they didn't really set the world on fire
Speaker 2: in an attacking sense, so maybe nil nil was a
Speaker 2: fair result. The Phoenix another clean sheet. They've got the
Speaker 2: third best defense in the competition or joint third best.
Speaker 2: Only seventeen goals conceded. But it's still a bit of
Speaker 2: an issue at the other end, isn't it In scoring goals.
Speaker 2: They got a couple against MacArthur on Monday night, but
Speaker 2: in the last five games, three of those they haven't
Speaker 2: scored and so they just got to find a way,
Speaker 2: don't they of being a bit more creative and taking
Speaker 2: chances at the attacking end.
Speaker 4: Hearing that stat about their back line and the third
Speaker 4: lease or the third most clean sheets, it's pretty impressive,
Speaker 4: and I feel a bit bad given kind of how
Speaker 4: harshly I've critiqued to this, this young and inexperienced back line,
Speaker 4: But that is a good stat. Up the other end,
Speaker 4: You're right, Piney, not not clinical enough, they're applying, they're
Speaker 4: relying too much on the counter attack, and right now
Speaker 4: there's no link between cost of barbarosters who we know
Speaker 4: can finish between him, and in the midfield they desperately
Speaker 4: need Alex Ruffer back obviously gutted Marco Rojas is now
Speaker 4: ruled out for the season, and they need someone like
Speaker 4: Tim Payne who can probably bomb on up the side.
Speaker 2: Yeah, hopefully Alex Royer and Tim Payne are closer to returning.
Speaker 1: Still in a real clarity on that.
Speaker 2: The transfer window, as we know, is open, and Gianclo
Speaker 2: Ataliano said after the game that he thinks that by
Speaker 2: the time the next game rolls around they may have
Speaker 2: a new signing, so we keep an eye out for that.
Speaker 2: The next game is on White Tonguey Days, the sixth
Speaker 2: of February, so it's a nice little break actually for
Speaker 2: Wellington Phoenix to hopefully get some of those players fit again,
Speaker 2: to freshen up a little bit. They're ninth on eighteen points,
Speaker 2: but only four points off the top six, so again,
Speaker 2: I feel like they just have to kind of stay
Speaker 2: hanging in there, and that's what they've been doing. In
Speaker 2: the last three games. They've stopped the right of those
Speaker 2: five losses in six games. They've picked up points in
Speaker 2: their last three, a couple of nilol drawers and that
Speaker 2: two to one went away at MacArthur, so I feel
Speaker 2: like they've just got to hang in and hang in now.
Speaker 2: I want to ask you about the choice of strip.
Speaker 2: Why did the Phoenix I know, actually know why, But
Speaker 2: why would the Phoenix choose this game to wear a
Speaker 2: dark strip? They have to wear the dark strip a
Speaker 2: certain number of times because of sponsorship obligations. The dark
Speaker 2: strip has a different sponsor than the gold strip. But
Speaker 2: why would you choose this game and allow the visit
Speaker 2: team to wear yellow on your home patch.
Speaker 4: That is an interesting call and I didn't realize that.
Speaker 4: I wonder if this is really rogue.
Speaker 2: No, don't don't try, and don't try and come up
Speaker 2: with answer because there wasn't one.
Speaker 1: Okay, what's your rogue take?
Speaker 4: Well, I'm like, maybe because there weren't many, like, because
Speaker 4: that's not they're not playing in Wellington that like, the
Speaker 4: fans might not all have Phoenix shirts.
Speaker 2: But that's and they all did, though Bonnie, didn't they
Speaker 2: They all the whole crowds and yellow pretty much. I've
Speaker 2: heard more than one instance of people turning up to
Speaker 2: their first game and thinking the Phoenix were the team
Speaker 2: in yellow.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Actually, that's that's a lie from me because my dad
Speaker 4: was down there and he was very, very excited for
Speaker 4: the game. He lives in christ Church and he went
Speaker 4: to Rebel Sport that morning to go and buy a
Speaker 4: Phoenix shirt. All sold out. He had to get just
Speaker 4: a random kind of Phoenix branded T shirt. Yeah, so
Speaker 4: I don't know what they've picked that game. Maybe they
Speaker 4: just weren't really playing at home. I'm not sure.
Speaker 1: No, and I've seen it.
Speaker 2: I've seen a similar thing, Like, you know, because they're
Speaker 2: playing away from Wellington, they are New Zealand's team and
Speaker 2: they're wearing dark.
Speaker 1: You know, they were in black.
Speaker 2: But no explanation that I've heard has been satisfactory to me.
Speaker 1: I'm afraid.
Speaker 4: But that doesn't matter, Like, do you think that that's
Speaker 4: why they got to draw? It doesn't really bother me, No.
Speaker 1: It doesn't.
Speaker 2: I don't think it affects the result. No, But as
Speaker 2: a but from a club point of view, when you're
Speaker 2: going to a home away from home where all of
Speaker 2: these fans are going to turn up in yellow to
Speaker 2: cheer you on. Look, if you get to wear the
Speaker 2: dark strip, wear it against the team whose home strip
Speaker 2: isn't yellow like Adelaide.
Speaker 1: So when they tune up, they're wearing red.
Speaker 2: But to have another team come to your home and
Speaker 2: wear your home colors, what are you doing.
Speaker 4: Especially against a team that were like Cinny Rivals last
Speaker 4: season at the top of the table. Yeah, as you say,
Speaker 4: the yellow team. Yeah, okay, I don't like it. I
Speaker 4: change my mind. I don't like it.
Speaker 1: Well, the other one I didn't.
Speaker 2: I didn't mean to sort of bully you into change
Speaker 2: with my raised voice. Look, you know, I get the
Speaker 2: commercial realities. But the other thing is, if it's a
Speaker 2: commercial reality that you've got different sponsors, just just print
Speaker 2: a dark and a yellow with both sponsors on the front.
Speaker 2: So you know, you say the sponsors get equal equal exposure.
Speaker 2: In fact, you wouldn't even Oh, you wouldn't need a
Speaker 2: dark strip because when you play away against the Mariners.
Speaker 2: But for example, we're a yellow strip with the with
Speaker 2: the sponsor on the front that is normally on the
Speaker 2: dark strip. Anyway, we're getting into a bit of a
Speaker 2: rabbit hole here.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's it's just very passionate and I love it.
Speaker 2: Well, I am because I saw it first thing in
Speaker 2: the morning. We get sent through the strips for part
Speaker 2: of the sky broadcast. They send us through the strips
Speaker 2: and I looked at it and I thought, you have
Speaker 2: to be joking. You have to be kidding me. And
Speaker 2: like I say, there were there were people who went
Speaker 2: to their first football game to watch the Phoenix thinking
Speaker 2: the team they were watching out in front of them
Speaker 2: and yellow was the Phoenix.
Speaker 4: Yeah, And as I explained, when the Phoenix play Auckland FC,
Speaker 4: I always have to trick my brain to be neutral
Speaker 4: because I'm so used to supporting the yellow team.
Speaker 3: So yeah, I feel for the fans.
Speaker 2: I think we've taken up too much time talking about this,
Speaker 2: but mainly because I've chosen that. So it's my fault.
Speaker 2: Ninth on eighteen points, as I say, four points off
Speaker 2: the top six. Next played Brisbane at home on White
Speaker 2: Tungi Day. Just to mention for Matt Sheridan as well,
Speaker 2: who returned to the team in his hometown or the
Speaker 2: town he played a lot of his football at junior
Speaker 2: level growing up, and I thought he had a good
Speaker 2: game and good to see Luke Super come on near
Speaker 2: the end as well, another Cantabrian in the action there.
Speaker 2: All right, Well that's us for football fever for today.
Speaker 2: I think unless you can think of anything else that
Speaker 2: you want to debate or bring up now.
Speaker 4: I'm just ready to bring on the second half of
Speaker 4: the season and I hope you know we see all
Speaker 4: three teams qualify for these playoffs.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, so we're halfway there now pretty much just a
Speaker 2: final recap on the next matches to look out for.
Speaker 2: Auckland FC at home against MacArthur Saturday afternoon, Go Media Brisbane.
Speaker 2: Raw is the destination for the Wellington Phoenix Women Sunday
Speaker 2: night rather Sunday night eight o'clock. And the next time
Speaker 2: the Linctin Phoenix Men are reaction is White Tonguey Day, Thursday,
Speaker 2: the sixth of February. It is a home game at
Speaker 2: Sky Stadium. Well check you check in with you around
Speaker 2: about the same time next week for the next episode
Speaker 2: of Football Fever.
Speaker 1: This is Football Fever.