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