Speaker 1: Football Fever with News Talks nb's voice of Football, Jason
Speaker 1: Paine and Bonny Jansen.
Speaker 2: Hello, their compliments of the season and welcome into Football Fever.
Speaker 2: It is your podcast for all things mainly New Zealand football.
Speaker 2: Those ones who play here, those who play overseas A
Speaker 2: League men's and women's A lot to get through on
Speaker 2: Jason Fine, Bonnie Jensen, Hello.
Speaker 3: Bonnie Kyoder Poney, how are you very good?
Speaker 2: We've got three games to dissect and it would be
Speaker 2: fair to say it was a fairly disappointing weekend for
Speaker 2: men's footballers playing in the A League. Are the women
Speaker 2: with a bright spot of this? The Wellington Phoenix women.
Speaker 2: Will get to them and they're win over Sydney FC.
Speaker 2: But can we start at go Media Stadium On Saturday
Speaker 2: they trucked in one hundred tons of sand, set up
Speaker 2: a beach party and Western United arrived and absolutely crashed
Speaker 2: the party.
Speaker 3: Reality check? Wasn't it? Absolute reality check? And I think.
Speaker 4: You know you could call the result humbling for Auckland
Speaker 4: f C. I don't know if they needed it or
Speaker 4: needed it to that extent. I think they were, you know,
Speaker 4: potentially needing a loss to be able to learn from
Speaker 4: it at some point, but to go down that hard
Speaker 4: and to play the way they did, I think was
Speaker 4: really disappointing, you know, no doubt for themselves and the
Speaker 4: coaching stuff, but also for the fans so have kind
Speaker 4: of been there from the start, including myself. You know,
Speaker 4: I was just like, this is not what we need
Speaker 4: right now.
Speaker 2: Well, I mean they have been so good to start.
Speaker 2: We all know that, and this is one result. It
Speaker 2: doesn't take away from the excellent start they've had. In fact,
Speaker 2: they're still top of the league, but it was night
Speaker 2: and day from what they've produced. The first half Bondie
Speaker 2: was easily the worst half of football they've put out there.
Speaker 2: Steve Carriker afterwards said we were just terrible in the
Speaker 2: first half and they were were they?
Speaker 3: Yeah, they weren't good.
Speaker 4: And I think, you know, I've been trying to, you know,
Speaker 4: reflecting on it now for a couple of days. I've
Speaker 4: been trying to work out what we wrong and I
Speaker 4: think potentially bringing the Strata back, who we know was key.
Speaker 4: I just don't think he was at his fitness that
Speaker 4: he's been at and I think, you know, all due
Speaker 4: respect to him, he looked tired and he's been such
Speaker 4: a key piece in that midfield and he just didn't
Speaker 4: look right. And same with the likes of missing Dan Hall,
Speaker 4: and they're trying to play Hiroki there, which Hiroki is
Speaker 4: an unbelievable player. He got mad in the match for Arooklyn.
Speaker 4: But I again don't think that's working, and I think
Speaker 4: everyone's playing quite individualistic. I think everyone, particularly in that
Speaker 4: attacking phase, everyone wants to take shots and there's no connection,
Speaker 4: which is I guess they haven't. They didn't create a
Speaker 4: lot of opportunities. Obviously the bar was down the other
Speaker 4: end of the half. But I'm kind of not surprised
Speaker 4: when we look back at all their other goals have scored,
Speaker 4: because a lot of those goals that we've talked about
Speaker 4: on this podcast, Pintey, is that the been flukes, you know,
Speaker 4: So I'm not surprised they're struggling to create opportunities going forward.
Speaker 4: But it was, yeah, a bit a big eye opener
Speaker 4: that maybe that's where they're struggling.
Speaker 2: That's a good summary, a good summary of points. So
Speaker 2: let's unpack a couple of them. Let's we will get
Speaker 2: to the goals they conceded in a moment. But I
Speaker 2: totally agree about what's happening up top. There just seems
Speaker 2: to be a lack of a cutting edge there. And
Speaker 2: I was really pleased to see n Don Moreno given
Speaker 2: a start. I thought, right, this is we're going to
Speaker 2: see from Moreno, from from the start what we've been
Speaker 2: seeing off the bench, and he's been very effective off
Speaker 2: the bench. Underwhelming, I thought, Nadal Madno for whatever reason
Speaker 2: and withdrawn seven minutes into the second half.
Speaker 1: Whether he's injured.
Speaker 2: Or whatever, I don't know, but I was. I was
Speaker 2: pleased to see that. But he didn't produce. I thought,
Speaker 2: Gigimo Mai continued to run and run and run and
Speaker 2: as GPS numbers will be good. But again he had
Speaker 2: a couple of opportunities. There was that volley sort of
Speaker 2: flicked up and you know, the almost the sissicate from
Speaker 2: the edge of the penalty area. But other than that,
Speaker 2: you're right. With as much possession as they had, they
Speaker 2: didn't create a heck.
Speaker 1: Of a lot.
Speaker 2: Matt Sutton didn't really have to do too much. Meantime,
Speaker 2: at the other end, thirty four months into the game,
Speaker 2: Auckland f c a three nil down. Just for context,
Speaker 2: that's as many goals as they've conceded in the previous
Speaker 2: ten and a half hours. Danzarki with a penalty, Botticch
Speaker 2: and Ibusuki with goals. We'll get to the Ibusuki goal
Speaker 2: on the lead up to it in a moment. But
Speaker 2: I thought Western United just came out for a team
Speaker 2: that's been up and down, not just this season but
Speaker 2: for a couple of seasons. They absolutely bossed it.
Speaker 4: Yeah, unbelievable from Western United, and hats off to them.
Speaker 4: You know, they were clearly hungry. They had a plan.
Speaker 4: They've been studying this team and they've had it. You know,
Speaker 4: what was it seven games prior to kind of look
Speaker 4: at Auckland f C. Who are the team to beat
Speaker 4: right now and go, you know, where are their weaknesses?
Speaker 4: And they certainly ticked that box and got it right.
Speaker 4: I think, you know, they were simple goals to concede.
Speaker 4: It was really really poor to but I guess to
Speaker 4: Auckland's defense, you could kind of look at it and go, well,
Speaker 4: they conceded the penalty, and it's easy, you know, for
Speaker 4: goals to completely change and shift momentum in a game,
Speaker 4: and it just looked like they conceded that penalty and
Speaker 4: heads were down and then they you know, conceded that
Speaker 4: that second goal, which you have to remind me of.
Speaker 3: But then the third one with.
Speaker 4: The which was obviously the controversial goal where the ref
Speaker 4: got in the way. They clearly just dropped their heads
Speaker 4: and it was too big a task, and I don't
Speaker 4: think that's going to be good enough going forward.
Speaker 2: I think you learn a lot a bit of team,
Speaker 2: you know, when they're behind, and when Danzarki put home
Speaker 2: the penalty, and it was a penalty, you know balls,
Speaker 2: it's so interesting from behind. The shot comes from from
Speaker 2: Danzarki sarchives there with his arms behind his back, as
Speaker 2: you should, I think in those situations have your hands
Speaker 2: behind your back because if it shoots and hits your arm,
Speaker 2: obviously the penalty. You often see defenders with their arms
Speaker 2: behind their backs and those situations, callon. Elliott is alongside
Speaker 2: and his arms are not to be fair it deflex off.
Speaker 2: Saki up and call and Elliott doesn't have a lot
Speaker 2: of time to change his body position, but his arm
Speaker 2: is right out. It's a clear penalty. There's no doubting
Speaker 2: that Tanzaki scores. And then I thought to myself, right,
Speaker 2: we are going to find out a bit about Auckland
Speaker 2: f C. Here they were behind the week before against
Speaker 2: Melbourne City. He came back behind again, came back, got
Speaker 2: the point when Bottit scored in the twenty third minutes,
Speaker 2: so midway through the first half. It was a good
Speaker 2: move Paulson saved from Abusuki and then it bounced up
Speaker 2: and bought. It was quick as to react at two
Speaker 2: nil down. I think you'll learn a lot about players,
Speaker 2: and I think we did learn a bit about Auckland
Speaker 2: f C and their inability to take a game by
Speaker 2: the scruff of the neck when at home with still
Speaker 2: you know, best part of seventy minutes to play. I
Speaker 2: just thought a lot of heads dropped at two nil down.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I agree, and I think a big part of
Speaker 4: that which I would love Courrika and you know, the
Speaker 4: stuff to potentially reassess is Hiroki playing.
Speaker 3: At center back again. Unbelievable player.
Speaker 4: He was the best on the part for Auckland and
Speaker 4: you know he's he's probably the best option at center back.
Speaker 4: But we've talked about it. Because he's fluent and he's
Speaker 4: not fluent in English. His leadership style is through what
Speaker 4: he shows on the park and because he's playing center
Speaker 4: back that's really hard to kind of lift your team
Speaker 4: if you can't speak to them from center back, and
Speaker 4: that's you can't you know, show a bit of fleaar
Speaker 4: at center back.
Speaker 3: It's hard to do that.
Speaker 4: I know, I'm a center back and it's not that
Speaker 4: easy to show off. And the last two weeks we
Speaker 4: haven't seen Hirokei playing full back and getting up the
Speaker 4: wing and you know, lifting his team, and they're really
Speaker 4: missing that attacking presence and that's why, you know, without
Speaker 4: maybe they do look at him in the midfield, as
Speaker 4: you know, they've got a few injuries in there.
Speaker 1: Can you put it back it right back?
Speaker 3: Yeah? I think that's Tommy Smith.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think you do.
Speaker 2: I think you say, look Tommy, Tommy Smith and Nanda Pineket,
Speaker 2: Yes you both left sided, but you've been around for
Speaker 2: a while, you're going to play center backs.
Speaker 1: You're both center backs.
Speaker 2: So right about Hiroki, you know, his ability to get
Speaker 2: up and down was such an eye catching feature of
Speaker 2: Auckland FC, and he led by those actions and yet
Speaker 2: he can still be a very influential player at center back.
Speaker 2: But yeah, I saw Dan Hall on crutches afterwards, and
Speaker 2: I thought to myself.
Speaker 1: Man, what a loss. You know, you don't realize what
Speaker 1: you're missing until it's not there anymore.
Speaker 4: Right, Yeah, no, one hundred percent and just gutted. I
Speaker 4: mean we spoke about it last week, but Dan Hall,
Speaker 4: you know, was on Soccero's watch in contention for that
Speaker 4: and and gutted for him. But you know it's those
Speaker 4: players down the middle of the park that you be surprised.
Speaker 4: I'd like to see Cam Howison back. I think he's
Speaker 4: someone that really is, you know, a good bit of
Speaker 4: the puzzle.
Speaker 1: He's injured too, you know, exactly so.
Speaker 4: And it's hard because I think on on Saturday when
Speaker 4: Auckland played, they were all playing for themselves and there
Speaker 4: was no and we need those players back that you know,
Speaker 4: are really good at playing between the lines and looking
Speaker 4: for options.
Speaker 2: Interesting that Jake Brimmer was taken off at halftime as
Speaker 2: well as was Callan Elliot. Look, I think Steve Corek
Speaker 2: has got a bit of thinking to do about particularly
Speaker 2: center back. Like I say, I think we both agree.
Speaker 2: I think we'd have Pineker and Smith there. I just
Speaker 2: put Smith at right center back. I mean he's been
Speaker 2: around for twenty years. It's not like you can't use
Speaker 2: as right foot you know, and he's a center back,
Speaker 2: just as Nanda Pinik is a center back. You go
Speaker 2: to Saki on the right and Francis therees on the left.
Speaker 2: That is a much better balanced back for in terms
Speaker 2: of what they all bring than what we've sort of
Speaker 2: we've had with that Saki shoehorned into center back. That's
Speaker 2: what's happened. And look again, quality player who can do
Speaker 2: the job. But what you lose I think by not
Speaker 2: having him at fullback is something they need to get back,
Speaker 2: all right. The third goal, Haroshiyebusuki finished the move, but
Speaker 2: it was the lead up that caused the controversy. Guy
Speaker 2: Goss has played the ball into Jake Brimmer, who's in
Speaker 2: the center circle. As Jake Brimmer goes to get it,
Speaker 2: Casey ry Belt, the referee, is in his way. He
Speaker 2: basically runs into her. She's got her back to him
Speaker 2: so she can't see him coming. The ball's coming into
Speaker 2: near where she is though, She's like, oh, I'm not
Speaker 2: reading in the right place here. But before she could
Speaker 2: move out of there, Brimmer runs into her. He doesn't
Speaker 2: get the ball to mockim I picks the ball up,
Speaker 2: runs deep into enemy Terrice relays it off and Abusuki
Speaker 2: finishes for three nil. What did you make of the
Speaker 2: whole incident?
Speaker 4: Well, I definitely thought if Jake Brimmer wasn't, you know,
Speaker 4: cut off by the referee, he would have picked up
Speaker 4: the ball and that would have changed the play going forward. However,
Speaker 4: I think probably the referee in hindsight should have stopped
Speaker 4: the play and done a drop ball, and I think
Speaker 4: she was probably reflecting on that game going yet that
Speaker 4: was probably the wrong call. I don't know, I don't
Speaker 4: know the complete rules, but I suspect that would have happened.
Speaker 1: The rule is she doesn't have to stop the game.
Speaker 1: She's got discretion.
Speaker 2: You're right, if the ball hits the referee, play stops
Speaker 2: drop ball, that's the rule. But if a player runs
Speaker 2: into the referee, that is absolutely the discretion of the referee.
Speaker 2: It's not in the rules that they have to stop
Speaker 2: the game. So by the letter of the law, she
Speaker 2: hasn't done anything wrong.
Speaker 4: There go And so I think, yeah, it's it's a
Speaker 4: tough way either, you know, either way. But I think
Speaker 4: the fact that Auckland or or you know, that the
Speaker 4: play continued, the ball was only at halfway, you know,
Speaker 4: it wasn't they didn't have an attacking It wasn't like
Speaker 4: it was down on the eighteen yard box where it happened.
Speaker 4: Like how the fact that Western United player got all
Speaker 4: the way through it was you know, I think again
Speaker 4: Auckland will surely learn from that. But yeah, it's it's
Speaker 4: a tough one to call.
Speaker 1: From the moment.
Speaker 2: We played football as three and four year olds. We're
Speaker 2: told play to the whistle, play to the whistle whistling,
Speaker 2: and you're so right. It wasn't as though it happened.
Speaker 2: You know, in the attacking third, it's Tamaki am I,
Speaker 2: a center back in the center circles like, well, just
Speaker 2: tackle them, someone just tackle him. It was almost like
Speaker 2: Brimmer stopped, you know, so he's and so it's hard
Speaker 2: of him to get back, but there's still four or
Speaker 2: five behind the ball for Auckland, including Guy Goss and
Speaker 2: the entire back four. Anyway, it's you know, Steve Kirker
Speaker 2: afterward said, look, I you know, I don't know the rules.
Speaker 2: I think it should have stopped. Of course, you know
Speaker 2: he's going to say that.
Speaker 1: John A.
Speaker 2: Luisia I thought was really good. The Western United coach.
Speaker 2: He said, look, I can understand why they're annoyed. That's
Speaker 2: happened to me as a player and as a coach.
Speaker 2: But he also said, and this is so true, he said,
Speaker 2: if we didn't scored, then we would have scored a third. Anyway,
Speaker 2: we're well on top. It wasn't the reason that Western
Speaker 2: United won the game and Auckland lost it.
Speaker 1: It was just an incident that.
Speaker 2: I guess in some ways took a little bit away
Speaker 2: from from the fact that Auckland were three nil worse
Speaker 2: than Western United in that first half.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I mean it did shift the momentum, you know,
Speaker 4: conceding a third goal that's a tough climb to come
Speaker 4: back from. And you could see why the players were frustrated.
Speaker 4: I found it interesting how Alex Paulson kept kind of
Speaker 4: approaching the referee even for the penalty, and he was
Speaker 4: getting frustrated clearly. But yeah, you're right, Partey, Western United
Speaker 4: were all over us. They would have they would have
Speaker 4: won it anyway.
Speaker 2: The best player out there for me, Angus Thurgate. Just
Speaker 2: what a player he's become for this team. I was
Speaker 2: talking to a couple of Western United staff members afterwards
Speaker 2: and they say, you know, he is their best player,
Speaker 2: and they fully expect that he will get a move
Speaker 2: away from Western into Europe at some stage. He's that
Speaker 2: he's at that level. He had six seasons at Newcastle,
Speaker 2: has always been a pretty good player. But what I
Speaker 2: saw out there on Saturday from home, he was the
Speaker 2: best on park by by quite some distance. Matt Gramordy
Speaker 2: scoring later on to make it four neirl.
Speaker 3: Everyone left everyone.
Speaker 1: She had that message that it was.
Speaker 4: What about ten minutes or five minutes to god? Yeah,
Speaker 4: and I just I think I missed the goal. I
Speaker 4: watched it back on the replay, but I just saw
Speaker 4: everyone standing up around me and just leaving, and could
Speaker 4: just see the port and everything. And I mean a
Speaker 4: good chunk of fans stayed.
Speaker 2: I think the hardcore stated I do want to mention
Speaker 2: that they did stay and they still sung till the end.
Speaker 1: That's what fandom is win every game.
Speaker 3: No exactly, but I did like.
Speaker 1: The fact that the hard core, or certainly a section
Speaker 1: did stay.
Speaker 4: Yeah, no exactly, And I think that's what's been so
Speaker 4: great for this Auckland team. And I've spoken to a
Speaker 4: bunch of fans, fans that can't sleep at night before
Speaker 4: games because they're that nervous, you know, they're just so excited,
Speaker 4: so love it. Yeah, hopefully it's all up from here.
Speaker 4: And going back to that center back question is maybe
Speaker 4: they'll look to sign someone in that January window at.
Speaker 2: Who's around and actually Wellington Phoenix tell Us might have
Speaker 2: a look at this as well. Is Bill to Ilama?
Speaker 2: He's I think, as I understand it hasn't his option
Speaker 2: hasn't been picked up by Charlotte in the in the MLS,
Speaker 2: so built to Ilama would be a good addition. He
Speaker 2: might be a bit expensive, but if he's off, even
Speaker 2: if he's on contract or his situation I think is
Speaker 2: that he can be picked up in January. See if
Speaker 2: I'm Winnington Phoenix, I'm looking at him as well.
Speaker 3: He is he better than Tommy Smith?
Speaker 2: I think, well, he's right sided for a start, he's
Speaker 2: younger and he I mean, what if Tommy Smith tweaks
Speaker 2: a calf, you know, I mean Dan Hall's broken his ankle.
Speaker 2: They wouldn't want to lose another center. About what if
Speaker 2: Nando Pinecker goes down? You know, injuries happen. You have
Speaker 2: to have that cover. And at the moment the cover
Speaker 2: is young players, unproven players. Again without wanting to labor
Speaker 2: the point, you know, Smith and Pineker just seem like
Speaker 2: the solution for now, do you think.
Speaker 4: Yeah? And I think that's why they're playing Herokei as well,
Speaker 4: because they need to cover a center back cover on
Speaker 4: the bench, and so that's what they've still gotten in Tommy.
Speaker 4: If you start Tommy and Pinaker one of them gets injured,
Speaker 4: who do you bring on?
Speaker 2: So for Auckland FC, their bounce back ability is going
Speaker 2: to be tested. They go now to Gosford where they
Speaker 2: play the Central Coast Mariners, who are a bit of
Speaker 2: a shadow of their former selves if I'm honest. They're
Speaker 2: obviously defending champions, double defending champions, but a shadow of
Speaker 2: what they have been. That's Saturday night, seven o'clock New
Speaker 2: Zealand time, and then back home New Year's Day where
Speaker 2: they take on Melbourne victory. So a couple of interesting
Speaker 2: interesting games coming up for Auckland FC. I guess happily
Speaker 2: they get the chance to quickly put Saturday behind them
Speaker 2: and move on to their next assignment.
Speaker 1: Football Fever with Jason Vine and Bonnie Jensen.
Speaker 2: Let's stay with the men's The A League men's The
Speaker 2: Wellington Phoenix were at Combank Stadium in Sydney's Western Suburbs
Speaker 2: last night against the Western Sydney Wanderers. Wellington Phoenix won
Speaker 2: the Western Sydney Wanderers four emphatic by the Wanderers. I
Speaker 2: don't think anybody who watched the game would suggest that
Speaker 2: they weren't worthy of the win and probably the winning margin.
Speaker 2: A third straight loss for Wellington Phoenix, and it started
Speaker 2: badly with Western Sydney scoring inside the first ninety seconds
Speaker 2: and never really at any stage did I think the
Speaker 2: Phoenix were going to win the game.
Speaker 3: Do you still think they're a top six side? I do.
Speaker 2: I do still think they're a top six side. I do, yeah,
Speaker 2: I honestly do because I look at the table and
Speaker 2: well at the table at the moment, there are five
Speaker 2: points between fourth and ten, so it's so tight. I
Speaker 2: think there are teams and Adelaide United are a team
Speaker 2: who I've been really impressed with Melbourne victory, probably Auckland
Speaker 2: and Melbourne City. I think I still feel like those
Speaker 2: four are the top four teams Below.
Speaker 1: Them it's up for graps.
Speaker 2: I still think Wellington have enough quality I do, to
Speaker 2: make the top six, but they're going to have to
Speaker 2: play a heck of a lot better than they.
Speaker 1: Did last night.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I agree.
Speaker 4: I think, you know, the tough thing for them is
Speaker 4: that they're not as good as what they were last season.
Speaker 4: They're missing a bunch of key players, which we've spoken
Speaker 4: about before, and it's really hurting them. I think you
Speaker 4: know that the team has kind of dominated, or not dominated,
Speaker 4: but there's a lot of scholarship players in the side
Speaker 4: this year that maybe aren't up to the standard.
Speaker 3: As they were like they were last year, like.
Speaker 4: Bean Oldfin Sermon players like that. But yeah, I thought
Speaker 4: they showed glimpses clearly. Chiefees still, you know, keen to
Speaker 4: stick with this three at the back set up. He
Speaker 4: went with the four at the back last season. Last
Speaker 4: week rather and he's gone reverted back to the three,
Speaker 4: so that was interesting from him. But I really liked
Speaker 4: the look of Corbyn Piper. Obviously he kind of potentially
Speaker 4: has mistake led to that second goal they conceded, but
Speaker 4: he showed really good signs. And I think Chief he
Speaker 4: must listened to the podcast, because I said last week
Speaker 4: that Corbyn Piper should get more minutes.
Speaker 2: Almost certain as I said last week, the Chief he
Speaker 2: doesn't listen to the podcast. I don't think it's on
Speaker 2: his podcast feed. But I agree on Corbyn Piper. I
Speaker 2: thought he was the glimmer of positivity from that game
Speaker 2: last night. Yes, he gave the ball up for the
Speaker 2: second goal, and to be fair, he had a couple
Speaker 2: of good chances to score as well. He's clearly a
Speaker 2: physical presence in the box. He had a couple of
Speaker 2: hit us in a volley late on as well, so
Speaker 2: on another night he could have had a couple of goals.
Speaker 2: But I just liked his intent. He's clearly not a
Speaker 2: center back by trade because he's been playing number ten
Speaker 2: for Burco. Hasn't he been right in the guts there
Speaker 2: as a creative force, a goal scorer, so he's got
Speaker 2: obviously good technical ability. I don't know Isaac Hughes, I
Speaker 2: really feel for Across the last three games, he's been
Speaker 2: involved in three incidents which have led to three goals.
Speaker 2: An own goal against Auckland FC, he gave away the
Speaker 2: penalty against MacArthur, and then last night ball comes through
Speaker 2: in the first minute of the game and he just
Speaker 2: slips but it leads to a goal. So all of
Speaker 2: a sudden, Isaac Hughes is in the spotlight. In three
Speaker 2: consecutive games for the wrong reason. I'm not saying he
Speaker 2: can't recover. Chief even said after the game last night.
Speaker 2: He's one of our hardest workers at training. He's always
Speaker 2: looking to improve. He listens, he does what I tell
Speaker 2: him to do in terms of what he wants from
Speaker 2: his game plan. I just wonder whether you take him
Speaker 2: out of the spotlight for a game, just take him out,
Speaker 2: just get the glare off him, because it can't help
Speaker 2: but play on your mind.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I get what you mean, Piney, and it is tricky.
Speaker 4: But by doing that, by pulling a player off, it's
Speaker 4: obviously going to not their confidence.
Speaker 3: And you don't want to.
Speaker 4: Do that to Isaac Hughes who was almost there, who
Speaker 4: was almost you know, he's actually not a bad player,
Speaker 4: and he's obviously led to these these goals. But yeah,
Speaker 4: it's like, you don't want to completely knock a knocker
Speaker 4: his confidence by pulling him off next week. I mean,
Speaker 4: the only way you do that is maybe they look
Speaker 4: at someone like Tim Payne as a center back.
Speaker 2: I was thinking that myself last night, but it's almost
Speaker 2: I would I would hate to see that. I mean,
Speaker 2: Tim Pain's are right back for club and country. I
Speaker 2: played Piper there. I'd go pain Piper, wooton Sutton.
Speaker 3: You reckon that?
Speaker 1: Well, that's right. I'm not paying the team, but that's
Speaker 1: what That's what I would do. At home.
Speaker 2: He played for, as you said, he played for at
Speaker 2: the back last week against MacArthur. You've got to show
Speaker 2: intent at home, you got to play back for. That's
Speaker 2: what I would do. I go, I go pain Piper,
Speaker 2: wooton Sutton.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: What I did at mine last night is obviously you
Speaker 4: know it was a big result they lost, but chief
Speaker 4: he was clearly making some bigger Boulder decisions. He didn't
Speaker 4: have Marco Rojas to play with, but he pulled Sam
Speaker 4: Sutton off at halftime and you know he put the
Speaker 4: young Nathan Walker on on and obviously started Corbyn Piper.
Speaker 4: So Chiev's clearly trying to work it out. It would
Speaker 4: be an issue if he was starting the you know,
Speaker 4: the same lineup every week. What I do wonder is
Speaker 4: I heard the commentators say it as well, is has
Speaker 4: this this Derby or these two derbies, these Kiwi Derby's.
Speaker 3: You know, just absolutely worn out. These two teams.
Speaker 4: You know they both had a result, you know, bad
Speaker 4: results this week and they've just you know, maybe or
Speaker 4: the last two weeks since that second derby that hasn't
Speaker 4: gone their way, and you wonder if maybe too much
Speaker 4: focus was played onto their mind and they just you
Speaker 4: know worn out.
Speaker 1: Spread the derbies out.
Speaker 3: Seriously, I don't have two and seven weeks.
Speaker 2: But no, it's a it's a good point. A couple
Speaker 2: of other points from this game. Dicky is Shiga with
Speaker 2: another goal and overhead but he was only a yard out.
Speaker 2: But they've got an acrobatic finish. Yeah, so that gave
Speaker 2: that gave the Phoenix hope back to two to one,
Speaker 2: and look, I think if they found a way to equalize,
Speaker 2: I think we be having a different conversation today. Don't
Speaker 2: take it away from Western Sydney though, I thought they
Speaker 2: were well worth it and Dylan Sekluna's goal at the
Speaker 2: end to make it for one absolutely eye catching love
Speaker 2: that we should mention Luke brook Smith, who made his
Speaker 2: debut last night.
Speaker 1: Thought he did okay when he came on.
Speaker 2: The youngster became Wellington Phoenix's youngest ever player sixteen years
Speaker 2: and a couple of months, so he takes the mantle
Speaker 2: of the youngest ever player. I quite liked the look
Speaker 2: of it. I would like to see more of Luke
Speaker 2: brook Smith. I'm mentioned before about the players who aren't
Speaker 2: there anymore, and it is a list. I know we've
Speaker 2: mentioned this before, but Alex Paulson, Finn Sermon, bojid Ar
Speaker 2: Krajev Oscars, Nevada, Nicholas Pennington, and for me, the biggest
Speaker 2: loss Ben Old. They just have not been able and
Speaker 2: he's a special player to replace the engine and the
Speaker 2: enthusiasm and the creativity of Ben Old.
Speaker 4: Ah, You're absolutely right, and I think you know that
Speaker 4: there's such key players, all of them across the park,
Speaker 4: whether that's you know, in leadership, experience or young creativity.
Speaker 4: And as I mentioned before, those scholarship players that have
Speaker 4: come in this year, you know, great to see chief
Speaker 4: he give opportunities like he did last night to young players.
Speaker 4: But they're just not quite at the caliber that they
Speaker 4: were last season. They'll get there, you know, hopefully, and
Speaker 4: next season the year after maybe they'll you know, be
Speaker 4: the likes of Ben Old being sold to big clubs
Speaker 4: around the world. But yeah, definitely missing those players.
Speaker 1: Do you think they're a top six side?
Speaker 4: Not from what I saw last night. I just think
Speaker 4: they're too they're too young an experience, and I don't
Speaker 4: think the likes. I think it's a lot to ask
Speaker 4: to put it on Costa, Tim Payne and Alex Ruffer
Speaker 4: to kind of carry this side through.
Speaker 2: All Right, we'll wait and see. The sample size of
Speaker 2: the last three games has been less than encouraging. Next
Speaker 2: home against Newcastle Saturday, five o'clock at Sky Stadium in Wellington.
Speaker 1: So yeah.
Speaker 2: I mean last time Newcastle came to Wellington they won.
Speaker 2: That was probably the blot on the copy book. Last
Speaker 2: year in Mi Newcastle came in won three nil in Wellington,
Speaker 2: so they won't have any fear they've Also, this is
Speaker 2: the strange part of the drawer.
Speaker 1: They've had two buys already.
Speaker 4: Wow.
Speaker 1: Some teams haven't had a bye, Newcastle have had two.
Speaker 3: I feel like the drawer is so rogue this year.
Speaker 4: I'm not sure who's done that, but it's just you know,
Speaker 4: with that that derby that happened so quickly and now
Speaker 4: these two bars, it's very Auckland f C not being
Speaker 4: over and for so long I've.
Speaker 1: Been very lucky, very lucky Bondy.
Speaker 3: So yeah, very confusing draw this year.
Speaker 2: All right, One final bit of news out of Wellington Phoenix.
Speaker 2: This week, shwin Lok is the latest academy product to
Speaker 2: sign as a four pro. He is the captain of
Speaker 2: the reserve team or has been. They liked the look
Speaker 2: of him as a as a right full back, so
Speaker 2: congratulations swin Lok for signing his first professional contract. The
Speaker 2: f with finy and body, Well, let's go to the
Speaker 2: bright spot of the weekend as far as the A
Speaker 2: League is concerned. It's the Wellington Phoenix women beating Sydney FC,
Speaker 2: the two time defending champions two nil, four games unbeaten.
Speaker 2: Now for Wellington Phoenix that is a club record. Goals
Speaker 2: on the second half to Grace Jarlay her first of
Speaker 2: the season and seventh overall for Wellington Phoenix and Zoe
Speaker 2: mcmeekon with her first ever A League women's goal header
Speaker 2: late on two nil. The big story here was the
Speaker 2: was the forty five minute halftime break because of lightning.
Speaker 2: But a very good win for Wellington Phoenix.
Speaker 4: Absolutely and you know the gals are carrying the team
Speaker 4: for New Zealand football. Seriously, a really really great result Sydney,
Speaker 4: you know, last year's champions and they just have not
Speaker 4: been up to standard this season.
Speaker 3: But there's still a good side.
Speaker 4: You know, looking at their roster, they've got some really,
Speaker 4: really strong players. So the fact that the Wellington Phoenix
Speaker 4: got up over them absolutely stoked.
Speaker 2: I like the fact that that I was gonna say, chief,
Speaker 2: he's got the men's team that tempts, mixed it up
Speaker 2: and gave a couple of players who showed impact off
Speaker 2: the bench last week. He gave them a bit of
Speaker 2: love and started them Emma main with you know, with
Speaker 2: the start. It was great to see Grace Jarley out
Speaker 2: there from the start. Zoe mcmeekon as well. She's a
Speaker 2: really interesting player for me. Zoey mcmeekon. I I just
Speaker 2: wonder what her ceiling might be. She seems all action able,
Speaker 2: to plan in a bunch of different positions, utterly fearless.
Speaker 2: I wonder what her ceiling might be.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think you're right.
Speaker 4: I feel like she is quite unorthodox when she when
Speaker 4: she does when she does things like dribbling the ball,
Speaker 4: and obviously she scored that goal, and you know she
Speaker 4: doesn't potentially, all due respect to her, you don't look
Speaker 4: at her and think, oh, you know, she's going to
Speaker 4: take on the world. But she's she's been so good
Speaker 4: for the side, and she was good last year all
Speaker 4: last season rather and yeah, superstoked for her. Another one
Speaker 4: potentially knocking on the door of the football ferns. But
Speaker 4: I think what's working for this team, As you say, Pineyer,
Speaker 4: he tempts gave a lot of players starts that didn't
Speaker 4: start last week. It's competitive the squad and it's clearly.
Speaker 3: Working for them.
Speaker 4: And I hope you know, they're obviously finding ways to
Speaker 4: make it work and they're finding ways to gel even
Speaker 4: though they're not starting the same team every week. But
Speaker 4: I think it's really given them, you know, each individual's
Speaker 4: fire that they have to perform every week if they
Speaker 4: want to cement their place in the team.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think they also have learned that they
Speaker 2: have to play different roles occasionally. You know, you look
Speaker 2: at a player like Mania Elliott, you know it's probably
Speaker 2: knows she's probably not going to start every week, but
Speaker 2: if she is coming off the bench, she has to
Speaker 2: provide the impact that she did the other week. And
Speaker 2: we saw like Emma Maine's another great example. She probably
Speaker 2: doesn't know from week to week whether she's starting or
Speaker 2: fulfilling an impact role, but she just has to cut
Speaker 2: her cloth to suit and has done that really well.
Speaker 2: Daisy Bradendale has started every game or sorry, has played
Speaker 2: every game this season. Didn't get on Toll right at
Speaker 2: the end of this one, probably personally disappointed, but thinks
Speaker 2: it was like, Okay, well I've got a lift around this.
Speaker 2: Grace Charlie, I mean she's kind of been there or thereabouts,
Speaker 2: and even her goal, I mean the goalkeeper probably should
Speaker 2: have done better with that, but good to chalk up
Speaker 2: her first goal. Hopefully the floodgate open a bit for
Speaker 2: Grace Jarlo. So yeah, Paul Temple's got real options and
Speaker 2: they've added Amelia Rabbit as well, which is I think
Speaker 2: a good piece of business.
Speaker 1: So that's what you want.
Speaker 2: We talked about Auckland FC before, you know, scratching around
Speaker 2: who's going to play at center back. They've got so
Speaker 2: many options really now Wellington things.
Speaker 1: I think they are. I think they're becoming a proper team,
Speaker 1: you know.
Speaker 4: Yeah, and I hope they can maintain it. I mean
Speaker 4: they had a pretty good start from memory last season
Speaker 4: and then they kind of dropped off in the second half.
Speaker 4: I hope that doesn't happen again. But yeah, by the
Speaker 4: signing of Amelia Abbot. She's a great player. I've always
Speaker 4: always rated her and she'll be good coming into the midfield.
Speaker 4: I assume she still plays that position, but yeah, her
Speaker 4: alongside Anne Lee Longo is going to be pretty exciting.
Speaker 3: And just a word on Grace Charlie. You know, I
Speaker 3: was hoping, you know.
Speaker 4: That the Beast would finally be unlocked, and I hope
Speaker 4: this goal is kind of the start for her because
Speaker 4: I've always rated Grace Jarlay and I hope, you know,
Speaker 4: she has a really good rest of the season for
Speaker 4: the Phoenix because I think she's a bloody good player.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I to add her best. She's a formidable a
Speaker 2: league striker. You talk about last year, you're right, they
Speaker 2: started really well. They got through to about round twelve
Speaker 2: or thirteen and then it kind of already became difficult.
Speaker 2: They couldn't went away from home. But they've got ten
Speaker 2: points this season through seven games. They had thirteen through
Speaker 2: seven games last season. So look, it's a tough ass
Speaker 2: this week and we'll get to that in the moment,
Speaker 2: but you know, having lost their first three matches, the
Speaker 2: belt points over the last four games, and yeah, just
Speaker 2: a word on Flee as well. Annalie Longo continues to
Speaker 2: just drive that team. I know I said it last week,
Speaker 2: but man, she is the beating heart of that team.
Speaker 4: Yeah, well, maybe she's in contention for a football Ferns recal.
Speaker 4: I mean, you know she's getting on a bit in
Speaker 4: her career. She'll be the first one to say it.
Speaker 4: But yeah, there's no stopping for stopping her and another
Speaker 4: one like Heroki Sakai for the AFC men, you know
Speaker 4: that leads by example and yeah, hopefully she continues to do.
Speaker 1: So. Forty five minute halftime break.
Speaker 2: Because of because of the threat of lightning strikes, so
Speaker 2: you play your forty five minutes, your nil, all you go,
Speaker 2: and they say how we got to wait for a
Speaker 2: bit just while the threat of lightning strikes passes. So
Speaker 2: forty five minutes they sat in there. Paul Temple said afterwards,
Speaker 2: we just watched the first half back and pointed out
Speaker 2: and came to the conclusion that things weren't going well
Speaker 2: for them.
Speaker 1: In areas A, B and C.
Speaker 2: They fixed areas A, B and C, went back out
Speaker 2: there and much better in the second half.
Speaker 4: Unral I wonder if Sydney FC did the same, because
Speaker 4: they clearly didn't.
Speaker 3: But yeah, it was a great, great call.
Speaker 4: And I also saw that news come through that there
Speaker 4: was a weather delay and that the Yellow Fever fans
Speaker 4: were cheering because Auckland f C had conceded at that point.
Speaker 1: I saw that.
Speaker 2: I saw that, you know, obviously giving an air or
Speaker 2: what was happening at go Media Stadium at the same time.
Speaker 2: Those cheers and those taunts and lasted about twenty four hours,
Speaker 2: didn't they.
Speaker 1: I saw them getting it back last night.
Speaker 2: As there their own team were shipping a few goals
Speaker 2: across the Tasman Sydney FC, two time defending champions, bottom
Speaker 2: of the league. You know, I mean they're not a
Speaker 2: bad team overnight. They've lost some good players. Courtney Vine
Speaker 2: obviously drove them forward last year. But yeah, one win,
Speaker 2: one draw in five defeats from their first seven games
Speaker 2: with SYDNEYFC.
Speaker 4: Crazy Yeah, no, absolutely crazy. There's good. The league's competitive.
Speaker 4: I guess that it's changing every year, but.
Speaker 3: Yeah, we'll take it. Let's just not mention that they're
Speaker 3: at the bottom of the league.
Speaker 2: No, like you're still got to beat Sidney FFC. Yeah,
Speaker 2: you know, they're a good team, well coached. Ante Yurich
Speaker 2: is a good coach, so yeah, take it absolutely so
Speaker 2: into the top six for the first time this season.
Speaker 2: Wellington Phoenix tucked into fifth place on Saturday night, up
Speaker 2: against their former player, hottest striker and the A League
Speaker 2: women's at the moment, muddy Unaspeckmeyer and the unbeaten Melbourne
Speaker 2: City away from home.
Speaker 1: How do you assess their chances over there?
Speaker 3: Yeah? Not very good. Little bit worried for them. Obviously.
Speaker 4: They've got Marianna Speckmyer, who who you just mentioned, is
Speaker 4: on fire at the moment scoring. You know, I think
Speaker 4: she's got four goals to her name so far.
Speaker 1: Ye suh, I should say she's not the leading scorer.
Speaker 2: There's a couple she's got four, Yeah, but she still
Speaker 2: looks like she can score every time she plays the
Speaker 2: game of football.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: She looks like a better finisher this season than she
Speaker 4: did last season. So yeah, she's going to be dangerous.
Speaker 4: And you know, the whole Melbourne City side. I think
Speaker 4: Rebecca Stop will probably be playing. Let me just check
Speaker 4: if she's fit, but yeah, I feel oh yeah, she's
Speaker 4: She started last week, so that's another A football firm
Speaker 4: that they'll have to contend with. But in saying that
Speaker 4: what two weeks ago when we previewed the Phoenix versus
Speaker 4: Melbourne victory, and I said the same thing that they're
Speaker 4: going to have it really tough going over to Melbourne
Speaker 4: and they they got a draw, so.
Speaker 3: A win a drawer. Yeah, and so I think, you know,
Speaker 3: let's not rule them out just yet.
Speaker 2: Oh look, I look at the back at the back
Speaker 2: four for that that Paul Temple put out against Sdney FC,
Speaker 2: Mcmeekhon Jaber, Barrie Wall, all competitive players. Olivia Kelly came
Speaker 2: off the bench. I reckon they'll relish coming up against
Speaker 2: money unspeke By.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: If you're a player, defender, attacker, whatever you are, you
Speaker 2: always want to teach yourself against the best.
Speaker 4: And it's almost harder as well for Mandy un a Spekmayer,
Speaker 4: because Paul Temple knows how she operates. You know, she
Speaker 4: no doubt has you know, a new style of playing
Speaker 4: under under Melbourne City. But Paul Temple know, you know
Speaker 4: her her little niches and things like that, And saying
Speaker 4: with Mackenzie Barry, who would have had to defend her
Speaker 4: plenty of times at training.
Speaker 2: Indeed, yep, it's a fascinating match. So that's Saturday at
Speaker 2: seven o'clock. So Saturday is quite busy for football fans.
Speaker 2: We've got the Phoenix Men five o'clock Saturday, the Phoenix
Speaker 2: Women seven o'clock Saturday and the Auckland Men seven o'clock Saturday.
Speaker 1: I could have scheduled things a bit better, couldn't they, Bonny?
Speaker 3: I think they could have.
Speaker 4: Yeah, Like, let's just I know it's an Australian league
Speaker 4: or whatever, but seriously a little bit more consideration for
Speaker 4: us Right now We've got like the most crowds through
Speaker 4: Auckland FC. So if they could just be a little
Speaker 4: bit more generous, you know, I feel like Auckland f
Speaker 4: C are carrying the team in gyms of generating the
Speaker 4: most money for the league. So let's just think a
Speaker 4: bit more about the Kiwi teams next season, okay, guys.
Speaker 2: Right, well, I think we'll be double screening. We'll watch
Speaker 2: the Phoenix Men against Newcastle, then double screen the women
Speaker 2: against Melbourne City and the Aukland FC men against the
Speaker 2: Central Coast Marin is a busy weekend coming up, and
Speaker 2: then obviously games come thick and fast through the Christmas
Speaker 2: New Year period and into January as well. That raps
Speaker 2: football fever for today and for the year. Actually, we're
Speaker 2: going to take a wee break for a week to
Speaker 2: ten days to refresh recharge our batteries. Maybe I don't
Speaker 2: think we need to go to the transfer window, do we, Bondie.
Speaker 2: We don't need to bring in any fresh blood at
Speaker 2: the stage.
Speaker 4: No, I think you know we're doing all right it. Yeah,
Speaker 4: it's going to be hopefully a good post Christmas New
Speaker 4: Year season of results.
Speaker 2: Look forward to bringing you fall fever in twenty twenty
Speaker 2: five with our league men's and women's and of course
Speaker 2: our national teams including the All Whites, who have the
Speaker 2: final push towards the twenty twenty six World Cup when
Speaker 2: they play Oceania semi finals and finals hopefully in March
Speaker 2: of next year. Bonnie, have a great Christmas, enjoy a
Speaker 2: bit of time off, look forward to chatting football with
Speaker 2: you again when twenty twenty five rolls around.
Speaker 4: You too, Parney, you will see you then.
Speaker 1: This is football Fever.