2015/16 Preseason - v Auckland City | 2pm Sat 26th September | Home & Garden Show @ Westpac Stadium

2nd half, 3-0

appiah x2, cahill-fleury 1

So more 3 at the back business. Are we sure ricki hasn't snuck back in with everyones eyes on the eligibility saga?

So what's the verdict on Appiah? Is he looking good?

Wasn't great on Tuesday sounds like he was better last night.

I thought he looked ok and was very quick so could give some defence problems, don't know how inventive he is more than just running faster than the other player chasing him. Be interesting to see how he goes.

So he's basically Krishna with a few less years experience?

Which if he is that could work well for us under Ernie's guidance in the long term!!

A flat-track bully? ;)

http://www.foxsportspulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?clien...

• 1 & 15 August – Phoenix Junior Football Festival Days: watch out for Phoenix players at your festival!
• Sun 23 August – Pre-season game: Phoenix v NZA, New Plymouth, 1.30pm (ticket information below)
• Sun 30 August – Pre-season game: Phoenix v Capital Football Select, Weka Park Kapiti, 2pm.
• Early September – Phoenix game day tickets go on sale PLUS a brand new jersey is launched!
• Sat 26 September – Pre-season game: Phoenix v Auckland City, venue TBC (Wellington).
• Sun 27 September – Official Season Launch: Phoenix Family Day, Waitangi Park 11am.

Underwhelming preseason compared to last year.

Underwhelming post compared to last one ;-)

Next year: Micronesia and ...

Sorry but I have to thoroughly disagree.

In my opinion where we are at so far is miles ahead of where we were at at the same time last year. The year the WeeNix have had in the ASB Premiership and in the winter league now with Wgtn United is REALLY paying dividends. Now when one of the senior players is subbed off the WeeNix player taking their place simply slots in seamlessly. It's really exciting to see the gap between the Nix and the WeeNix squads closing as we build real depth.

I think it's also been exciting to see good numbers along at all three of the games in Wellington (Fraser Park, Memorial Park and Alex Moore). And not just the same people at all 3 games, but different people at the different grounds. I think that shows the community support for the club is growing as well.

I think this pre-season is shaping up as our best ever. I am excited.

Fan excitment... local welly team vs West Ham

Media Interest... see above

Quality of opponents... see above.

Whilst I like what you are saying I just don't see it being comparable on so many levels.

Could it more be that last preseason was amazing, and this one is good? Can't play EPL sides every year.....

probably saved a lot of money this pre-season...(or at least I'd hope so)

Yeah, fair enough.

I was judging the pre-season on how effectively it prepares the team for the A League season, not on whether it excites the media etc. 

I get what you are saying, and I acknowledge that last year's pre-season was higher profile (which included a lot more than the just Football United tour - like Taupo, Weka Park etc.), but quality of opposition dosn't in and of itself necessarily mean the team is better prepared. I agree it CAN help increase that, but it is not the only factor. And for me the benefit we are reaping of the WeeNix integration is really exciting.

I think we are tracking really nicely so far. The trip to Fiji was a great initiative, and the NZA game in New Plymouth is something I am really looking forward to.

I acutally recon football united hurt us last season because we prepared for that, which was very early in the off season, and then had to take pull down the intensity of training before turning it back up again for the season itself; We started a bit underdone because of it.

3 wins in the first 5 game is underdone?

No chatter about game against Wests tomorrow, but looks like another cold night to be out watching some more football. At least at the last game I got to run around.

Ben Mata still involved. Ben (16) and Max (just turned 15) are cook island/ Maori boys I'm pretty sure. Saw them on Code a while back

Definite mistake

Ben (16) is still involved with u-17. Max just turned 15, showing serious potential. Cook Island/ Maori boys Im pretty sure. Saw them on Code a while back, very well spoken

And a good run of games in the FFA Cup would round that out nicely

Starting XI for the Nix: Moss Gulley Dura Manny Fenton Doyle Riera Roly Wee Mac Appiah Powell

— Yellow Fever (@YellowFever_NZ) July 28, 2015

PRE-SEASON FULL TIME | In an action packed second half, the Phoenix go down 3-2 to Wests at Ole. Match Report online tomorrow

— Wellington Phoenix (@WgtnPhoenixFC) July 28, 2015

Rodreguiz injured?

Wests put 11 players behind the ball during the first half and made it incredibly hard for the Nix to break them down. 0-0 at the half.

Ernie made seven subs at halftime, which allowed Wests to start pushing players forward and chase the game. Nix took the lead in the 57th minute when the ball was chipped over the defence to Joel Stevens, who then played it across goal to Powell for a tap in. 

Wests won a penalty a minute later which was saved by Sail, but had to be retaken as Sail moved forward off the line. The retake was taken by a different player (#7 instead of #10) and was slotted in. Noah Billingsley scored in the 72nd after a Wests free kick just outside the box. Wests went 3-1 up in the 77th as the Nix fall to the high press and give the ball away in defence.

The best part of the night was up next. I believe it was Rogerson and Stevens who broke forward, one of them was offside and one of them wasn't. AR raised his flag when the two players got near the ball, but the player who wasn't offside ended up controlling the ball. The ref waved the flag down, play continued, but all the Wests players stopped. The ball got played across the face of goal and was tapped in (I have no idea who scored it sorry). Referee puts his arm out to award the goal, but the Wests players grab the ball set up to take the free kick from the offside "free kick".

Referee told them to move to the centre circle to take a kick off, Wests players refuse, Wests coaching staff led by Decland Edge started having a go at the referee and the AR claiming that "You put the flag up! The flag was up!". The Wests supporters seemed to think they could change the referees mind too and joined in the yelling. Meanwhile the referee basically said "Yes, the flag was up but there was no offside offence". Wests keeper refused to give the ball back, and then ended up kicking it to the other end of the field instead, and was shown a yellow.

The best part is that Ernie was just standing behind the Nix bench giggling to himself about the whole thing. 

Game ended 3-2, Nix had a couple of free kicks from just outside the box at the death but Ridenton and Rufer blasted their shots above the bar.

Play to the whistle, not the AR's flag, right?

This. The AR merely indicates that he feels like an offside offence occurs, the decision rests solely on the referee though.

Best example would be the first of Nathan Burns' hattrick goals. Flag went up because Burns was in an offside position when ball was played, but it was kicked by Paartalu so no offence occured. Would be rubbish if the referee had just blindly followed the AR's flag.

Why?

The priority or primary goal of pre-season games is not to win. It is to experiment, give players a run, sometimes in different positions, focus on particular areas the coach wants the team to develop, challenge or extend themsleves in, develop match fitness, and to try training field moves, systems and ideas in a game situation.

The players all trained this morning so it is hard to read too much into this game, especially since we are still 2.5 months away from the season. We've also seen 6 different players play centre back so far in preseason, so it's hard to read too much into the scores as a result.

Main thing to take away would be that 3-5-2 is here to stay.

Few years back I watched Auckland City beat Central Coast Mariners 3-1 at the Croatian Club in Henderson.

We left the grass long especially for them.

I remember the comment from CCM was 'better to get that out of the way now'.

They won the league that season.