It's more the lack of time to prepare than the gap between the games. Find out on Friday. Arrange international travel. Arrange overseas training and other arrangements. Be there to play on Tuesday. I think that's pretty rude actually.
One of the reasons for doing the draw for the later rounds ahead of time was to make it easier to plan. So there would have been a plan for if WSW had won and another plan for if Heidelberg had won.
Similarly for the SF there woud already be a plan drawn up for whichever of ... Heidelberg v Auckland Heidelberg v Sydney Sydney v Wellington Auckland v Wellington
Avondale v Newcastle Avondale v MacArthur Brisbane City v Newcastle Brisbane City v MacArthur
Obviously there's still a very hard and unlikely job to do next week so dont want to get ahead of myself but I remember thinking how it wouldnt count if ohr first ever victory over Auckland wouldnt count if it was in pre season and not a proper league match. But now I cant help but think how bloody mean would it be to have our first win over them launch us into the FFA Cup final and potentially our clubs first ever silverware. I think I'd even swing the trip up north for that.
Anyhoo I've just jinxed our chances over Heidelberg. Apologies for that one team.
Absolutely no doubt that it would "count", it is a cup semifinal. Unfortunantely the Nix have about a 1% chance of winning that theoretical semifinal because AFC are different class.
Absolutely no doubt that it would "count", it is a cup semifinal. Unfortunantely the Nix have about a 1% chance of winning that theoretical semifinal because AFC are different class.
Mate, I'm a Dons fan and we are notoriously miserable, but come on, if we can have faith we will pump the Glasgow cheeks every time we play them, surely we can believe the Nix can pump the blue orcs? Season hasn't even kicked off lol
Absolutely no doubt that it would "count", it is a cup semifinal. Unfortunantely the Nix have about a 1% chance of winning that theoretical semifinal because AFC are different class.
Mate, I'm a Dons fan and we are notoriously miserable, but come on, if we can have faith we will pump the Glasgow cheeks every time we play them, surely we can believe the Nix can pump the blue orcs? Season hasn't even kicked off lol
some people the only way they can emotionally support a team is to be extremely pessimistic so expectations are set so low they can never be too upset, or the emotional disappointment from a poor performance is not as bad as the emotional disappointment and despair from a poor performance that was below expectations
Absolutely no doubt that it would "count", it is a cup semifinal. Unfortunantely the Nix have about a 1% chance of winning that theoretical semifinal because AFC are different class.
Mate, I'm a Dons fan and we are notoriously miserable, but come on, if we can have faith we will pump the Glasgow cheeks every time we play them, surely we can believe the Nix can pump the blue orcs? Season hasn't even kicked off lol
some people the only way they can emotionally support a team is to be extremely pessimistic so expectations are set so low they can never be too upset, or the emotional disappointment from a poor performance is not as bad as the emotional disappointment and despair from a poor performance that was below expectations
We do not need much for happiness. Winning against Nunawading FC was already as much as I needed to now continue my faith all season.
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
Us getting even a draw against AFC is unprecedented. They have a much better squad and much better team chemistry/familiarity/cohesion. They are barely changed from last year while we have lost our two best players. We lost the last game against them 6-1. They are in imperious preseason form swatting teams aside while we huffed and puffed against a team three tiers below us.
Maybe 1% is hyperbole, maybe something like 10% is closer to the mark, but it isn't that far off.
Us getting even a draw against AFC is unprecedented. They have a much better squad and much better team chemistry/familiarity/cohesion. They are barely changed from last year while we have lost our two best players. We lost the last game against them 6-1. They are in imperious preseason form swatting teams aside while we huffed and puffed against a team three tiers below us.
Maybe 1% is hyperbole, maybe something like 10% is closer to the mark, but it isn't that far off.
Us getting even a draw against AFC is unprecedented. They have a much better squad and much better team chemistry/familiarity/cohesion. They are barely changed from last year while we have lost our two best players. We lost the last game against them 6-1. They are in imperious preseason form swatting teams aside while we huffed and puffed against a team three tiers below us.
Maybe 1% is hyperbole, maybe something like 10% is closer to the mark, but it isn't that far off.
Us getting even a draw against AFC is unprecedented. They have a much better squad and much better team chemistry/familiarity/cohesion. They are barely changed from last year while we have lost our two best players. We lost the last game against them 6-1. They are in imperious preseason form swatting teams aside while we huffed and puffed against a team three tiers below us.
Maybe 1% is hyperbole, maybe something like 10% is closer to the mark, but it isn't that far off.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand the realities of it, but I guess you’ve always got to have hope. If you’ve not got that then makes being a fan much harder 😂 different season, clean slate (for now).
Im not even thinking about a match against AFC. Away against the Bergers will be a very very tough match. Normally AL vs state league its AL. But they are in full season mode coming off the back of a great win over WSW. We are very much in early season with lots of key players with almost no match time. Plus the new recruits barely know each other. Go and watch the Bergers on YT. They are a very efficient well drilled side. We are not favourites
Nix currently clear favourites at 2 dollars to win, Heidelberg at 3. AFC narrow favourites v Sydney. I'll be there if it's not sold out.Screenshot_20250815-222532.png364.98 KB
Italiano has made two changes to the matchday squad which overcame Nunawading City in the round of 16, with club captain Alex Rufer and goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi travelling in place of reserve team players Mac Munro and Matt Foord.
New signing Nikola Mileusnic was deemed unready for the match while Corban Piper, Nathan Walker, Alby Kelly-Heald and Jayden Smith remain sidelined with injuries.
Rufer is poised to make his season debut against Heidelberg after missing the pre-season opener against Wrexham AFC and the previous two rounds of the Cup.
“I took a little bit of an extended break post national team just to sort out an ongoing niggle that I had,” he said at Wellington Airport on Monday. “But other than that, I’m happy, I’m healthy and I’m ready to go.
“I’d love to play as many [minutes] as possible. For this game I’m expecting to get around the 30 minute mark, but I’ll play as long as I need to play.”
The Australia Cup quarter-final between Wellington Phoenix and Heidelberg United is scheduled to kick-off at Olympic Village in Melbourne at 9:30pm (7:30pm AEST). Broadcast details are TBC.
Wellington Phoenix squad:, 1. Josh OLUWAYEMI (gk), 5. Fin ROA CONCHIE, 6. Tim PAYNE, 7. Ifeanyi EZE, 8. Paulo RETRE, 9. Hideki ISHIGE, 11. Carlo ARMIENTO, 14. Alex RUFER (c), 15. Isaac HUGHES, 17. Gabriel SLOANE-RODRIGUES, 18. Lukas KELLY-HEALD, 23. Luke SUPYK, 24. Xuan LOKE, 25. Kazuki NAGASAWA, 27. Matt SHERIDAN, 29. Luke BROOKE-SMITH, 40. Eamonn MCCARRON (gk), 42. Fergus GILLION.
Yes it's all well and good to say you're going to be more attacking this season but against a NPL side even as strong as they are is when you've got to walk the walk
Yes it's all well and good to say you're going to be more attacking this season but against a NPL side even as strong as they are is when you've got to walk the walk
It's gonna give us a real bleak forecast of how we will play this season if we sit deep and defend a siege and occasionally try and counter attack tonight.
Yes it's all well and good to say you're going to be more attacking this season but against a NPL side even as strong as they are is when you've got to walk the walk
It's gonna give us a real bleak forecast of how we will play this season if we sit deep and defend a siege and occasionally try and counter attack tonight.
This is Chiefy’s nix. Of course that’s what we’re going to do.
Yes it's all well and good to say you're going to be more attacking this season but against a NPL side even as strong as they are is when you've got to walk the walk
It's gonna give us a real bleak forecast of how we will play this season if we sit deep and defend a siege and occasionally try and counter attack tonight.
This is Chiefy’s nix. Of course that’s what we’re going to do.
That's when he can say oh the intent was there, setting up with 3 at the back
Even if in reality it ends up being 5 at the back most of the time
A tiny corner of yellow in a sea of .. yellow. Greek being spoken and sung on the PA. Friendly club, good facilities. IMG_20250819_182526330.jpg2.24 MB
