Nix v WSW Sunday 4:30pm + ASB Prem Curtain Raiser + 10 millionth fan

Thus they do - thus so far anyway.

zzzzzz

Not great for us. Northerly gale was always going to make the game a lottery, and keep the crowd away. Two clear penalities for WSW. Lucky day.   

Just home and bloody frozen stiff.  Never mind.  Three points is three points and fifth now.  Dreadful game, They should have had two nailed on penalties.  Maybe Mr ref might have thought he owed us one.

Fred,

The test is not whether an advantage was gained but whether the player SOUGHT to gain an advantage.  Hard to give a penalty when he's got his back to the kicker a couple of metres away.  And before you bring up the arm movement, you try turning protectively to one side while running without moving your arm.  It was not a clear cut penalty.

They probably should have got a couple of penalties, but they didn't look like they could even score off one of them anyway !

Thought we were good the last 20 minutes or so when the game opened up but just our finishing wasn't great.

I wish Ifill would look to cross on the deck at least sometimes

Thats cos the wanderers were playing with 2 at the back by then

Probably true

Didnt think it was boring, not compared to recent games at the stadium.

We playede some lovely football - decent finishing should have had the wanderers buried well before the end

5 lone WSW fans..I moved fom aisle 25- 31 secoind half and ha dto suffer it.  Boring game with occasinally cheer/groan moments.  Wind was a factor..thought Smith played well today..and Leo.  YF gave their keeper s%^&.....:>)

 WSW really know how to bring out the worst in a game of football. I cant remember them being a part of a single entertaining match thus far.

Fenix, leggys idea of 'lovely football' is passing it back and forth through the back 4 for 90 minutes like Brisbane do. Don't take offence to this comment. 

Does the Wind ( El Nino ?) get an assist for Brockie's Goal ?  

Sign him

 For LOL value I can't decide whether the Covic or the Pasfield wind-related keeping cockups takes the points. Probably the Pasfield.

well despite Jogo Bonito having jogged on for most of the game, and the disappointing comittment displayed by the pigeon, I'm very pleased to have 3 points in the bank and 5th place to 'revel' in

and as Termy says, elsewhere, our best start to a season ever

Thought Ifill looked pretty laboured tonight

Stein looked highly pissed off to be subbed, was the best on the park at that stage, presume Ricki was telling Ifill he's staying on to get fit

and the two young fellas brought some good pace and urgency when they came on

Smith getting through a lot of work

not the most exciting game but we could have had a couple more all the same

needs more pace and thrills for decent crowds, two of our season members already don't bother coming

Just like to say that the Last 3 games have been dull in terms of atmosphere and entertainment, hardly the way to entice people to games. Yes, the weather has played a part, but where were Yellow Fever? Looking today there were about a third of the numbers in the zone compared to last year and the chants are few and far between. I was timing the time it took for the first chant in the second half and it was 11 minutes. For quite a while we heard the 4 WSW supporters down the far end above anyone else. 

I fear for the future of the club in Wellington. This all has me worried as I am there day in day out to see them play, yet even the Fever zone, somewhere where we look to gauge a crowd and to give our team a leg up, seems to be dwindling.

Steiny Heinekens was superb, Manny in their face and Leo did plenty tonight

Damn straight. I feel like the entire crowd are just waiting for one or two people to chant. Instead of starting or even joining one themselves. Never used to be that way.

If the team start performing, the chants, and the fans, will come (back), that is the bottom line.

We've had 2-0 v Sydney (ok, a decent game), 1-1 v Brisbane (crap game), 0-1 v CCM (dire) and now 1-0 v WSW (pretty dull).  These Phoenix home games are hardly setting the A-League alight are they?

Could really do with good weather and a few goals next weekend.

I have to say watching on TV the atmosphere sounded a bit flat. The swirling wind can't have helped. A regular at ACFC games who attended a recent Phoenix home game said it was freezing in the Cake Tin and the wind seemed to circulate at speed around the stadium. Also the action of the field seemed a long way away. It does appear playing at Westpac is making it hard to get a good atmosphere going and that may be hurting your attendances. A dutch tourist watching today's game on TV in the sports bar I watched it in wondered where the spectators were when the camera panned around a mostly empty stadium.

Both Auckland and Wellington lack a purpose-built football stadium and it is hurting the game. At least at North Harbour stadium in Auckland you're close to the action but the silly plonkers put the stand facing the setting sun.

As for the game itself against WSW, why on earth pump so many high balls about when the strong wind was telling you to play it to feet? Sometimes I get a bit frustrated with ACFC's back and square passing to keep possession but just hoofing long balls into the box isn't the answer either. I don't think the Nix strikers fashioned one clean shot on goal. Huysegems needs the ball played to his feet, he's clearly no good at high crosses into the box, most of which were wasted. Brockie's bending kick into the goal owed more to the wind than anything else. Also what is Ifill doing playing back so much? He needs to be up front feeding passes to Huys and Brockie running into the channels. I think, for what it's worth, you need Sanchez in midfield and push Ifill into a central forward position. Thouvht you gained some forward motion in midfield when Fenton came on.

^ This post needs to be recycled every season.  Should circumvent about 90% of the posts.

(FWIW I thought our hoof ball was much better quality than WSW's hoof ball)

Clearly God wanted us to win.

Oh and by the way.  RoF was WAY warmer than K-Town.  Second half did get a bit cooler, but honestly, "freezing"??  

Harden up you pussies.

If it's any consolation the singing section at ACFC is barely a dozen strong but in our little (500) tin roof stand the sound really carries across the compact narrow ground. We also tend to keep it up for most of the game. Fortunately it tends to drown out the handful of whiners who dot the terraces although one foul mouth Scot is renowned for his abuse of everyone playing, especially the Spaniards, except oddly enough young Andy Milne (who was once a Rangers trainee). I've noticed lots of fans enjoy the singing but aren't brave enough to join in. Kiwis are generally a shy lot when it comes to public performances. Some of the singers have taken a few years before they've got up the courage to join in.

Keep up the good work Yellow Fever. If I ever make it to a Phoenix home game I'll be happy to join in the chants. I don't see the point of going to a game if you're not going to let rip.

Its certainly a concern, with the small crowds. We cant rely on 'good weather' crowds only, cos we never have any.

I really enjoyed the game, although it would have been better with the few more goals that we should have had.

Though Ifill, Smith, Brockie in particular moved the ball around very well.

Steiny is best when he gets the ball in front of him, not back to goal. Maybe he should play wider/deeper.

Nixie and the TAB Girls should have done a bit more Gangnam Style - all the wee kids in the stands were getting up and doing it.

yuck Ifill

I'm mind fucked at how there were only 23 people in the stands at kick off for the curtain raiser. You lot complaining about numbers for the Phoenix aren't helping when you don't show up for the pre game. I took a couple of hours out of my week to show up early, but don't know why the rest of you couldn't?

Have a medal and a hug AJ13.