WPM R11 @ Brisbane Roar | Sat 3rd Jan | 7:00pm | SS1

What a performance that was tonight! Backs to the wall, wasn't pretty but we got it done! 

Great to see last week's performance wasn't hanging over McCarron, he put in a good performance that should do the world of good to his confidence 

The sort of performance that will help galvanise the team spirit 

(Also did anyone else notice the co-comms incorrectly claiming that LBS was still looking for his first A-League goal)

Fantastic result and even more amazing being one player down. What fight and belief from the boys and Chiefy. Amazing!
Stand tall McCarron - what a performance from you tonight.
Congratulations also to Lee on his debut. Didn't get the credit he deserved setting up the goal in the Wrexham game....but tonight he got his reward.

Just out of interest Reg22 why is it necessary  to call people who love to support their team even in adversary "happy clappers" 

Brisbane weren't great. But that's a Phoenix team still up for it and playing for each other and the coach.

Surely Chiefy resigns a new 3 year deal? 

ballane

Just out of interest Reg22 why is it necessary  to call people who love to support their team even in adversary "happy clappers" 

Oh, sorry mate. I've heard the term a few times over the years, including on here, and I've just looked it up now and it appears that it can be derogatory and has religious undertones. I didn't mean it to relate to either.

My understanding was that it was used to describe people who are blindly positive no matter what.

Today I used it as a means of pointing out that an observation I made was an observation, not a criticism. I felt the need to point this out because there are several people here who often jump all over posts and accuse others of being negative when I'm sure their intention was just to have a discussion or make an observation.

Gutsy and pleasing win no doubt, but this wasn't a 'pasting'. Nix were under severe pressure for most of the game. Brisbane went close many times but couldn't score. The Nix did twice on the breakaway.
McCarron did some good things, but still looks weak to me. Another misjudged run out of goal nearly cost a goal. Looks cumbersome. There's a lot of luck in football, and today, things went the Nix's way.

Yeah I heard that re LBS "looking for first goal" was just going to wait until someone else mentioned it

Half a Pint

What a performance that was tonight! Backs to the wall, wasn't pretty but we got it done! 

Great to see last week's performance wasn't hanging over McCarron, he put in a good performance that should do the world of good to his confidence 

The sort of performance that will help galvanise the team spirit 

(Also did anyone else notice the co-comms incorrectly claiming that LBS was still looking for his first A-League goal)

reg22

ballane

Just out of interest Reg22 why is it necessary  to call people who love to support their team even in adversary "happy clappers" 

Oh, sorry mate. I've heard the term a few times over the years, including on here, and I've just looked it up now and it appears that it can be derogatory and has religious undertones. I didn't mean it to relate to either.

My understanding was that it was used to describe people who are blindly positive no matter what.

Today I used it as a means of pointing out that an observation I made was an observation, not a criticism. I felt the need to point this out because there are several people here who often jump all over posts and accuse others of being negative when I'm sure their intention was just to have a discussion or make an observation.

All good just thought it was unusual coming from you its normally thrown around in derogatory terms to people who like to stay positive despite all the shark going on around the place. So appropriate i guess when talking about some of us Phoenix tragics.

ballane

reg22

ballane

Just out of interest Reg22 why is it necessary  to call people who love to support their team even in adversary "happy clappers" 

Oh, sorry mate. I've heard the term a few times over the years, including on here, and I've just looked it up now and it appears that it can be derogatory and has religious undertones. I didn't mean it to relate to either.

My understanding was that it was used to describe people who are blindly positive no matter what.

Today I used it as a means of pointing out that an observation I made was an observation, not a criticism. I felt the need to point this out because there are several people here who often jump all over posts and accuse others of being negative when I'm sure their intention was just to have a discussion or make an observation.

All good just thought it was unusual coming from you its normally thrown around in derogatory terms to people who like to stay positive despite all the shark going on around the place. So appropriate i guess when talking about some of us Phoenix tragics.

I'll be more careful in the future. I genuinely thought of it as being an innocent phrase, but it really was quite rude of me to use that term. Thanks for calling this out.

nixin

Gutsy and pleasing win no doubt, but this wasn't a 'pasting'. Nix were under severe pressure for most of the game. Brisbane went close many times but couldn't score. The Nix did twice on the breakaway.
McCarron did some good things, but still looks weak to me. Another misjudged run out of goal nearly cost a goal. Looks cumbersome. There's a lot of luck in football, and today, things went the Nix's way.

3-0 in a situation where it was 10 v 11 for over an hour is an absolute pasting of the highest order.

Brisbane lads should be well and truly livid with how they played today.*

*Take nothing away from our lads tonight though - A shift and a half from front to back.

Turfmoore

anaveragestem

MetalLegNZ

Totally unexpected. Great heart and a little luck to boot.

On the red, how was it upgraded... the ref never went to the screen to view a replay and we heard no coms. Can't be for the afters as he hit the ground straight away.

If im reading it right I saw him go for his pocket straight away but held off once the melee started. I think he was going to pull a red straight away but then waited to confer with his other officials. Good refereeing in my opinion and Armiento did not have too many arguments about it. Think the ref got it right.

Not sure how Eze got a card, if there was anything it was off camera.

He reached for his left (shorts) pocket at the time of the foul (pre fracas). At the time I assumed that was a yellow as reds are often back pocket or top pocket. As it turned out, he produced the red from his left shorts pocket, so likely he was going straight to red. So fair call. I have yet to get a good view of the challenge, so can't comment on it. 
However, I don't think the validity of the card should be judged on the level of histrionics/protest of the player. That only encourages them.

I get that we shouldn't judge the validity of the card based on player reaction but with limited angles that what you have to do really. 

Also, does anyone else get the vibe that Armiento is pretty cheeky/chatty. He'd be the first to complain if a decision is unfair to him. He has the same vibe as Sam Sutton who also loved the on-field chat. 

3-0, clean sheet, against a team at the top end of the table.

nixin

Gutsy and pleasing win no doubt, but this wasn't a 'pasting'. Nix were under severe pressure for most of the game. Brisbane went close many times but couldn't score. The Nix did twice on the breakaway.
McCarron did some good things, but still looks weak to me. Another misjudged run out of goal nearly cost a goal. Looks cumbersome. There's a lot of luck in football, and today, things went the Nix's way.

U wot m8?

I do not often agree with nixin, but there were a couple of goalmouth scrambles and a one shot from the outside of the box, that on a different day might have gone in for the Roar.  So yes, Roar did go close a few times.
We were under pressure, but under no greater pressure than Newcastle was the other day against Auckland who were unable to break down a ten-man opposition.
I would say our win was better than that of Newcastle, since we scored two goals with the goalkeeper present unlike Newcastle who scored two before Cooper was sent off, and the third one in the 86 minute with Wood stranded high up the field.

Everyone at the Nix lifted today, but special kudos to Nagasawa, who has become a much better AM this season, and to James who put in a MoM performance for my money.      

coochiee

How about a Hurricanes top circa 1997? Though it maybe a bit too warm for that 

Perhaps the Peru strip which is now dad bod snug 

I did see a Peru top tonight when the camera cut to the away section at one stage tonight...

One of the all time great Nix wins. 3-0 wiith only 10 men for most of the match, away against one of the Leagues top sides.
Maybe all you miserable negative gits can take a week off. But Im sure you can find something to moan about.
Fantastic fighting spirit by everyone. We might not be the greatest team but if they battle like that every week then I am 100% behind them.
Everyone put in a shift but huge games by McCarron, James, Nagasawa and especially Eze. What a player he is. Well done Chiefy too...tactics bang on!

brookem

Now congratulations on making your A-League debut Ryan Lee!

Oh wow I hadn’t clocked that in all the end-of-game chaos - I know his father so he’ll be one proud dad tonight!

Other personal highlights in no particular order:

- The rowdy mob of Queensland Nix supporters, what a fun bunch of passionate fans

- Finally getting to do the Jingle Bells chant after so many away losses

- Shaking McCarron’s hand after the game and being able to congratulate him on his performance

- Meeting coochiee in person (yep, that was him in the Peru shirt)

- 3-0 BABY!!!

Cheers Simon. Great to meet both you and Khalil Media from on here.

That was 90+ mins of fun. Real snatch and grab.

Post match met a few downcast Roar supporters who all raved about James's performance.

Shame couldn't stay for the women's game.

A win that baffled.

I honestly cannot remember a nix team getting a red and responding like that, and we've had quite a few over the years. 

Particularly happy for McCarron. For a guy that seemingly was thrown in from obscurity, he's done quite well. I thought the criticism of him last week was quite ridiculous considering our defence fell to pieces in front of him. Clearly he has some things to work on, but some of his play today was genuinely very good - particularly a punch from a corner later in the game. Something I've seen Josh, a much more experienced keeper, miss. 

Eze seems to get better the angrier he is. That run for the second goal was fudgeing great, the little jink to get last the man before he passed it was class. 

We just need the guys around him to support him better - Najjirine isn't it, hopefully Mileusunic comes back at some point? 

Nagasawa has really found his footing this season though, very good game from him again 

We still have a LOT of issues but we've got to be happy after that one 

It’d be great to get a online  campaign with a few of the folk from all the little corners of yellow -Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Newcastle, Central Coast- talking about their favourite game experience and asking Wellingtonians and those nearby to get a seat and take a stand at the RoF for them.

O Wellington! 

Sounds like today was a great day in the Nix extended universe…

Southern Queensland has a huge kiwi disporia. There was a decent Nix zone but when we scored our two second half goals there were people all over the stadium on their feet cheering. It was a great day for kiwis in Australia

austin111

Southern Queensland has a huge kiwi disporia. There was a decent Nix zone but when we scored our two second half goals there were people all over the stadium on their feet cheering. It was a great day for kiwis in Australia

 
Yeah I mentioned that earlier in the thread, was brilliant to see on tv. Just popping up everywhere 💛🖤 kudos,  the roar from the fans for the goals was defo audible and proud.

LBS megging the dude and sending him embarrassingly sprawling is an iconic nix moment. 

One of the all-time great Phoenix performances, after one of their toughest ever defeats earlier this week.  That's resilience. Well done to all the boys, Chiefy and the coaching staff.

Ok, so Chief and the team have got me excited for what's next. I'll say straight up though, we are inconsistent and this game may just be a flash in the pan. However, it was a hell of a lot of fun to watch, something we haven't had a lot of.
I'm cautiously excited for what's next but this isn't enough to change my mind over Chief. If he can get us results in the coming games and push us into the top 6 playing with some confidence and grit, then yea, I might change my mind.
At least, a sense of excitement and anticipation has returned for now. Just what we needed.

austin111

Southern Queensland has a huge kiwi disporia. There was a decent Nix zone but when we scored our two second half goals there were people all over the stadium on their feet cheering. It was a great day for kiwis in Australia

It is spelled "dysphoria".  It describes an out-of-body condition when we mentally prepare for an away game pasting only to experience utter disbelief after a clean sheet and a three goal win by 10 men against a home team higher on the table.

Boy it was fun reading this match thread. Over the moon for the team and Chief. It is such a rollercoaster ride being a Phoenix fan, never a dull moment.

AucklandPhoenix

James was immense today and classy on the ball, leading it out.

yeah good shout - I had been on the fence about him but he proved in this game that he is up to it.  Good performance from him and the team.

Felt in many ways like a win from the 2023/24 season.

Minimal possession (especially after the red), but not many big chances for the Roar until the end, Nix scoring on the counter.

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2026/01/04/we-needed-this-phoenix-coach-giancarlo-italiano-after-upset-win/

An emotional Giancarlo Italiano says the 3-0 win by his Wellington Phoenix side against Brisbane Roar was “probably the best victory I’ve ever had as a coach.”

Down to 10 men for most of the match, after the sending off of Carlo Armiento in the 38th minute, the Phoenix overcame the odds to beat the third-place Roar at Kayo Stadium in Brisbane.

“We’ve had it very hard,” Italiano said after the match.

“I’m just immensely proud for the group. We suffered today.

“We spoke about it yesterday, and it was like a self-fulfilling prophecy. We talked about in order for teams to be successful, they need to learn to suffer, to grind, to be committed, to have courage [and] to be brave. They demonstrated everything today.

“It was almost like the football gods wanted Carlo to get sent off for us to go through this lesson.

“We needed this. It wasn’t so much the result, it was the performance.

“The boys showed a lot of character tonight. I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”

Italiano praised the efforts of teenage goalkeeper Eamonn McCarron who showed experience beyond his years to secure the clean sheet in just his second league start.

“Eamonn is like an experienced goalkeeper caught in a young guy’s body.

“He’s fearless and what I really liked about him today was the reaction from conceding five goals against Victory. It didn’t faze him.

“In the air, he was fantastic, and the last-ditch, brave saves were amazing.

“He started as the number three at the beginning of the season and now he’s playing like a mature number one.”

Mainland FC

austin111

Southern Queensland has a huge kiwi disporia. There was a decent Nix zone but when we scored our two second half goals there were people all over the stadium on their feet cheering. It was a great day for kiwis in Australia

It is spelled "dysphoria".  It describes an out-of-body condition when we mentally prepare for an away game pasting only to experience utter disbelief after a clean sheet and a three goal win by 10 men against a home team higher on the table.

think you'll find he was looking for this word.
Diaspora

"Disporia" is often a misspelling or alternative spelling for diaspora, meaning a scattered population from a homeland, but it can also refer to a specific academic concept (dislocation) or be used in Portuguese as a verb form, appearing in song titles, or as a niche book title, highlighting a nuanced term with varied uses beyond the common "diaspora". 

Theprof my friend you have missed the joke

Love it YF the only forum where not only can get abused and have arguments, but also get your spelling checked,grammar corrected, learn new words and have some pointless political arguments while learning about bitcoin.   

Educational !

Noticed on the highlights no mention of Mccarron getting charged by some Brisbane thug ....

Fun fact - we have scored more goals against Brisbane this season than the rest of the league combined.

While a great win for us, I don't think we should read much into this result, the game was very anomalous. Other than the fact that the team showed great resilience, spirit, togetherness and finally looked like they were capable of putting in a respectable defensive effort against a team that isn't the Mariners. 

FU BLU

Educational !

Noticed on the highlights no mention of Mccarron getting charged by some Brisbane thug ....

What I don’t get is the number of roar fans who seem to be calling us the thugs?!? I must have been watching a completely different game to them.

imanixsupporter

Fun fact - we have scored more goals against Brisbane this season than the rest of the league combined.

While a great win for us, I don't think we should read much into this result, the game was very anomalous. Other than the fact that the team showed great resilience, spirit, togetherness and finally looked like they were capable of putting in a respectable defensive effort against a team that isn't the Mariners. 

Don’t think anyone is reading too much into it, but hoping that this is the catalyst for our season to start properly. And what is football if not for hope? 

WanderingSheep

FU BLU

Educational !

Noticed on the highlights no mention of Mccarron getting charged by some Brisbane thug ....

What I don’t get is the number of roar fans who seem to be calling us the thugs?!? I must have been watching a completely different game to them.

possibly only focussed on the tackle that led to the red and the melee.
chosing to ignore all the actual thuggery and late hits on players.

It was a lucky snatch & grab win. Brisbane were poor, and maybe fatigued/flat from their big emotional win at the Mariners a few days ago. The Nix had a few days more rest. The Roar team would have felt a bit strange without Valkanis yelling at them from the sidelines.

The biggest take away was the great spirit the Nix showed, esp when going down to 10 men. Chiefy has clearly not lost the dressing room. 

Also interesting to see him drop LKH to the bench. Purely tactical with Conchie going in midfield, or a statement saying he wasn't happy with LKH's game at AAMI Park?

Anyway reason to be optimistic that the team can push for finals, esp with some injury returns. But as others have said it could be up & down week to week, with no easy games.

The club badly need to sit down with Eze and try get a contract in front of him. Re-signing someone like him would be something to build on for next year. You lose him to one of the money clubs and the inevitable off season rebuild becomes that much harder.