Hughes showing signs of Surman with his last minute blocks. Great many run earlier today too.
Also showing good signs in the air on attack.
After his bad luck last year, good to see things fall his way a little more this year. I think he has potential beyond the A League, so good to see the improvement.
Think Hughes is better with his feet than Finn. Finn a bit bigger. And Hughes has shown a nose for goal too. Always been a Hughes fan. Both great Phoenix players.
Admire that Hughes went through last season and is still going. Good temperament.
Huge win for the Nix. Frankly going into this I thought we would lose so this is a massive welcome. Admittedly the ref seemed rather soft on us compared to Sydney but hey I'm not complaining. Also Bill already looks good, hope he's able to get more minutes next week
edit: 2nd half was a nightmare though, we just made so many mistakes before scoring that second goal. Idk if we switched off but that had me stressed out
Second time we’ve done Auckland a favour. Brisbane could’ve gone top when we beat them and Sydney could’ve gone top today as well. I imagine some AFC fans were quietly supporting us
We win away, we win away We win in Brisbane we win in Brisbane Yes! We took the chance We win in Sydney, we win in Sydney Shirts off and did a dance We win away we win away x however many
We’re the Phoenix the mighty Phoenix We’re not the Kingz or Knights
Second time we’ve done Auckland a favour. Brisbane could’ve gone top when we beat them and Sydney could’ve gone top today as well. I imagine some AFC fans were quietly supporting us
As annoying as that is, we gotta focus on ourselves. Worry about them when we need to. We ain’t there yet and a win for us is infinitely more important
A good run of results and the squad is looking a lot better.
If chiefy can turn this season around and we do better than just scraping into the play-offs then he gets my vote for another year... that's still a big IF at this point...
You have to hand it to Chiefy. Hes doing well with his tactical choices. It makes a big big difference having experienced players coming back from injuries. He now can use the bench to control the game better. What a luxury bringing Mileusnic, Retre and Tuiloma off the pine. They must have 400 pro matches between them. This must be the only time those AFC a holes have celebrated a Nix win. Keeps them top of the table
A good run of results and the squad is looking a lot better.
If chiefy can turn this season around and we do better than just scraping into the play-offs then he gets my vote for another year... that's still a big IF at this point...
Mental 8 points between top and tenth on the table. And that dominant display by us was 8 v 2, and potentially top, due to a game in hand.
Edit: We’ve scored 11 in our last 5 and still have a -1 goal difference. Genuine salary cap season.
Don’t let me Eeyore it, but it’s only 8th with Jets and Melbourne C next.
We’ve shown we can compete. But we have to keep getting results.
Come on Phoenix!
But putting the Tigger perspective we are just 3 points from 3rd. Even more astonishing, reflecting how level/unpredictable this league is, if we had turned around that game with the 9-man Aucks, which we should have, then we would be on the same points as them! With Sander coming in, and injured players coming back, we are (potentially) right in the mix.
What an amazing Wellington Anniversary weekend. Our Wahinix battle for a late 2 goal win and our men tough out a win against the team with the best defensive record. Love this team!
Just watched back the highlights and two things struck me compared to our bad days in Melbourne etc.
Mandrejkar James takes one right in the head that might have been zinging in. And McCarron was respectable, but when he made the save that squirted out we had two players in Payne and James alert and first to the ball. That wasn’t happening before.
Compare that to our second goal. Rufer is incredibly composed and Sydney are locked on him and fail to mark up 3 players in their 6 yard box. And he finds one.
Still not sold on LKH as a WB. He’s not Armientoing or Payneing up the wing and scoring or putting it on Piper’s head. Makes me a bit nervous seeing him there. Might be a squaddie CB.
Edit: luck was the deflection for the first goal Al! We didn’t get that earlier in the season, but collected today and closed out too.
Rufer yet again showing the critics they know nothinganaveragestem
coochiee
Uffie post match prickly as always. But conceded was definitely a red card.
I actually agree with his assessment of the game. His young player made a poor decision which changed the game and likely caused them to lose.
We were probably lucky to go into the half break 1 up. We then went on to win with the man advantage.
I thought Chief set us up for the game brilliantly. But, it was the players on the park (their mentality) and a bit of luck that got us the win today.
I'd hate to be that young kid who got the red during the match review 🤣
I completely agree with all your points. Although, you cannot say that we weren't lucky today. There were two moments that changed the game late in the first half.
1. The deflection off the free kick causing a goal for us. That is like a 1/50 deflection.
2. Sydney defenders terrible tackle resulting in a red card. This was off the back of a series of heated challenges from both teams potentially causing a young player to overreact in the moment and make a silly challenge.
Up until those two instances the game was even. I also think Chief set us up so well today that you can equally credit him with the win as much as any of the players.
I think that we won that second point. We were more disciplined. And the ref got his crap together thankfully. I think if Eze gets more calls against Kikianis we win that game too. But we have to adapt to where the ref sets the line and be disciplined. And hopefully we get the calls, not an activist ref out to call every piece of grappling.
Compare that to Armiento’s red, which was unfortunate, but exuberant and a result of a bad touch and overpressing. That might happen if he’s playing on the front foot all the time. I don’t want him to tackle dangerously, but pushing all the time it might in a split second decision.
I watched both NZ teams games, and for my money our game was better to watch than the game that Mel City and A-FC played on Friday night. That was tiring to watch, resembling a boxing match of 12 rounds. Our game had football in it.
Some could argue that we got "lucky" tonight. Maybe, but at best Sydney might have equalised if we were unlucky. But we were not, and the capricious Lady Luck did not abandon us and did not give us her usual sadistic smile, this time.
Also, Eze substitution was not as much a "defensive" move as a statement from Chiefy that Eze was selfish, unfocused and wanton today, and his early sub was a sign that he needs to remember he is part of the team, and not a star to make a name for himself. He stuffed up at least one if not two clear opportunities by not passing to a free man (much like Piper, but I cut Piper more slack than Eze). Hughes, James = legends, both. McCarron = earned his right to start the next game, and the next game, and the next game. Nagasawa = give the man a new contract. He was a complete team player and did everything right tonight. That was his third game in a row where was one of the best players on the park. Final comment, Sydney were unable to do what they do best without Joe Lolley. Love him or hate him, Syd FC are a shadow without him.
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days