WPM R19 vs Melbourne Victory | Fri 14th Feb | 9:35pm | Sky Sports 2

I have zero hope of getting anything from this match.

With the Victory coming off a shocking effort vs the Jets & our record at Amy Parks, this might be a Valentine's Day massacre.

Banning booze. What a dumb idea

Forecast is for a high of 37 on Thursday breaking to a more reasonable 24 on game day. I hope that predicted southerly change comes through, otherwise even with a 7:35 kickoff it’s going to be brutal.

I expect nothing from this game, especially since they found a way to lose their last game... they are due an upswing.

When’s Rufer back? What’s wrong with him?

Glandular fever. Back in full training apparently but it's one you don't want to rush.

Have a sense that all the club is realistically hoping for is beating AFC in the derby. Am sure Rufer will be back for that one 

If the big underdog Nix can go up to Auckland and beat the ladder leaders, in the debut game for their new visa signing (he may not even start), then anything becomes possible re the playoff chase.

With Rufer it will be a tricky one, as to when he plays again. Sounds like he played a few games when he first got Glandular, and that with hindsight not so wise. Returns too soon, and he could relapse back into being sick again.

He's on the plane to Melbourne and sounds like he'll come on from the bench

AucklandPhoenix

Have a sense that all the club is realistically hoping for is beating AFC in the derby. Am sure Rufer will be back for that one 

I think targeting a derby win is not such a bad thing, for one us fans would love to see it - but also it could be the confidence boost the squad needs to try make a late run for the top 6

I hope they dont come in with that mind set, need to get points off Victory here (they are not a great side despite their ladder position) & if we have beaten them in United round we can win again despite the venue... cant have our whole personality & club revolve just around Auckland...

AucklandPhoenix

Have a sense that all the club is realistically hoping for is beating AFC in the derby. Am sure Rufer will be back for that one 

Nixieboys222

I hope they dont come in with that mind set, need to get points off Victory here (they are not a great side despite their ladder position) & if we have beaten them in United round we can win again despite the venue... cant have our whole personality & club revolve just around Auckland...

AucklandPhoenix

Have a sense that all the club is realistically hoping for is beating AFC in the derby. Am sure Rufer will be back for that one 

Absolutely their mindset should be to try and get points there, but reality is we won't, and a derby win is imperative to the fans' and players' wellbeing.

if they come in with the mindset of they wont pick up points here they might as well pack their bags and return home.. The jets beat them 3-0 last week. I fear if we lose this week, and next week is a poor result, it will break the whole team and fan base.. A win in AAMI park for first time in 8 years will do a huge amount of confidence, more then any derby would i think

WanderingSheep

Nixieboys222

I hope they dont come in with that mind set, need to get points off Victory here (they are not a great side despite their ladder position) & if we have beaten them in United round we can win again despite the venue... cant have our whole personality & club revolve just around Auckland...

AucklandPhoenix

Have a sense that all the club is realistically hoping for is beating AFC in the derby. Am sure Rufer will be back for that one 

Absolutely their mindset should be to try and get points there, but reality is we won't, and a derby win is imperative to the fans' and players' wellbeing.

wilbaker

He's on the plane to Melbourne and sounds like he'll come on from the bench

Who, Rufer?

Nixieboys222

if they come in with the mindset of they wont pick up points here they might as well pack their bags and return home.. The jets beat them 3-0 last week. I fear if we lose this week, and next week is a poor result, it will break the whole team and fan base.. A win in AAMI park for first time in 8 years will do a huge amount of confidence, more then any derby would i think

WanderingSheep

Nixieboys222

I hope they dont come in with that mind set, need to get points off Victory here (they are not a great side despite their ladder position) & if we have beaten them in United round we can win again despite the venue... cant have our whole personality & club revolve just around Auckland...

AucklandPhoenix

Have a sense that all the club is realistically hoping for is beating AFC in the derby. Am sure Rufer will be back for that one 

Absolutely their mindset should be to try and get points there, but reality is we won't, and a derby win is imperative to the fans' and players' wellbeing.

No doubting a win at AAMI would send confidence sky high. I think if we can get a performance and with the boost of Chico and Rufer being available for the derby, hopefully that'll be a game changer. Personally, i'm expecting nothing against a hurting victory side, anything more than a loss will be a massive bonus.

Note VUC have young defender Joshua Inserra away with Australia U20's at their Asian Cup event.

Pity not playing Adelaide this weekend, as they have 4 players in the Aus U20s.

https://www.socceroos.com.au/news/subway-young-socceroos-squad-named-afc-u20-asian-cup-china-2025tm

This season I learned not to make any rash predictions.  But if anything, I agree we have a better (if still small) chance of upsetting the hosts this week than the hosts next week.

A week of good news. What's happening!!

https://aleagues.com.au/news/team-news-ins-outs-round-19-aleague-men-latest-news/
Wellington Phoenix have received a major boost with the inclusion of captain Alex Rufer, who is expected to travel with the squad to Melbourne ahead of Friday night’s meeting with Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park.

The central midfielder has been absent since December with glandular fever but Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano has confirmed the New Zealand international is set to play some part in tomorrow night’s fixture.

“He’ll be in the ins,” Italiano said. “He’s progressed nicely, and the intention is that he travels.

“He’ll have some sort of part in tomorrow’s game. If he’s going to travel, he’s going to be part of the game.

GSR has a quad injury and apparently will remain out for awhile. Shame, this season has been a bit of a non event for him, when if he'd been fit he would likely have got some mins with the other kids.


Melbourne Victory squad: 
1. Mitch LANGERAK, 3. Adama TRAORE, 4. Lachlan JACKSON, 5. Brendan HAMILL, 6. Ryan TEAGUE, 7. Daniel ARZANI, 8. Zinedine MACHACH, 9. Nikolaos VERGOS, 10. Bruno FORNAROLI, 11. Clerismario SANTOS RODRIGUES, 14. Jordi VALADON, 17. Nishan VELUPILLAY, 18. Fabian MONGE, 19. Jing REEC, 21. Roderick MIRANDA, 22. Joshua RAWLINS, 25. Jack DUNCAN, 26. Luka KOLIC, 27. Reno PISCOPO, 28. Kasey BOS

(Two to be omitted)
Ins: 4. Lachlan JACKSON (promoted), 28. Kasey BOS (promoted)
Outs: 34. Kayne RAZMOVSKI (omitted)
Unavailable: 16. Joshua INSERRA (international duty)

Wellington Phoenix squad:
 1. Josh OLUWAYEMI (gk), 3. Corban PIPER, 4. Scott WOOTTON, 5. Fin ROA CONCHIE, 6. Tim PAYNE, 7. Kosta BARBAROUSES, 8. Paulo RETRE, 9. Hideki ISHIGE, 14. Alex RUFER (c), 15. Isaac HUGHES, 18. Lukas KELLY-HEALD, 19. Sam SUTTON, 23. Luke SUPYK, 25. Kazuki NAGASAWA, 27. Matt SHERIDAN, 29. Luke BROOKE-SMITH, 30. Alby KELLY-HEALD (gk), 36. Xuan LOKE, 39. Jayden SMITH, 41. Nathan WALKER

(Two to be omitted)
Ins: 14. Alex RUFER, 29. Luke BROOKE-SMITH, 36. Xuan LOKE
Outs: 46. Lachlan CANDY
Unavailable: 11. Stefan COLAKOVSKI (injured), 17. Gabriel SLOANE-RODRIGUES (injured), 21. Marco ROJAS (injured).

🔥🔥Fire Up🔥🔥

COYN!

Prove us all wrong and get the 3pts!

Great to see LBS back in too

With Rufer we have a chance 

Nix at $6

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360580259/wellington-phoenix-v-melbourne-victory-league-men-all-you-need-know

Watching my first game from Dunedin! Will be watching at The Bog if anyone wants to join me. (dm if there's another bar I should watch from, I'm new around here)

Will Rufer start, or sub on later? I wonder.

You'd think after the length of his absence he'd be coming off the bench.

Noah4thenix

Watching my first game from Dunedin! Will be watching at The Bog if anyone wants to join me. (dm if there's another bar I should watch from, I'm new around here)

The Bog, now that brings back some memories from my scarfie days - enjoy!

On second thought I'll just watch at home since the Highlanders are playing at the same time, and there's not a chance I'm getting them to turn any of the TVs onto the game.

DAMN YOU RUGBY!

We all know it's going to be a back 3/5. So pretty easy run on team to pick I'd say. From Roar game out goes L-KH and in comes Payne. Sheridan across to RCB.

AKH, Hughes, Wootton, Sheridan, Sutton, Payne, Piper, Retre, Nagasawa, Ishige and Barba

Rufer, Conchie, Walker, LK-H & LBS to come off the pine.

Noah4thenix

On second thought I'll just watch at home since the Highlanders are playing at the same time, and there's not a chance I'm getting them to turn any of the TVs onto the game.

DAMN YOU RUGBY!

That brings back memories of my pub Nix watching days! 

I remember setting my alarm to go into town in Auckland to watch Wales v NZ, when Smeltz arrived and so on. It was 1:45am or something and I dragged myself out of bed just, ran down to the cab rank. First pub I went into was fairly deserted. Think it’s gone now. Maybe Rose and Crown? They had France v South African rugby iirc, and it was a France C team basically cos no wanted to go on the end of season tour. And they wouldn’t change it for me. 

Ended up at The Fox, who as they did for the Nix for many years, put it in their back room with the pool table. Me and this one Geordie guy who was playing pool, talking to his mates in the main room and came over once to let me know he was supporting us because he fkn hated Bellamy. 

But yeh, you built up a knowledge of the pubs with multiple sky feeds and avoiding the UFC days, because those were always packed out! 

And fortunately being Auckland and the Viaduct it was never a crime just to be watching football, lots of tourists around and the like.

Good luck with finding a football space! 

Which makes me wonder if the other main group apart from Doloras who were regulars on game day have become AFC supporters, think Turfmoore’s son and his mates? Or are they still with us? 

Firing up! 🔥

Noah4thenix

On second thought I'll just watch at home since the Highlanders are playing at the same time, and there's not a chance I'm getting them to turn any of the TVs onto the game.

DAMN YOU RUGBY!

That's pretty much the Dunedin experience trying to watch football. I think I've seen the Craic playing premier league games before but you'll never beat out any rugby if it's the same day 

coochiee

Nix at $6

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360580259/wellington-phoenix-v-melbourne-victory-league-men-all-you-need-know

$7.25 now

Just

Noah4thenix

On second thought I'll just watch at home since the Highlanders are playing at the same time, and there's not a chance I'm getting them to turn any of the TVs onto the game.

DAMN YOU RUGBY!

That's pretty much the Dunedin experience trying to watch football. I think I've seen the Craic playing premier league games before but you'll never beat out any rugby if it's the same day 

I asked the guy at the counter around mid-day if they played any phoenix games and he looked at me like I was speaking another language. 

Good turn out of yellow shirts at Pink Lemonade, nice to see a few of the Fever regulars here.

COYN!

Nagasawa to the pine & LK-H keeps his spot. Surprising.
Supyk & Loke drop out.

Your XI for #MVCvWEL

🟡 Payne returns to the starting team
🟡 Rufer is back in the playing squad
🟡 Luke Brooke-Smith comes back to the bench from injury#COYN! pic.twitter.com/SUonfkINr2

— Wellington Phoenix 🔥 (@WgtnPhoenixFC) February 14, 2025

coochiee

Nagasawa to the pine & LK-H keeps his spot. Surprising.
Supyk & Loke drop out.

Your XI for #MVCvWEL

🟡 Payne returns to the starting team
🟡 Rufer is back in the playing squad
🟡 Luke Brooke-Smith comes back to the bench from injury#COYN! pic.twitter.com/SUonfkINr2

— Wellington Phoenix 🔥 (@WgtnPhoenixFC) February 14, 2025

What is that lineup 7 defenders…

wilbaker

coochiee

Nagasawa to the pine & LK-H keeps his spot. Surprising.
Supyk & Loke drop out.

Your XI for #MVCvWEL

🟡 Payne returns to the starting team
🟡 Rufer is back in the playing squad
🟡 Luke Brooke-Smith comes back to the bench from injury#COYN! pic.twitter.com/SUonfkINr2

— Wellington Phoenix 🔥 (@WgtnPhoenixFC) February 14, 2025

What is that lineup 7 defenders…

Don't worry, there's another one on the bench!

LK-H or Sutton will be playing forward. 
Has LK-H caused VUC problems before with his height, or have I made that up?

it's unlikely to be pretty football. 

coochiee

LK-H or Sutton will be playing forward. 
Has LK-H caused VUC problems before with his height, or have I made that up?

it's unlikely to be a pretty watch. 

 
I’m thinking it’s a 5-2-3 with Sutton in the middle with Piper at RW?