Sasse out suspended for the Nix. Kuol and Triantis away with the Australia u20's for CCM. And cuz their match was postponed, this will likely be Brian Kaltak's A-League debut.
Hopefully Sutts will be back, not that Muragis (sorry about spelling) did badly, I think Sutts is just better at linking up going forward and will give us quite a bit extra.
Waineo has to be in the starting XI. He has been the best player in preseason and on Sunday. I liked seeing Zawada and especially Kraev out there, but to me Ben adds more value at present. Hoping for another sunny day on Sunday!
Uffie has said that he sees Payne as his starting RB, unless he's injured I dont se that changing. Hopefully Sutton is fit and ready to go, the kid his took his place on Sunday did well but Sutton is the next Libby and needs to be playing.
What exactly is the issue with Sutton? I totally missed the fact that he was unavailable until 5 minutes into the march when I realised Mauragis was playing instead of him. Really hope Sam is back ASAP. He is one of the best LB in the league. We really missed him out there in Sunday. By constantly attacking he prevents the opposition from coming down his side of the pitch and that's so important.
What exactly is the issue with Sutton? I totally missed the fact that he was unavailable until 5 minutes into the march when I realised Mauragis was playing instead of him. Really hope Sam is back ASAP. He is one of the best LB in the league. We really missed him out there in Sunday. By constantly attacking he prevents the opposition from coming down his side of the pitch and that's so important.
Uffy said in the interview after the game that he expects him to be starting next match as it was only a strain and they thought it was best to rest him for the first week.
What exactly is the issue with Sutton? I totally missed the fact that he was unavailable until 5 minutes into the march when I realised Mauragis was playing instead of him. Really hope Sam is back ASAP. He is one of the best LB in the league. We really missed him out there in Sunday. By constantly attacking he prevents the opposition from coming down his side of the pitch and that's so important.
Uffy said in the interview after the game that he expects him to be starting next match as it was only a strain and they thought it was best to rest him for the first week.
Sutton is class. Mauragis did nothing wrong, I could not see that he was adding anything special.
Keeping Cummings, Nkololo, Kuol and other forwards like Silvera, Tulio and Ayongo will be the big challenge. Nisbet is an excellent midfielder too but doesn’t have a heap of quality around him like in previous years.
Left back Farrell can dangerous and Hall and Kaltak are quality defenders.
I reckon if we can keep their attack quiet, we’ve got the quality to overrun their midfield and defence, but it certainly won’t be an easy task, especially without Ball and Sasse.
Keeping Cummings, Nkololo, Kuol and other forwards like Silvera, Tulio and Ayongo will be the big challenge. Nisbet is an excellent midfielder too but doesn’t have a heap of quality around him like in previous years.
Left back Farrell can dangerous and Hall and Kaltak are quality defenders.
I reckon if we can keep their attack quiet, we’ve got the quality to overrun their midfield and defence, but it certainly won’t be an easy task, especially without Ball and Sasse.
I think the other positive is that this will be CCMs first game of the season. Our niggly first game is out of the way and theirs isn't.
As I said in the first post, there is no Kuol for this game. He is away on international duty. Also Dan Hall was hurt last weekend, the kid who was named as his replacement is away as well.
As I said in the first post, there is no Kuol for this game. He is away on international duty. Also Dan Hall was hurt last weekend, the kid who was named as his replacement is away as well.
Oh true, that’ll make it easier for us then. Cummings, Nisbet, Farrell and Nkololo the ones to worry about then.
Kuol/Triantis are away with the Aussie u20's team, not sure why Cummings would be away as he isn't u20. He was listed on the bench for their postponed match.
Kuol/Triantis are away with the Aussie u20's team, not sure why Cummings would be away as he isn't u20. He was listed on the bench for their postponed match.
Although with a name like Cum-Dog I wouldn't blame anyone for assuming he was away with the u20's team. Peak A-League with a nickname like that
Wellington Phoenix: 3. Finn SURMAN, 4. Scott WOOTTON, 5. Steven UGARKOVIC, 6. Tim PAYNE, 7. Kosta BARBAROUSES, 8. Ben OLD, 9. Oskar ZAWADA, 11. Bozhidar KRAEV, 12. Lucas MAURAGIS, 13. Nicholas PENNINGTON, 17. Callan ELLIOT, 18. Ben WAINE, 19. Sam SUTTON, 20. Oli SAIL (gk), 21. Joshua LAWS, 23. Clayton LEWIS, 24. Oskar VAN HATTUM, 40. Alex PAULSEN (gk)
Out: 31. Yan SASSE (suspended)
Unavailable: 10. David BALL (injured), 14. Alex RUFER (injured), 31. Yan SASSE (suspended)
Central Coast: 2. Thomas AQUILINA, 3. Brian KALTAK, 4. Joshua NISBET, 6. Maximilien BALARD, 7. Samuel SILVERA, 9. Jason CUMMINGS, 11. Beni NKOLOLO, 13. Harrison STEELE, 15. Storm ROUX, 17. KELECHI, 18. Jacob FARRELL, 20. Daniel VUKOVIC (c), (gk), 21. Michael RUHS, 22. Cameron WINDUST, 24. Yaren SOZER (gk), 27. Sasha KUZEVSKI, 28. James BAYLISS, 29. Dor JOK, 90. Paul AYONGO, 98. MARCO TULIO
Ins: 27. Sasha KUZEVSKI (promoted), James BAYLISS (promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 10. Matheus MORESCHE (injured), 14. Garang KUOL (international duty), 23. Daniel HALL (suspended), 25. Nectarios TRIANTIS (international duty), 26. Bradley TAPP (injured)
With his professional club debut coming up at the mature age of 29, Brian Kaltak is used to waiting for his opportunity.
So when his first appearance for A-League side Central Coast Mariners was postponed last weekend due to a rainstorm, the Vanuatu men’s national team captain immediately looked at the positives – and a homecoming of sorts in New Zealand the following week.
“Everything happens for a reason you know,” Kaltak told OFC Media earlier this week.
“Maybe my debut was just meant to be against the Wellington Phoenix.”
Central Coast Mariners take on New Zealand’s only professional club this Sunday at Sky Stadium in Wellington, the city where Kaltak’s senior footballing journey began with Waterside Karori as an 18-year-old. The 20-cap international even spent time with the Phoenix in 2011 but, ultimately, did not sign with the club.
Sutton was a minor Hamstring strain. Back to normal. Ball can't be far off, trained with the first team om Thursday, not the injury team. Sasse will be fine. He couldn't believe the reception he got despite being sent off. In last night's game, there were two tackles worse than his, one got a red but the first didn't. How about some consistency? And the commentators were trying to make excuses for having the red rescinded. It was a pretty bad tackle.
Thats great to hear about all those guys! I was especially worried about Sasse since coming to a new country away from family and getting a red 20 minutes into your first game might really knock your confidence. Glad to hear he is positive. He has a lot of potential so the more we can keep him playing with the 1st team the better he will become