Just can't connect the crucial passes. Samba looked good, but was too eager to please and nervy, taking long shots so early, hopefully she can settle and move forward to get off a better attempt.
Yep. We are thereabouts. Should get better. Fair result. Samba will score
Despite her lacking a bit of composure in front of goal today, I reckon Samba will score and assist a lot for us this season.
She looks fast, strong and a bit of a handful for defences
Reminds me a lot of Eze weirdly enough. The goals will come for Samba, no doubt. Overall was a tough watch though. Hard to tell how much the wind was a factor from watching on TV but it looked an issue for both teams. Despite a tendency to hold on to the ball for too long on occasion, Whinham looked good, a lot stronger in the tackle both off and on the ball today. CJ might take a while to get used to playing as a DM but we know the quality is there. Esson a bit nervy, not sure if she's an upgrade on Vilao or Foster. The quality overall is there though, probably a matter of game time and figuring out the best 11.
Tough watch. Struggle to put 3 passes together of any sort of positivity or quality.. Jale for me offers very little, big body but apart from that there is nothing that excites me watching her the past few seasons. For all the hype around Esson, she's poor and it's been shown internationally and today. Technique is horrible for a keeper and there's potentially a goal every few weeks from this, hope I'm wrong. Whinham, for all the good things she does has no quality in her final delivery/pass and so many great opportunities go to waste. While people will use the excuses of first game, it's a side training together for a while. We've played far better football under "lesser" coaches and "lesser" talent than today
Can't possibly agree with that. Jale was outstanding when moved into the middle second half. Was the best player on the park by a country mile. Absolutely wasted out wide. Barry dived in needlessly for the goal conceded and her passing was very average. There were some encouraging signs but for all the hype we've seen a lot better performances in previous seasons.
First competitive game for them as a team and all I have read on here is whine, whine, fudgeing whine.
Yes, it was a sloppy gold to concede, yes, "we" had several chances that could or should've been put away. Sometimes, I think our fans expect perfection from each and everyone in the team, every game. Jesus weeps for you.
The wind was a killer for both sides. It was a sunny day and I reckon there was a crowd of about 4-5k there for this one. You could see what they were trying to do but I'm only guessing first game nerves in front of expectant fans.
The season is up and running for them and I hope that they do well.
Proud to have attended the first 175 Consecutive "Home" Wellington Phoenix "A League" Games !!
Hard to pic the line up not having seen any pre season games. Maybe something like this.
Esson Bott Walker Barry Leon Wall Middag Jale Fraser Nunn Bhandari
Res. MvdM, Elliot, Wynham, Main, Danieli
Not even room for Brazendale or Ingham. Tough.
Fraser not in the match day squad according to In’s & Outs
What the hell is going on with Fraser?
Was an interesting response from Bev when asked about her she was very non-committal about when she would be returning.
Quote from Jason Pine on Football Fever isn’t the most promising. Hope everything is okay.
“I just hope that she can find her way back into the team because there's just a bit of talk around about how she hasn't made a comfortable landing back in Wellington.
She hasn't been a full participant in preseason training. There have been instances where she hasn't been there. She wasn't even there the day before the game at the team's final training, which is always a very light run.
She wasn't even there. So, I mean, it would just be such a shame if we didn't get to see the Macey Fraser we know is in there.”
Also if I remember correctly wasn't there a time when she came back to NZ but was injured still listed for Utah Royals. But then a couple months later she returned to NZ (or rumours she did) but didn't appear on Utah Royals injury list anymore when I'm sure it was still during the NWSL season? coochiee
Sort of continues on from some of the comments her former Utah Royals coach made a few months back.
Maybe she needs a complete break from pro football for awhile.
Sort of continues on from some of the comments her former Utah Royals coach made a few months back.
Maybe she needs a complete break from pro football for awhile.
I think she's had a break from Pro Football, she's barely played for what seems like over a year, although last sighted in a Nix reserves game recently I think.
But i get what you're saying.
"You can never get a bloody tradesman at Easter, it's a wonder Jesus got crucified" - Karl Pilkington
Sort of continues on from some of the comments her former Utah Royals coach made a few months back.
Maybe she needs a complete break from pro football for awhile.
Has her demons and only seems to be able to perform under Temps as he coddled her through (much to the annoyance of the rest of the squad) Sad for her and also the players spot she’s taken this season.
Different players require different approaches to get the best out of them. On her day she's unplayable in this league - we should be doing what we can to get her back there.
Sort of continues on from some of the comments her former Utah Royals coach made a few months back.
Maybe she needs a complete break from pro football for awhile.
Has her demons and only seems to be able to perform under Temps as he coddled her through (much to the annoyance of the rest of the squad) Sad for her and also the players spot she’s taken this season.
There is always a lot of speculation on this forum about players demons, personal situations, etc. Leaves me bemused. A few steps in the shoes of a women's player living on minimum wage for 9mths, working another job to pay the rent, let alone any other family or health issues going on in their lives. Seems like no-one on here has ever had to ask for a bit of time off or sick leave from their jobs. Just like Wisnewski, Knott, Whinham, female footballers have shark going on that we have no idea about, and tbf it's none of our business. I'd rather they look after themselves than do drugs and alcohol and end up in the news like a lot of male sportsmen. Maybe we could learn a lesson from our female counterparts.
A few steps in the shoes of a women's player living on minimum wage for 9mths, working another job to pay the rent, let alone any other family or health issues going on in their lives. Seems like no-one on here has ever had to ask for a bit of time off or sick leave from their jobs. Just like Wisnewski, Knott, Whinham, female footballers have shark going on that we have no idea about, and tbf it's none of our business. I'd rather they look after themselves than do drugs and alcohol and end up in the news like a lot of male sportsmen.
Nicely put, and the article mentioned in this post backs up everything you’re saying.
I agree that players’ personal circumstances are none of our business, at least not unless they choose to share them. But at the same time they’re public figures and it’s natural for supporters to be concerned about their availability (or lack of) for the club. We just have to be careful about respecting their privacy, which is what I think Bev is doing with her deliberately guarded comments.
I think the post is supposed to be second highest attendance in Wellington. The first game of the 22/23 season (first ever game in NZ, or 'herstory' as it was known) got a crowd of 5123
