What a day! Brilliant. Hopefully lots of new converted Nix fans there among the throng of regular supporters. A big thankyou to the Nix owners to see that response.
He’s an 18 year old attacking midfielder, kind of in the Sarpreet Singh mould. He’s reasonably small, but always has been, so he knows well enough how to use his body. Very tidy dribbler with low centre of gravity, which is helped by his small size. He was probably the Phoenix reserves best outfield player in the past season, and was arguably better than Paulsen for them. He was a member of the NZ U17 team that went to the 2019 World Cup in Brazil, playing in two of their three matches, coming off the bench against Angola (1-2 loss) and starting against Canada (1-0 win). He’s from the North Shore, went to Westlake and played for Forrest Hill and North Shore, and first got scouted by the Phoenix when he made the Napier U19 Team of the Tournament in 2017 as a 15 year old.
Good game..needed a few more through balls second half especially for Sotirio. Piscopo was very good with ball at feet. Hemed looked better at a match than watching him on TV.. Good awareness of space. Ufuk is so passionate from sidelines. Fever Zone awesome. Ball is workhorse and as noted earlier in thread not the traditional #9 or what we might expect. With Davila absent he is taking more of a lead role.
He’s an 18 year old attacking midfielder, kind of in the Sarpreet Singh mould. He’s reasonably small, but always has been, so he knows well enough how to use his body. Very tidy dribbler with low centre of gravity, which is helped by his small size. He was probably the Phoenix reserves best outfield player in the past season, and was arguably better than Paulsen for them. He’s from the North Shore, went to Westlake and played for Forrest Hill and North Shore, and first got scouted by the Phoenix when he made the Napier U19 Team of the Tournament in 2017 as a 15 year old.
One of the best match day experiences I've had in a while (not that alot have happened recently) kudos to all the people who showed up. Also where can I watch the match back in full?
As much as it pained me not being there today, it was great watching in the pub in hanmer today with my colleagues. Most of whom weren’t nix fans, but got right into it and by the end of it well, 80mins, got involved like me. Unbelievably jealous of those in attendance, it was incredible on tv and the team more than stepped up. Really hope we’ve converted a few today, the team deserve it. Cow bells, seriously Davila? Wake up.
What a great day at the stadium! Boys played fantastic. The highlight for me was the Piscopo goal, the crowd exploded, what a fantastic player. After booing Dura during the game, we gave him a well deserved standing ovation after the game, he is an Phoenix icon after all.
Well the challenge has been sent to Auckland. Beat that!! Having said that, there's a hell of a lot of Wellington based fans making the trek up for the game. If Auckland could match the 24k, it would be brilliant. It was good to see the Stadium trust entered into the spirit of things by charging $35 for a Car park.
That's the negative, The positive is, The Crowd! Huge. Aisles 20,21,22,23,24,25,26 looked pretty much jam packed but also over in about Aisles 9-18 too looked fairly full. Everyone whom attended from wherever, you did yourselves and the club proud. Good noise and pretty good behaviour. As for the team, They showed up and did themselves proud. Some of the players whom haven't appeared here (Tomed for example) had to be impressed and lifted. Any of the players not yet committed to a new contract, should sign up asap. You know the possibilities. Perform and the crowd will be there. On a normal season with that type of performance, I'd like to think w'd drag in about 12k. I acknowledge it's a special game for this season and all the planets came into alignment. Sunny, no wind, over a year since the last one.
Great to catch up with some many old friends. Just before the kick off, you could sense something special and it delivered. So proud of everything about it. Domey must be happy along with the board.
Special mention to Ufuk Talay. Thanks for signing on for another 2 years. You obviously see something in the making and I also noted your comment about owing something back to the club that has given you the opportunity. You really are the best signing we have had for some time and it's great to see a few players also committing to the cause. We now have a serious base on which to build.
That was an unforgettable day - thanks heaps to the Nix owners, the players who responded brilliantly in front of the pressure of a record crowd, and to Ufuk Talay for keeping them all focused, and also re-signing.
Couldn't help thinking what it would be like for a Nix/Auckland A League derby - you wouldn't get a ticket.
Tonya, I am quite hopeful/wishful of Auckland applying for a 3rd time. This time they might make a real go of it and fans up there should actually start encouraging the idea and pushing for it.
Auckland V Wellington Derby games - Be damn good.
Because of Auckland's nautical theme on everything - The Auckland Dolphins!!
Think what excites my Talay's regime is that this is the type of game (big crowd, important game) were we wouldn't bottled it and lost under most of our previous managers.
Listening to the half time commentary I think they watched a different game to us.
Harry is about the only one who's worth listening to.
Even though I disagree with you it's been so long since we had a home game that I've actually missed your regular as clockwork pop at the NZ commentators!
They are terrible. Talk way too much. Really need a "no commentary" option.
Absolutely worth the travel up from Dunedin to scream abuse at Rudan. Havent felt that kind of adrenaline rush since I was able to scream abuse at Muscat.
Beautiful day and game, couldnt have asked for better. Chuffed.
Certainly a great return and reward for the faithful. Been driving back today and heard Devlin and others raving about the electric atmosphere. It was certainly great but I think we’ve been a bit blinkered because it’s been so long since we’ve had our team home. Certainly a 24,150 crowd gives a bigger lift than 7000, but I generally find there is a good vibe at all of our games for most of the game. A couple of standouts for me: Steven Taylor prevented 2 goals that I don’t think anyone of a lesser caliber would of done. He is an essential re-sign I believe. Payne looked very accomplished alongside him. Waine is very strong and his ability to hold up the ball and ward off the defender is valuable. Hemed, is class, he does so much off the ball, his little flicks and now his non-penalty scoring. I’d want to keep him too as the longer he’s with the team, the better we’ll be.
Davila leaving will be a blow and it would of been interesting to see what he would of done to that rabble last night.
One last thing, ran into Berisha last night as he and a team mate were talking a walk. Had a brief chat, and quite honestly.... a good bloke. Polite, humble.... I’ve always liked his onfield attitude and pleased that he seems to be a switch it on, switch it off kind of guy.
Berisha is one of those players who is an utter cod to have on the opposing team, but is such a wind-up merchant that if he was on your team as a supporter you love him for the same reason we hate him.
In Australia here on the ABC morning sports show 'Insiders', the game was reported as the feel good sports story of the weekend. That's saying something in a crowded winter Australian sporting landscape (NRL, AFL, netball & Super Rugby seasons all in full swing).
For sure very much a unique one off sporting event, but hopefully a few cliched learnings.
Hopefully with Talay in charge, Nix continue to be a side making the finals, or even pushing for the title. Hopefully they find a new goal scoring crowd talisman favourite, aka Ifill, Krishna, or Davilla. A guy that pulls folk through the gate. With the clubs now running the game, hopefully the respected Morrison can reduce the number of those horrible 7.35pm Sunday kick offs. Hopefully lots of family friendly 3.30-4.30pm starts instead. Hopefully league stays as a summer comp. If a mainly a summer comp, hopefully with those 2-4 months when A League/local football overlap - Capital Football can tweak the schedule for local clubs like yesterday. Must have helped the crowd size. Hopefully people turn up for those 2 games a season that are likely to be played at Eden Park. Even better hopefully one day an Auckland A League team rises from the ashes, creating 2 huge derby matches per season
All of that happens, the Nix may just reach the nirvana of average crowds in the 12K range per season, rather than 7-8K. Then all that talk of the club folding, relocating or taking games to places like Campbelltown, just goes away.
With Old coming through and the Waine train on the tracks, imagine if the Nix's new goal-scoring crowd talisman favourite was one of our own. The academy's been running for long enough now that these boys coming through have spent their teenage years and before in the system.
Certainly a great return and reward for the faithful. Been driving back today and heard Devlin and others raving about the electric atmosphere. It was certainly great but I think we’ve been a bit blinkered because it’s been so long since we’ve had our team home. Certainly a 24,150 crowd gives a bigger lift than 7000, but I generally find there is a good vibe at all of our games for most of the game. A couple of standouts for me: Steven Taylor prevented 2 goals that I don’t think anyone of a lesser caliber would of done. He is an essential re-sign I believe. Payne looked very accomplished alongside him. Waine is very strong and his ability to hold up the ball and ward off the defender is valuable. Hemed, is class, he does so much off the ball, his little flicks and now his non-penalty scoring. I’d want to keep him too as the longer he’s with the team, the better we’ll be.
Davila leaving will be a blow and it would of been interesting to see what he would of done to that rabble last night.
One last thing, ran into Berisha last night as he and a team mate were talking a walk. Had a brief chat, and quite honestly.... a good bloke. Polite, humble.... I’ve always liked his onfield attitude and pleased that he seems to be a switch it on, switch it off kind of guy.
Agree about Taylor. He was absolute class on about 3 occasions he was required to be.
Hemed's best game for us, if he could play like that more often would be worth keeping. Show us that again next few games please.
Totally, he showed what he can do with the ball and off it, perfectly placed for the cross = a really simple header which he nailed. I'd like to see him back next season, he fits Talay's game plan really well, in fact, I think the starting lineup for this game was next season's starting lineup. Piscopo and Ball played the creative wide 10 roles really well, Lewis and Devlin playing the deep playmaker roles brilliantly. the back four were solid as a rock creating chances out wide for Waine and Hemed to run onto. Get them all across the line for next season and build on that.
It helped that WU were pants on the day. It almost looked like they were part of the script for the gameday. Yes they had a couple of shots but they did not resemble the team from earlier this season. Subbing Berisha and Diamante off early was a telling sign.
Berisha is one of those players who is an utter cod to have on the opposing team, but is such a wind-up merchant that if he was on your team as a supporter you love him for the same reason we hate him.
Sometimes I wish Berisha would be as big a cod as Hemed, and run around with a Kosova flag on to outrage the local Serbs
A nice compilation of footage from what appears to be a sideline perspective:Kimberley Kan has done some great work in recent seasons with video promos for Capital Football in the National Women's League.
