Wellington awaits as our boys in blue look to lock in a place in the Grand Final.
Match Details
Wellington Phoenix
Date: Sat 18 May
Time: 4:30pm (AEST)
Location: Sky Stadium, Wellington
Tickets: http://mvf.club/sflegtwo
Broadcast: Paramount+
The scores are level heading into the second leg of the Isuzu UTE A-League Semi-Finals, as our boys in blue look to book their trip to the Grand Final for the seventh time in the Club’s history.
The only thing standing in our way? A trip across the Tasman to a sold-out Sky Stadium.
Wellington Phoenix will be looking to make their first-ever appearance in a Grand Final, having missed out on two previous occasions.
It’s going to be a big task for our boys in blue, with the Nix having only lost one match in New Zealand for the entire season and are currently unbeaten in nine matches in the Ring of Fire.
From Tony
On squad rotations…
“We’ve still got a couple of training sessions to do before the match and we’ve got some good options available. The players that started the last match did a good job and the players that came on made an impact. So, you know, everyone’s raring to go and raring to contribute to an important game and we want to get to the grand final.”
On learning from Leg One…
“I think it was a good match. We played a very good game of football.”
“Everything is still to play for in the second game and we understand the complexity of this match in terms of travelling, it would be a wonderful crowd. But, you know, it’s a Semi-Final, second leg, it’s what you expect. It’s what you want as a footballer. So our players are all excited by the opportunity and we’re really looking forward to it.”
On playing the Nix in Wellington…
“They have obviously taken advantage of playing in Wellington. I think they’ve only lost one game at home this year, we’ve got to make that two. And so that’s the challenge we have.”
“Look, the crowd gets behind them, they’re a very aggressive team. Very good intensity. I think defensively not much changes, but they’re very effective and efficient in the front third at home. We’ve had some really good battles with them, and I’m sure this will be no different.”
“You can see with them, they’re very aggressive in the challenges and all the duels that they contest. And we match them in that department and we’ll have to do that again. That’s just a part of the game you have to do well in, which then allows your creative players to get some more time on the ball.”
On breaking through Wellington’s defence when they get numbers behind the ball…
“We’re confident we will.”
“That’s what they do and they do it really well. We understand that and we don’t fear that part of the game. If they have many numbers in the box, so be it. We just have to be calm and patient and you know in the Semi-Final you don’t expect to get 10 moments that you open up the team. But I’m confident that we’ll we’ll get the opportunities.”
“If they give us shots from the edge of the box, I want the players to take them again. You know, we had some good opportunities on the edge of the box that went straight to the keeper so we can debate whether they’re good opportunities or whether they’re (Wellington) happy with those shots from there.”
“But if we get those opportunities again, I’m confident that we can find the corners a little bit better and make their keeper really work.”
Last Time
The Stats
Squad
2.Jason GERIA, 3.Adama TRAORE, 5.Damien DA SILVA, 6.Leigh BROXHAM, 7.Chris IKONOMIDIS, 10.Bruno FORNAROLI, 11.Ben FOLAMI, 14.Connor CHAPMAN, 16.Stefan NIGRO, 17.Nishan VELUPILLAY, 19.Daniel ARZANI, 20.Paul IZZO, 21.Roderick MIRANDA, 22.Jake BRIMMER, 23.Salim KHELIFI, 25.Ryan TEAGUE, 27.Jordi VALADON, 28.Roly BONEVACIA, 37.Kasey BOS, 40.Christian SICILIANO
In’: 6.Leigh BROXHAM, 16.Stefan NIGRO
Out:
Unavailable: 8.Zinedine MACHACH
