In Oskar Zawada, the Phoenix have one of the most prolific marksmen in the competition. Photo / Getty
In Oskar Zawada, the Phoenix have one of the most prolific marksmen in the competition. Photo / Getty
OPINION
The Wellington Phoenix will attempt to break a decade-long A-League finals duck when they meet Adelaide United in an elimination final on Friday night. Despite not winning a playoff match since 2011/12, and never having been victorious in a knockout game in Australia, things aren’t as bleak as theymay seem. Here’s why.
Prolong the swansong
Coach Ufuk Talay and key players Oli Sail, Clayton Lewis and Steven Ugarkovic will all leave when the season reaches its conclusion, while others are yet to have their futures confirmed. Sending departing teammates and a coach out on a high might seem like a romantic notion, but there’s no way any professional player wants their season — and their time at a club — to end in meek fashion.
A win on Friday night would lock in a two-legged semifinal against Melbourne City, meaning the Phoenix would play at home again this season. The thought of an entire week’s buildup and a high-profile fixture against the A-League’s glamour side at Sky Stadium next Sunday is a very attractive carrot.
Oskar the Great
In Oskar Zawada, the Phoenix have one of the most prolific marksmen in the competition. The towering front-man has scored 15 goals this season, a tally bettered just twice in the club’s 15-year history. In tight matches where goal-scoring chances can be few and far between, the prospect of Zawada at the point of Wellington’s arrow is a comforting thought. Can Oskar get Phoenix fans Pole-dancing yet again?
Form lines
Oskar Zawada of the Phoenix scores a goal against Macarthur. Photo / Getty
Despite an indifferent final month of the regular season, the Phoenix come into the finals off the back of victory over Macarthur FC last weekend. It’s a rare feeling; in their last five finals appearances, the Nix have lost their last regular season game. It might only be a small springboard, but it’s better than Adelaide’s buildup with the Reds not having won any of their last four matches.
Spin me a Yan
Brazilian attacker Yan Sasse has had an enigmatic debut season, producing rocks and diamonds in equal measure. Sasse’s attraction though is that he can do things most other footballers can’t, and his ability to produce a moment of magic might just be the difference-maker. The fact he’s playing for the chance to earn a contract extension will only serve as further motivation for the potential joker in Talay’s pack.
A clean slate
Finals football really is a different beast. Adelaide were threatening the top two all season and beat the Phoenix 5-1 a month ago, but that plays absolutely no part in this contest. When the pressure comes on and the stakes are this high, reputations and respective table positions cease to matter. This is an on-the-night proposition which really could go either way.
Adelaide’s talisman is Craig Goodwin, who was a star for the Socceroos at last year’s World Cup and the front-runner for the A-League’s Johnny Warren Medal as player of the season. They’ve also unearthed one of the most exciting young talents in many years with teenager Nestory Irankunda turning heads and prompting high-profile comparisons with his electric pace and finishing ability. If the Phoenix can limit Goodwin’s influence and quell Irankunda’s threat off the bench, they’ll go a long way to achieving the outcome they’re after.
