Soccer: It's all about winning, then enjoying it

Wellington Phoenix assistant coach Jonathan Gould offers no platitudes about finals football before his team's soccer A-League elimination semifinal clash against Newcastle Jets tomorrow.

Newcastle coach Branko Culina has been vocal in pre-match build-up about his team's approach going into the game, but Gould has been more pragmatic.

"Culina said they're going to be free. He said 'I'll let them go out and enjoy themselves', but I don't read too much into that," said Gould, who with Luciano Trani is at the Phoenix helm until coach Ricki Herbert returns from All Whites duty in Mexico today.

"These games are about being mentally prepared and strong. To do that, you have to have good shape, possession and you have to be aware of what the opposition are going to do against you.

"Just go out and enjoy the game? It doesn't happen at this level, because enjoying the game is winning it."

Gould said the fractured lead-in was nothing new for the Phoenix.

"It's not ideal, that's the bottom line, but we've dealt with it before. We played against Melbourne early in the season when they were all travelling in from Bahrain and we coped, we went to Melbourne and drew 1-1," he said.

"If mentally the boys are prepared, I'm sure physically they'll drive themselves through, and there'll be 35,000 that'll help them along as well."

- NZPA