Soccer: Muscat puts goal-hunt aside for midfield work

Manny Muscat is seeing more of the ball in his new role, but would also love to score a goal. Photo / Getty Images

WELLINGTON - Manny Muscat, born-again defensive midfielder, is keeping his goal-scoring ambitions in check as the Wellington Phoenix taper their training ahead of Sunday's A-League soccer elimination semifinal against Newcastle Jets in Wellington.

Muscat's move from right fullback to a holding midfielder late last year has paid off for the Phoenix, with eight wins out of their past 10 matches. Another win on Sunday, in front of a sell-out crowd at Westpac Stadium, will mean they are one match away from the A-League grand final.

Red-carded for three weeks following an elbow on Tommy Oar in the Phoenix's late November match 1-4 loss to Brisbane, a reinvented Muscat returned for the December 31 match against Central Coast, won 2-0 by the Phoenix.

The 25-year-old, who arrived at the Phoenix in August 2008 from Victorian premier side Green Gully as a short-term replacement for an injured Vince Lia, has quickly become an indispensable fixture for the Wellington-based team.

Muscat took to his reassignment so late in the season with ease, admitting after training yesterday that he'd come to prefer the challenges of midfield.

His ambitions of scoring a goal - unsurprisingly he has yet to find the back of the net for the Phoenix - still remain, especially after central defender Jon McKain has scored twice this season.

In the meantime, Muscat is concentrating on refining his midfield role, and building on slipping the passes that lead to the goals, as was the case when Chris Greenacre opened the Phoenix's account in the opening playoff defeat of Perth Glory. He saw more of the ball in his new role, with awareness of and communication with the players around him vital.

"And obviously, don't get caught with the ball, because if you do, you'll get punished. It's about breaking up the attacking play of the opposition." Muscat's tenacity in the tackle is legendary, and his philosophy is simple.

"The more times you win the ball, the more chances we get up front. It's more about dedication than about getting the ball, about working as a unit."

And when it comes to one-on-ones?

"Don't dive in, fullstop. Show them one way, limit their options of beating you. At the end of the day, if you cut down the options they've only got one way, and you know they're going that way, so you cut it out."

The Phoenix build-up for Sunday's semifinal has been less than ideal, with six players away on international duty.

Tim Brown, Tony Lochhead, Leo Bertos and Ben Sigmund are with the All Whites in California for a warmup match against Mexico, while Andrew Durante and McKain joined the Australian squad for their Asian Cup qualifier against Indonesia.

All will be back and available - barring injury - aside from McKain, who is suspended for a game following his sending off against Perth.

Muscat said their absence had added an extra edge to training.

"It's harder to build up numbers and do what you normally do. We can accommodate some points of the game but it's always difficult when the full squad's not here."

However, a full house on Sunday, and the chance of making it 18 home wins on end, should add extra zip to any jet-lagged legs, and Muscat said the atmosphere was better than a 12th player on the field.

- NZPA