Soccer: The Phoenix playoff situation - explained

The Phoenix kick off their final round-robin game of the season against the Central Coast Mariners on Sunday. Photo / Getty Images.

The Wellington Phoenix kick off their final round-robin game of the season against the Central Coast Mariners at Westpac Stadium at 4pm on Sunday. The calculations for where they could finish on the A-League ladder are extensive. APNZ sports writer Daniel Richardson breaks down the situation.

- The facts: Heading in to the final week of the regular the season, the Phoenix can finish either third or fourth on the ladder.

They currently sit fourth, behind the Perth Glory on total goals scored in the season - 36 to 33 - because they have the same goal difference of plus three. The Brisbane Roar and Central Coast Mariners are confirmed as the top two, and their results this weekend will determine who finishes on top.

- Why is finishing third so important? Home advantage. The team that finishes third gets two home games in the playoffs - providing they win in week one - and it's more than well documented how tough the Phoenix are to play at their Westpac Stadium fortress.

- How can they finish third? Here is where it gets tricky; there are three ways:

1. Perth host the Melbourne Victory on Saturday night and if Melbourne were to win, then the Phoenix would need only to draw with the Mariners on Sunday to leapfrog the Glory.

2. If Perth were to draw with Melbourne then the Phoenix would have to either produce an outrageously high-scoring draw against the Mariners to make their goal-scoring tally higher than Perth's or beat Central Coast.

3. If Perth beat Melbourne, then the Phoenix would have to beat the Mariners by a higher margin than Perth won their game so Wellington could boast a better goal difference.

- Who will the Phoenix meet in the first round of the playoffs next week on Friday? Either the Melbourne Heart, Sydney FC or Newcastle depending on a range of other results during this weekend.

- Confused? Don't worry, I am too, but the guts of it is the Phoenix will go into their clash with the Mariners knowing exactly what they have to do to claim third place because Perth play on Saturday.

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