Phoenix Reflect on Central Coast Loss

Wellington Phoenix fans can rest assured that their team will be pulling out all the stops to get back on the winning trail when they take on Sydney FC at the Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday.

If the fans were disappointed by the 2-0 loss to Central Coast Mariners in Gosford last week the players were devastated, not just because they had been beaten but more so the manner of the loss.

The first thing I saw in the dressing room at Gosford was the hurt in their eyes. They knew they had let their supporters and themselves down.

It was the only game this season in which so many players were off key.

Once they had digested what had just happened the reaction was that they would make sure it didn’t happen again.

Since arriving back at the team’s base for the week in Bondi there has been time to reflect on where the team is at and why they were so disappointed.

This is a team with the thinnest squad in terms of numbers, handled by the smallest management team.

Given the off-field dramas of the close season they were picked by many pundits on both sides of the Tasman to finish bottom, and after six weeks were written off completely.

That they turned things around is a credit to the character within the group and there is a determination to finish as high as possible and to ensure finals football for the third successive year.

What performances on the field so far have done, along with the growing stability of the club off it, is encourage key players to re-sign and made Wellington attractive to those considering a move from other clubs.

Now they are determined not to waste what was gained by that four-game winning streak, including three on the trot away from home, by taking three points home from Sydney.

Vinnie Lia and the case of the missing shoes

Football teams are notoriously endowed with pranksters so Vince Lia’s first thought when he got back to the dressing room in Morwell after the Phoenix’ unlucky 1-0 loss to Melbourne Heart was that someone was taking the mickey.

Why else, he thought, would his brand new pair of Nike trainers be missing from on top of his bag, which was tucked away under his seat.

Alarm bells started ringing as time passed and none of his team mates had owned up to hiding his lovely new shoes.

Quizzing the security guard charged with keeping the Phoenix dressing room safe brought a response that no one had got past him.

Perhaps it was, as he first thought, a team mate having a laugh at his expense because after all Lia isn’t exactly blameless when it comes to pranks.

But then came the thought that pranks aren’t usually played on game day.

The trainers still hadn’t turned up when the team set off for Melbourne after dinner at their hotel and that was when Lia realised they really had been pinched.

Arriving back at Wellington Airport in his flip flops, an indignant Lia said he was disappointed such a thing could happen. Making it even worse was that the shoes should go missing in his native Victoria.

“This is the A-League, Australasia’s professional football competition and you shouldn’t have to worry about what you leave in the dressing room. It should be secure,” Lia said.

“Whoever took them must have really liked them because my phone and wallet were in my pocket hung up above where I’d left them and those items were still there.

“In that sense I was lucky because I can get another pair of trainers, it would have been a lot worse to lose the phone and wallet.”

Happy homecoming it definitely wasn’t for the popular midfielder.

No points and no trainers. It just wasn’t Vinnie’s day.

Dura Delivers On Time

Another member of the Phoenix family was delivered today when Phoenix captain Andrew 'Dura' Durante's wife Sarah gave birth to a baby girl.

It was always going to be a tough week - with the Phoenix struggling through injuries, and with Tim Brown suspended, Ricki Herbert had his fingers crossed that the Durantes' first child would arrive in time for his skipper to make the trip to Perth for Sunday’s game against the Glory.

After last week’s win over Newcastle Jets, when it appeared Nick Ward would also be suspended, Ricki joked with Dura that Sarah would have to have the baby in Perth if she hadn’t arrived!

At 5.42pm on Tuesday night everyone breathed a sigh of relief as Adalyn Rose entered the world weighing 3.04kg.

Proud father Andrew said the specialist had asked on Monday if they wanted to induce the baby so that he could be sure of making the Perth game. Such is the life of a professional sportsman these days that even giving birth has to be scheduled! Luckily that was not required.

“We said only if it was safe for the baby. After all it is just a football game,” Dura said.

“In the end the specialist decided against it but did an internal sweep which brings labour on naturally.

“Sarah had a rough night on Monday but we didn’t think she was in labour.

“We went to the hospital where it was confirmed she was in early labour so instead of dragging it out they broke her water at 1.30 and four hours later Adalyn Rose was born.

As with his football and always wanting to be near the action, Dura was did his part during the birth as well.

“It was a fantastic experience because I helped with the birth. I held her head as she was born. I didn’t think I could do it but Sarah encouraged me.”

With all the problems the Phoenix have had in recent weeks Dura said the last thing he expected was for everything to fall into the place with the birth.

“I really thought it would be another problem for us, but everything turned out right in the end,” he said.

And like all good new dads, Dura is making sure new mum is being looked after.

“Ricki is allowing me to go a day later than the rest of the lads so that Sarah’s parents can get here from Australia before I leave.”

Congratulations go to Sarah and Dura and another little kiwi football star is born!

New Month, New Faces

The first day of July brought two new faces to the Phoenix camp in the form of strength and conditioning coach Lee Taylor and physiotherapist Wayne Roberts.

While Roberts is a local, Taylor is an Englishman who has a solid background in football with his last job being at Notts County.

It didn’t take long for the lively Cockney to get the players working as he wanted, but they appeared to enjoy every minute – well almost.

At times laughter echoed round Newtown Park but they were all ears when LT, as he likes to be called, told them what he expected from them in the months ahead.

The fact that there is still slightly more than three months to the first Hyundai A-League game had him shaking his head – “six weeks is the most pre-season I’ve ever had” – but he made it plain he hadn’t come to New Zealand for a holiday. He said he had come to help the Wellington Phoenix win the league.

Such positive thinking would have been music to the ears of coach Ricki Herbert who had a satisfied look on his face watching the new fitness man go about his business.

Most of the players have looked surprisingly sharp in the first three weeks of training, with a slimmed down Paul Ifill running round like a teenager.

New signings Lucas Pantelis and Jimmy Downey have settled seamlessly into the squad, which is acknowledged as one of the closest in the A-League.

Indeed Pantelis has said the fact that the Phoenix players spent time together outside football – as was the case at Adelaide United where he spent six years – had played a part in him signing for the club.

A familiar face returned to training today with young striker Mirjan Pavlovic back in the fold after being away with the Australian Olyroos.

After appearing for the under-23 side in friendly games Pavlovic was ruled ineligible for the Asian zone Olympic qualifiers through having been born in Croatia.

“It was only when they saw my birth certificate before the qualifiers that they realised where I was born as I’ve been brought up in Australia,” Pavlovic said.

“They tried to get me qualified but there wasn’t time. It was a shame because I was really enjoying being part of the squad and playing in the games.”

Raroa Intermediate Pupils Quiz Phoenix Players

New signings Lucas Pantelis and Jimmy Downey, along with established striker Chris Greenacre, met their young fans by taking part in a mock media conference at Raroa Intermediate School today.

The trio spent an hour being questioned by members of a sports journalism class from years seven and eight with both sides enjoying themselves.

There were serious questions along with amusing moments, like when Chris Greenacre was asked how many times he peed before a game.

The question brought laughter, but Greenacre composed himself to explain his feelings while preparing for games without actually handing down a figure!

The budding journos showed they had prepared well by asking a wide range of questions which were answered candidly by the players.

While the 12 and 13-year-old students were keen to know which players Downey, Greenacre and Pantelis themselves admired, and which were the best grounds they had played on, they also questioned their guests on what the Phoenix had to do to improve on previous years.

Greenacre thoroughly enjoyed himself, describing the school visit as one of the best he had made.

“It was fantastic. When the first couple of questions came I almost believed I was at a real press conference.

“I reckon there are a couple of journalists in the making among them.”

Trying To Make An Impression

The first week of training for the Wellington Phoenix ended as it began – in sunshine and with no new injuries to report.

Leo Bertos and Tony Lochhead are still on the running track, but the good news is that Bertos is likely to be doing light work on the grass with physiotherapist Roland Jeffery within a week.

The weather has been kind this week with even the Aussie boys in the squad, who usually give me a hard time about Wellington’s climate, complimentary. Mind you they didn’t have much choice as they were regularly reminded just how wet it has been across the Tasman.

The two boys currently on trial – former North Queensland Fury’s Jack Hingert

and Nigerian teenager Saka --  continued to work hard as they tried to impress head coach Ricki Herbert.

Watching them Manny Muscat, who had one of the most amazing – and shortest – trials imaginable before joining the Phoenix, realises how fortunate he was.

Muscat’s arrival at the Phoenix was Roy of the Rovers stuff and even now, four years on, thinking back to that week brings a smile to the talented midfielders’ face.

While playing right full back for Green Gully in the Victorian State League, Muscat was invited to trial and met up with the Phoenix as they prepared for a pre-season cup semi-final against Sydney FC in Wollongong.

After one training session, and because incumbent left back Tony Lochhead was heading to England for a trial with Middlesbrough, Herbert threw Muscat in the deep end in that position.

To say Muscat did his chances no harm that night would be a massive understatement.

By halftime he had impressed Herbert enough for the coach to turn round and wink in the direction of then chief executive Tony Pignata, who had suggested Muscat to him as a possible recruit.

Goalkeeper Mark Paston, on the bench that night, was also impressed as his comment “for a right-footed player he hits a bloody good ball with his left” showed after one lovely pass down the flank.

The Phoenix were 0-2 down at halftime but came back with a top-class second half to win 3-2.

With triallists not allowed in the final the Phoenix had to make a quick decision if they wanted to play Muscat in that game against Melbourne Victory the following Wednesday. Herbert offered him a contract and has never for one moment regretted it.

Muscat is also delighted with the way things have turned out, developing into one of the best midfield players in the Hyundai A-League.

“That game in Wollongong was probably one of the best I’ve ever played if I’m honest,” Muscat told me yesterday.

“It was amazing the way everything happened and things fell into place. I got a great opportunity and grabbed it with both hands, but it could have been so different had I had to spend a few weeks on trial.

“After watching triallists come and go each pre-season I realise how lucky I was.

 “It is tough going into new surroundings where you don’t know anyone and trying to create an impression on those who matter.

“If you don’t have the confidence of those around you it can be really difficult.”

Hingert and Saka will testify to it being daunting but so far both players have done themselves no harm.

Fun In The Sun For Phoenix Players

The sun was shining, the grass was still wet with dew, and the chimps were making a din as they chased each other round their compound in the adjacent Wellington Zoo.

When coach Ricki Herbert threw his players a ball on the Newtown Park training pitch and let them loose they were as happy and carefree as those making all the noise above them.

To say they looked happy to be back on the training pitch after three months away would be an understatement.

In fact some – Andrew Durante, Vinnie Lia and Manny Muscat for instance – had been so impatient they had borrowed some balls for an impromptu kick around on their return to Wellington the previous week.

The hard work so necessary to prepare them for the rigours of an A League season will come under the watchful eyes of a sports scientist when July arrives, but for now that was the furthest things from their mind.

It was like the first day back at school after the summer holidays when the lads got together on Monday.

Some familiar faces were missing but there were a couple of new ones with former Adelaide United midfielder Lucas Pantelis and former Perth Glory, North Queensland Fury and Sparta Rotterdam fullback Jimmy Downey in for the first time.

Another former Fury player, Jack Hingett, along with Nigerian teenager Saka, was supposed to be in attendance as well having been invited to trial for the coming season.

As it happened the pair were victims of the Chilean volcano ashes and were still grounded in Australia when training kicked off.

Both made it for day two however and each made a promising start as they hoped to impress coach Herbert.

Saka certainly announced himself with a couple of hefty tackles on Lia and Muscat, but somebody obviously warned him about Tim Brown, because he steered clear of the combative All Whites captain.

Leo Bertos and Tony Lochhead would have loved to join their team-mates out on the pitch but were confined to the running track as they rehabilitate from injury.

Bertos should be back in the thick of things in a couple of weeks, but Lochhead is likely to be away from the action for a little longer.

There is still more than three months till the competition kicks off, and there will be plenty of hard work in that time, but for now the Phoenix players are having fun in the sun, doing what they love most – kicking a ball around.