Victory v Phoenix – Match Preview

This week the Nix head to Melbourne to take on the Victory at AAMI Park in what will be their second match on the trot in Australia following last week’s loss in Brisbane. The Roar were too good on the night and deservedly claimed the three points. Adding to the pain of the loss will be the fact that youngster Tyler Boyd was sent off following a red card and will therefore be unavailable to take the field this weekend along with Manny Muscat. The tough midfielder was cited by the match review panel after the game for his wayward elbows and will consequently sit out the next three matches.

Wellington’s record against the Victory doesn’t make for good reading. They’ve only managed two wins over the Victorians in their last 16 encounters and have never beaten the Victory in Melbourne. Both teams head into this weekend’s encounter on the back of New Year’s Day losses.

Why the Phoenix can win?

Even with their history in Melbourne, this is a game the Nix can get a result out of. Brisbane is a place where the Nix traditionally struggle yet they only went down by one last week in a match that could have easily gone their way if not for the mid game injuries and send offs.
A lot of Melbourne’s success revolves around Kiwi Marco Rojas, a former Phoenix player. Having come up through the Phoenix Academy and then playing in the top team before shifting to Melbourne, the Nix will be well aware of the damage Rojas can create. However being aware of what Rojas is capable of and stopping it from happening are two different things.
Injury sees the Victory without Gui Finkler who leads the league in goal assists. His absence will be a welcome sight for Ricki Herbert and his men.

Why they could lose?

While the Nix won’t be struggling for players like they do when the All Whites are on duty, they are heading into this match nowhere near full strength. Along with the unavailability of Tyler Boyd and Manny Muscat through suspension, Leo Bertos and Alex Smith are also in doubt after a couple of head knocks in Brisbane. When you add Paul Ifill to the unavailable players list, who is still out of action following surgery on his ankle, the Phoenix will be relying heavily on their reserve players to get the job done.
Melbourne are tied with Adelaide for most goals scored this season with 24 which means goal keeper Mark Paston could be in for a busy night at the back.

Prediction

The Phoenix find themselves in a mini slump having won only one of their previous five matches. With a number of the starting squad unavailable for this match the Nix will be relying on experienced players like Andrew Durante and Jeremy Brockie if they are to come away from Melbourne with any kind of result. In round 5 they went down 3-2 away to the Victory but with the Victorians missing Finkler this week, who is responsible for setting up a lot of their goals, the Nix could be capable of grabbing a sneaky draw on Saturday night at AAMI Park.

Victory 2-2 Phoenix

Cam Gordon (@Cambo.Gordon)

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