Phoenix In Wanderland
How do you motivate a team to perform when they’re sitting last on the table and have no chance of qualifying for the finals? In the case of the Phoenix, it shouldn’t be too difficult.
Being out of contention for the playoffs and with nothing to lose allows a team to play with a bit more freedom and try new things. This was evident in the match last weekend against the Heart in Dunedin. With a crowd of just over 3,000 showing up it didn’t do the southern city any favours in terms of the Nix ever playing there again however those that did attend the match arguably witnessed the best Phoenix performance of the season.
The score line of 1-0, courtesy of the golden boot contender Jeremy Brockie, does not indicate just how dominant the Phoenix were in the match. When Brockie hit the crossbar in just the second minute you got the sense that this was going to be a different Phoenix performance. And it was.
The Nix were passing the ball more confidently, keeping possession longer and attacking with more precision than they have all season. The way they were playing the score line could have easily been four or five goals to the Nix but I’m sure they will just be happy to get the win and hand Chris Greenacre his first victory as an A-League coach.
This week they face a much tougher assignment in taking on league leaders Western Sydney on their home turf. The Wanderers really have been the story of the A-League season, exceeding all expectation in their debut season by sitting atop of the league heading into the final few rounds.
The Nix have played the Wanderers twice already this season and have split the results at one win each, both games having been played in Wellington. The Nix players will be aware of just how tough it is to get a result at Parramatta Stadium especially when you take into account the Red and Black Bloc, the passionate and very vocal supporters group of the Wanderers. For any team to come away with a result from Parramatta requires them to be at their very best.
Based on their current positions on the table and their form over the duration of the season the Wanderers will be tipped to win this match with ease and rightly so. Especially given the form of the Nix in their most recent away fixtures.
However, if the Phoenix can replicate the way they played against the Heart in Dunedin last week, holding possession and creating scoring opportunities, then maybe, just maybe they can sneak some sort of result from an unsuspecting Wanderers side.
Wanderers 1 -1 Phoenix
Google+
