Stuff
There was one thing missing from Oskar Zawada’s CV when he was unveiled as Wellington Phoenix’s new number nine – goals.
Wellington Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay has taken aim at the match officials following his team’s momentum-stalling 2-2 draw with Perth Glory in Palmerston North on Saturday.
Wellington Phoenix coach Natalie Lawrence was left “super frustrated” after her side were denied a last-gasp winner against Brisbane Roar by a late offside call.
A mounting card count has put Wellington Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay at risk of a suspension.
Teen Wellington Phoenix goal-scorer Milly Clegg could be a potential star in the making, but coach Natalie Lawrence has urged patience with her youngest squad member.
Wellington Phoenix’s A-League Women clash with Brisbane Roar is up in the air after the team’s flight to Australia was cancelled on Friday.
SENZ
Nat Lawrence, Josh Laws and Danny Milosevic
Wellington Phoenix will be without key midfielder Clayton Lewis for at least the next eight weeks, after scans revealed the All White has suffered a broken knee cap.
Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Oli Sail plays with his heart on his sleeve but hopes he is not gaining a reputation as a hot head after sparking another post-match melee following their win over Central Coast Mariners last weekend.
With the match-worn shirt of United States star Rose Lavelle in her possession, Grace Wisnewski was told to use the memento as a reminder that she can foot it with the best.
Gordon Watson on Auckland City FC ahead of FIFA Club World Cup
Niche Cache
It all happened so quickly.
Abby Erceg has penned an emotional letter to North Carolina Courage fans, saying she is “shocked and disappointed” after being traded from the National Women’s Soccer League club she won two championships with as captain.
Wellington Phoenix coach Natalie Lawrence has urged Football Ferns coach Jitka Klimková to pick uncapped fullback Michaela Foster for next month’s matches against Argentina and Portugal.
It’s interesting that after the first Footy Ferns game against the USA both Jitka Klimková and Ali Riley seemed to make a deliberate point, as if it had been weighing on their minds, of defending the fact that this series even happened at all.
Alex Rufer has waited a long time to score a goal for Wellington Phoenix. 3269 days to be exact.
Where did that come from?
The Football Ferns will have a mini World Cup next month, as they play three matches in the space of six days against Portugal and Argentina in Hamilton and Auckland.
Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Oli Sail was left with a ripped shirt and players and staff from both teams had to be separated after a heated clash at the end of the Phoenix’s 2-1 win at home to Central Coast Mariners on Sunday.
Wellington Phoenix captain Alex Rufer ended a 10-year wait for his first A-League Men goal to solidify his team’s place in the top four.
Capital punishment.
Wellington Phoenix striker Oskar Zawada has scored match-winning goals in back-to-back games, but he will not be satisfied until he cracks double digits.
When the Football Ferns have played the same opponent twice in quick succession under Jitka Klimková, they have tended to do better the second time.
Keep Up
When things aren’t going well at a football club, the coach usually pays the price as nervous or impatient owners desperately seek a response
You’d have been forgiven for turning the telly off fifteen minutes into the latest WahiNix fixture as Perth’s Susan Phonsongkham slotted home her penalty kick to make it 2-0 to the Glory bright and early.
One News
Yes, they had an extremely inexperienced team (more than half had fewer than ten caps).
The Football Ferns’ most creative player had a frustrating time in their 4-0 defeat to the world champion United States, spending most of the game chasing after opposition players instead of dribbling at them.
The United States are hoping New Zealand will adopt them as their second-favourite team during the Women’s World Cup after entertaining a record crowd in their first warm-up game in Wellington.
The Spinoff
Some of the biggest stars in football will be in New Zealand come July. This week’s Football Ferns friendlies against the world champion USA are just a hint of what we can expect.
Promotion to the Champo is the overwhelming priority at this stage so even though a berth in the semis of the lower league cup, the EFL Trophy, was on the line away to Bristol Rovers they still had to be careful about it.
They may have lost 4-0 but there was enthusiasm as Football Ferns coach Jitka Klimkova and winger Olivia Chance arrived to their seats for the post-match press-conference.
Newshub
United States have given Kiwi football fans a sneak preview of their World Cup pedigree, dismissing a depleted Football Ferns side 4-0 in front of a record crowd at Wellington.
NZ Herald
Football Ferns coach Jitka Klimkova has talked a lot about lessons this week, and there was plenty to learn in Wellington on Wednesday.
All Whites striker Chris Wood is reportedly on the brink of a loan move from Newcastle United to English Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest.
Football Ferns coach Jitka Klimková has hit back at critics who questioned the merits of playing the United States outside a Fifa window after New Zealand held the four-time world champions scoreless for 51 minutes before losing 4-0.