After successive away games, Wellington Phoenix return home to face bottom-of-the-table Adelaide United. Can the Reds kick-start their season or will the Phoenix rise in Wellington?
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MATCH DETAILS
Friday, 13 November 2015
Wellington Phoenix v Adelaide United
Westpac Stadium, Wellington
Kick-Off: 7:30 PM (Local) (5:30 PM (AEDT))
Referee: Ben Williams
Assistant Referee 1: Glen Lochrie
Assistant Referee 2: Simon Lount
Fourth Official: Matthew Cropper
TV Broadcast: Live coverage on FOX SPORTS 505 from 5.30pm (AEDT), and Sky Sport 4 (New Zealand)
Radio Broadcast: Online & via the ABC Radio Mobile App – A-league Live. Radio Sport (NZ)
Join the conversation on Twitter using the hash-tag #WELvADL
To purchase tickets visit www.aleague.com.au/tickets
Wellington Phoenix squad: 1.Glen MOSS (GK), 2.Manny MUSCAT, 3.Justin GULLEY, 4.Roly BONEVACIA, 5.Troy DANASKOS, 6.Dylan FOX, 7.Jeffrey SARPONG, 8.Alex RODRIGUEZ, 11.Kwabena APPIAH, 12.Blake Powell, 13.Albert RIERA, 18.Ben SIGMUND, 20.Lewis ITALIANO (GK), 21.Roy KRISHNA, 22.Andrew DURANTE (c), 23.Matthew RIDENTON, 28.Joel STEVENS
**One to be omitted**
Ins: 5.Troy DANASKOS (promoted), 6.Dylan FOX (promoted), 11.Kwabena APPIAH (promoted), 29.Joel STEVENS (promoted)
Outs: 10.Michael McGlinchey (international duty), 14.Alex RUFER (international duty), 16.Louis FENTON (international duty)
Unavailable: 17.Vince LIA (hamstring – 3-4 weeks), 19.Tom DOYLE (international duty)
Adelaide United squad: 2.Michael MARRONE, 4.Dylan McGOWAN, 5.Osama MALIK, 7.PABLO SANCHEZ, 8.ISAIAS, 9.Sergio CIRIO, 10.Marcelo CARRUSCA, 11.Bruce DJITE (c), 14.George MELLS, 15.Ben WARLAND, 16.Craig GOODWIN, 17.Mate DUGANDZIC, 18.Jimmy JEGGO, 20.John HALL (GK), 21.Tarek ELRICH, 23.Jordan ELSEY, 24.Bruce KAMAU, 30.John SOLARI (GK)
**Two to be omitted**
Ins: 15.Ben WARLAND (promoted), 23.Jordan ELSEY (promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 1.Eugene GALEKOVIC (knee – 1 week), 4.Iacopo LA ROCCA (foot – 2 weeks), 19.Eli BABALJ (foot – 3 weeks)
BLUFFER’S GUIDE
In front of what’s expected to be a bumper home crowd, the Phoenix will seek to break free from a mid-table logjam and jump (temporarily at least) into the top three.
While five squad members are absent through All Whites duty, a largely unchanged starting eleven will look to secure the Phoenix’s first win in three games.
Adelaide United have had their worst ever start to an A-League season, picking up just two points from their first five matches.
To make matters worse, trips across the ditch have been anything but fruitful for the Reds in recent times; they’ve won on just one of their last nine visits to New Zealand.
OPTA DATA
- There have been 75 goals scored in the 25 matches between these two sides at an average of exactly three goals per game.
- All of the winning goals in the last three A-League fixtures between these two clubs have come in the 77th minute or later, with two goals coming in injury time. Indeed, the winning goals in the last two encounters have been scored by a substitute.
- In eight of the last ten meetings between Wellington and Adelaide, both sides have scored.
- Isaias has had the most touches in the A-League so far this season (457), 40 more than Adelaide teammate, Osama Malik.
ROUTE TO GOAL
The Phoenix lose the creativity and eye for goal of Michael McGlinchey who misses this game through international duty, to be replaced by Blake Powell in a re-jigged front three.
There’s also uncertainty around the exact involvement of Roy Krishna who played for his native Fiji on Tuesday night before jetting home in time for this game.
If both Krishna and McGlinchey are missing, the pressure increases further on Jeffrey Sarpong who still needs to show home fans he has what it takes to be an effective A-League striker.
Aside from one half against Brisbane Roar, he hasn’t yet stamped his mark.
Adelaide United would appear – on the face of things – to be stacked with attacking talent, but the likes of Marcelo Carrusca, Sergio Cirio, Mate Dugandzic and the returning Bruce Djite have yet to fire in 2015/16.
In fact, Adelaide have scored just four goals this season (fewer than anyone else) and two of those were own-goals, while one was a penalty.
WHO’S BEEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT THIS WEEK?
Albert Riera will make his 50th A-League appearance in this game, becoming the 16th Phoenix player to reach the milestone.
FORM LINES
Wellington Phoenix: LWWLD
Adelaide United: DDLLL
PREDICTION
Wellington Phoenix 1 Adelaide United 0
