We wind the clock back and revisit three memorable clashes against Wellington Phoenix ahead of the weekend’s season-opening visit to Sky Stadium.
Let’s kick it off with the Reds’ largest win against their Kiwi opponents, a 6-1 demolition at Hindmarsh.
Adelaide United vs Wellington Phoenix
Saturday, 5 December 2008
A-League 2008/09 Season – Round 3
Adelaide United FC 6 (Ognenovski 21’, Cristiano 43’ 74’, Cássio 57’ 70’, Dodd 90’)
Wellington Phoenix 1 (Fred 56’)
Venue: Coopers Stadium
Crowd: 9,442
Formidable centre-half Saša Ognenovski could not stop scoring in the middle of the 2008/09 season, and he found the back of the net for the third consecutive game with the first goal in this classic encounter.
It was surely a header, right? Wrong. Ognenovski fired home a low volley from a rebounded corner to extend his growing goal-scoring reputation.
But it was fan-favourite Cássio and his Brazilian counterpart Cristiano who put the game to bed after Wellington hit back to make it 2-1 in the 55th minute.
Cássio cannoned a near-identical brace from the left in quick succession, before a similarly taken third effort ricocheted to Cristiano for a tap-in and his second for the match. Captain Travis Dodd sealed the victory with a deflected finish and relieved celebration after a tireless shift. United would finish second after the regular season and runners-up for the Championship.
Adelaide United vs Wellington Phoenix
Friday, 22 October 2010
A-League 2010/11 Season – Round 11
Adelaide United 3 (van Dijk 71’, Flores 72’, Dodd 77’)
Wellington Phoenix 0
Venue: Coopers Stadium
Crowd: 11,206
United were unbeaten in the first ten heading into this 2010/11 clash against the Phoenix at Coopers Stadium.
It took all of 70 minutes for the home side to finally gain advantage through a Sergio van Dijk header after countless chances in front of the Phoenix goal.
Silky Argentine Marcos Flores doubled it a minute later with a cheeky chip over defiant goalkeeper Mark Paston, courtesy of a squared ball from substitute Travis Dodd.
Dodd then smashed home the third from a right diagonal to cap the six-minute blitz and send the previously frustrated Reds faithful into raptures.
At the time the 3-0 victory marked the longest winning streak in A-League history, totalling 13 games stretching back to the season before. In the same year United claimed the (still) biggest win in A-League history – an 8-1 rout of the long-defunct North Queensland Fury.
Wellington Phoenix vs Adelaide United
Sunday, 5 March 2016
A-League 2016/17 Season – Round 22
Wellington Phoenix 0
Adelaide United 4 (McGowan 31′, Mauk 41′, Djite 49’, P Sánchez 90′)
Westpac Stadium
In what is traditionally a tough place to play, United had little trouble in this four-goal feast in New Zealand in 2016.
Reliable defender Dylan McGowan struck first after he turned in some head tennis from a corner at the far post, and Marcelo Carrusca slipped Stefan Mauk through for a tidy finish just before half-time.
It was much the same in the second stanza. Reds legend Bruce Djite tapped home from a Craig Goodwin cross, and Pablo Sánchez converted at the death after a darting run through the heart of the Phoenix defence.
Of course, United went on to claim a first A-League Championship in the very same season.
