One of the few Wellington Phoenix players to boast A-League playoff experience says the first-time finalists are well capable of prolonging their historic campaign by eliminating Perth on Sunday.
Captain Andrew Durante – man of the match when Newcastle won the 2007-08 championship decider – looms as a key figure in the sudden-death clash with the Glory at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium.
The 27-year-old central defender is one of only four Phoenix personnel to have contested the post-season.
Troy Hearfield was on the same triumphant Newcastle roster while All Whites midfielder Tim Brown was at the Jets the previous season.
Another midfielder, Vince Lia, was a fringe member of the title-winning Melbourne Victory squad in 2006-07.
Durante described his input this week as “pretty important”.
“I guess my leadership comes to the forefront,” he said.
“I have to guide the boys and take the hype from the finals series.
“It’s our first time but I don’t think there’ll be too many nerves, it’ll be excitement.”
Although the club faces the biggest match of its three-year existence, Durante was comforted by the fact many of his teammates have already thrived in a pressure cooker atmosphere at the Cake Tin.
“There’s five or six Kiwi boys that have been in a bigger game than this, they were fighting for a World Cup spot,” Durante said, citing the All Whites’ qualifying victory over Bahrain in the capital on November 14.
“They’ve played a massive occasion on that ground.
“I can’t really see us getting cold feet and falling apart.”
Durante’s form has been acknowledged, along with that of fellow-Phoenix central defender Jon McKain, with both named in the Australian national squad for an Asian Cup qualifier against Indonesia next month.
Meanwhile, Phoenix midfielder Leo Bertos, one of three All Whites likely to start the playoff between fourth and fifth on Sunday, admitted New Zealand’s quest to reach South Africa had been beneficial in the Australian competition.
“There’s a core of us that play for both teams, that’s only going to help,” he said.
“We know each other really well, we’ve been together so long.”
Home advantage is an obvious plus for the Phoenix who are unbeaten in 17 matches at Westpac Stadium since the Queensland Roar won 1-0 in October 2008.
A bumper crowd of 20,000 is anticipated while Durante was also hopeful the weather gods would turn up for the home side.
“We’d love some wind and rain,” he said.
Perth, who played their last match in 36 degrees, will be braced for a chilly reception.
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