Melbourne City are meeting the Wellington Phoenix at home, looking to make it five games unbeaten. Join us on The Roar for some ace banter, commentary and live scores from 4.53pm AEDT exactly!
The Phoenix will be feeling the pressure: Melbourne Victory’s shock loss to the Jets on Friday has added yet another plot twist to the most dramatic A-League title chase ever. The Phoenix have conceded 6 and scored 0 in their last two games. Can they go back top?
Before Perth Glory’s punishment for salary cap breaches was announced, this game was shaping up rather juicily. Now that Melbourne City (and Brisbane Roar) have cemented their place in the top six, it’s now all a matter of determining where they exactly finish; coming into this game on 34 points with three games left, the highest they can hope to mathematically finish is third.
Wellington Phoenix on the other hand – ooh, boy. The season is already about boiling hot in terms of the title race, with the toilet seat trophy changing hands every two seconds. As I mentioned above, the Victory lost to the ninth-placed Jets on Friday.
That, along with Sydney’s win in Perth, means that excluding the third-placed* Perth Glory, the top four are separated by only 2 points (the Victory have a game in hand, however).
So, if Wellington win this one, after Adelaide lost their game against the Roar, they can go top for at least 3 days.
Whilst it may seem as if this game matters a whole lot more to the Phoenix than City, keep in mind that a good run of form coming into the finals from a low placing is a situation perhaps more ideal than entering the playoffs ranked first, second or third.
In the last two years of the Championship, for example, 4th-placed QPR (2014) and 5th-placed Crystal Palace (2013) have won promotion to the Premier League via the play-off final.
In squad news, Phoenix talisman Joel Griffiths’ season is over after his knee knack picked up against Wellington has unfortunately turned out to be a ruptured ACL.
That’s really the only big bit of ins-and-outs news, although Connor Chapman (City) and Albert Riera (Phoenix) both return from suspension this week. Also, Patrick Kisnorbo has just re-signed with City for another year.
Prediction:
Wellington will be itching to get back and have more to play for in this game, whereas Melbourne City coach John van ‘t Schip might be looking for his lads to take a breather in preparation for the finals.
Melbourne City 1 – 2 Wellington Phoenix
Kane Cassidy
Roar Guru
Could this be the first A-League season decided by goal difference between three clubs?
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
FULLTIME' Well, the game finishes with a foul and a free kick, which Paartalu connects with, sending a header that hits the bar and goes over. Burns will be wishing he scored that early penalty. Glen Moss is getting the MotM, he did make 10 saves after all. However, if anyone deserved to win it, it should have been the Phoenix, at least in the first half. Ladder wise, both teams keep their positions. Phoenix are now equal 4th (3rd without Perth) after this game. Thanks for joining if you joined, enjoy your Sunday night and the rest of the week Bye! MLC 0 - 0 WEL
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
90+2' Kwabena Appiah's coming on for the final 120 seconds, and Bonevacia is coming off. I never understand the need for such a sub. MLC 0 - 0 WEL
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
88' Haha. Jacob Melling fouls Burns, and receives a yellow card (his 8th, so he'll be suspended next week). Melling just sort of lies down for a bit on his back, and cops a spray from Burns, and Melling doesn't really seem to be phased. What a cool customer. Also, when he finally gets up, the ref shows him the slice of cheese, and Melling seems to be the only one to not have known he was getting carded. Off that foul though, Fenton zings down the right and whips in a juicy cross for Cunningham, who heads just over MLC 0 - 0 WEL
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
85' Have teams figured out how to play Wellington? If they don't score tonight, that'll be 3 games and 0 goals. Hmm, I'd be worried if I was Ernie Merrick MLC 0 - 0 WEL
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
83' Glen Moss is going to continue, but ain't looking good. He's had a defender take the goal kick MLC 0 - 0 WEL
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
80' Wow. Some beautiful stuff from Melbourne. Out on the far left, Williams switches it over to Mooy, which is a great ball in itself. Mooy though, makes up for most of his crap shots, as he first time taps a through ball for Germano, who's through on goal. Unfortunately, or rather, predictably, he hits it straight at Moss, who tips it round for a corner. Nothing comes from that corner, except for a stoppage because Glen Moss has some knee knack MLC 0 - 0 WEL
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
77' Vince Lia is coming on for Alex Rodriguez. Simon Hill is spreading some goss about them getting into a bit of a blue at training, but as far as I'm concerned, I'm all about the football thank you very much Mr Hill MLC 0 - 0 WEL
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
75' MLC's subs have definitely opened up the game, with direct running making some space and forcing their possession forward and the Phoenix back a bit. MLC 0 - 0 WEL
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
72' Countering, Mooy receives the ball deep on the right and bangs a very tantalising cross across the goal mouth. Kennedy falls over and thinks he was fouled (he wasn't) and David Williams throws himself at the ball in vain. Meanwhile, MLC throw on their final sub and the Phoenix their third: Krisha off, Cunningham on Kennedy off, Melling on MLC 0 - 0 WEL
Waz
Guest
Can we all just admit it - the five teams at the top just aren't all that good. This is anyone's title from 1-7th place at the moment ..
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
71' Shoe on the other foot - Burns finds Krishna open on the right with a similar ball to Mooy, but again a poor touch ruins the move. Krishna manages to regather and sends it back for a onrushing midfield, whose on target shot is shoveled out left for a corner, which results in nothing MLC 0 - 0 WEL
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
69' Mooy beautifully dinks a ball over half the field to Germano, whose poor poor touch and pass back destroys the move. Somehow, MLC gather it again high up the pitch and attack again, with Koren unleashinga a stinging shot at Moss' near post. MLC have a corner, which again is regathered and Safaharin finds himself with the ball, onside and has a shot. Moss spills it, but no follow up means the ball's cleared MLC 0 - 0 WEL
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
67' Meanwhile, Josh Kennedy is through on goal but is offside. And from Burns' shot, MLC counter attack, and a blocked shot falls to Retre outside the box, and he skies it over MLC 0 - 0 WEL
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
66' Twinkle toes Nathan Burns makes some space for himself in the middle of the park, but still finds himself about 25m from goal. So, guessing he doesn't want to ride his luck too much, has a shot. It comes to nothing, but at least it's on target. MLC 0 - 0 WEL
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
63' The only interesting thing I can say, is that Melbourne City have been using Josh Kennedy almost as wide target man. He drifts wide to win a high ball, and nods in the direction of the centre of the park. It goes to no one, obviously, but it's an interesting idea nonetheless. Meanwhile, Jaliens has come off for midfielder Paulo Retre MLC 0 - 0 WEL
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
60' Not much happens, just another bunch of listless offence from both teams. MLC 0 - 0 WEL
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
57' Oooh, good opportunity to take the lead from City. Kennedy receives a good through ball on his left, and as he ambles towards it (defender seems as slow as him, about 5m on a 45 degree angle from the left post, Kennedy swings his leg around and strokes a shot. Moss saves with his fingers, and there could've been a clear opportunity for a tap in if there was a follow up, but there wasn't, so WEL clear it. Novillo comes off for David Williams MLC 0 - 0 WEL
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
54' Again, the fruitless attacks, There's four Phoenix counterattackers in the box. Bonevacia goes for a spin and a shot when there was a wide open Muscat begging for it on the edge of the box. The ball hits the defender 1m away from Bonevacia and goes away from goal. Later, Burns finds it after the Phoenix regather their own corner, bearing down wide right on goal he goes for upper near post - across the goal and flat mate, like you learnt when you were 12!! MLC 0 - 0 WEL
Nicholas Hartman
Roar Guru
52' There's been so many scything attacks from Wellington, passing it straight through the City midfield and defence. However, there's never any sharp end to the attacks, with the latest one in question ending with an over hit pass by Krishna back to Bonevacia, on th edge of the box, hitting a weak shot at Velaphi. There's a big chance that this game will end in a crappy goal scored City after the Phoenix threatened so much MLC 0 - 0 WEL