Roar Guru
Wellington have issued a firm statement to the rest of the competition that their early season form has by no means been an indicator of what they will offer as an opponent.
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Final score
Wellington Phoenix 5
Perth Glory 2
Wellington Phoenix, sitting unnervingly comfortably on the bottom of the table, play host to Perth Glory, on an international weekend packed full of world cup qualifiers. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 2:30pm (AEDT).
It’s the first of the three Distance Derbys in the 2017/18 A-League season, and for Wellington, nailed to the bottom of the ladder, if you’re going to be playing any team on an international weekend with a depleted squad due to those international duties, then this is the team to play.
Wellington, in a singular word, were dreadful last week. Time will tell whether the Nix were truly bad, or the Jets were truly hot, but Wellington should be driven by, at the very least, pride in the jersey to come back from last weekend. Since the 31st minute mark of the Round 4 clash against Brisbane, Wellington have disappeared.
Perth, on the other hand, should be riding high, off the back of a strong home win against a solid Adelaide team. Andy Keogh will also be feeling good, having gotten off the mark for this season with a decisive goal.
The only positive that Wellington can hope for in this match, is the value of home field advantage in the Distance Derby, with that 4,500 km journey a huge factor in travelling for athletes. History is also against Wellington today, as they haven’t beaten Perth in over two years. In fact, Perth have won the last two fixtures in New Zealand, so even the travel issue may not be enough to help a struggling kiwi team.
And, of course, there is that element of the pure unknown in football, as proven on Friday night with the Mariners defeating the normally unrivalled Sydney FC. Wellington will want to go into today’s game with a clear mindset, and a lot of positive energy, in the knowledge that anything is indeed possible.
Prediction
I’m feeling generous, and I am going to have faith that Wellington will aim to prove a few people wrong by putting in a strong performance at home, after last week.
Yes, Perth are in better form, but I’m going to go out on a limb and place a bit of weight on the impact that a long haul flight can have on a player’s mindset. If Perth play to their ability, and can shake off the travel, it could very well be disappointment for the home crowd, but expect a fired up Wellington outfit to take out their frustrations on a well-travelled opponent.
1-all draw.
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