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Tuesday 14 August 2007

New Zealand off the bottom…at last.

Day Two of the season previews: Here's the Wellington Phoenix. Each day this week and next I'll be previewing each A-League team.

Send through your predictions on your top 8 and Grand Final winners.

Well the FFA will be desperate to see the Wellington Phoenix do well.

So will I.

I'm sick of watching New Zealand sides struggling to produce any chances in front of a handful of people.

So here we go again or do we?

This time its different, no truly it is.

We have a new name, a new city, a new supporter base, a whole new team.

Check out http://yellowfever.co.nz/

And this time we've got an NZ Coach in Ricky Herbert, a fair few NZ players and four Brazilians.

No, that already sounds better to me.

They've already pumped Sydney in pre-season and snatched an away win in Melbourne.

So is this the real deal.

Let's hope so. And let's hope the New Zealand community gets behind them.

Or else NZ kids will have to watch Rugby forever and ever Amen. And where's the good in that!

A minimum 6,000 at every game and competitive performances across the park, and the season and Aussie A-League fans will be content.

If The Phoenix can achieve this, next year they can aim for the four, and to increase their crowds.

But it won't be easy. The squad looks weak to me, unless the Brazilians are all of the quality of Fred!

I've no idea how good the Brazilians are. But given the trio that came to Victory I expect them to be closer to Alessandro than Fred!

Here's hoping Ross Aloisi gets up the other players, and teams, and we see a few sparks fly.

Just above the Jets in seventh place. But surely they will be better than the Knights.

But in their first year it won't be easy.

Good luck to our friends from across the Tasman.

Players to watch: Well Ross Aloisi, the Brazilians because they are Brazilian and I haven't seen them play. Other than that who will excite me. Maybe Steven O'dor and Jeremy Christie will give me some interest. Shane Smeltz? No there is not much to get excited about, unless the Brazilians do the job…let's hope so.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I for one would love to see the 'nix do well. A few people have noted the success of the Central Coast Mariners augers well for a Canberra A-League team, but I think the Wellington experience will be more telling -- they're a new franchise in a city dominated by Rugby with a comparable population to Canberra.

Eamonn said...

pre-season crowds for the'Nix look very encouraging

but if the team doesn't perform all crowds struggle.

here's hoping the moeny for Canberra's A-League has truly arrived as being suggested