{"id":324344,"date":"2025-01-24T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/?p=324344"},"modified":"2025-01-24T19:17:33","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T06:17:33","slug":"isuzu-ute-a-league-round-16-match-preview-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellingtonphoenix.com\/news\/isuzu-ute-a-league-round-16-match-preview-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Isuzu UTE A-League Round 16 Match Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Wellington Phoenix return to Christchurch after nine years away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first A-League game in the Garden City since 2015 sees the Phoenix host the Central Coast Mariners, who pipped them to the A-League title last season by just two points. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Head coach Giancarlo Italiano is delighted to be visiting Christchurch, and thinks it will provide a boost to the team. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m looking forward to it. I think Wellington is New Zealand\u2019s team outside of Auckland, supported by the fact that we have so many fans for this game, and that\u2019s great. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s also great for the football public outside of Wellington to enjoy professional football. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAgain, it\u2019s a great venue, the playing surface is amazing, and we\u2019ve had nothing but welcomes which has been great. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of Phoenix shirts here, a lot of supporters. There was a big cheer for the boys, so it does feel like a home game.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo credit: Photomac\/Cam McIntosh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI actually love the city, it\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve been here. It reminds me of Adelaide in Australia, nice flat terrain, a lot of new construction, and a nice buzz to the place.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While both sides have struggled to match the heights of last year, they have each found some recent form, with the Nix sitting ninth, ahead of the Mariners on goal difference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Italiano believes it is important for the Phoenix to beat the teams around them in the hunt to move up the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt definitely helps. From a practical point, playing all your home games and not losing is very important for us moving forward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have a couple of games on the road after this nice stretch of home games. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe both did really well last year, we both had a huge amount of turnover at the beginning of the year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve got a great coaching staff, a good basis, and I feel like we\u2019re on the same page in that respect.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo credit: Photomac\/Cam McIntosh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

However, he is more focused on the performance than the result.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to call it a six-pointer, then we come away from it feeling like the season is done. Every game has equal importance in terms of scaling back and seeing where both teams are at. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor me it\u2019s about solidifying where we want to go, where we\u2019ve been. If we come out with the win tomorrow it will be hard earned, but the focus is always on the performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been consistent. We\u2019ve been through our share of issues over the last couple of months, and what I\u2019ve been buoyed with is that the players have not lost focus, they\u2019ve knuckled down and for me, the consistency comes from applied group focus. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not looking too far ahead like finals or anything like that, I\u2019m taking it game by game.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While five players remain out injured for the Phoenix, there is good news with the return of Matt Sheridan from concussion, while striker turned fullback Daniel Makowem has been named in an extended squad for the first time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With squad depth being tested, a number of academy players have stepped up this season for the Nix, including Christchurch natives Sheridan and Luke Supyk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo credit: Photomac\/Cam McIntosh<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Italiano expects both of them to feature in some capacity, which will be a special moment.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBoth of them will have a part in the game, and that\u2019s where I\u2019ll leave it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course [I\u2019m happy with their progress], they wouldn\u2019t be in the team if I wasn\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLast year if you look at players we brought into the squad, Luke was probably a surprise, but he did very well when he came and trained with us for a long extended period, and Matthew is the same, he\u2019s been very good.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The round 16 Isuzu UTE A-League match between the Wellington Phoenix and Central Coast Mariners is scheduled to kick-off at Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch at 5pm Saturday and will be broadcast LIVE on Sky Sport 3 in New Zealand and on Paramount+ in Australia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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