Uncertainty surrounds Phoenix until coach named
Do you reckon the glass is half full or half empty?
If you’re a half full kind of person, and you’re looking at the Wellington Phoenix, who wrapped up their A-league season on Saturday night, with a 2-1 win over Melbourne City, you don’t have to look far to find hope.
Kiwi teenagers Liberato Cacace and Sarpreet Singh excelled again at QBE Stadium in Auckland – the former winning his battle with City’s promising winger Daniel Arzani; the latter scoring two goals and creating two excellent chances that Roy Krishna spurned.
The duo have come along at a time when the Phoenix needed something to raise their spirits and they represent a path the club could take this winter – emphasising the fact that they are New Zealand’s only professional football club and filling their roster with Kiwis.
There have been noises from people at the club that suggest that is where they are headed and interim coach Chris Greenacre added to them on Saturday night.
‘‘I think the future’s bright in the New Zealand football world,’’ he said.
‘‘We’ve got two terrific young talents there. Hopefully, whatever happens in the future, they still get regular game time. What they’ve done is they’ve put themselves in the shop window now to be worthy
of starts. They’ve shown they can can compete and hold their own in the A-league. ‘‘
Circumstances play a part. Singh played just 76 minutes across the first 19 rounds of the season, when many, including
Greenacre, then in charge of the club’s reserve side, felt he deserved more. Cacace only got his chance because the club released one left back, Ali Abbas, and the other, Tom Doyle, was injured. They have now played 610 and 552
A-league minutes respectively.
James Mcgarry never got a chance, playing just 15 minutes across three seasons. Logan Rogerson has played just 152 minutes in three seasons, 113 in the past month. Alex Rufer has