Boyd seeking redemption
TYLER BOYD was ‘‘heartbroken’’ after being sent off in the Wellington Phoenix’s loss in Brisbane on New Year’s Day.
The just-turned 18-year-old was handed his marching orders for a reckless tackle and was forced to sit out the following loss in Melbourne as the Phoenix slid to ninth on the A-League ladder.
Up till that point, it had been a dream ride for Boyd, a homeschooled kid from the Waikato, who became the first player to graduate from the club’s academy and earn a professional contract.
Boyd turned down an interview request this week, saying he wanted to first brush up on his skills with some media training.
But Phoenix coach Ricki Herbert said he would be given a chance to atone for his sins against the Western Sydney Wanderers at Westpac Stadium in Wellington today.
‘‘Yeah, Tyler was kind of heartbroken and so he should be,’’ Herbert said.
‘‘He’s a young kid, he’s come in, he’s had a great sort of step into the side but he’s hit a bit of a concrete wall and I think that’s a bit of a timely reminder about what things are about. He’s let a lot of us down and everybody is given, I guess, a little bit of rope from time to time and I think he’s a real talent, absolute talent. So if he gets his chance at the weekend then hopefully he can repay us.’’
Boyd is expected to return to the starting lineup for Benjamin Totori, whose pace and direct approach are seen as best utilised from the bench.
For all the talk about the Phoenix attack this season, a worrying trend of conceding soft goals has been equally to blame for their lowly standing.
Phoenix captain Andrew Durante – who has confirmed he wants to represent the All Whites when he becomes eligible in March – said the players had done some serious soul searching last week. ‘‘ We’ve gone through a really tough patch at the moment and we’ve gone through them before but we’ve always come out the other side.
‘‘So a big game this week, it’s really a game that we need to get the three points to get the confidence going. But I’m pretty confident at home we’ll put on a good performance.’’
While the Phoenix start favourites, it will be anything but straight forward against the impressive Wanderers.
Under coach Tony Popovic, the first-year club sit fourth after 15 rounds and worryingly for the Phoenix, former Japan World Cup star Shinji Ono is starting to hit his straps.
Football Federation Australia boss David Gallop – formerly of the NRL – said the Wanderers had exceeded expectations.
‘‘I doubt there is a parallel story in world sport. To start up a club in six months and then to see it have the level of support and the sense of belonging in the competition . . . I would be surprised if it has ever happened in world sport,’’ Gallop said.