Dejected Phoenix still looking for first win
One point from three games is far from an ideal start to a season.
But for the Wellington Phoenix it belies what has been an impressive beginning to their first Hyundai A-League season under Darije Kalezic.
The 47-year-old has overseen a 1-1 home draw against Adelaide United, before consecutive away losses to Sydney FC (3-2) and Melbourne City (1-0 on Saturday night).
Those teams now sit first (City), second (Sydney) and fourth (Adelaide) on the ladder (as of Saturday night), with the Phoenix a converted half chance and a bad officiating call away from being much higher up the table than where they find themselves.
It was always going to be a tough opening to the season, especially given they were without three All Whites in the first game.
Kalezic said he was comfortable with how results have gone so far.
‘‘If you count before the competition how many points we can get after three games, then you will not be far away from the points that we have now.
‘‘That’s realistic, I think everybody agrees with that. This is not something that surprises us or puts us down, we keep the focus on how we did.’’
So how have they have done? Well, they should really have got at least a point out of Saturday’s match. They held 60 per cent of possession and if either Andrija Kaludjerovic or Roy Krishna converted their secondhalf chances then it is a different conversation is being had on the plane ride home to Wellington.
Instead, Ross McCormack’s stunning 69th-minute freekick, which fizzed past the outstrecthed right hand of Phoenix goalkeeper Keegan Smith before ricocheting in off the post, meant they came back with nothing to show for a dominant performance.
It gave Kalezic a sense of dejavu when asked if his side should have got something from the match.
‘‘Yes, sounds familiar. Like last week,’’ he said, in a nod to the loss against Sydney when an incorrect offside call cost them an equalising goal in the second half.
‘‘It is clear we dominated the game today [Saturday]. I don’t like to talk only about ball possession without creating the chances, but today we created also the chances from the ball possession. Enough chances to make a goal and enough chances to win the game.
‘‘Unfortunately if you don’t make a goal you can’t win the game.’’
The team performance certainly impressed on Saturday, while individuals who shone included Dario Vidosic, Michael McGlinchey and Goran Paracki.
The latter earned man of the match honours from the Fox Sports broadcasters, continuing what has been an impressive start to the season as a holding midfielder.
In a wonderful side note, longtime Phoenix holding midfielder Vince Lia put in a stirring performance for his new club, Adelaide, on Friday night.
He scored two stunning goals in their 2-2 draw with Melbourne Victory, taking his tally to two goals from two games for the Reds. He scored four goals in 197 games for the Phoenix over a 10-year span.