Phoenix problems go deeper than keeper
The goalkeeper is not the problem, it never was, according to Wellington Phoenix coach Darije Kalezic.
Clearly their issues are deeper than that, after being humbled 4-1 by Central Coast Mariners at Westpac Stadium - a team who had not won in Wellington for five years courtesy of an own goal and three well-taken strikes from Daniel De Silva, Andrew Hoole and Trent Buhagiar.
With teenager Keegan Smith ‘‘not feeling 100 per cent,’’ the goalkeeper himself requested that Lewis Italiano take his place for Saturday’s A-League match.
Having made two impressive saves to deny Hoole and De Silva in an assured first half performance, Italiano was unable to prevent a second-half onslaught as the Phoenix lost the midfield battle and crumbled under increased pressure. They have now conceded 17 goals in seven games.
Kalezic did not lay any of the blame with Italiano but the result should still silence some of Smith’s critics, even if it remains unclear who will take the gloves against Melbourne Victory next weekend.
‘‘Lewis did his best. We cannot blame Lewis for the goals. Lewis made a couple of saves also, so it’s not about the goalkeeper tonight, just like I’ve said many times before, that it’s not a reason for the results,’’ Kalezic said.
Kalezic’s initial reaction was that his team failed to cope with the pressure and line speed of the Mariners.
‘‘They move faster forwards and backwards with lines, with midfielders, so they win so many times the second ball and that’s why they kept the ball and play how they want to play, and we don’t keep the ball and we play like how we don’t want to play,’’ he said.
Despite going into the break at
1-0 down, courtesy of Andrija Kaludjerovic’s own goal, the Phoenix remained in the hunt for
54 minutes. That was until Gui Finkler’s needless back flick on the edge of his own box handed possession straight back to the Mariners and De Silva made them pay.
Finkler was dragged immediately, with Kalezic later admitting that he knew the game was gone at 2-0 down.
‘‘This is something players must know when we can do that and when we cannot do that, and in this situation, in this moment of the game, that was not useful for us to take too much risk and that was of course not good.’’
Dario Vidosic pegged one back for the Phoenix at 3-1 down, heading in a Matthew Ridenton freekick for his fourth goal of the season. But it was a rare moment of joy for the small crowd of 5679, with the Phoenix getting just two of their eight shots on target.