Wellington Phoenix or the Wollongong Phoenix?
Wellington Phoenix will kickoff the 2020-21 A-League season away to Brisbane Roar at Dolphin Stadium in Redcliffe on December 29 before playing their first game at their temporary new home in round two.
The draw for the upcoming season was released yesterday, with the Phoenix scheduled to play each of their 13 home games at WIN Stadium in Wollongong, one of the venues used by NRL club St George Illawarra Dragons. However, there will be flexibility to return to Wellington should travel restrictions ease.
The Phoenix’s first game at WIN Stadium will be against reigning champions Sydney FC on January 2.
The 23,000-capacity venue has hosted just one A-League game previously – a goalless draw between Sydney and Newcastle Jets in 2015 – but was occasionally used as a pre-season base for the Sky Blues.
The Phoenix have relocated to Wollongong due to the travel restrictions in place to combat Covid-19 pandemic but general manager David Dome told Stuff last week the club would not be closing the door on a potential return to Wellington.
The club have been given three consecutive home games in April and May, which could allow the Phoenix to play a run of fixtures in New Zealand before returning to Australia to complete the season. However, that will only be possible if travellers are no longer required to spend 14 days in managed isolation.
Ufuk Talay’s side have not played in front of their own supporters at Sky Stadium since beating Melbourne Victory on March 15.
‘‘We are building our match day offering at Sky Stadium as if it was going to happen,’’ Dome said. ‘‘We will have that there ready to go if at short notice we have to drop everything and return to Wellington to play a game.’’
The Phoenix have 20 players signed on for 2020-21 and are close to finalising a deal for former Brighton & Hove Albion striker Tomer Hemed. Eighteen of those squad members have been training together in Wollongong, with star forward Ulises Davila and goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic still in managed isolation.
The Phoenix will get their first shot at newcomers Macarthur FC on January 9 before playing rivals Western United on January 12.
More than half of the Phoenix’s home games have been scheduled to kick off no later than 7pm (NZT).
The Phoenix round out the 26-game regular season away to Western Sydney Wanderers on May 31.