City lose keeper but hold out Phoenix for victory
MELBOURNE City withstood losing their keeper to a secondhalf red card to post a gritty 1-0 win over Wellington Phoenix in their A-League season opener at Westpac Stadium yesterday.
City looked firmly in control after Anthony Caceres’ 31st-minute goal, but a 58thminute red card to keeper Thomas Sorensen turned the game upside down. Phoenix striker Roy Krishna had pounced on a loose back pass and the ball struck a rushing Sorensen, outside his protected area, on the arm as the Fijian speedster closed in towards goal.
Referee Peter Green produced the red card from his pocket and Sorensen marched to the sidelines as the game erupted into life for the home side. But despite pressing hard into seven long minutes of extra time, and urged on by the 10,034-strong crowd, Wellington couldn’t find the equaliser. City coach John van’t Schip was pleased with his team’s resolve in shutting out the win, but would have been happier to see at least another goal from their dominant first half.
“The first half, we played some good football and created some chances,” he said af- terwards. If we’d made the second or third one, the game was played.
“But we didn’t do that, and then in the second half after the sending off, it was a different game.
“But the team showed character and togetherness. As a team they were fighting, and in the end that resulted in the three points.” Phoenix coach Ernie Merrick, missing four players on international duty with the All Whites as well as injured defender Tom Doyle, said Wellington struggled to match City in the middle.
“We were overrun in the midfield, and I don’t think we really got hold of the midfield at all in the first half.
“I thought in the second half we had better chances, but I still don’t think the midfield play was particularly good.”