Defender keeps his head in Phoenix win
“It’s not just the back four or six, I’ m proud of the whole team for the way we defend.”
Finn Surman
Finn Surman wasn’t allowed to head the ball during training in the lead-up to Wellington Phoenix’s dramatic 1-0 win over Brisbane Roar.
There was a fear the centreback’s head might split open again, after an incident while on international duty with the All Whites at the beginning of the week left him needing six stitches.
Surman was ruled out of New Zealand’s second match against Tunisia after copping an accidental boot to the head from club captain Alex Rufer during a training session in Cairo.
He returned from Egypt looking like a mummy with his head heavily bandaged and was deemed “touch and go” for Sunday’s A-League Men match for the Phoenix at Sky Stadium in Wellington.
“The ball popped up and I went quite low with my head and he flicked the ball over my head and got me briefly on the follow through and just cut it open,” Surman explained.
While Surman was gutted to leave the All Whites tour without playing a single minute, he said that his focus immediately switched to preparing for the Brisbane match as soon as he was informed he would be heading home early.
The New Zealand under-20 captain has played every minute of the Phoenix’s season so far, forming a rock-solid partnership with English centreback Scott Wootton.
“It was still sore and I wasn’t doing any heading just to allow it to seal properly.
“But from the moment I got told I wasn’t going to play in the Tunisia game I just had a feeling I was going to play in this game.
“Unless it came fully open somehow, I was going to put my hand up and say I was available,” Surman said.
After being cleared to start, Surman went on to play a vital role in the narrow victory.
The Phoenix kept their ninth clean sheet of the season by beating Brisbane 1-0 and they have now conceded the fewest goals in the competition.
Those defensive records are even more impressive when you consider a 20-yearold has been an ever-present figure in the back line all season.
“It’s not just the back four or six, I’m proud of the whole team for the way we defend,” Surman said.
One-game ban for Rufer
The Phoenix have lost Rufer for the biggest game of the A-League Men season.
The Phoenix skipper has been slapped with a one-game ban for serious foul play after he was sent off late in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Brisbane.
Rufer will now miss the top of the table clash against Central Coast Mariners in Gosford this Saturday.
He will be free to return for the following match against third-place Melbourne Victory in Wellington next Friday.
“It will be a massive loss,’’ coach Giancarlo Italiano said yesterday. “He’s our captain and has been influential, and he will continue to be that even when he’s not playing. But there’s an opportunity for someone to step in and contribute to the team and we’ve been about that all year.”