This showdown between the Western Sydney Wanderers and the Wellington Phoenix will highlight the disparity between the two clubs in what should be a highly predictable meeting on the field, but a completely unpredictable encounter off the pitch.
We are 18 games into this A-League season and the difference between these two sides in the build-up to round 19 could not be more marked. A monumental 18 points separate these two sides, with the home team looking to pile even more misery on the Phoenix, who just cannot seem to win on the road this season.
The Nix sit in ninth and are in the complete antithetical position to their upcoming opponents’ lofty position. When compared with the Wanderers, their record is not a welcome sight. Wellington have only managed a paltry four wins this season, suffering a staggering 10 losses in the process. They are on a five-match losing streak, have the second worst goal differential (equal with the Newcastle Jets on -12) and have now reached more losses this season then they did in the entirety of 2014-15 league (nine).
The New Zealand club is so troubled at the moment that the normally upbeat gaffer Ernie Merrick apologised to Phoenix fans after the weekend home defeat to the Perth Glory.
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“It’s pretty hard to put a positive spin on it,” Merrick told the press.
“It’s very frustrating and I have to apologise to our fans.”
He then went on to state what many in the Yellow Fever have already realised: the lack of a clinical finisher up front is costing the Nix games.
“Look at the chances we missed. There were a couple of clear-cut chances and there is no excuse for that.”
What Phoenix fans would not give to have their side playing to the same level as their Australian counterparts. The Red and Blacks are on a run of three matches without defeat, have the second-best goal difference in the league and is top of the table, with 10 wins and four losses. Tony Popovic has put together a side that looks capable of challenging for the title this season, a side capable of shrugging off the disappointment of a ninth-place finish in 2014-15 and making the 2015-16 season one to remember.
Despite some scintillating play by the Wanderers, it is their fans who have been making all the headlines in recent days. The latest to condemn the actions of supporters who lit flares and fireworks in their battling 1-1 away draw with the Melbourne Victory was club CEO John Tsatsimas. He had more than a few choice words on the matter
“It was a clear display of petulance, belligerence and narcissism that we won’t accept ,” Tsatsimas told Fox Sports News.
As a result of the behaviour of a minority, the club has had a show cause notice issued to it by the FFA, which threatens a points deduction on the Wanderers – they have since responded to the notice. This seems to be another misguided step taken by the FFA in order to assert their dominance, and can be added to the list of this season’s errors. These muck-ups include the Phoenix licence fiasco, the inability to deal with that leak, and the complete fashion faux pas of the round nine matchup between the Victory and the Nix, where the two sides donned the clashing white and grey respectively.
What the Western Sydney fans will do at Wanderland this weekend remains a mystery, but one thing is for sure: the passion of the Red and Black Bloc will be on full display, and the FFA could be left with a choice of whether or not they interfere should another ‘incident’ occur, and face more potential fan disillusionment. Either way, the on-field action should be relatively straightforward. At home, the Wanderers are almost a shoe-in against a depleted Phoenix.
A dominant team has powerful fans, and that is what Western Sydney has got. The atmosphere the fans create is done to aid the boys on the pitch, and Parramatta Stadium is a tough place to play for any opposition. Having an imposing set of away fans is something the Nix cannot muster, especially when results are not going their way.
A club should always be glad its fans are showing up, and support is support. The message is pure.
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