An injury ravaged Wellinton Phoenix held out the Brisbane Roar over in a 0-0 draw that had a frenetic finish, but will not last long in the memory.
Both teams had clear-cut chances, though neither were able to take advantage. Penalty calls were overturned and a mountainous amount of possession from the away side was not enough to result in a goal. Both teams will be happy not to have lost, but will wish they had found the finishing touches to break the deadlock.
Referee influence on the game
Controversy once again reigns supreme in the A-League as a penalty decision is overturned. After Thomas Broich’s header rebounded off the crossbar it looked as if Wellington Phoenix centre-back and skipper, Andrew Durante, had handballed in the box to stop Henrique on the follow up. Or so we thought.
Pleas from the Wellington team were heard by the referee, Steven Lucas, who decided to consult his linesman and in doing so, overturned a penalty to the surprise of Henrique who had already placed the ball in anticipation of the upcoming spot kick. Replays suggested Durante had been pushed by the Brazilian, in the only explanation for the strange turn of events.
For a referee to change his original decision is a big moment, and to do it only after Wellington players expressed anger is strange. All the more important is that Durante had supposedly been pushed by Henrique, taking him off balance. Keep in mind this is a challenge from the smallest player on the Roar team against the biggest, strongest player in the Wellington team, a mismatch of ginormous proportions.
But that is the way the cookie crumbled, and kept the Phoenix in the game going into halftime.
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Lack of cutting edge costs both teams.
Both teams had chances to finish, but the lack of class and a finishing touch in the final-third cost both outfits. For Wellington, the chances were few and far between, close headers and the odd shot did not make do. Blake Powell threw away one of the best chances in the game, proving the importance of taking everything on offer. Appiah Kubi somehow missed an opportunity at the end of the game after a wonderful challenge from Jade North.
For Brisbane it was a case of chance-after-chance, dominance in possession resulted in the lion share of falling their way. Glen Moss was outstanding in goals, constantly thwarting every attempt, while defenders were creative in the goal line clearances. The final passes were also slightly off, with Broich failing to find that perfect ball and the Phoenix defenders managing some last ditch tackles of the highest quality.
At the same time, striker Jean Carlos Solorzano did not repay the faith shown in him by John Aloisi, only lasting 74 minutes and failing to take two clear-cut chances put on a plate in the six-yard box. His impact throughout the second-half was non-existent and will be a worry for games to come when Jamie Maclaren is unavailable.
Henrique also failed to find the finishing touches in one of the few starts he has had this season. This game reinforced the idea that he is a super sub, as the longer time spent on the pitch seemed to have an adverse effect.
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Possession key to the game
At halftime, Brisbane led the Phoenix 65 to 35% in terms of possession. This lack of time on the ball cannot be maintained for a side looking to have an impact on the game. In the second-half the trend continued, Wellington sat back slightly and struggled to make an impact across the field.
However, this meant the hosts looked to be compact, stopping Brisbane from attacking down the centre. The Roar had to look out wide to create chances, bringing Broich and Henrique into the game ever more, but also causing more long shots from the Roar. Neither team were able to break the deadlock and the strong structure from Wellington in the second-half made pointed towards the 0-0 draw.
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