Wellington Phoenix welcomes Brisbane Roar across the ditch this weekend with both teams depleted due to international duty, injuries and suspensions. This creates a new dimension to the game as the depth of both teams is tested for the first real time this season.
The Phoenix are currently sitting in sixth place, with their finals hopes hanging by a thread after a string of four games without a win. This has left them only two points above ninth place, and five points away from fifth. In a season where not only their competitive edge, but their entire existence as a club relies upon their results, this cannot be tolerated.
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After a promising start, injuries have taken a toll, but excuses are not what the Phoenix need right now. However, in saying that, Ben Sigmund, Manny Muscat, Roly Bonevacia, Alex Rodriguez, Louis Fenton, Roy Krishna and Alex Rufer are all out, leaving Wellington with holes across their entire squad. For a team to competitively challenge for the title, plagues of missing players does not suffice.
This shows a new side of Wellington that the competition has never really experienced. Due to the clubs youth team not taking part in the A-League youth competitions, the league has never seen the array of young talent on show across the country. Yes, players such as Fenton show the talent within the country, but as a club, there has never been a youthful exuberance to the team.
However, with such a dearth of first team players available, coach Ernie Merrick will have to look to the youngsters, and they may prove to be the spark the club needs for not only its season, but also its existence.
Brisbane Roar coach John Aloisi will be looking at Wellington’s position with delight, as there is no better time for the league leaders to gain maximum points, and try to pull away at the top of the league. Brisbane Roar, however, are not completely exempt from all issues. Key players such as Luke DeVere and Michael Theo are still out injured, while gun young striker Jamie Maclaren, Brandon Borrello and defender James Donachie have all left on Olyroos duty, and this situation has the ability to hit the brakes on Brisbane’s season.
So far this season, Brisbane have proven that the likes of DeVere and Theo do not leave too great of a hole, with Jamie Young and Daniel Bowles deputising to an extent no one believed they could. Therefore Donachie shouldn’t be too much of an issue, unless injuries hit the two Brisbane centre-backs.
In terms of Borrello, while his pace and linkage with right back Jack Hingert may be lost, the direct replacement of Henrique should see no issue arise with his departure. If anything, it will now give the Brazilian Slippery Fish a chance to prove himself as a starter, after gaining the unwanted tag of ‘super -sub’.
Maclaren is another case altogether. His seven goals and three assists this season has seen him assert himself as one of the premier young strikers in the country and his loss will be massive. While Brisbane have an overload of attacking midfielders and wingers, the centre forward position is worryingly thin. Only Jean Carlos Solorzano and Nick D’Agostino can lay claim to being true strikers, and of those two, D’Agostino is the only player with potential.
Solorzano has been injury prone and unable to provide on a consistent basis across any of the two stints he has had at the club. In all fairness, his contract should not be renewed and his time at the club should come to an end.
For Aloisi, the options are endless. He could try again with D’Agostino, or he could look to utilise Henrique or Dimitri Petratos in a false nine position, with both players in goal scoring form.
Both teams will need to be creative this weekend, with key players across both teams missing. Brisbane should look to consolidate their position atop the league ladder. For Wellington, it is time the youth took the club up the ladder, and in doing so, saving the club from being taken out of the league, an occurrence that should not even be considered.
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