Phoenix relish ALW underdog tag as City eye treble

Wellington Phoenix are acceptable to “take a swing” astatine Melbourne City, relishing the underdog tag arsenic they question to contradict the A-League Women’s heavyweights a changeable astatine an unprecedented treble.

Premiers for three consecutive seasons, City person not crowned that home dominance with the title they crave.

Michael Matricciani’s broadside get different accidental when they big Wellington astatine AAMI Park successful Saturday’s expansive final, earlier turning their attraction to an AFC Women’s Champions League semi-final.

City person won each 8 erstwhile meetings with the Phoenix, including some home-and-away encounters this season, and will start warm favourites successful the decider.

But Wellington’s English manager Bev Priestman believes her team – which has scored much and conceded less goals than immoderate broadside successful the league this play – is perfectly placed to origin an upset.

“I emotion being an underdog … I think it helps you,” Priestman said.

“It lets you travel retired and swing a small bit, and it’s amended to beryllium chasing than being the 1 chased.

“But they’re a large side, they’ve got a affluent past successful this league and we decidedly respect them.”

Perennial title contenders City person won the title 4 times – though not since 2020 – to spell with their 5 premierships, while Wellington are successful their archetypal finals bid successful their 5th play successful the competition.

The Phoenix, who play their 100th ALW fixture successful the decider, are besides breaking caller crushed arsenic the archetypal New Zealand team – women oregon men – to scope an A-Leagues expansive final.

“This nine deserves this moment. It’s 5 years successful the making,” Priestman said.

“We person to spell successful and bask the moment, but not bask it too much.

“We person to stick to the process and stick to the things that person got us here, but astatine the aforesaid clip I think when we bask ourselves is when we play our champion football.”

Win oregon lose, City’s post-match plans impact a abbreviated solemnisation of the ALW play earlier a nighttime astatine an airdrome edifice and a 7.25am formation connected Sunday to South Korea, where they take connected Tokyo Verdy Beleza.

But City skipper Rebekah Stott dismissed concerns the Champions League will beryllium a distraction for her side.

“We want to win but we’re focused connected this game, and aft this we’ll absorption connected the Asian Champions League,” Stott said.

“I don’t think it’s hanging implicit our heads.

“Obviously we want to bash that (win the treble) and it would beryllium amazing, but we’re not letting that end-goal dictate however we’re feeling.”

Stott, a New Zealand international, has admired what Phoenix person done for the women’s crippled successful her location country.

But she is hopeless to contradict them a maiden title arsenic City effort to marque amends for near-misses successful caller seasons, which included crashing retired successful a semi-final against eventual champions Central Coast Mariners past year.

“It would beryllium astonishing to win this game,” Stott said.

“It would mean a batch aft the heartbreak of past play and not getting there, but we’re utilizing that arsenic information to truly take it to them this game.

“I think the pressure’s connected some teams.

“Obviously we’ve been successful this situation a fewer times, but we’ve besides had a batch of unit connected us passim the whole season, so I think we’re bully astatine dealing with it.”

Source: AAP