Source: Radio New Zealand
[authror:rnz_sport]
Alex Rufer has been suspended following a fifth yellow card. Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz
The Wellington Phoenix travel to Adelaide United on Friday night for their first away game under interim coach Chris Greenacre.
Adelaide are in good form and sit fourth on the A-League ladder with the Phoenix dead last.
However, the visitors will take heart from a win and a draw in their two previous meetings this season. Greenacre is embracing the challenge of a game at one of the loudest stadiums in the A-League.
“I’d probably rephrase it, it’s a place you want to go on a Friday night,” Greenacre said.
“I’m a big fan of Friday night football. Coopers Stadium in general has a great atmosphere, it’s often bouncing. We’re really excited by the challenge.
“You stress to the young players, these are the games you want to play in, where the crowd are close to the pitch, the atmosphere is electric, these are the environments you want to play in.”
Coach Ufuk Talay of Sydney FC and interim coach Chris Greenacre of the Phoenix greet each other during the round 19 A-League Men match between Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
The Phoenix have been dealt a blow before the match with captain Alex Rufer suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season against Sydney.
“Obviously, he’s our captain, our leader, and what he brings to a dressing room and the field, his quality as a footballer, he brings that consistency and patience.
“That will be a miss for us, but it means that the other players have to raise their game so that doesn’t become an issue.
“It’s a great opportunity for everyone grinding in together and making sure we have a positive impact.”
However, Friday will hopefully mark the return of both Tim Payne from a hamstring injury and top scorer Ifeanyi Eze from suspension.
“Tim Payne has travelled, and he’ll play a part. We’re waiting on a couple of bits with him. [Eze’s] shown a different sort of prospect to what people have seen before. His work rate for the team is absolutely phenomenal, he’s got pace to burn, the unpredictability about him makes him a difficult prospect to handle at time. He’s scored some terrific goals this year.”
Greenacre is aware of the threat Adelaide pose.
“They’re a good side, especially at home, but it’s our job to go and try and turn that crowd. It’s up to us to put in a solid performance and try and change that mentality.”
Last week’s 1-0 loss to Sydney was frustrating for Greenacre in his first game in charge following the departure of Giancarlo Italiano, but he said there were plenty of positives to take out of the performance.
“Obviously, things don’t change overnight. We reviewed the Sydney game, there were parts of the game I was really pleased with, there were other parts I know we need to improve in. In such a small timeframe, it’s important to show the players the stuff you were really pleased with, and in a simple term, you recognise the moment.
“They can see that if we do get it right, we have the opportunity to create chances. It’s just giving them confidence to do that and execute that. We’ve looked at our game plan to try and do the same against Adelaide. It’s been a quick turnaround so we haven’t had a lot of time, but that’s the cards that we’re dealt.”
The round match is scheduled to kick off at at 9.35pm NZT.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
