Can Phoenix men gain points off Sydney FC?
- editor59343
- 4 minutes ago
- 2 min read
A tough trip to Sydney for the Wellington Phoenix men, but plenty of faith from Head coach Giancarlo Italiano after the sides second half against Adelaide last weekend.
The Nix came back from a couple of goals down to get a point, but an away Sunday evening game in Sydney might be a harder task.
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“I took great encouragement from the whole performance,” he told media pre-match.
"We had two naive moments where we mistimed the press and we got punished.
“These things happen in games, very happy with the bounceback, it would have been easy to give up.
“The boys were very resilient, and probably could have won the game.”
This weekend’s game also shapes as a potential debut for All White Bill Tuiloma.
“At this stage he’ll be in the squad. Bill’s trained now for two weeks, every session looks really good.
Again, he hasn’t played for an extended period of time, so we have to build his loads and get him integrated into the group. But he’s doing better than expected.”
Sydney FC currently sit second on the ladder and could go top with a win, so Italiano is prepared for a challenge.
“I think we match up quite well. They’re really good defensively, if not the best team.
“Hard to break down, the way they defend the box is quite good. They’ve got some really good players, I’m a big fan of their midfield.
“They’ll punish you if you give them an opportunity, so we’ve got to be focused for 90 minutes and stick to the gameplan.”
And tactical tweaks could play a part, as he continues to adjust the team’s style of play.
“I think I’m going to steer the team for the next five, six games back to a more tactical emphasis on opposition.
“Last year one of the biggest critiques we had was scoring goals and making opportunities.
“Pressing high makes it easier to do that, but a whole new set of problems comes with it.
“We’re sorting out the things that work, that don’t work.
The fact we’re second in goals scored is encouraging. If we can tighten up a little at the back, we can start building consistent results.”