WELCOME FROM GM DAVID DOME Nau mai, haere mai and welcome to Campbelltown Stadium in Sydney for the men’s first match of what promises to be a busy February.
returning from injury and Tim Payne and Clayton Lewis back from the UAE, after they represented the All Whites against Jordan and Uzbekistan.
get on with the job and never complain. They have a great set-up in Chatswood and top-quality training facilities at Valentine Sports Park.
While we’re disappointed we weren’t playing in the FFA Cup final last night, the Isuzu UTE A-League has always been the priority for Ufuk and the team and they have five games over the next two weeks to try and catchup on the matches postponed due to the Omicron outbreak in Australia.
Today’s opponents Macarthur FC are playing just their second match of the year, having returned from an enforced five-week break against Western United on Tuesday night.
This wouldn’t be possible if it wasn’t for the support of our commercial partners.
It’s a chance for them to jump up into the top half of the ladder. I feel the team’s last league outing against Western United was a turning point. It’s great having Gary Hooper back on deck scoring goals, Gael Sandoval has slotted in seamlessly and I’m looking forward to seeing Scott Wootton on the park once he’s shaken off his niggly quad injury. The men are close to full-strength for the first time this season, with Oli Sail
We played out a hard-fought draw with the Bulls in our season opener back in November, in a match that had to be moved from Campbelltown to Newcastle as the pitch wasn’t deemed to be up to standard.
We’re thrilled to have Chemist Warehouse come on board as the back-of-shirt sponsor for the men and women for the remainder of the season and beyond. They are also committed to supporting the club’s academy and community programmes.
It’s great to still get the opportunity to play in Sydney’s south-west and I want to thank Macarthur for taking on our ‘home’ game while the team remains based in Australia.
Chemist Warehouse join Spark, Oppo, ELMO and Gazley-Skoda as the men’s biggest fans. Nothing happens on the pitch without the support of these great businesses.
It’s been enormously challenging for the team having to relocate for a third season in a row, but the players, coaches and management
COYN!
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YOUR 2021/22 WELLINGTON PHOENIX SQUAD #3
DEF
#4
MID
#8
GAEL SANDOVAL
# 11
JAUSHUA SOTIRIO
MID
# 18
FWD
BEN WAINE
#6
#9
FWD
# 14
# 10
# 16
ALEX RUFER (CAPTAIN)
DEF
SAM SUTTON
MID
RENO PISCOPO
MID
# 19
DEF
TIM PAYNE
DAVID BALL
NICHOLAS PENNINGTON
DEF
CALLAN ELLIOT
MID
# 13
DEF
JAMES McGARRY
BEN OLD
FWD
# 17
#5
SCOTT WOOTTON
MATTHEW BOZINOVSKI
#7
DEF
DEF
LOUIS FENTON
# 20
GK
OLI SAIL
YOUR 2021/22 WELLINGTON PHOENIX SQUAD # 21
DEF
# 23
MID
JOSH LAWS
# 33
CLAYTON LEWIS
DEF
# 34
FINN SURMAN
# 88
# 31
DEF
# 32
KURTIS MOGG
MID
# 40
JACKSON MANUEL
FWD
GEORGE OTT
GK
# 43
ALEX PAULSEN
FWD
OSKAR VAN HATTUM
FWD 10 Ulises Dávila (captain) 11
GARY HOOPER
COACH UFUK TALAY
Tommy Oar
MID FWD
12 Filip Kurto
GK
14 Moudi Naijar
FWD
15 Aleksandar Susnjar
DEF
17 Craig Noone
FWD
19 Michael Ruhs
FWD
1
Jamie Young
GK
20 Tomislav Uskok
DEF
2
Jake McGing
DEF
21 Jake Hollman
MID
3
Anthony Golec
DEF
22 Liam Rose
MID
4
James Meredith
DEF
23 Adrian Mariappa
DEF
5
Dylan Pierias
FWD
24 Charles M’Mombwa
MID
6
Aleksandar Jovanovic
DEF
31 Lachlan Rose
FWD
7
Daniel De Silva
MID
35 Alhassan Toure
FWD
8
Jordan Mutch
MID
99 Apostolos Giannou
FWD
9
Tomi Juric
FWD
Coach: Ante Milicic
FEATURE:
SAIL WANTS HIS JERSEY BACK Oli Sail is determined to reclaim his place in goal for the Wellington Phoenix in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
The Phoenix vice-captain has been sidelined since December 19, when he suffered a hip flexor injury early in the fifth round match against Sydney FC. Young goalkeeper Alex Paulsen shone in Sail’s absence, highlighted by his penalty shoot-out heroics in the FFA Cup quarter-final victory over Melbourne City. “For a young guy who hasn’t had the experience at this level he’s shown quite an experienced head and he’s really stepped up and taken that opportunity,” Sail said. “He’s a fantastic young kid, eager to learn, always asking questions, always analysing his performances and things like that. I’ve been really impressed and it’s quite clear he’s got a big future.” But Sail is returning to full fitness and has made it clear he wants his starting spot back. “I had to take the jersey off someone to get there and it took me a lot longer than I wanted so I’m not in a hurry to give the jersey up,” Sail.
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definitely looking to take it back.” Oli Sail believes the competition within the “goalkeeping union” is healthy. “Everything’s friendly and driven and we’re all trying to achieve one goal and move in the same direction, but at the end of the day we’re there to do a job and we’re there to take each other’s spots. “That competitive edge drives everyone forward. When you’ve got a competitive environment with multiple ‘keepers who have the qualities to be playing and be selected it drives the whole group forward. “When I got the jersey last year, having Stef (Marinovic) there nipping at my heels is what motivated me to play well. That keeps you on your toes because you have someone knocking down the door trying to get the jersey back off you. “There’s absolutely no doubt I’ll have to perform and justify the decision Ufuk makes if he makes that one.
“It’s fantastic to see him to do well, but at the end of the day I’m here to play football and do my best for the club and I want that jersey back.
“Absolutely there’s now competition for the jersey and I like that and there’s no doubt I’m going to have to perform.”
“He’s done really well and it’s not necessarily my jersey at the moment. He’s done really well so he may get to keep it, but I’m
While Sail was out of action, he still helped mentor Paulsen and his deputy 16-year-old Henry Gray.
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“I did all of my rehab and preparation work early in the morning before training so I could still be involved out on the pitch with the goalkeeping crew to lead and assist with Alex and Henry as they got through the training week and prepared for the games. “I was just there to constantly offer little bits of advice and…I think it really benefitted Alex and Henry. “I enjoyed leading them and being involved with the team because it can be quite isolating and a little bit down when you’re injured and not involved as much.”
so of football under my belt and put my best foot forward for selection. “When I got the jersey last year, having Stef (Marinovic) there nipping at my heels is what motivated me to play well.”
“March is definitely something I’ve got my eye on. “I’m back to full fitness and hopefully now I can get a month or
“I would have loved to have gone on the tour just been and the previous one as well to stake a claim for the number one jersey, but I’ve been in close contact with Danny and my name’s definitely there or thereabouts. “So I’m looking forward to hopefully a month of good performances from myself and putting my best foot forward for that March window and those big games.”
As well as missing out on playing for the Phoenix, Sail missed the All Whites’ most recent trip to the United Arab Emirates. “Look it’s part of football isn’t it? I’ve been pretty fortunate through my time and my career so far so touch wood that continues and hopefully we’ve rehabbed this really well and it doesn’t cause me any issues.” He is now determined to be part of Danny Hay’s squad for next month’s Oceania World Cup qualifiers in Qatar.
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THE PHOENIX WISHES TO THANK THE FOLLOWING BUSINESSES & ORGANISATIONS FOR THEIR SUPPORT THIS 2021/22 SEASON: P R I N C I P A L
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