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YOUR 2020/21 WELLINGTON PHOENIX SQUAD #1
GK
#2
STEFAN MARINOVIC
#5
DEF
#6
DEF
LUKE DEVERE
DEF
#7
FWD
# 10
MID
# 11
CHARLES LOKOLI-NGOY
# 14
ALEX RUFER
# 15
MID
CAMERON DEVLIN
FWD
JAUSHUA SOTIRIO
MID
DEF
#8
RENO PISCOPO
ULISES DAVILA
FWD
#4
TE ATAWHAI HUDSON-WIHONGI
MID
TIM PAYNE
DAVID BALL
# 13
#3
LIAM MCGING
JAMES MCGARRY
#9
DEF
FWD
MIRZA MURATOVIC
# 12
MID
MATTHEW RIDENTON
# 16
DEF
LOUIS FENTON
YOUR 2020/21 WELLINGTON PHOENIX SQUAD # 17
FWD
# 18
TOMER HEMED
# 21
FWD
# 19
DEF
BEN WAINE
DEF
# 23
JOSHUA LAWS
# 20
SAM SUTTON
MID
# 27
CLAYTON LEWIS
OLIVER SAIL
DEF
STEVEN TAYLOR
COACH UFUK TALAY
GK
19 DYLAN RYAN
DEF
2 STORM ROUX
DEF
20 LAWRENCE THOMAS
GK
4 NICHOLAS ANSWELL
DEF
21 ADAMA TRAORE
DEF
5 RYAN SHOTTON
DEF
22 JAKE BRIMMER
MID
6 LEIGH BROXHAM
MID
23 MARCO ROJAS
FWD
7 CALLUM MCMANAMAN
MID
25 BRANDON LAUTON
MID
8 JACOB BUTTERFIELD
MID
26 JAY BARNETT
MID
9 RUDY GESTEDE
FWD
31 AARON ANDERSON
DEF
10 ROBBIE KRUSE
FWD
33 DALIBOR MARKOVIC
DEF
11 BEN FOLAMI
FWD
35 ZAYDAN BELLO
DEF
13 BIRKAN KIRDAR
MID
38 SO NISHIKAWA
DEF
17 ELVIS KAMSOBA
MID
43 LUIS LAWRIE-LATTANZIO
FWD
1
MATT ACTON
GK
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UOW Tottenham Hotspur Global Football Program Improve your game with an English Premier League club while studying at one of Australia’s leading universities. Study a qualification1 of your choice at UOW’s Wollongong campus, while developing your football skills, with training provided by fully qualified coaches from English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.
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OFFICIAL HYDRATION PARTNER OF THE WELLINGTON PHOENIX
MW13 MATCH PREVIEW: WELLINGTON PHOENIX VS. MELBOURNE VICTORY The Wellington Phoenix face Melbourne Victory tonight, in a re-match that the Nix have no doubt circled on their calendar since late February. Last time these two teams met in Match Week 9, the Victory came away with a surprising 2-0 win thanks to a pair of headers from Melbourne’s towering attacker, Rudy Gestede. Victory will be without Gestede for this match due to injury, while the Phoenix will be welcoming back a favourite son – defender Steven Taylor due to make his first
appearance this season, also his 50th A-League appearance for his career. Wellington Phoenix Coach Ufuk Talay says that the addition of Taylor could be a turning point for the club this season. “Taylor is a very experienced player and it’s something that I think we need within the squad,” said Talay. “He’s a very influential player, a great leader at the back as well and a great organiser - I’m hoping he comes out and plays well and
gives the team the massive boost we need in that backline.” The Nix will again wear their red ‘Wollongong Strip’ for this match as part of Wollongong Appreciation Month, a kit which carries positive vibes for the squad; the last time they wore this strip – in a 3-0 home win versus Perth Glory – was arguably their best performance of the season. In addition to the defensive boost provided by a returning Taylor, Wellington will be buoyed by the recent play of their attackers as evidenced in the club’s last match against Brisbane. Reno Piscopo and Ulises Davila were consistently dangerous in that game as two of the team’s best creators, with the Roar forced
often to foul them just to slow them down – a season-long trend which sees Piscopo and Davila ranking as two of the most fouled players in the competition.
“We need to maximise these next two games and get six points if we want to get anything out of this season.” And Tomer Hemed continues to find his form, having scored in his last two matches to showcase his ability as a top-level striker. His continued emergence will be key to the Nix’s ability to climb the A-League ladder and secure a sport in the Finals. Talay hopes that Hemed continues his momentum against Victory and for the rest of the season.
“He got close to 60 minutes in his legs [against Brisbane] so hopefully we can continue to build him up, and as we build him if he continues to score that’s even better,” said Talay. “He’s a very important player for us, and for him to score goals and us to win games is very important – we need to maximise these next two games and get six points if we want to get anything out of this season.” Since their Match Week 9 win, the wheels have fallen off for Melbourne Victory; they have lost all three of their previous matches and conceded 13 goals combined (versus 4 goals scored) in that stretch – their worst loss a 6-0 drubbing versus Melbourne City.
In addition to losing Gestede for this match, Melbourne will also be without their captain Leigh Broxham - suspended for this clash after picking up his fifth yellow card against Adelaide – and key players Ryan Shotton and Marco Rojas. Despite this, Victory will rely on veterans Robbie Cruse, Jacob Butterfield and Callum McManaman to generate their offense. 22-year-old Jake Brimmer is also a player to watch after a solid showing against the Nix in their last encounter. The Wellington Phoenix take on Melbourne Victory tonight at WIN Stadium, from 7.05pm AEDT (9.05pm NZ Time).
OFFICIAL APPAREL PARTNER WELLINGTON PHOENIX For all your club and school teamwear please contact: LIAM ROBINSON LIAM@PALADINSPORTS.COM (02) 9938 8818 WWW.PALADINSPORTS.COM WW
WELLINGTON PHOENIX SUPPORTS REFUGEE PROGRAM IN WOLLONGONG A community football program for refugees in Wollongong received some unexpected support from their local A-League team last week, with players from the Wellington Phoenix squad attending their weekly training session - gifting the young participants with both club training gear and valuable advice. Multicultural Communities Social Football (MCSF) is a free social
football program for participants aged 12 to 24, which supports people and communities from culturally and linguistically (CALD) diverse backgrounds, providing them with free coach-led football training as well as transport to and from training sessions. Not only does the program provide participants with an opportunity to take part in organised football, it also helps them to make friends and connect
with others in the wider community. Run by the Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra (MCCI), Football South Coast and Football NSW, the program is now in its third year of operation – with last year’s program seeing 29 young people move on to join local football clubs. Phoenix players Ulises Davila, Charles Lokoli-Ngoy, Mirza Muratovic and Jaushua Sotirio met some of the MCSF participants at the Fraternity Club in Fairy Meadow last Thursday, giving the participants a rare chance to meet their A-League heroes up close and learn football skills from a professional athlete.
“Our players appreciated the chance to pass on some of their skills and knowledge to the next generation of footballers in the local region.” With training called off due to the torrid wet weather, the players practised their football skills indoors with the participants and posed for photos, before presenting them with club training kits as well as playing boots donated by the players – much to the delight of the young people in attendance.
Wellington Phoenix General Manager, David Dome, says that it is important for the club and its players to be able to give back to the local community while they are based in Wollongong. “The club had a strong connection with the refugee community back in Wellington thanks to our Football for All program and other initiatives, so we’ve been keen to do something similar in Wollongong this season,” said Dome. “Our players appreciated the chance to meet some young, aspiring footballers in the local region, to pass on some of their skills and knowledge to the next generation of footballers. “It’s also fortuitous that this opportunity came about during Harmony Week [15-21 March], which celebrates the diversity of cultures in Australia.” Although this was the first time many participants had met a professional football player up close, thanks to the generosity of Paladin Sports Some of the participants were able to attend the Phoenix’s match versus Perth Glory earlier this month at WIN Stadium. Find out more about MCSF at www.mcci.org.au/youthcommunity/football/
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