Wellington Phoenix head coach Paul Temple is keenly awaiting the women’s second road match of the 2024-25 Ninja A-League season.
The Phoenix will play the Newcastle Jets at Maitland Regional Sportsground on Sunday afternoon in the penultimate match of round three.
Both sides are searching for their first wins of the new season. The Nix have been beaten by Western United and Canberra United in the opening two rounds, while the Jets lost at Perth Glory last weekend after a home draw with Western Sydney Wanderers.
“I’m actually really looking forward to this game because I think the two teams are quite evenly matched and also have a similar sort of style,” Temple told media on Friday before the team’s trip to Newcastle.
“I think there will be less big physical transitions and a little bit more technical stuff through the middle of the pitch so it’ll be a good battle.”
And he has been “pretty impressed” with the Jets under new coach Ryan Campbell.
“I think Ryan’s done a good job. They’re doing some pretty good things tactically. They’re really trying to build out from the back and play through the midfield.
“We’re kind of similar in the sort of style in terms of what we’re trying to do with the shorter passes and things in the build-up.
“I think they’ve done quite well and played pretty well in the games so that’s good to see for the league.”
The statistics back up Temple’s assessment. Newcastle have delivered the most crosses in the league, have the third best passing accuracy and have the highest expected goals (xG) for.
The Phoenix are fifth in xG for. They were expected to have scored four goals in the first two rounds but have found the back of the net just twice.
“We’ve created a huge amount of chances over the course of the two games and for us it’s about turning those chances into more effective outcomes. We’ve been working on that a bit this week.
“As soon as we get that goal then I think the momentum will shift quite a lot. A few players are waiting to hit the back of the net.
“I’m pretty happy with the process and getting to that point. I think we’ve played some really good stuff and now it’s just about those finishing touches, but we’ve got good quality players so it will come.”
The heat is likely to be a factor on Sunday, with the temperature forecast to be 30 degrees come kick-off in Maitland.
“We’ve been doing training in the heat chamber here since the first week of pre-season so hopefully that can have some effect.
“We’re sort of in that 18 degree temperature at the moment, on average, and we’re going straight into the 30s, which is quite a big jump.
“We’ll have to be prepared with ice towels, water breaks potentially and lots of good professional things off the pitch, but we can’t change the weather so we have to deal with the conditions as they are.”
Paul Temple’s squad are “a little bit bruised and battered” following the 1-0 defeat to Canberra United last weekend.
Vice-captain Rebecca Lake hasn’t travelled because of a foot injury, joining fellow centre back Imane Chebel on the sidelines, but Portuguese goalkeeper Carolina Vilão is expected to keep her place in the starting XI despite being forced off at halftime at Porirua Park.
“It’s pretty much just a dead leg, which is very painful for the first few days but she’s coming right, and we wouldn’t expect her to be out this weekend.”
Scholarship players Ella McMillan and Ela Jerez have travelled to Newcastle with Temple taking an extended 18-strong squad across the Tasman as the women will spend next week in Sydney in the lead-up to Friday’s Unite Round match against Adelaide United at Leichhardt Oval.
The third round Ninja A-League match between the Wellington Phoenix and Newcastle Jets is scheduled to kick-off at Maitland Regional Sportsground in Maitland at 5pm (3pm AEDT) Sunday and will broadcast be free-to-air on Sky Open and LIVE on Sky Sport 2 in New Zealand and on Paramount+ and 10 Play in Australia.
Most recent meeting: 4 April 2024 – Newcastle Jets 3 Wellington Phoenix 2
All-time A-League head to head: Phoenix 1W, Jets 4W.
Wellington Phoenix squad (two to be omitted): 2. Zoe MCMEEKEN, 3. Tiana JABER, 4. Mackenzie BARRY, 6. Maya MCCUTCHEON, 7. Grace JALE, 9. Olivia FERGUSSON, 10. Alyssa WHINHAM, 11. Manaia ELLIOTT, 12. Ella MCMILLAN, 14. Mebae TANAKA, 15. Daisy BRAZENDALE, 16. Annalie LONGO (c), 17. Ela JEREZ, 19. Liv INGHAM, 20. Emma MAIN, 21. Lara WALL, 22. Aimee DANIELI (gk), 39. Carolina VILÃO (gk).
Unavailable: 18. Ella MCCANN (injured), 23. Rebecca LAKE (injured).
Newcastle Jets squad (two to be omitted): 2. Josie WILSON, 3. Claudia CICCO, 6. Cassidy DAVIS (c), 7. India BREIER, 8. Emma DUNDAS, 10. Libby COPUS-BROWN, 11. Deven JACKSON, 13. Lauren ALLAN, 17. Sheridan GALLAGHER, 18. Sophie HOBAN, 22. Lorena BAUMANN, 23. Gia VICARI, 25. Lara GOOCH, 26. Josie ALLAN, 30. Tiahna ROBERTSON (gk), 31. Ally BOERTJE (gk), 32. Claire ADAMS, 39. Alexis COLLINS.
Unavailable: 1. Danielle KRZYZANIAK (gk) (suspended), 9. Bel ROLLEY, 24. Milan HAMMOND.
Main image: Cam McIntosh/Photomac.
