The Wellington Phoenix have their sights on a club first this Sunday afternoon.
The visit of Melbourne Victory, whom the Nix have never defeated, offers a chance to create a slice of history early in the season.
“I think it’s in some ways an underdog mentality, even though this team’s been talked about a lot,” head coach Bev Priestman told media pre-match.
“I absolutely think we can beat them. We are on a thin squad, but at the end of the day it’s a very good thin squad.
“Absolutely they are beatable, but we have to respect what they have.
“The team’s really motivated to do that, we’ve talked about club firsts, and this weekend’s a good chance to do that.”
The first challenge is to recover from the loss of both Tessel Middag and Alyssa Whinham to season-ending injuries.
“Personally, I’m devastated for the players. They’ve both handled it with real maturity and class.
“The holes they leave in the team, that’s the issue now. We can play the whole ‘poor us’, we don’t have a full squad, but at the end of the day that’s a major opportunity for whoever gets to step on that pitch.
“Tess and Alyssa, there’s nothing more that they would love than for us to go out and beat Melbourne Victory this weekend.”
Two draws from the first two games has left Priestman cautiously optimistic.
“I’m not in knockout football. I’m in a season where we’ve taken points off teams, we’ve got to do that again this weekend.
“We’ve just got to grind out a result this weekend, whatever that looks like. We 100% can still challenge for the playoffs for sure.
“I read another coach in the A-League saying that you don’t read too much into the first two, three weeks of the season, it’s a short pre-season.
“You can look at it as we’re undefeated, or we haven’t won. For me, it’s the first one we have to take pride in.
And she is hoping the team can find a finishing touch which has been inconsistent through the first two games.
“I know people talk about expected goals, our xG is high. We are creating them.
“I don’t think we’re a team, hopefully, that’s going to concede a lot of goals.
“We’re growing every week. When you’re building a new team, you have to grow that 5%, 10% every week.
“That’s all I want out of this team, to focus on the process.
“Now’s the time to maximise the players I do have available and stick to that gameplan.”
The round four Ninja A-League match between the Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne Victory is scheduled to kick-off at Porirua Park in Wellington at 4pm Sunday and will be broadcast LIVE on Sky Sport 5 in New Zealand, and on Paramount+ in Australia.
Most recent meeting: 2 February 2025 – Wellington Phoenix 1 Melbourne Victory 1
All-time A-League head to head: Phoenix 0W, Victory 3W, 4D.
Wellington Phoenix squad (one to be omitted): 1. Victoria ESSON (gk), 2. CJ BOTT, 4. Mackenzie BARRY, 5. Ellie WALKER, 7. Grace JALE, 9. Sabitra BHANDARI, 11. Manaia ELLIOTT, 12. Ella MCMILLAN, 15. Daisy BRAZENDALE, 16. Marisa VAN DER MEER, 17. Ela JEREZ, 19. Liv INGHAM, 20. Emma MAIN, 21. Lara WALL, 22. Aimee DANIELI (gk), 23. Brooke NUNN, 24. Pia VLOK, 26. Lily BRAZENDALE. Unavailable: 3. Tiana JABER (injured), 6. Tessel MIDDAG (injured), 8. Macey FRASER (personal reasons), 10. Alyssa WHINHAM (injured), 14. Lucía LEÓN (injured),18. Ella MCCANN (injured).
Melbourne Victory squad (two to be omitted): 1. Courtney NEWBON (gk), 3. Claudia BUNGE, 5. Sofia SAKALIS, 7. Ella O’GRADY, 9. Holly FURPHY, 10. Rhianna POLLICINA, 14. Fiorina IARIA, 16. Kennedy WHITE, 17. Poppy O’KEEFFE, 18. Kayla MORRISON (c), 19. Zoe MCMEEKEN, 20. Leyla HUSSEIN, 23. Rachel LOWE, 24. Laura PICKETT, 27. Rosie CURTIS, 30. Payton WOODWARD (gk), 41. Jessica YOUNG, 66. Alana JANCEVSKI, 81. Grace MAHER. Unavailable: 4. Chelsea BLISSETT (injured), 6. Taylor RAY (injured), 8. Sienna SAVESKA (illness), 11. Nickoletta FLANNERY (injured).
Cover photo credit: Photomac/Cam McIntosh
