The Wellington Phoenix have won their 2025-26 Isuzu UTE A-League home opener in dramatic fashion.
Cheered on my a raucous crowd at Sky Stadium, the Phoenix have beaten the Brisbane Roar 2-1 courtesy of a goal from wingback Carlo Armiento in the sixth minute of second half stoppage time.
The Roar took the lead late in the first half and it took the Nix up until the 76th minute to draw level through Kazuki Nagasawa.
Playing as a striker, Corban Piper came off the bench to provide the final pass for both goals.
Phoenix head coach Giancarlo Italiano was full of praise for his players and their never say die attitude.
“I’m really happy for the boys,” Italiano told media post-match. “Everyone was very good today.
“We had our backs to the wall, Corbs came on and gave us great energy and nice belief [and] really happy for Carlo.
“It was very hard for him to get into the game but I felt every time it went down his side he was really dangerous.
“Rufs (Alex Rufer) led really well today. I thought Kazu was very good in the second half. Those two were the driving force of our comeback.
“It was top energy from Corbs when he came on again. I thought that he really changed the game for us today.”
It’s the Phoenix’s first win in Wellington for 10 months and Italiano is happy it’s “taken the monkey off our back”.
“We have to win our home games if we want to have a good season.
“I’m very buoyed by the fact that the group is cohesive.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve had that sort of feel in the team. Just a nice feeling that everyone’s got each other’s back and there’s a belief in the group; a nice team cohesion.”
Giancarlo Italiano made one change to the XI which started the first round draw against Perth Glory, with Hideki Ishige replacing Ramy Najjarine, who was a late withdrawal with an ankle injury. Attacking midfielder Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues and reserves team midfielder Anaru Cassidy were promoted to the bench.
The Roar settled the quicker of the two sides and Samuel Klein nodded a header on to the top of the crossbar in the ninth minute after Josh Oluwayemi spilled an attacking free-kick.
Italiano was then forced to make an early change, with All Whites fullback Tim Payne suffering a suspected broken collarbone inside the first quarter of an hour and replaced by Xuan Loke.
There we no shots on goal for either side for the next 25 minutes.
Ifeanyi Eze caused Brisbane to have a couple of nervy moments at the back and Armiento delivered an enticing corner and a couple of threatening cutbacks, but his Phoenix teammates weren’t able to get on the end of them.
The Roar took the lead in the 42nd minute when Justin Vidic got on the end of a ball over the top, held off Manjrekar James and chipped a shot over Oluwayemi in the Wellington goal.
The Nix had their first shot of the match in first half stoppage time after Loke won a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area. Armiento was unable to test Roar ‘keeper Dean Bouzanis, with his free-kick striking the Brisbane wall.
In first half stoppage time Xuan Loke won a free-kick on the edge of the penalty area but Armiento was unable to beat the wall.
Eze drew a good save from Bouzanis 17 minutes into the second half moments after Italiano had brought young forward Luke Brooke-Smith on in place of Fin Roa Conchie. Rufer dragged a shot wide from the resulting corner and from that moment on the Phoenix dominated.
Nagasawa and Lukas Kelly-Heald both dragged shots wide of goal before the Japanese midfielder drew Wellington level.
He bundled home from close range after Piper, on in place of Hideki Ishige in the 65th minute, flashed a dangerous ball across the six yard box.
Armiento came within inches of putting the Nix in front in the 78th minute. He drew a sharp save from Bouzanis and then smashed the follow up just the wrong side of the near post.
He had another thumping effort moments later, this time from distance that Bouzanis was able to get his body behind and parry away.
Brisbane defender Hosine Bility also produced a great smothering block to deny Brooke-Smith a goalscoring opportunity inside the final 10 minutes.
It looked like the Roar would hold on for a share of the spoils before Piper found Armiento on the left of the box and he took on his defender and then shot across Brisbane’s keeper and picked out the far corner of the net.
The result lifts the Wellington Phoenix to equal top of the A-League, below Melbourne City but above Auckland FC on goals scored, with one match remaining in round two.
The Phoenix will head back across the Tasman next Sunday to play Central Coast Mariners.
Wellington Phoenix: 1. Josh OLUWAYEMI (gk), 4. Manjrekar JAMES, 5. Fin ROA CONCHIE (29. Luke BROOKE-SMITH 61st), 6. Tim PAYNE (24. Xuan LOKE 17th), 7. Ifeanyi EZE, 9. Hideki ISHIGE (3. Corban PIPER 65th), 11. Carlo ARMIENTO, 14. Alex RUFER (c), 18. Lukas KELLY-HEALD, 25. Kazuki NAGASAWA, 27. Matthew SHERIDAN.
Unused substitutes: 40. Eamonn MCCARRON (gk), 17. Gabriel SLOANE-RODRIGUES, 37. Anaru CASSIDY, 39. Jayden SMITH.
Brisbane Roar: 1. Dean BOUZANIS (gk), 2. Youstin SALAS, 8. Samuel KLEIN, 9. Christopher LONG (19. Michael RUHS 66th), 10. Georgios VRAKAS (21. Antonee BURKE-GILROY 66th), 12. Lucas HERRINGTON, 15. Hosine BILITY (4. Ben WARLAND 87th), 17. Justin VIDIC, 23. James MCGARRY (44. Jordan LAUTON 66th), 26. Jay O’SHEA (c), 77. Milorad STAJIC (31. Noah MAIERONI 80th).
Unused substitutes: 11. Macklin FREKE (gk), 30. Quinn MACNICOL.
Goals:
17. Justin VIDIC (Brisbane Roar) – 42nd
25. Kazuki NAGASAWA (Wellington Phoenix) – 76th
11. Carlo ARMIENTO (Wellington Phoenix) – 90+6
Cards:
23. James MCGARRY (Brisbane Roar) – yellow – 45+3
7. Ifeanyi EZE (Wellington Phoenix) – yellow – 59th
17. Justin VIDIC (Brisbane Roar) – yellow – 64th
31. Noah MAIERONI (Brisbane Roar) – yellow – 90+1
Main image: Carlo Armiento celebrates his match winner in the sixth minute of time added on in front of the Yellow Fever. Photo: Priyanka Rao/Wellington Phoenix.
