The Wellington Phoenix will put the Sister City Cup on the line for the first time this season when they visit Western Sydney Wanderers on Thursday night.
The trophy celebrates the agreement between Porirua and Blacktown which was signed in 1984 to promote cultural and commercial ties between the two cities.
The Phoenix are the current holders having beaten Wanderers 2-0 in their most recent meeting in Porirua last year.
The Nix also won the corresponding fixture in Sydney in late 2023.
“It’s currently ours so we’ve got to hold on to it,” Phoenix head coach Paul Temple told media after training on Wednesday.
“It’s always nice to have something on the line. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily added motivation, but it does give us something.”
Western Sydney enter the match in 11th place on the ladder, seven points behind Wellington, but they’re coming off an entertaining 4-4 draw at high-flying Melbourne Victory on Sunday night.
Wanderers also have a new head coach with Geoff Abrahams, the youth technical director of Wanderers girls academy, taking over from Robbie Hooker in an interim capacity.
“It’s difficult because you don’t know if they’re going to change things up.
“New coach bounce and a little bit of new energy are two things we have to deal with this week.
“All of it’s out of our control though so for us it’s really just about putting in the performance we’re looking to put in and targeting some areas…based on obviously what they’re doing currently.
“Whether they change system or change the way they play that’ll be a challenge for us on gameday to figure out as we go.
“But we’ve got things that we’re focusing on, and I think that’s all we can really control at this point.”
The Nix have four wins and a draw from their past six matches to move them into a congested middle of the ladder.
Temple says they need to continue collecting points to stay in and around the top six.
“But it’s such a tough league to predict, isn’t it? No one would have thought Canberra would have gone to Brisbane and won 2-1 last week after the way Brisbane had been playing.
“You just cannot predict anything or even think this will happen.
“You have to take each game as it comes and take it on its own merit.”
The Sister City Cup fixture is the first of two matches in four days for the Phoenix. They will travel to South Australia on Friday to play Adelaide United on Sunday.
“It is challenging. The two games in succession on Thursday night and Sunday is a challenge for any team.
“We don’t often do mid-week games in this league. Everyone’s having to do it though so it’s fair and equal.
“The challenge for us is we have to get the balance right of which players are going to go back-to-back and be able to play 90 minutes at the level we need them to.
“We’re going to take an extra two players with us on this trip so we’ll have 18 and it gives us that ability to bring new people in and bring freshness in. I think that’s going to be really key.”
Paul Temple has made just one change to his extended squad, with defender Ella McMillan travelling in place of young attacking midfielder Ela Jerez.
English striker Olivia Fergusson is likely to lead the line again for the Phoenix, having scored goals in back-to-back matches since her dad came to visit from the U.K.
“Her dad is coming to Sydney so she’s going to score again!
“I’m really pleased for her. She’s working so hard. She’s doing so much for the team that is unseen.
“The way she sets off the press and the way she gives us the energy to go and defend from the front I think is exceptional.
“She’s contributed so much to the team and I know that she really wanted to get off the mark, so it’s nice now that she’s got two in two.”
The round 9 Ninja A-League match between the Wellington Phoenix and Western Sydney Wanderers is scheduled to kick-off at Wanderers Football Park in Sydney at 9pm (7pm AEDT) Thursday and will be broadcast LIVE on Sky Sport 2 in New Zealand and on Paramount+ and 10 Play in Australia.
Most recent meeting: 30 March 2024 – Wellington Phoenix 2 Western Sydney Wanderers 0
All-time A-League head to head: Phoenix 3W, Wanderers 1W, 2D
Wellington Phoenix squad (two to be omitted): 2. Zoe MCMEEKEN, 3. Tiana JABER, 4. Mackenzie BARRY, 5. Alivia KELLY, 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), 19. Liv INGHAM, 20. Emma MAIN, 21. Lara WALL, 22. Aimee DANIELI (gk), 39. Carolina VILÃO (gk).
Unavailable:8. Amelia ABBOTT (injured), 18. Ella MCCANN (injured), 23. Rebecca LAKE (injured).
Western Sydney Wanderers squad (one to be omitted): 3. Gemma FERRIS, 5. Milly BENNETT, 6. Amy CHESSARI, 7. Amy HARRISON (c), 8. Olivia PRICE, 9. Sophie HARDING, 10. Sienna SAVESKA, 11. Danika MATOS, 12. Bronte TREW, 13. Talia KAPETANELLIS, 15. Cushla RUE, 17. Milly CASSAR, 19. Talia YOUNIS, 20. Sham KHAMIS (gk), 23. Maya LOBO, 31. Keely SEGAVCIC (gk), 37. Ena HARADA.
Unavailable: 24. Aya SEINO (injured), 4. Maddison MCCOMASKY (injured), 25. Holly CASPERS (injured), 2. Paige HAYWARD (injured).
Main image: Cam McIntosh/Photomac.
