36 SPORT FRIDAY OCTOBER 23 2015 Roar expect besieged Phoenix to rise to occasion MARCO MONTEVERDE whose five-year A-League A 10-team competition re- Phoenix general manager should be in the A-League. But licence expires at the end of this mains Football Federation Aus- David Dome came out on the he was full of praise for the John BRISBANE Roar are bracing season. Small crowds, low tralia’s preference, with a club front foot yesterday, telling Phoenix’s contribution to the Aloisi themselves for a Wellington membership numbers, a failure from ’s Sutherland Shire New Zealand Radio Sport that competition and expected an backlash on Saturday after the to lure big dollars for broadcast reportedly the frontrunner to A-League boss Damien de early onslaught tomorrow. Phoenix’s place in the A- rights and the Asian Football replace the Phoenix in the A- Bohun had assured him Well- “All I can say is Welling- League beyond this season was Confederation’s dislike of a League. A second Brisbane ington would again be in the A- ton, while they’ve been in thrown into jeopardy. Kiwi team playing in an Austra- team remains an FFA goal, but League next season. (the A-League), football A report yesterday suggested lian competition are factors next season is perhaps too soon Roar coach was wise they’ve been very a third Sydney team was being working against the Phoenix’s considering the ongoing work reluctant to comment on good – they’ve come a long lined up to replace the Phoenix, licence being renewed. to repair the Roar brand. whether or not the Phoenix way,” Aloisi said. Perth want glory of final in city PERTH Glory feel they’ve earned the right to host the FFA Cup final after qualifying for a second straight year. Muscat But the odds appear stacked against them. The Glory became the first team into the November 7 final when they beat City 3-1 on Wednesday night and they will meet the winner angry at of next Wednesday’s second semi-final between A-League champions Melbourne Victory and lower-tier Hume City FC. Glory players feel it would be an injustice if they don’t host the decider, given they’ve made jinx talk the final in both of the first two FFA Cup seasons and played last year’s final away when beaten by United. A-LEAGUE DRAW “I think it would be only fair to have the final at home to ROUND 3 give something back to Perth Today: Newcatsle Jets v Melbourne and WA,” captain Dino Djul- Victory at Hunter Stadium (6:10pm) bic said. Tomorrow: Wellington Phoenix v “Seeing that we are the only Brisbane Roar at Westpac Stadium team that’s made the final (3:45pm), twice, to play two times away Sydney FC v Western Sydney wouldn’t be right, but it’s not Wanderers at Allianz Stadium (6pm) up to us. We take it as it comes, Sunday: Melbourne City v Central but we want to have the final Coast Mariners at AAMI Park here.” (3:30pm), The FFA says the venue for Perth Glory v Adelaide United at NIB the final will be decided after Stadium (5:30pm) the second semi-final and will be determined by which venue will draw the biggest crowd and TV audience for the match. That seems to favour the Victory, who will be heavily favoured to beat Melbourne- based NPL team Hume City. Their home ground, AAMI Park, holds about 30,000 – to Glory home ground nib Stadi- Melbourne Victory coach , right, will make a choice between , left, and vice-captain as they travel to face Newcastle Jets in um’s about 20,000 – they have tonight’s A-League fixture. Picture: GEORGE SALPIGTIDIS a huge supporter base and they’re in the heavily populat- MATT WINDLEY the 3-2 win over Melbourne year the eventual champions that you guys keep bringing it ham’s availability could shunt ed eastern time zone. City, chiefly the need to erad- were shocked 1-0 at AAMI up. So maybe we go across him straight back to the bench. KEVIN Muscat says he is an- icate the poor patches of play Park by the 2014-15 wooden there and bring the three “What we’ve got to under- noyed by questions surround- that let their cross-town rivals spooners in Round 24. points home and we can forget stand as well is that Broxy was ing Melbourne Victory’s poor come back from two goals “If that’s what everyone about it.” unavailable last week through record in Newcastle and is de- down in the second half. wants to focus on then we’ve , who no fault of his own,” Muscat Clasico ref termined to silence any doubt- With just two wins out of 14 got to derail that, go there and trained at Gosch’s Paddock said. “So he won’t be punished ers against the Jets tonight. games in Newcastle in 10 sea- get a result so that this topic yesterday, has overcome a from that perspective. ‘pressured’ Vice-captain Leigh Brox- sons, Victory’s win percentage ‘we don’t play we’ll against minor neck complaint from “(Deng) did very well last A SPANISH assistant ham is set to return to the at Hunter Stadium is lower Newcastle’ or ‘we can’t get earlier in the week and will week and I suppose from the referee has formally starting line-up at Hunter Sta- than at any other regular A- points against Newcastle’ can play. outside he exceeded expecta- complained to anti- dium, replacing Thomas Deng League ground. stop,” Muscat said. It means Muscat’s main sel- tions, but certainly from within corruption authorities he was pressured into in the centre of defence after Their overall points haul “The key to getting three ection headache is between we expected what he could do favouring Real Madrid in missing last Saturday’s derby against the Jets – 37 from a points is pretty simple – you Deng and Broxham. – he had a great performance. next month’s El Clasico through suspension. possible 90 – is also lower than perform well ... You’ve cer- Deng (pictured with “Whether he stays in the against Barcelona by the Muscat said his charges against any of the other foun- tainly lit a bit of a fire in my Muscat) impressed in his start- team tomorrow night or not league’s refereeing learnt some valuable lessons in dation A-League clubs and last belly because it’s annoying me ing debut last week, but Brox- time will tell.” committee. In a court filing published by Spanish radio station COPE on Wednesday, the official Heavyweights PSG and Real Madrid draw a blank claims pressure was put on a senior referee CRISTIANO Ronaldo and way to earn a late 2-1 victory in at CSKA Moscow and Juven- match at the Parc des Princes, chester City in a 2-1 victory expected to take charge Zlatan Ibrahimovic struggled a thrilling finish against tus was held to a scoreless but neither player made an im- over Sevilla. of the match to handle it as Paris Saint-Germain and Sevilla. home draw with Borussia pact and the teams left with a Playing as a lone striker in in a manner that would Real Madrid played to a lack- Atletico Madrid, Wolfsburg Moenchengladbach. point each to remain comfort- the final minutes, the Belgian “prejudice the interests lustre 0-0 draw in the Champi- and Galatasaray all won, while There was a lot of talk about ably ahead in Group A. drove a left-footed shot inside of one of the clubs ons League on Wednesday, Manchester United could not Ronaldo and Ibrahimovic Kevin De Bruyne scored an the far post in the first of four involved, Barcelona’’. while Manchester City found a manage more than a 1-1 draw ahead of the high-profile injury-time winner for Man- minutes of stoppage time.

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