Kosta Barbarouses of the Phoenix. Photo: Photosport
For the first time this season New Zealand did not taste victory in the A-League Men this weekend. Auckland's winning run came to an end with a 2-2 draw at Melbourne City, while the Wellington Phoenix were gunned down 2-1 in a shootout with Macarthur at Sky Stadium.
But both teams can take massive positives from this winless weekend.
Let's start with Auckland, who served up another rollercoaster in their first official away game in Australia. AAMI Park is something of a graveyard for New Zealand teams, so any result against City would have been welcomed pre-game. Considering the circumstances, the share of spoils may have felt like a triumph for the Black Knights.
It has been suggested by some, and we will not name names, that this Auckland side might be 'there for the taking' should they concede first. That idea can be put to bed, as the Black Knights twice came back from a goal down in Victoria. Guillermo May nodded home Francis de Vries' wicked corner to level at 1-1 before Neyder Moreno's free-kick proved too hot to handle for the hapless City goalie Patrick Beach in stoppage time.
Francis De Vries of Auckland FC (L) is challenged during the round eight A-League Men match between Melbourne City and Auckland FC at AAMI Park. Photo: Graham Denholm / Getty Images
Yet that is only half the story. Auckland started the game with two key players, Dan Hall and Louis Verstraete, absent through injury. Compounding that misery, Hall has broken his ankle and joins Cam Howieson (calf) in the long-term injury clinic. The manner of their second conceded goal was also potentially paralysing. Nando Pijnaker's back pass bobbled its way over an overly-casual Alex Paulsen for an uncharacteristic error from the exceptional All White. That came mere moments after Moreno thought he had won the game for Auckland, only for his headed effort to be confusingly but correctly ruled out by the VAR.
A draw clutched from the jaws of a painful defeat and Auckland remain unbeaten at the A-League summit. That seems like a reason to celebrate.
For the Phoenix, they came away with nothing from their clash with the Bulls - except for a glimpse of what might be an extremely potent attacking tripod.
Kosta Barbaouses, Marco Rojas and Hideki Ishige formed a terrifying triangle at times with their endeavour, skill and pace a real problem for any defence in this league. Barbarouses and Rojas, in particular, look immediately telepathic. Two Johnny Warren medal winners who, judging by Kosta's increasingly bandaged leg and Rojas' slow-but-steady introduction to a second stint in the capital, are not even fully fit, had the Bulls scrambling. Giancarlo Italiano will be licking his lips at the potential on show and, were it not for two world-class saves from ex-Nix goalie Filip Kurto, Chiefy's men would have been leaving with a very impressive three points.
Alas, football is cruel, and Isaac Hughes can certainly attest to the truth behind that tired platitude. A wicked bounce deflected onto his arm to give Macarthur the penalty which led to their opener while a freshly introduced Ariath Piol twisted the 20-year-old into a pretzel into the build-up for Macarthur's winner. After an own goal in the Kiwi Classico, Hughes is facing the first big test of his character in his fledgling career and his teammates will be doing all they can to help him through.
So a loss, but a heap of positives to take from the game. They will not face Kurto every week, the attack is blossoming, the full-backs were terrifying and Josh Oluwayemi had another excellent game, including a penalty save. All in all, there is plenty of blue sky to look forward to this New Zealand football summer.
In other football news:
- There was late drama for the Wellington Phoenix in their A-League Women clash with Melbourne Victory on Friday night. Manaia Elliott's bullet header, her first for the club, secured a well-fought draw with the title-chasing Victorians. That's three without defeat now for Paul Temple's side who are looking stronger than ever.
- Chris Wood may have had a goal chalked off for a marginal offside, but he will still be celebrating following a dramatic win for his Nottingham Forest side v Aston Villa. The result saw Forest leapfrog reigning champions Manchester City into fourth.
- City's drop in places was due to a stunning 2-1 loss to an Amad Diallo-inspired Manchester United in Ruben Amorim's first Manchester derby as United boss. Two goals in the final minutes of the game secured the win.
- Arsenal failed to take advantage of Liverpool's dropped points at the top of the table. The Reds drew a dramatic fixture with Fulham at Anfield but Arsenal were shut-out by a solid but unambitious Everton. Chelsea were the big winners, closing the gap at the top to just two points with a win over Brentford.
- From winners, to losers. Literally, losers who lost games and jobs this weekend. Russell Martin has paid the price for his high-risk philosophy at Southampton after a 5-0 pasting at home to Spurs - who led by five at half-time. Meanwhile, Gary O'Neil is also on the scrapheap at Wolves, after a late loss to relegation rivals Ipswich Town.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
