Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne Victory fans Photo: Masanori Udagawa/Photosport
Wellington Phoenix now know who stands between them and their first-ever A-League grand final following the elimination finals over the weekend and it couldn't be a more perfect rival.
Melbourne Victory stunned their Victoria counterparts Melbourne City, securing a win on penalties despite playing much of the game with just 10 men following Zinedine Machach's first-half red card.
Victory keeper Paul Izzo was the hero, saving three penalties in the shootout, as well as one from Tolgay Arslan in regulation time. Not content with being impassable between the sticks, the 29-year-old even stuck one in from 12 yards in what is surely one of the most belligerent and brilliant performances in finals series football history.
Next year, the Phoenix will finally have a local rival, with the emergence of Auckland FC, but until now, having a genuine rivalry within the A-League has been something of a rotational affair - dependent on which other team appears to be their proximal villain. Recently, the Victory have become one such team.
It is not entirely new. As far back as 2011, the Victory were the Nix's opponents in the A-League 'Rivalry Round'. That's the same year a 19-year-old Marco Rojas was lured away from the capital to the Victory, despite his initial academy spot at the Nix being funded by the Yellow Fever supporters' group.
Marco Rojas Photo: PHOTOSPORT
In more recent times, Phoenix fans revelled in the Victory's disappointing campaign last year, despite the embarrassment of talent they lured including ex-Manchester United star Nani. The Victory, meanwhile, hold some sort of benevolent power over Phoenix at their AAMI Park home.
The Nix have a woeful record there, although head coach Giancarlo Italiano seems to be revelling in the chance to cast aside that hex in their semi-final first-leg this weekend.
Some of the Phoenix's more braindead fans even had an ill-informed foray into amateur hooliganism earlier this season, with fisticuffs thrown during a heated clash at Sky Stadium. Away from this act of stupidity, the two teams' fanbases on 'Sokkah Twitter' have had a playful and jibing virtual tit-for-tat for most of this season.
Youstin Salas of the Phoenix during the A-League - Wellington Phoenix FC v Melbourne Victory FC at Sky Stadium, Wellington. Photo: Masanori Udagawa / Photosport
The reason is clear. The margin of difference between the two sides is extremely slim. The semi-final tie will be decided on aggregate over two legs and if this season's meetings between the two are anything to go by it will be a tight affair. Two 1-1 draws preceded a 1-0 triumph for the Phoenix in April, courtesy of Finn Surman's last-minute header - an act which fanned the fuels of this burgeoning hostility.
It certainly adds a layer of spice to what should be a taut clash over two legs. With ticket sales tracking well for the second leg at Sky Stadium, it seems the general public is slowly getting on board the Phoenix bandwagon. Here's hoping it can roll on beyond the 18th and into a grand final.
In other football news:
- In the English Premier League, Manchester City continue to nip at Arsenal's tail in the race for the title, both winning convincingly while Erling Haaland took pleasure in proving a point with four goals against Wolves. Liverpool remains in mathematical contention after blowing away the lagging Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield, who have now lost four in a row.
- At the other end of the table, Burnley look doomed to join Sheffield United in an immediate return to the Championship, as their recent resurgence came unstuck against Newcastle United. Luton Town are odds on to join them in a one-two-three fall down the ladder for the promoted sides, with Chris Wood's Nottingham Forest picking up a valuable three points over the weekend.
- Elsewhere, Chelsea continues to shock, this time with another scintillating display in a 5-0 win over West Ham which puts them in the European picture. Rivals Manchester United paid the penalty for having the ageing centre-back pairing of Jonny Evans and Casemiro up against Crystal Palace's Michael Olise-inspired front three, losing 4-0 at Selhurst Park.
- Meanwhile, a player discarded by United put in one of the great Champions League semi-final appearances, as Jadon Sancho inspired Borussia Dortmund to a first-leg win over PSG. Bet Erik ten Hag is wondering if he might have played his hand too strong on the enigmatic wideman. Bayern Munich and Real Madrid are all level, 1-1, after the first leg of their semi-final.
- Real are champions of the Spanish La Liga again. It's their 36th title, reclaiming the trophy after Barcelona's triumph last year. It means either Real or Barca have won the title 18 times out of the past 20 seasons. So, it is refreshing for something out of the ordinary to happen in La Liga, with the unfancied Girona cementing a Champions League spot after a 4-2 win over Barca which ensured the title was heading back to the capital again.
Chris Wood of Nottingham Forest celebrates. Photo: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
