A-League Men - Wellington Phoenix v Macarthur FC at Sky Stadium, Wellington. Photo: Masanori Udagawa/Photosport
Analysis - We're on the brink of the biggest game in Wellington Phoenix's history, but not a single 'Nix player will kick a ball in anger in pursuit of the desired result.
This Wednesday, the Central Coast Mariners face Adelaide United in what is the final game of the regular A-League season. Delayed after the Mariners got waylaid by the Dubai floods on their return from playing in Kyrgyzstan last week, Central Coast go into the tie knowing they simply need to avoid defeat to be crowned Premier champions. However, should they fall to Adelaide, the Phoenix will be left celebrating a first trophy in their 17-year existence.
It's a tough ask. In football parlance, Adelaide are already on the beach. The offseason is tantalisingly close for a side with nothing to play for and whose best player, Bavaria-bound Nestory Irankunda, is dreaming of bratwurst and lederhosen.
Whatever the final result, the Phoenix players, staff and fans will either be celebrating or commiserating at home - as they finished their league campaign with a thumping 3-0 win over Macarthur on Saturday night.
It is certainly not the first time that a football team has been waiting on other results to potentially crown them champions. Just this week, Paris Saint-Germain won France's Ligue 1 (again) after nearest rivals Monaco faltered. Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson was infamously informed of his first Premier League title triumph in 1993 by a passing stranger on the 17th hole of the golf course. Perhaps less nonchalantly Leicester City's players revelled in their miracle league title in 2015-16 with a party at star striker Jamie Vardy's house as the chasing Tottenham Hotspur drew 2-2 with Chelsea. Rumours of vodka and Bacardi being in full flow remain unsubstantiated.
Coach Giancarlo Italiano of the Phoenix Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Phoenix boss Giancarlo Italiano looks set to have a classier watching party planned. He's heading to 'Nix's operations manager Jake Piper's house, as he allegedly has the biggest TV of the Phoenix staff, with a bottle of wine primed to settle in at 9pm NZT and watch himself potentially make history.
Whether the players will follow suit remains to be seen. 'Chiefy' has reportedly softened on his stance and offered them a night of quiet celebration should the result go their way. Whether that will spill out into the streets of Wellington at 11pm or not will remain to be seen should things go their way in Gosford. But with the play-offs just two weeks away, maybe keep the vodka and Bacardi under lock and key for now.
In other football news:
Katie Bowen has been recognised for her stellar season for the Football Ferns and Inter Milan by being named overall New Zealand player of the year. The defender excelled at last year's FIFA Women's World Cup and moved to the Italian side last September.
New Zealand's Katie Bowen. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.nz
Chris Wood has had an impressive season for Nottingham Forest but this weekend proved to be one to forget. Forest lost 2-0 to Manchester City, a result with no shame attached to it. However, Wood missed two golden opportunities where the ball was begging to be put in the back of the net which proved costly. Above them, Everton are now safe, leaving the relegation battle for Wood and his teammates between themselves Luton Town and Burnley with their next opponents, Sheffield United, falling through the trapdoor at the weekend.
At the other end, City remain in the driving seat with a game in hand over Arsenal, who just about held on against rivals Tottenham Hotspur to stay top of the pile for now. But the wheels have truly come off for Liverpool who followed up a Merseyside derby defeat in midweek with a 2-2 draw at West Ham in which the confirmed departing manager Jurgen Klopp and potentially departing Mo Salah had a pitch side squabble.
