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The end of the 2020-21 A-League regular season is nigh, with teams finalizing their positions ahead of the Finals Series. Western Sydney Wanderers and Wellington Phoenix still in the hunt for a playoff spot.
The leagues in Europe came to a halt on Sunday, when all the major divisions concluded their season by crowning their respective winners and the European tournament qualifiers. While there was jubilation for some, there was disappointment for a few others, who were relegated from their respective divisions into the level below. While Europe closed its doors for another season, football continues to be played on other continents – Australia being one of them.
The A-League season is drawing to a close too – at least, the “regular” part of it. Three matchdays remain for five teams to secure their spot in the Finals Series, with Melbourne City already claiming one spot. However, the race for the remaining places remains extremely close, with nine of the twelve teams still with a chance of qualifying. Among those nine teams are Western Sydney Wanderers and Wellington Phoenix. They go head-to-head for their 24th match of the season, with a spot in the top six on the line.
Wellington Phoenix is a curious case. The New Zealand club is the only one from Oceania which plays in the A-League. However, their unusual situation renders them ineligible to qualify for any Asian Football Confederation tournaments, such as the AFC Champions League or the AFC Cup.
As such, the only thing left for The Nix to play for is the division title and the domestic cup. Currently, they are eighth in the table, which just about secures a spot in the 2021 FFA Cup round of 32. They do have a chance to secure one of the Finals’ spots, but at the same time, they also are at risk of falling out of contention completely.
Western Sydney Wanderers are one spot below Phoenix on the table, although with the same number of points. A win over the New Zealand club in their upcoming match would allow them to overtake their opponents on the league table and into one of the key spots.
However, Wanderers will have to win their remaining matches and hope that Brisbane Roar, Macarthur FC, and Central Coast Mariners drop points, if they wish to secure a spot in the Finals.
Key Players
Football fanatics will recognize James Troisi as the up-and-coming Australian winger once in the books of Atalanta and Juventus. Now 32, Troisi has returned to his native country and is currently plying his trade for Western Sydney Wanderers in the A-League. The attacker has led the Wanderers in attack this term, scoring four goals and providing seven assists – a decent return from a deep attacking midfield position on the pitch.
26-year-old forward Bruce Kamau joined Western Sydney Wanderers in 2018 from Manchester City but has only provided modest returns in the three seasons since. Kamau, however, has scored eight goals in the league this term, making this his most productive campaign for the Wanderers. The forward plays as part of an attacking duo for his team. He has also provided two assists this campaign to go with his eight goals.
The photograph of Ulises Davila holding a Chelsea shirt still gets passed around in Asian Football circles whenever the Mexican pops up at a club in the confederation. Davila signed for Chelsea in 2011 and then proceeded to go out on several loans. He finally found a home in New Zealand two years ago when Wellington Phoenix decided to take a punt on him. He has repaid the trust that the A-League outfit put in him and has since been promoted to the position of captain. He has scored seven goals this term and supplied five assists.
19-year-old Ben Waine is one of the best prospects in the A-League – a hypothesis confirmed by the league itself. The young forward is in the running for the competition’s best young player and was crowned as the young player of the month for April recently. Waine has scored six times this season in 19 appearances. He is usually deployed upfront in a 4-4-2, often partnering the ex-Brighton forward, Tomer Hemed.
Prediction
In terms of their head-to-head this season, Western Sydney Wanderers lead Wellington Phoenix 1-0. They have played two matches so far against each other, with the Wanderers winning their second encounter 4-3. Their first one ended in a 2-2 draw. Given that the two sides have scored a combined 11 goals in their ties this season, one can expect a goal-fest.
However, it could be the case of third-time lucky for The Nix, who come into the match on a five-match unbeaten streak. They have won two and drawn three of their last five matches, which is a better record as compared to the Wanderers, who have lost three during the same time.
