Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Alex Paulsen says he would stop short of the cheeky penalty antics of rival Paul Izzo that helped Melbourne Victory into the final four should the Semi-Final bout between the two sides progress to a shootout.
With a spot in the Semi-Finals on the line, Victory goalkeeper Izzo produced a penalty shootout performance for the ages to eliminate Melbourne City and send his side into a two-legged showdown with Wellington.
During his shootout masterclass, Izzo took City keeper Jamie Young’s water bottle – adorned with notes on Victory’s penalty takers – and hurled it out of sight.
In the build-up to the first leg of his side’s clash with Victory in the Semi-Finals at AAMI Park on Sunday, May 12, Paulsen was alerted by reporters to Izzo’s actions.
“Oh, did he?” Paulsen replied. “That’s toxic!”
“Honestly, it doesn’t really matter for me. If he has those notes on the side, I’m really confident in the boys to make sure that when they get the opportunity to take a penalty that they’ll score.
“But no, I don’t think you’ll see me doing any bottle tossing or things like that!”
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Paulsen will play in the very first Finals Series game of his career this weekend, as the Phoenix look to win on the road and take a commanding Semi-Final lead back to Wellington for the return leg.
A club still without a piece of A-Leagues silverware through 17 seasons, the Phoenix finished higher than ever before in 2023-24, falling two points short of Premiers Central Coast in second, automatically qualifying for the Semi-Finals.
Head coach Giancarlo Italiano made just two signings prior to his first season in charge but his galvanised squad brimming with academy graduates, bolstered by the mid-season arrival of signing number three, Youstin Salas, put pre-season critics in their place, exceeding all external expectations on their way up the table. Wellington lost just four games in the regular season, the least of any team in the league and two fewer than Central Coast.
But now, the real test begins: a two-legged Semi-Final tie with Victory, beginning with Sunday’s first leg at AAMI Park – Wellington’s bogey ground.
The Phoenix have not beaten Victory at AAMI Park since 2017, and haven’t won any of their last 20 appearances at the venue against all opposition.
Victory, meanwhile, have won six of their last seven Finals Series games at AAMI Park – including last weekend’s thrilling Elimination Final win over Melbourne City decided by a penalty shoot-out, with Izzo emerging the hero on a career night in goal.
Sunday’s Semi-Final presents Italiano the chance to mastermind Wellington’s first Finals Series win since 2012, when the ‘Nix beat Sydney FC 3-2 in a home Elimination Final. The club has gone winless in six post-season games since.
Victory will be without star midfielder Zinédine Machach for both games against Wellington after his Elimination Final red card. Machach was offered a two-game ban by Football Australia’s independent Match Review Panel, ruling him out for the two-legged affair. Should Victory progress to the Grand Final, Machach would be eligible to face either Central Coast or Sydney FC in the decider.
Head-to-head this season
Round 4: Melbourne Victory 1-1 Wellington Phoenix
Victory played host to Wellington in Round 4 and the two sides shared the spoils in the first of three regular season meetings between the two sides this season.
Olyroos midfielder Ryan Teague scored his first A-Leagues goal in a dream start to his maiden Victory campaign as the hosts opened the scoring at AAMI Park – but the ‘Nix struck back before half-time when Damien Da Silva bundled Kosta Barbarouses’ cross over his own goal line. The points were then shared in a 1-1 draw.
Round 13: Wellington Phoenix 1-1 Melbourne Victory
Victory travelled across the ditch to take on the ‘Nix in Round 13 and just like their Round 4 encounter, the game ended 1-1 with the points shared at Sky Stadium.
Phoenix defender Tim Payne was sent off late in the first half and Victory looked set to take all three points when they took the lead through Connor Chapman’s third league goal – but the 10-man hosts fought back, with captain Alex Rufer scoring a late penalty to level the score.
Round 24: Wellington Phoenix 1-0 Melbourne Victory
The Phoenix welcomed Victory back to Sky Stadium in Round 24 and 95 minutes elapsed without either team breaking the deadlock, before late drama sealed the hosts all three points.
A stoppage-time free-kick delivered into a dangerous area by Oskar van Hattum was met by Finn Surman, and deflected off Roderick Miranda on its way past Paul Izzo as Wellington snatched all three points and sparked special scenes in the ‘Cake Tin’.
OPTA STATS
- Wellington Phoenix have scored exactly one goal in each of their last seven A-League Men games against Melbourne Victory, picking up two wins and two draws in that frame (L3).
- This will be just the second time Melbourne Victory and Wellington Phoenix have met in the finals of an A-League Men campaign; their previous post-season encounter ended in a 3-1 win for Melbourne Victory in 2018-19 Elimination Finals.
- Melbourne Victory have won six of their seven previous A-League Men finals at AAMI Park (L1) including a win on penalties against Melbourne City in the 2023-24 elimination finals, while Wellington Phoenix have lost their last six finals games at all venues, last winning a finals game in March 2012 against Sydney FC (3-2).
- Wellington Phoenix are winless in their last four A-League Men games in Australia (D2 L2), scoring just two goals in the process, while Melbourne Victory have lost only one of their last six games at AAMI Park in the competition (W3 D2).
- Melbourne Victory have outshot their opposition by 116 shots this A-League Men season, their most in a single campaign since Opta records began (2012-13); in fact, their shooting accuracy of 49.6% is also their highest in a campaign since 2018-19 (49.8%).
- Bruno Fornaroli (Melbourne Victory) has scored six goals across his six career games against Wellington Phoenix at AAMI Park as well as making one assist in that frame; furthermore, he’s been directly involved in five goals across his last six games at the venue overall (3 goals, 2 assists).
- Kosta Barbarouses (Wellington Phoenix) has neither scored nor assisted a goal in any of his last five A-League Men games against the Melbourne Victory, last scoring a goal against them for the Phoenix in January 2017; though, he has scored in each of his last two games overall.
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