Of all the commotion caused by the release of a 65-player A-Leagues All Stars shortlist last week, nothing sparked a reaction more so than one name left off of it:
Oliver Sail.
The Wellington Phoenix gloveman was a glaring omission when reading through the list of top performers in the Isuzu UTE A-League this season.
But come May 25, when the All Stars walk out alongside FC Barcelona in front of a packed Sydney crowd, Sail hopes to be deep in preparation for one of two things: the Isuzu UTE A-League Grand Final, or a World Cup playoff.
Sail is just days away from kitting up for his first finals series fixture as Wellington’s top custodian, with the ‘Nix travelling to AAMI Park to face Western United.
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He took the number one jersey off the back of fellow New Zealand international Stefan Marinovic in the early stages of the 2020-21 campaign and hasn’t looked back since; now both he and Marinovic are tussling for the same honour at international level with the All Whites.
On June 14, New Zealand face Costa Rica for a spot at the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Before that, come two friendly fixtures which will play a heavy hand in All Whites head coach Danny Hay’s thinking ahead of the intercontinental play-off.
It’s what drove Sail’s decision to withdraw from All Stars contention.
“There’s been a lot of fan reaction and disappointment, which has been lovely to see,” Sail told KEEPUP, reflecting on the public response to his All Stars pass.
“The support of everyone over past two seasons since I’ve been given this opportunity has been incredible and I can’t thank everybody enough for holding me in that regard, and considering me one of the better ones going around. I’m very flattered by all of that attention.
“But with all due respect, it was a very simple and straightforward decision for myself.
“We’ve got a highly competitive environment within the New Zealand football setup for the No. 1 goalkeeper jersey, and we’ve got some massive fixtures coming up in June. Two big friendlies before the winner-takes-all intercontinental play-off against Costa Rica – and then hopefully, if everything goes well there, the World Cup at the end of the year.
“I want to get into camp and into the training environment as soon as possible post the end of the Phoenix season. The window doesn’t officially start until the 30th or 31st of May, but I know Danny (Hay) the national team boss is keen to get those that will finish their season prior to that date in as soon as possible.
“So, for me it was about finishing the season, going as deep into the finals and doing as well as we can, and hopefully, ultimately lifting the title at the end of the month. But should we not be successful in that pursuit of the Championship, I will pretty much jump on a plane and head over to Europe to join the New Zealand setup immediately.
“For me, that was the primary focus outside of here. It was very flattering to be considered amongst all my colleagues who have had fantastic seasons. But it was a pretty straightforward and simple decision for me, personally.”
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Sail’s omission from the All Stars shortlist, and the uproar that followed, tells the story of the rapid rise in prominence of a player who just two seasons ago was in relative obscurity, stuck on the bench behind Marinovic as a number two – a position Sail had occupied at the club since signing his first professional contract in 2017.
He made just eight appearances in his first five A-League Men’s campaigns at the ‘Nix. But despite being made to wait for a regular run of games in the senior Phoenix side, Sail’s self-belief never wavers.
He says it’s what helped him to seize his opportunity to become a dispensable figure in the Phoenix XI when Marinovic hit a slump of form early last season. Sail has made 43 league appearances since February, 2021, becoming a New Zealand international in the process.
“I’ve said it a lot before: I’ve believed for four or five years now I was going to be the best in the competition if I got the opportunity to be,” Sail said.
“I only said that to my friends and family, and my teammates. No-one really asked me those questions because it wasn’t considered or anything like that. And understandably – I get it, I hadn’t played many games … but I always felt deep down if someone gave me the opportunity I would be one of the best, if not the best in the league.
“That’s not to say I have been this year or not – that’s not up to me to decide. But I always felt like I had the ability to do that. I was always extremely confident that when I did get my opportunity I would take it with both hands, and run with it.”
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Sail continued: “I remember I had a conversation last year with a number of the boys here, that I had an inkling that Uffy was going to give me a chance that week – and it turned out that he did.
“I said to them that I was going to go out there and perform and win for this football club, and hold myself to a very high standard. It was never a consideration that I hand’t played much football or given much of a chance, I was always going to hold myself to a very high standard.
“I hope that I’ve continued to do that throughout the last two seasons, and I hope I continue to do that going forward.
“I do strive to be the best in this league. It’s not for me to decide whether I am or not, but it’s certainly a standard I set for myself.”
Sail has made 92 saves this season, with a save percentage of 70% he’s kept five clean sheets.
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Whether he would have earned the opportunity to don the gloves for the All Stars against Barcelona, we’ll never know. But Sail pushed on toward the A-League Men’s finals series without regret, as he looks to savour the big-game moments to make a deep run in the post-season, and prepare for what’s to come when a place in the World Cup goes on the line.
“In terms of my professional environment, this (weekend’s elimination) is just as an important game, and I know (Phoenix head coach Ufuk Talay) wouldn’t want me looking too far ahead toward those international fixtures.
“But absolutely, it’s an opportunity to see how I perform personally in a setting like this.
“I’ve been here as a squad player, as a second choice but I have never been here as the one who is going to have to do the business.
“It’s a setting I’m really looking forward to diving head first into, but absolutely it’s the first step for me toward making myself comfortable in these scenarios.
“The stakes couldn’t be higher come June for us as a footballing nation. If I want to convince the national team coach that I’m the one to shoulder the burden and play that game then this game this weekend can go a long way to showing them.”
Sail added: “Everything is on the line this weekend. Me, personally – I love it. I love to play the games that mean more, that have a little bit more riding on them and the stakes are little bit higher, the pressure is higher.
“Ideally I won’t touch the ball this weekend, and we’ll win comfortably. That would be the dream. But in saying that, I’m looking forward to the moments where I have to contribute and come up big for the team, and for the football club.”
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