Michael Batson

The Wellington Phoenix football team has only been around for a handful of years playing against teams from Australia in the Hyundai-sponsored A-League. 

For a team with a mix skilled squad they recently managed a remarkable feat, beating a team with one of the greatest pedigrees, Boca Juniors from Argentina.

Granted Boca had left most of their top players behind in Buenos Aires, including their chief playmaker, the sublime Juan Roman Riquelme, but those players who turned out in the famous blue and yellow colours, were playing for places in a side that trials an estimated 12,000 youngsters every year for places in the club’s youth teams.

Against Boca’s illustrious history, the Phoenix pale into insignificance.  Founded in 1905, they hold together with AC Milan, a world-equalling 18 international titles, and have won 41 official tournaments. Forty percent of Argentines identify themselves as fans of the club.

The Phoenix play their home matches at a ground nicknamed the Cake Tin.  Like most grounds in New Zealand, fans of football codes are forced to watch games played on grounds designed for cricket.  Despite being somewhat physically distant from the pitch loyal home fans, the Yellow Fever, drum up lots of noise.  Regardless of the weather, with ten minutes remaining the Fever adopt the “shirts off” waving their garments in the air, some women too. 

On a wet and cold Wellington evening, the 12,000-strong crowd would have done little to intimidate the Boca players.  Boca play at the Estadio Alberto Armando, better known as La Bombonera, the chocolate box, with a capacity of over 60,000.  Home matches are sold out, and the crowd jumps up and down, literally rocking the stadium superstructure.  Their main rival is cross town club River Plate, with whom the contest the Superclasico.

The Boca-River Plate derby is the stuff of legend.  The build-up goes on all week in the media, Boca having their own television channel.  Units of the Argentine army are mobilised in case things between the fans get out of hand.  The English broadsheet, the Observer, listed the Superclasico at the top of their 50 sporting events to see before you die. 

I had met an English backpacker in Cambodia a few years ago who had come to Asia from South America, via New Zealand and Australia.  A part time football fan he had been in Buenos Aires when the Superclasico was on, and had gone to the River Plate stadium with two Swedes to witness the contest. 

River’s home ground holds 78,000 and the side is purported to represent a more middle-class fan base, whereas Boca is seen as wholly working class.  Neither he nor the Swedes had ever seen anything like it, “the most amazing sporting event I’ve ever seen” is what he told me.

Boca’s youthful team, rumoured to be made up of those mainly in their early twenties, though looking much younger than that, didn’t particularly distinguish themselves.  Prior to playing in Wellington, they had played a spiteful match against the Melbourne Victory in Australia.  After a week where Wellington’s legendary wind combined with mid-winter cold rain, did little to make the visitor’s feel welcome. 

The weather turned nastiest the evening of the match.  Boca’s players had probably spent the week wishing they were somewhere else.  Rumour had it the night before the match, the squad had gone to an Argentine restaurant in town, and after having been old by the coach they’d had their quota of wine, had been seen trying to bribe the waiting staff for more!

If Boca’s players were taking the game lightly, they got a rude wake up call.  A few Boca fans were in the crowd with their distinctive la azul y oro (the blue and gold) shirts, the colours chosen reputedly after the club’s founders spotted a Swedish ship flying the nation’s colours in the Buenos Aires docks. 

The South Americans were faster passers of the ball.  Their first touch was better than that of the home side, and they always seemed to have more space and time on the ball than their hometown opponents.

Nevertheless, they went behind when the Phoenix’s new signing, Dylan Macallister, a lanky Australian, latched on to cross to put the ball into the net.  Boca’s Marcelo Canete was always a threat, and could easily have had the visitors ahead early on but missed several chances.  His close control around the penalty area often had the Phoenix defenders stretched.

The game always had an element of niggle.  Despite their apparent physical deficiencies, Boca’s players could hold off their opponents with relative ease. 

The Phoenix’s holding midfielder, Vince Lia, was easily dislodged on at least two occasions.  When it happened a third time his frustration boiled over, and he retaliated off the ball, earning himself a yellow card. 

Late in the second half, Boca’s captain, Christian Cellay was ordered off after a scuffle with the Phoenix’s star player, Paul Ifill, for which the Englishman also received a booking.

In the 60th minute the Phoenix went two up, after their captain, Andrew Durante, headed home a goal.  In the final ten minutes, Durante created a rare double, scoring at both ends, one for each side, as he miscued a clearance and put the ball into his own net.

The win stretched further the Phoenix’s unbeaten record at the Cake Tin to over 20 matches.  Australian sides don’t like making the trip to Wellington due to the travel, weather, and the staunch support the Phoenix enjoy.

Though more imaginative than rugby crowds, who are far too polite, the Yellow Fever has a rather limited menu of chants. And they are chants rather than the singing heard overseas in other football competitions. 

“Who are you” greets every opposition corner-taker.  “She fell over” is heard whenever and opposition player goes down with an injury.  Fouls conceded by the home side draws the inevitable “same old Aussies always cheating” which quickly became “same old Argies” for the Boca players. 

The Fever’s nationalistic theme persists throughout the A-League season, despite a large contingent of Australians playing with the home side.

A new A-League season has just kicked off.  After New Zealand’s qualification for the World Cup and a decent showing returning home the only unbeaten side at the tournament, football as soccer is now referred to, is on a high. 

Soon full strength New Zealand “All White” sides will play home internationals against Paraguay and Honduras.  All the New Zealand players are now professionals, with many plying their trade overseas, with one or two with English Premiership teams.

The Phoenix live up to their name, rising from the ashes of previous professional New Zealand teams, the Auckland-based Kingz and Knights, that failed dismally in the Australian competition.  Backed by a property developer, Terry Serepisos, his millions have now attracted better quality players who can make competitive salaries when compared with other codes. 

Last year the Phoenix finished the finals play-offs effectively in third place, one game away from the major final.  However, success on the field may be hamstrung by politics off it.  The Phoenix represents the Oceania Confederation, while the A-League is a gateway to the Asia Champions League, as Australia has shifted its allegiance to Asia.  Should they win the A-League, the Phoenix would effectively be barred from the riches on offer playing the best sides in Asia, an issue that may be addressed in future.

Football has moved up the pecking order with the New Zealand media.  Once upon a time it rounded out the television sports news almost as an after thought. Now it can be seen leading the agenda, though rugby is still king if the All Blacks are playing. 

More children play football in youth leagues than play rugby in New Zealand.  The problem has always been keeping them in the code at senior levels.  With the advent of the Phoenix and the recent success of the national side greater numbers may be retained in the sport.  The Boca result goes someway to strengthening the future of the game nationally.