Your Brisbane Roar are back at Suncorp Stadium this Saturday for the second time in as many weeks, looking to extend their unbeaten run against the in-form Wellington Phoenix.
The two sides have met only once this season with Saturday’s encounter to be the only time the Phoenix venture across the Tasman to Queensland this season.
Don’t forget! Football Brisbane juniors can claim a FREE ticket to Saturday’s match! Claim HERE.
TICKETS: Be there this Saturday
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MATCHDAY GUIDE: All you need to know
Speaking on Friday morning, Head Coach Robbie Fowler is wary of a much-improved Phoenix outfit, but is confident his squad can continue their strong start to 2020 on the back of what they showed last week against Melbourne City.
“We’re playing a team who are absolutely flying at the minute. Ufuk [Talay] has got them playing really good football, he’s got them well-balanced,” Fowler said on Friday morning.
“We took a lot of positives from last week’s game. We played against a very good team who, as much as they had plenty of possession, we were always in the game.
“This week, it’s about us & what we need to do.”
The Roar will be without captain Tom Aldred who will serve a one-match suspension, but the Head Coach says a long list of versatile players will allow the squad to adapt.
“We’re quite blessed with the players we have who can play in certain positions and roles. We have an idea of how we want to play & this is what big squads are for,” Fowler continued.
Phoenix striker Ulises Davila will be a key danger man for the Nix, but the Roar won’t channel all their attention to one man.
“There’s a lot of good players in the team. He [Davila] is one of the maybe standouts because of the goals he’s scored,” Fowler continued.
“They’re all playing with confidence so as much as you have that standout player in Ulises who is scoring all the goals, he’s not doing it on his own. It’s a real team effort that he’s got going. We do need to be on our toes and try and combat not just him but a few of the players.
The Roar also confirmed the return of 2016/17 Gary Wilkins Medallist Corey Brown on Friday morning. Following a spell with Melbourne Victory, the 26-year-old Queenslander was thrilled to have received an offer to return home.
“[I’m] buzzing to be back. Obviously I’m a Brisbane boy, Brisbane local, this is my home Club so I’m really looking forward to being back part of the team,” Brown said.
“It’s my hometown club and a club that I spent eight-years with before I left. It’s very dear to my heart. I was jumping at the bits to get here.”
MATCH DETAILS
Hyundai A-League 2019/20: Round 15 – Brisbane Roar v Wellington Phoenix
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Saturday, 11 January (4:00pm KO QLD time)
Brisbane Roar FC squad: 1.Max CROCOMBE (gk), 2.Scott NEVILLE, 4.Daniel BOWLES, 6.Macaulay GILLESPHEY, 8.Jacob PEPPER, 9.Roy O’DONOVAN, 10.Bradden INMAN, 13.Stefan MAUK, 14.George MELLS, 15.Aaron REARDON, 19.Jack HINGERT, 20.Aaron AMADI-HOLLOWAY, 21.Jamie YOUNG (gk), 22.Jake MCGING, 23.Dylan WENZEL-HALLS, 25.Rahmat AKBARI, 26.Jay O’SHEA, 27.Kai TREWIN, 28.Izaack POWELL, 30.Mirza MURATOVIC
**2-4 to be omitted**
Ins: 14.George MELLS (promoted), 15.Aaron REARDON (promoted), 27.Kai TREWIN (promoted)
Outs: 5.Tom ALDRED (suspended – 1 week)
Unavailable: 12.Aiden O’NEILL (international duty), 24.Connor O’TOOLE (international duty), 29.Jordan COURTNEY-PERKINS (knee – TBC)
Wellington Phoenix squad: 1.Stefan MARINOVIC (gk), 2.Liam McGING, 3.Luke DEVERE, 4.Te Atawhai HUDSON-WIHONGI, 5.Matti STEINMANN, 6.Tim PAYNE, 8.Cameron DEVLIN, 9. David Ball, 10.Ulises DAVILA, 11.Jaushua SOTIRIO, 12. Brandan Wilson, 13.Liberato CACACE, 17.Callan Elliot, 20.Oliver SAIL (gk), 21.Callum MCCOWATT, 23.Walter SCOTT, 27.Steven TAYLOR (c), 31.Ben WAINE, 32.Sam SUTTON, 88. Gary HOOPER **2-4 to be omitted**
Ins: 9. David Ball (Return from Injury), 12. Brandan Wilson (promoted)
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 7. Reno Piscopo (International Duty), 14.Alex RUFER (knee), 16.Louis FENTON (shoulder – season)
Referee: Alex King
Assistant Referee 1: Nathan MacDonald
Assistant Referee 2: Andrew Lindsay
Fourth Official: Adam Kersey
VAR: Kurt Ams
TV Broadcast: Live coverage on FOX SPORTS 505 from 4:30pm (AEDT), ABC TV from 5:00pm (AEDT), Sky Sport 7 (New Zealand), Kayo Sports (kayosports.com.au) and MyFootball Live App, Live Fast and Data Free for Telstra mobile customers
Radio Broadcast: ABC Brisbane, ABC Queensland, Grandstand Digital (Brisbane only) and online
