A newfound competitive edge in the Phoenix is ruffling a few feathers in the A-League.
As their name might suggest, there's been a fiery element to the Wellington club this season; a melee last Sunday was the latest event in a string of clashes with opposition with goalkeeper Oli Sail taking exception to a raised boot from a Central Coast player late in their 2-1 win.
"I saw red a little bit and tempers flared,” Sail said.
“The nature of the games over the last month or so have been really closely contested and finished with a lot of fire."
Despite the heat, the Phoenix say they're not the ones starting it.
When asked if the Phoenix were facing more confrontation from opposition because they were doing so well this season – sitting fourth on the table but able to jump to second with a win over Perth later today – Sail conceded there’s “every possibility that’s the case”.
“We are the most fouled team in the competition,” he said.
“The only thing that we've mentioned is to look after each other and make sure we're not being disrespected.”
That mindset comes down from the top where coach Ufuk Talay backs his players.
"We are a family, we see ourselves as that,” Talay said.
“But we want to get the outcome by playing football – not by doing that."
But at times this season a very vocal Talay has felt his side hasn’t had a chance to play the game, leaving him one yellow card away from being suspended.
“Maybe too much fire in the belly at times,” he said.
“It's something I'm aware of and at the end of the day I am who I am.”
So too are the fiery Phoenix.
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