KEY POINTS:
The Wellington Phoenix will be out to win friends on Sunday.
If soccer fans turn up, the newest club in A-League soccer hope to give them a glimpse of what to expect during the season.
If they're not soccer fans, they hope to convert them into Phoenix supporters
at least.
It is one of the reasons the club, in action for the first time at home in a Pre-Season Cup match against the competition's glamour team, Sydney FC, have switched the venue from Newtown to the bigger, more accessible and more comfortable Westpac Stadium.
Coach Ricki Herbert's first priority will be to advance their preparation for the season-proper kick-off on August 26, but he wants something in it for the supporters as well.
"We want Sunday to look as good as it can," he told NZPA.
"Some new players will be playing alongside each other.
"It'll be interesting to see that but we want a decent spectacle.
"I think if the product can be good and we get decent crowd along, all signs are positive people will get a glimpse of the season.
"If we're going to suggest what you see is part of what we're going to look like when the season starts, then I think that would be a fair approach.
"I'll encourage players to be very positive and move forward and keep the day exciting for everybody."
Captain Ross Aloisi will lead the side after sitting out a suspension from last season in last week's opening round against the Central Coast Mariners.
His approach, and it is early days yet, has been somewhat similar to another Australian leading another New Zealand franchise in the Australian competition -- Steve Price of the New Zealand Warriors.
Price's positive influence on the Auckland-based rugby league franchise has been immense.
Aloisi, in two months, has embraced the Wellington community and his new club.
"I feel more comfortable here than I did in Adelaide," he said.
"Here the people are very friendly. They want to see their team win."
The former Socceroo was glowing in his praise for Herbert and the Phoenix staff's professionalism, saying he had learned a thing or two about leadership, particularly about group responsibilities as in rugby.
"In two months I've learnt hell of a lot. I just can't wait to learn some more over the season.
"I count myself very, very fortunate to come over here to play for Wellington and to play under Ricki.
"It was a blessing in disguise."
Aloisi believes the club have recruited and assembled a team capable of competing and winning in the league.
He said it showed in their first up match last week
'To bring 22 new players into a team, it's not easy.
"It needs a lot of understanding, a lot of work, a lot of hard training.
"We're not representing just Wellington, we're representing the whole of New Zealand.
"We've come in leaps and bounds. Since we started six weeks ago the testing we've done has shown the players are fit, physically strong.
"The pace of the training sessions is a lot quicker than we first began.
Is the team up to A-league level?
"Definitely."
Ability?
"Absolutely. We've got quality players all round.
"There's pressure on players to perform week in week out.
"The team is not just capable of competing but of winning as well."
Herbert believes his players have responded well so far.
"I'm sort of not shy in saying it's going to take the next four-five weeks, and patience is a big word.
"We know internally where we sit, (it's a) brand new group of players and I'm going to give them time.
"I think the ones I don't know well I need give time to, to see where they're going to fit in, where they're best suited and what that may look like come August 26.
"I've got a nice feeling. I think we're on track."
- NZPA
