KEY POINTS:
PHOENIX v ADELAIDE UNITED
Westpac Stadium Tomorrow 5pm
The roller-coaster season for the Wellington Phoenix has hit the crossroads.
A loss at home to Hyundai A-League leaders Adelaide United tomorrow will end their play-off aspirations. A draw might just keep it alive going into their last game in Melbourne next week.
The odds do not favour Ricki Herbert's team.
They have never beaten the Aurelio Vidmar's United - the closest, a home draw last season. They must also bounce back from an embarrassing 6-1 drubbing at Hindmarsh Stadium when they last met.
But Herbert is not about to flag it just yet: "They have had a long season. But, having said that, they have plenty of depth and will be tough.
"Three points [for a win] might be enough to get them the title so they have plenty to play for."
Herbert is backing his team's home record to see them through.
"We have won five here this season. Lets hope we can make it six." The Phoenix have won twice away.
Adelaide, forced to play catch-up because of their Asian Champions League and Fifa Club World Cup commitments, cross the Tasman after a 0-0 draw with contenders Queensland Roar on Wednesday - that point enough to take them two clear of Melbourne Victory at the top of the table.
Herbert must make changes to the team who lost 1-0 to Sydney last week with Troy Hearfield suspended for two weeks - one for his red card, the second for an earlier [unpunished] incident in the penalty area.
Captain Andrew Durante is also out with a hamstring injury allowing ultra-consistent Ben Sigmund to return to the heart of the Phoenix defence.
Herbert has a number of options for replacing Hearfield, with Daniel, Costa Barbarouses and Adam Kwasnik all under consideration, although Daniel will need a fitness test tomorrow morning due to a troublesome knee.
Herbert said he had not taken much from watching Waitakere United's battle with Adelaide at the Club World Cup in Tokyo but he would, surely, have taken something from the game plan which kept Waitakere in that match for so long.
It is the acid test for the Phoenix.
At times they have been very ordinary. After one run of three straight losses - and some limp efforts - the players called a meeting, found new energy and turned things around.
They need that same resolve again now or can start thinking about next season.
In tonight's game Queensland can jump Melbourne into second with a home win over Sydney who have all but seen their season fall apart.
Tomorrow Newcastle play Perth in a game which counts for nothing.
Phoenix v Adelaide United:
Referee: Chris Beath
Phoenix (likely)
Glen Moss, Manny Muscat, Ben Sigmund, Karl Dodd, Tony Lochhead, Tim Brown, Jon McKain, Michael Ferrante, Daniel or Adam Kwasnik, Leo Bertos, Shane Smeltz. Substitutes, Mark Paston, Costa Barbarouses, Vaughan Coveny.
Adelaide (from)
Eugene Galekovic, Robert Cornthwaite, Alemao, Angelo Costanzo, Michael Valkanis, Cassio, Lucas Pantelis, Paul Agostino, Cristiano, Travis Dodd, Scott Jamieson, Jonas Salley, Fabian Barbiero, Sasa Ognenovski, Paul Reid, Robert Younis, Codey Larkin.
