The Phoenix players are champing at the bit to get involved in the A-League V6.
After watching from the sidelines as the other 10 franchises kicked off their campaigns last weekend, the players freely admitted they were envious. A bye is an attractive prospect mid-season after a run of tough matches, but at the start of the season, it's just another week of frustration for the players, many of who haven't played a competitive game for ages.
In fact, Friday's opener against Gold Coast United comes five months after the loss to Sydney FC in last season's preliminary final. It's an incredibly long break, especially for the likes of Paul Ifill and Chris Greenacre who are used to just a few weeks off between English campaigns.
Yes, Boca Juniors provided a good hit-out and pre-season games against Adelaide, Brisbane and some local selections gave the players the feel of grass under their studs again, but there's nothing like the real thing. And the real thing has finally arrived.
Gold Coast certainly won't fancy a trip to Wellington for a match against their bogey side. In three matches last year, Shane Smeltz, Joel Porter, Jason Culina and the rest of their much-vaunted attack couldn't score once. The last time they were in Wellington, they copped a 6-0 hiding. And the last time anyone won at the Ring of Fire in the A-League was in October 2008 - 19 matches ago.
News that their arrival into Wellington is scheduled for after midnight on Thursday has been greeted with raised eyebrows. Getting to bed in the early hours on the day of a game doesn't strike me as ideal preparation. But each to their own.
An interesting sideline to Friday's main event will be the battle between the two goalkeepers. Glen Moss had to watch Mark Paston's World Cup heroics from the sidelines as he sat out the remainder of an extremely harsh four-match ban. Now, he's got designs on the All Whites' number one jersey again for the upcoming clashes with Paraguay and Honduras.
Moss was excellent against Brisbane on Sunday and will certainly push Paston hard, but if possession is nine-tenths of the law, the green jersey will still be Paston's for the next international game. But Friday night gives both men the chance to stake their claims.
The A-League season has finally arrived. The players can't wait. Neither can the fans. Ready when you are.
