How. Good. Was. That?
Say what you like about penalty shoot-outs, but you can't deny they supply drama, nail-biting tension and utter euphoria in equal measure. In fact, the only people you generally hear complaining about them are the ones who lose them.
If Phoenix had won Sunday's game against Glory in regulation or extra time, the crowd would still have gone away extremely happy. But the theatre provided by eight players attempting to beat a goalkeeper from twelve yards away added a layer which elevated the experience from exceptional to euphoric.
The effect created in the crowd when you blend total ecstasy with palpable relief just can't be matched. It's an explosion of joy multiplied many thousands of times, resulting in a surging, seething, sweating mass of delirious fans in various states of undress. Simply remarkable.
Liam Reddy was the undoubted man of the match for Phoenix. Apart from his penalty saves, he repelled a handful of other chances in yet another commanding display. Little wonder that Andrew Durante urged his bosses afterwards to do whatever was required to keep Reddy in Wellington. Unfortunately it would appear - despite the player himself maintaining no decision has been made - that he'll be off to Sydney as planned next season to replace the departing Clint Bolton.
So Phoenix fans need to enjoy Reddy while he lasts. That could be one, two, or for those who dare to dream, even three more matches.
Newcastle will be looking forward to a trip to Wellington with as much anticipation as a visit to the dentist. They were lucky on Saturday night to encounter a Gold Coast side which seemed intent on their own self-destruction with Shane Smeltz in particular having a day he'll want to forget as quickly as possible. But for his profligacy, the contest would have been over well before extra-time was required and certainly before the lottery of penalties. Even in the shoot-out, they just couldn't get it right. Phoenix old-boy Kristian Rees took a penalty which is probably still rising and former New Zealand Knight Zenon Caravella put the seal on a dismal night with his failed attempt.
Phoenix will certainly back themselves to overcome the Jets. Eighteen games unbeaten in Wellington and four wins on the bounce have confidence at an all-time high, and justifiably so. Furthermore, Newcastle have shipped eight goals in their last three visits to the Ring of Fire without managing any themselves. In fact, they've only ever scored once in Wellington - a deflected free-kick against a Phoenix side playing just their third-ever A-League match.
Beyond Newcastle, Melbourne or Sydney beckons. But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. Instead let's look forward to March 7 when thousands upon thousands will again flood the stands to revel in yet another chapter of the fairytale the 2009/10 Phoenix season has become.
