Football Roundup Klopp bids adieu, chaos and platitudes for the Nix

Football is a cliché factory. They emphasize stories, divert attention from mistakes, and—possibly most importantly—provide an opportunity to minimize expectations. "I keep saying this and I know it sounds a cliché, but we take it game by game."Giancarlo Italiano, the head coach of Wellington Phoenix, said as much after his team defeated the Newcastle Jets 2-1 at the A-League summit this past weekend.Because a fixtured competition is by its very nature unpredictable, it's difficult to say exactly how you wouldn't approach each game differently, but whatever 'Chiefy' is doing, he should keep it up. Clichés originate from reality, and to borrow another expression, Wellington is currently winning like champions. Not always at their very best, but obtaining the desired outcome the difficult way. Many predicted that the Nix's promising early lead would fade in true Phoenix fashion after they were destroyed in the rematch in December, yet game by game, their title challenge continues.

Though it is more likely that this will be Oskar Zawada's last gasp, his reappearance was welcome. With his contract expiring at the end of the current campaign, the 27-year-old is enticing Europe, the plague of A-League longevity. A fitting farewell present would be to fire Phoenix to glory first.In reference to cliches, what about the proverb that states that you wait a long time for a bus and three arrive at once? Alex Rufer, the captain of Nix, is having a great season. He has scored three goals in as many games. This comes from a player who, in January of last year, had to wait 107 games and 3269 days to score his first goal for the team.There was nothing mundane or conventional about the Wellington Phoenix women's team's 2-0 victory over Canberra United, from the overused to the wild.In the second half, goalie Rylee Foster sent Sofia Christopherson out for a vicious attack, causing chaos in Porirua.However, the irony will be apparent to everyone who has witnessed the event. Fear not—the chaos at Jerry Collins Stadium carried on when substitute goalie Brianna Edwards stopped the ensuing penalty with the first touch of the match.