Double incentive for Daniel

Midfielder Daniel has twice the incentive to turn in a top-shelf performance when the Wellington Phoenix take on Melbourne Victory on Friday night – he’s back in the Phoenix squad following a two-match ban and he’s got a promise to keep to his newborn son.

The Brazilian playmaker sat out the Phoenix’s past two games of the Hyundai A-League 2007/08 season on suspension and has returned to the squad for Friday night’s match at Melbourne’s Telstra Dome raring for action.

Ironically, the suspension came at something of a handy time for the skillful South American – the enforced break allowing him to return home to Rio de Janeiro to be at the side of wife Danielle for the birth of their first child, a son the couple named Daniel.

Chuckling at suggestions he lacks a little creativity when it comes to naming children, Daniel is fizzing with the prospect of showing his creativity on the field against the Victory.

“I’m very happy, very excited to be back. The game against Melbourne will be very hard because they have excellent players. But the team has prepared well. [Coach] Ricki [Herbert] has us ready and I’m really excited because after missing two matches I really want to play.”

The Phoenix grabbed a 3-2 away win against the Newcastle Jets in their first match without the services of Daniel before the top-four playoff chances of the Hyundai A-League’s newest club were extinguished by Sydney FC in a 2-0 loss in Wellington last weekend.

Daniel said Friday night’s match was his chance to make amends for his suspension. With Tony Lochhead suspended for the Victory match, the onus would be on Daniel to cut the Victory defence open down the left flank and create scoring chances.

“It’s is my job to assist my friends, the strikers – I must help the team to score.

“And I promised my wife that I would score a goal for my son, little Daniel. Maybe I do, maybe I don’t, but that’s no problem if I help someone else to score and we win.”

Yellow cards have been something of a bane for Daniel who, like many South American players, has taken time to get accustomed to the physical style of the game in the Hyundai A-League. His two-match suspension came after he collected his seventh booking of the season.

“I’m very disappointed to have got a lot of yellow cards. It’s no good for me or the club. To miss matches is not good because I want to play every match to help the team.

“The football here is very different compared to Brazil. But I think I am getting better. Referees here thought I was diving a lot but now I am better at staying on my feet.”

While the Phoenix’s focus is fixed on ending their inaugural season in the Hyundai A-League on a high, Daniel said he was excited about the club’s prospects for their second season in the Hyundai A-League.

“Everything is new at the Phoenix but it has been incredible – the fans, the people, the city. Things here are so good at this club but next season we must do even more and look to make the top four. At home we must win more, not lose or draw.

“But right now we must end this season well and that is our focus against Melbourne and the Central Coast Mariners.

“And next season I will be looking to not get any yellow cards!”

Daniel returns to the Phoenix squad for Friday night’s match along with Tim Brown and Vince Lia, who also missed the loss to Sydney FC on one-match suspensions. But it’s a case of something gained and something lost, with the Phoenix missing Richard Johnson, Ross Aloisi and Tony Lochhead (all suspended for one match) for the Victory clash.

Coach Ricki Herbert said the Phoenix were determined to perform well in the final two matches of an exciting debut season for the club.

“We’re very focused on this – we’ve got two big ones left – and Melbourne’s always a good scalp to get. Then we go to the Central Coast to play the league leaders. They’re the only team we haven’t taken points off this season so we certainly won’t betting letting up in that one either.

“Things haven’t changed for us, it’s week by week and we want to do the best we can and we’ll certainly be taking that approach into this one.”

Better delivery to the strikers would be important against Melbourne after a disappointing effort against Sydney.

“We’ve got Daniel, Tim and Vince back, so we’ve got form players back into the side and that’ll make it pretty hard to pick the starting XI. But delivery does need to be better from both flanks.

“No doubt there will be personnel changes forced on us with suspensions but I’m sure that’ll be lapped up by the guys that do get a chance and there’s still a lot to play for.”

Friday night’s match will be broadcast live on Sky Sport 1 from 10pm.

Wellington Phoenix squad: 1. Mark PASTON (gk), 2. Jeremy CHRISTIE, 5.Karl DODD, 6. Tim BROWN, 8.Vaughan COVENY, 9. Shane SMELTZ, 10.Michael FERRANTE, 11. DANIEL, 14. Steven O’DOR, 16.Kristian REES, 17.Vince LIA, 18. Ahmad ELRICH, 19. Greg DRAPER, 20.Glen MOSS (gk), 21.FELIPE.