Ulises Dávila spent two seasons at Wellington Phoenix, winning the Johnny Warren Medal in an unforgettable stint which earned the Mexican playmaker the admiration of the club and their fans.
On Sunday afternoon, the Phoenix showed their former captain their full support after a period of “unimaginable grief” for the now-Macarthur star, with Dávila’s new side travelling to Sky Stadium for Round 5 Isuzu UTE A-League matchup.
Dávila, sidelined by a hamstring injury, was not in attendance for the reunion fixture. But watching on from home, he was reduced to tears by the club’s emotional tribute to his late partner Lily, who tragically passed away in May, 2022.
The Phoenix and Bulls players all wore black armbands adorned with Lily’s name throughout their Sunday afternoon clash.
Sky Sports commentator Jason Pine took a moment in play to sum up the poignant tribute:
“You’ll see the players of both teams wearing armbands today with ‘Lily’ on them,” Pine said. “That is the name of the late wife of former Wellington Phoenix and current Macarthur captain Ulises Dávila.
“Unimaginable grief that Uli has been through in the last few months. Absolutely adored here in Wellington in his time here… Uli, we’re sending you our best wishes – and to your beautiful little boy Ulises Junior as you navigate these stormy waters together.
“May there be many, many brighter days ahead for you both.”
Dávila took to social media to express his appreciation for his former club.
“I’m in tears, I have no words for this gesture,” Dávila wrote.
“Thanks to Wellington Phoenix, the players and the people involved behind this. Love and respect from me and my family.”
Socceroos stocks soar for A-League Men stars ahead of selection D-Day
The auditions are officially over. Opportunities for the Isuzu UTE A-League’s cohort of Socceroos to Australia boss Graham Arnold through the opening five rounds of the season have come and gone.
On Tuesday, Arnold will reveal the 26 players he will take to Qatar for the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup.
Here’s how the A-League Men’s current Socceroos hoping to feature in the World Cup fared throughout Round 5:
Craig Goodwin – Adelaide United
The Adelaide United captain put together his third consecutive 90-minute performance after an injury-interrupted pre-season, and bagged one goal and one assist for the second game running in a man-of-the-match display against Western United.
READ: ‘I’VE DONE EVERYTHING I CAN’: GOODWIN COMES FROM ‘BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL’ TO SHOW SOCCEROOS CLASS
Jamie Maclaren – Melbourne City
The red-hot City marksman simply hasn’t stopped scoring over the first five rounds of the season. Jamie Maclaren added goals six and seven to his tally against Perth Glory to move to within 15 goals of Besart Berisha’s all-time Isuzu UTE A-League goalscoring record.
Mathew Leckie – Melbourne City
Mathew Leckie bagged his first goal of the season in City’s win over Perth, taking five shots in a dangerous display.
Paramount+ analyst Daniel McBreen sung Leckie’s praises in the aftermath of his performance against Perth: “Leckie in particular for me, he has been amazing. Majority of their play every week comes down his left side. When he moves into that 10 role, he is so influential there. To get his goal at the end capped off a really great performance for him.”
Marco Tilio – Melbourne City
After receiving just 18 minutes across the first two rounds, many were left to wonder whether Marco Tilio would be able to do enough to convince Arnold of his readiness for a World Cup campaign with the opportunities remaining prior to the squad announcement.
He’s since started three games in succession, scoring two in as many games in Rounds 4 and 5 and saving his best performance yet for Saturday afternoon, adding an assist and three created chances in a bright, inventive 90-minute shift against Perth.
Garang Kuol – Central Coast
For the second time in as many games, Central Coast Mariners head coach Nick Montgomery has called on Garang Kuol to come off his bench and change the game – and that’s exactly what he managed against Western Sydney on Saturday night with two assists in a devastating 27-minute cameo.
Bound for the Premier League and Newcastle United in January, Kuol is bidding farewell to the A-League Men in style, with his last outing prior to Arnold’s squad reveal his pick of the bunch over three bench cameos.
Daniel Arzani – Macarthur FC
Macarthur FC head coach Dwight Yorke has urged Arnold to take Arzani to Qatar for his ‘X-factor’ alone, after the 23-year-old notched his second assist of the season in a losing Bulls side against Wellington on Sunday afternoon.
Arzani engaged in a competitive battle with Phoenix right-back Callan Elliot at Sky Stadium, creating three chances, assisting Lachie Rose in the second half and putting both of his shots on target throughout the game. He did, however, allow his direct opponent to have a crucial say in proceedings, with Elliot finding Phoenix teammate Ben Old for the opening goal of the game.
Yorke was glowing in his praise of Arzani after his side’s 4-1 loss: “I’ve worked with Arzani over the last four months and I’ve got to know him individually as well as seeing his talent week-in, week-out,” Yorke said.
“He’s an X-factor, there’s a lot of hype around him and quite rightly so, he’s the youngest Australian player to go to a World Cup. But also, he’s not played football in 18 months. What we have provided him here at Macarthur is a platform to really get his love back for the sport and playing on a week-to-week basis.
“Maybe sometimes you want so much, so quickly in such a short space of time.
“But if I were Graham Arnold, which I’m clearly not, I think if you’re looking for someone to come off the bench and affect the game, I think Arzani’s one of the best players, if not the best player in the league, for sure.”
Jason Cummings – Central Coast
Jason Cummings tallied his third assist of the season in Round 5, taking four shots and creating two chances. It wasn’t a headline-grabbing performance from the Mariners striker like it was the weekend prior, where he played a hand in three goals and bagged one himself, but the Central Coast spearhead did his selection chances no harm playing his role in a near-complete team performance by Montgomery’s side in a 3-0 road win over the Wanderers.
Former A-Leagues striker Roy O’Donovan was asked about Cummings’ World Cup hopes on Paramount+ after the comprehensive win. His answer was emphatic: “He has to go!”
No close encounters in Round 5 goal-fest
There was never a dull moment in Round 5 of the 2022-23 Isuzu UTE A-League season, with 26 scored across the board.
But the weekend’s action was notable not just for the sheer volume of goals – but for the shared nature of the results. None of the six games across the weekend were close; the smallest losing margin was two goals.
Four teams scored four goals apiece, and no winning side scored fewer than three.
Even the Wanderers, with one goal conceded across four rounds, couldn’t avoid the Round 5 trend, conceding three to the ruthless Mariners.
It was a weekend for dominant displays and goals galore – these were the pick of the bunch.
Nick D’Agostino finishes off incredible Brimmer assist
Josh Brindell-South nets long-range blinder
Clayton Lewis dispatches emphatic free-kick
Classy Kuol puts Ruhs on the end of slick Mariners move
Fornaroli’s dream Victory debut
Before Round 4, Bruno Fornaroli was clubless after Perth Glory mutually agreed to cut ties with the two-time Australia international.
On Friday night, Fornaroli was on the scoresheet for his new team Melbourne Victory in a 4-0 demolition of Newcastle Jets at AAMI Park in Round 5.
The former Glory captain who had been Perth’s leading scorer in each of the past three seasons, Fornaroli came off the bench and converted a late penalty as he celebrated with his new fans.
“Look, this is football. Sometimes it’s crazy,” ex-Melbourne City striker Fornaroli told Paramount+ after his Victory debut. “Look, I’m so happy to be here – and look at this,” Fornaroli gestured to the crowd at AAMI Park. “The atmosphere tonight was amazing. My first couple of minutes, three points, I think the team needed that.
“Of course I cannot say I’m not happy for scoring my first goal with this shirt, and celebrate in front of our fans. I’m so happy. It’s coming, good things for this club – and I need to enjoy my football again.”
