Wellington Phoenix vs Brisbane Roar: Carlo Armiento Red Card Sparks Chaos After Early Eze Strike

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Wellington Phoenix were forced to dig deep after a fiery first half against Brisbane Roar was turned on its head by a controversial dismissal shown to Carlo Armiento.

The flashpoint arrived in the 38th minute at Kayo Stadium, transforming what had been a controlled away performance into a tense, ill-tempered contest that left both sides furious — and the referee under intense scrutiny.

Eze strikes early as Phoenix take control

Wellington made the perfect start, striking inside six minutes when Ifeanyi Eze unleashed a left-footed effort from outside the box to put the visitors ahead. The early goal settled the Phoenix and briefly silenced the home crowd as Brisbane tried to reset.

Eze remained central to Wellington’s threat through the half, finding pockets of space and twice threatening again from range. Brisbane had moments of pressure too, forcing saves and chasing an equaliser, but Wellington looked the more composed side for long stretches.

Armiento incident ignites heated scenes

The match erupted when Armiento lunged into a challenge on Dimitrios Valkanis. What followed was an immediate coming together between players from both sides, with tempers flaring and officials scrambling to regain control.

Amid visible confusion and growing anger, the referee produced a straight red card for Armiento, leaving Wellington to finish the contest with ten men. The decision instantly split opinion: some believed the lunge crossed a clear line, while others felt the punishment was excessive and questioned why the moment didn’t appear to be reassessed more thoroughly.

Adding to the chaos, the incident also triggered further discipline, with yellow cards shown in the aftermath as the mood on the pitch continued to boil.

Reactions reflect a deep divide

The dismissal triggered a wave of sharp, emotional responses. One side argued the tackle was “disgraceful” and fully deserved a straight red. Another camp called it “harsh” and “confusing,” pointing to inconsistent refereeing and unclear angles of the incident.

There was also a recurring theme that Wellington needed to keep their heads after taking the lead — and that the red card handed Brisbane a huge window back into the match.

Phoenix hold on into the break

Despite being down to ten men, Wellington showed resilience, reorganising quickly and protecting their advantage into halftime. They even came close to a second, with Eze’s late effort rattling the woodwork as Brisbane’s keeper was beaten.

At the break, it was Brisbane Roar 0–1 Wellington Phoenix — but with emotions already running high, the second half promised more drama.

For official match updates and key moments, you can follow the A-Leagues Match Centre coverage here:
Brisbane Roar vs Wellington Phoenix.

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