Matthew Comito 1621226525,1621227768 Wellington Phoenix made its long-awaited homecoming ahead of a massive home clash against rivals Western United in front of an expected bumper crowd at at Sky Stadium on Saturday, May 22. It will be the first Phoenix fixture in New Zealand in 433 days after the club based itself in Wollongong, NSW for the 2020/21 campaign and spent the latter part of the 2019/20 season based in Australia, making enormous sacrifices to help the A-League withstand the logistical difficulties posed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement of a trans-Tasman bubble between Australia and New Zealand on April 19 gave the club the chance to return home for the end of the season. The Phoenix left home in November, 2020 making this weekend's clash with United an enormous opportunity for the faithful home fans to back their side into battle in one of the league's newest rivalries.