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AAP
AAP
Anna Harrington

Phoenix have what it takes in ALM: Barbarouses

Kosta Barbarouses has won A-League titles galore but none with Wellington Phoenix - yet. (Andrew Cornaga/AAP PHOTOS)

One of the most decorated players in A-League Men history, Kosta Barbarouses is adamant Wellington have what it takes to deliver a ground-breaking first trophy.

Wellington are just one game away from a debut grand final and will host Melbourne Victory in their first-ever home semi-final on Saturday.

The Phoenix are in prime position to progress after holding Victory to a 0-0 draw in Sunday's first leg at AAMI Park.

Barbarouses, 34, has four championships, three premierships and an Australia Cup to his name - but no trophies with the Phoenix just yet.

He's confident the current group have the ingredients to change that, under first-year coach Giancarlo Italiano.

"Resilience, discipline and everyone's just on board with what 'Chiefy', the boss, has wanted to do all year," Barbarouses said. 

"It hasn't been without its twists and turns and Chiefy is a very interesting character. He sort of changes things at will during the week and everyone just adapts to it." 

Giancarlo Italiano
Coach Giancarlo Italiano has mixed things up for the Phoenix. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

"Look, we all just have a lot of respect for each other," Barnarouses said. 

"We've got a good mix of young and old and everything in between. And it's just been a good mixture of everything."

Barbarouses admitted the two-legged semi-final, where either Victory or Wellington will progress to the grand final on aggregate, was challenging.

But he hailed a "brilliant" first leg from the Phoenix.

"Now we're pretty much at halftime, which is the reality," he said. 

"We've left everything out there today, but we've got to regroup for another game in six days.

"Hopefully we get close to selling it out. I think we've made the fans and the city proud this year and we just want to keep it going. 

"We've got potentially two more games to do something special, but we're just taking it game-by-game and we've got it all to play for now in 90 minutes in Wellington."

Barbarouses has wound back the clock with 13 goals and four assists this campaign.

The New Zealand international insisted his evergreen status was just a matter of looking after his body.

"I've always said it's not rocket science. It just takes discipline," he said.

"And that's what it takes to be a pro."

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