World Cup winner Alessandro Del Piero endured a tough A-League debut at Westpac Stadium in Wellington on Saturday, as Sydney Football Club lost 2-0 to the Phoenix.
On a windy night in the capital, Wellington made the breakthrough, with new signing, the Belgian international Stein Huysegems, tearing through on goal and driving the ball past the goalkeeper on 42 minutes.
With 15 minutes to go, teenager Louis Fenton, making his senior debut, got his head onto Manny Muscat's cross to double the lead and secure a perfect start to the new season for the Phoenix.
Del Piero, who is the biggest signing in the history of the A-League having played for Juventus for 19 hugely successful years, had been the headline grabber ahead of the match-up with crowds welcoming him at Wellington Airport on Friday.
But on the day, it was a 19-year-old who lives with his parents and cleans star Phoenix striker Paul Ifill's boots, who was the scene-stealer in front of a crowd of 12,057.
