Wellington Phoenix captain Annalie Longo’s own dog, Tiger, made an unexpected appearance on the pitch during their A-League Women match against Canberra United on Sunday, attempting to inspire a comeback victory. With the Phoenix trailing by a goal after Michelle Heyman’s 11th-minute strike, Tiger scampered onto the field at Porirua Park in New Zealand.
Tiger’s playful antics saw him running circles around players from both teams, evading capture and even ignoring a crouching Longo as play was halted for over a minute. The Phoenix fans quickly embraced the surprise guest, chanting Baha Men’s classic hit “Who Let the Dogs Out?” as more players knelt down to coax the pitch invader.
Commentator Jason Pine remarked, “There’s a dog on the pitch. You don’t often see that, or certainly not at this level. I think that might be Annalie Longo’s own dog. Maybe she needs to go and get her.” Tiger eventually made his way to Longo, sharing a heartwarming embrace before the captain handed him over to a staff member on the sidelines, ending his adventurous cameo.
Pine added, “This is indeed the best league in the world.” Inspired by Tiger’s appearance, the Phoenix came out strong in the second half, finishing with 19 shots to eight, but Heyman’s 100th goal for United proved decisive in the 1-0 victory.
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