City and United are equal on points at the top of Group B after posting a win and a draw from their two matches so far and a victory for either in round three would put them in prime position to progress past the group stages.
Both sides go into their matches as favourites but face daunting away trips – Auckland travel to Tahiti to take on Tefana while Waitakere head to New Caledonia for a meeting with Magenta.
Defending champions Hekari United were scheduled to meet Group A leaders Lautoka on Saturday but the Papua New Guinea side have been excused from the intriguing clash due to their involvement in the impending FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2010, taking place in Abu Dhabi from December 8 to 14. The weekend’s other Group A match brings together Vanuatu’s Amicale and Solomon Island side Koloale.
The action gets underway on Friday as Tefana host Auckland for a match in which the home side will have a distinct advantage. The Tahitian champions play their games on an artificial pitch at the Stade Louis Ganivet and the visitors will have to adapt quickly to the unfamiliar surface.
But City co-coach Aaron McFarland is not unduly worried about that prospect and has made sure the players know what to expect.
“We trained on the artificial pitch at North Harbour Stadium during the week and that’s the same surface,” he says. “I think it could actually be good for us because it’s more in keeping with what we know than some of the other grass surfaces you can get when you go away. And it will suit our style of football, especially if it’s wet, because the ball will be fizzing around.”
McFarland and fellow co-coach Ramon Tribulietx have welcomed injured duo Luis Corrales and David Mulligan back into the squad but whether either will be fit enough to start remains in doubt.
“Corrales is still recovering but will be able to make an impact if needed,” McFarland says. “Mulligan is almost 100 per cent fit and we will assess his situation during a couple of light training runs in Tahiti.”
Missing from the squad are striker Daniel Koprivcic, who has an Achilles strain, and suspended midfielder Adam McGeorge.
City have posted draws in their last three outings – 1-1, 0-0 and 2-2 meetings with Waitakere in the O-League and Otago United and Hawke’s Bay United in the ASB Premiership respectively – and are keen to get back to winning ways.
“You always want to win games but we are comfortable with how we’re playing,” McFarland says. “We can control that but what we can’t control sometimes is the execution in front of goal. Clubs pay big money for players who can score goals because it’s not an easy thing to do. But we are pleased with our circulation of the football and just need to start taking more of our chances.”
Tefana are yet to register a point but showed plenty of promise in their opening match against Waitakere and went down by just a goal in their narrow loss to Magenta in the last round.
“They will either see this as a good opportunity to get some points and be really up for the game or will be deflated and struggle for motivation,” McFarland says.
Motivation will not be an issue for a Waitakere side still smarting from the 1-1 draw with fierce rivals Auckland in their last O-League outing – City equalised with almost the last kick of the game – and in good form after a perfect start to the ASB Premiership.
Player-coach Neil Emblen is still without goalkeeper Andy Ralph, who began the season as the preferred choice but has been unavailable since injuring his hand while warming up before the round three Premiership meeting with Auckland. But understudy Danny Robinson has performed well in his absence and has every chance of holding onto the No 1 jersey when former English semi-professional Ralph returns.
Emblen is otherwise able to name an almost identical squad to last time, the only exception being veteran midfielder Martin Bullock, who picked up an injury in that draw with City. Emblen will be relieved to have an almost full squad to select from as Magenta are a hard team to beat at their Stade Numa Daly ground, as Tefana found out in round two.
Coach Alain Moizan’s men are also in a hot run of form after following that O-League win with a rare French Cup victory over USL Dunkerque. Striker Jean Philippe Saiko found the back of the net in both those matches and is the man Waitakere’s central-defensive pairing of captain Jason Rowley and former Sunderland apprentice Jack Pelter will need to keep an eye on.
In the weekend’s sole Group A match, Honiara-based Koloale will be desperate to get their campaign back on track after losing their opening game 2-1 against Lautoka and being humbled 4-0 by FIFA Club World Cup representatives Hekari in round two. Coach Peter Eke’s squad is entirely homegrown and those players will come up against a number of their countrymen when they meet an Amicale side packed with Solomon Islands flair.
Eight Solomon stars – Richard Anisua, Nelson Sale, Batram Suri, Gibson Daudau, Moffat Deramoa, Alick Maemae, Jack Wetney and Stanley Waita – have all been included in the squad and will be keen to get one over their home nation’s O-League representatives.
Amicale already have one win under their belts – a shock 2-1 success over Hekari in round one – and, with Hekari and Lautoka not in action, another victory here would see them shoot up the table.