The rivalry is the same but this week there is one difference – Auckland City FC will go into their O-League Group A Match as slight favourites over Waitakere United.
After a two-year period of dominance by Waitakere in both the O-League and New Zealand Football Championship, Auckland have taken back the ascendency by beating their cross-town rivals 2-1 in the NZFC Final last week and it will only take a draw on Sunday at Douglas Field for them to progress to the 2009 O-League Final.
But Auckland Coach Paul Posa stresses his side cannot afford to think about playing for a draw.
“We have to take the same attitude as we did last weekend and go for the win,” says Posa, whose team hadn’t beaten Waitakere in eight previous meetings before the NZFC Final.
“Waitakere are a class act from front to back and they certainly don’t become a bad side after one loss. They will be on the rebound so my players are prepared for a bit of a backlash.”
Both sides are on seven points heading into the final Group A Match but with Auckland having the superior goal difference, it’s a must-win situation for Waitakere.
Coach Chris Milicich is confident his side can bounce back from last week’s disappointment and stay in the hunt for what would be a third consecutive O-League title.
“There is determination and a fair amount of anger, if I can put it like that, to turn things around,” says Milicich.
Waitakere have named a similar squad to last week but Milicich highlights the fact that defender Aaron Scott has returned from All White duties which he says “is a godsend for us.”
With a place in the O-League Final up for grabs and a shot at representing Oceania in the FIFA Club World Cup United Arab Emirates 2009, Milicich says there is plenty to play for.
“NZFC is a nice to have but this is the big one so it comes down to who wants it more.”
And if that’s not motivation enough, All Whites Coach Ricki Herbert and his assistant Brian Turner are expected to attend the match and cast an eye over the likes of Scott, James Pritchett and Allan Pearce with their Confederations Cup squad in mind.
Kick off for this Sunday’s match is 3:00pm. The winner of Group A will play a home and away final against Solomon Island club champions Koloale FC who finished top of Group B after beating Fiji’s Ba in Honiara last Saturday.
EXTRA INFORMATION
Previous meetings this season:
2009 O-League (2 Nov 2008) Auckland City FC 2 Waitakere United 2
NZFC Round 3 (26 Nov 2008) Auckland City FC 1 Waitakere United 2
NZFC Round 10 (24 Jan 2009) Waitakere United 4 Auckland City FC 2
NZFC Grand Final (29 March 2009) Waitakere United 1 Auckland City FC 2
2009 O-League leading goalscorers:
3 – Chad COOMBES (Auckland City FC)
3 – Paul SEAMAN (Waitakere United)
3 – Paul URLOVIC (Auckland City FC)
2 – Kema JACK (Hekari Souths FC)
2 – Keryn JORDAN (Auckland City FC)
2 – Roy KRISHNA (Waitakere United)
2 – Milos NIKOLIC (Auckland City FC)
2 – ‘OG’s
2 – Nicholas MURI (Koloale FC)
2 – Osea VAKATALESAU (Ba)
2 – Christopher BALE (Waitakere United)
2009 O-LEAGUE GROUP A – MATCH DAY SIX PREVIEW
Match: Waitakere United [NZL] vs. Auckland City FC [NZL]
Date: Sunday, 5 April 2009
Venue: Auckland, New Zealand
Stadium: Douglas Field
Kick Off: 15h00 (Local time)
Referee: Kevin STOLTENKAMP [NZL]
Assistant Referee: Glen LOCHRIE [NZL]
Assistant Referee: Mark RULE [NZL]
Fourth Official: Matthew CONGER [NZL]
Waitakere United: 1. Richard GILLESPIE [GK], 3. Aaron SCOTT, 4. Tim MYERS, 5. Danny HAY, 6. Hone FOWLER, 8. Paul SEAMAN, 9. Benjamin TOTORI, 10. Allan PEARCE, 11. Neil SYKES, 12. Roy KRISHNA, 13. Daniel KOPRIVCIC, 15. Christopher BALE, 16. Neil EMBLEN, 18. Zane SOLE, 21. Kayne VINCENT, 22. Daniel ROBINSON [GK], 27. Jake MATHEWS, 29. John CHISHOLM
Coach: Chris Milicich
Auckland City: 3. Matt FRIEL, 4. Sam CAMPBELL, 5. Matt WILLIAMS, 6. Ki-Hyung LEE, 7. James PRITCHETT, 8. Chad COOMBES, 9. Paul URLOVIC, 10. Grant YOUNG, 12. Jacob SPOONLEY [GK], 13. Alex FENERIDIS, 14. Keryn JORDAN, 15. Ivan VICELICH, 20. Greg UHLMANN, 21. Riki VAN STEEDEN, 23. Liam MULROONEY, 24. Milos NIKOLIC, 25. Adam MCGEORGE, 29. John FLETCHER [GK]
Coach: Paul Posa
Group A Standings
| PL |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
PTS |
|
| Auckland City FC |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
12 |
3 |
+9 |
7 |
| Waitakere United |
3 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
4 |
+4 |
7 |
| Port Vila Sharks |
4 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
16 |
-13 |
0 |
Group A Results
02.11.08 Auckland City FC vs. Waitakere United 2-2
22.11.08 Waitakere United vs. Port Vila Sharks 3-0
13.12.08 Port Vila Sharks vs. Auckland City FC 0-2
14.02.09 Auckland City FC vs. Port Vila Sharks 8-1
07.03.09 Port Vila Sharks vs. Waitakere United 2-3
05.04.09 Waitakere United vs. Auckland City FC
2009 O-LEAGUE GROUP B – MATCH DAY SIX (Completed)
Match: Koloale FC [SOL] vs. Ba [FIJ]
Date: Saturday, 28 March 2009
Venue: Honiara, Solomon Islands
Stadium: Lawson Tama Stadium
Kick Off: 15h00 (Local time)
Referee: Lencie FRED [VAN]
Assistant Referee: Michael JOSEPH [VAN]
Assistant Referee: Mahit CHILIA [VAN]
Fourth Official: John SAOHU [SOL]
Koloale FC: 1 (Goal Scorer: 14. Nicholas MURI 34)
Ba: 0
Halftime: 1-0
Group B Standings
| PL |
W |
D |
L |
GF |
GA |
GD |
PTS |
|
| Koloale FC |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
+2 |
7 |
| Hekari Souths FC |
4 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
6 |
0 |
6 |
| Ba |
4 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
-2 |
4 |
Group B Results
02.11.08 Ba vs. Koloale FC 0-0
22.11.08 Koloale FC vs. Hekari Souths United FC 3-1
13.12.08 Hekari Souths United FC vs. Ba 1-2
14.02.09 Ba vs. Hekari Souths United FC 1-3
07.03.09 Hekari Souths United FC vs. Koloale FC 1-0
28.03.09 Koloale FC vs. Ba 1-0
Priscilla Duncan
Oceania Football Confederation
Media and Communications
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