City triumphed 6-1 on aggregate – following a 2-1 win in Vanuatu with a 4-0 success in the return leg – to take the 2011 title and are on track to hang on to their trophy after posting two wins from two so far. But Amicale are only two points behind the Group B leaders after a win and a draw and will be keen to bury the memories of their last trip to the City of Sails with a more positive performance on Wednesday evening.
“The Auckland players are experienced and they play quality football but I think we will give them a good run,” says Amicale technical director William Malas. “If our boys can do well in this game, it will put us in a good position going into the last three matches.”
Malas is taking more of a hands-on role for the Auckland clash than usual as coach Luke Eroi has some personal matters to attend to in his native Solomon Islands and will therefore not be on the bench at Kiwitea Street. In his absence, Malas is taking the reins with assistant coach Phillemon John and the pair will have to make do without Seimata Chilia, who left for former club Tupuji Imere earlier this month, and Solomon Islands internationals Jack Wetney and Joe Luwi.
But Amicale do have the services of ex-Auckland City player Alick Maemae – who missed last season’s encounters with Auckland – and the skilful midfielder is sure to cause problems for the miserly City defence. That Ivan Vicelich-led rearguard will also be wary of the threat posed by Fenedy Masauvakalo, who thumped home the Reds’ only goal against Auckland in the previous campaign and finished as the O-League’s Golden Boot winner.
Amicale president Jean-Yves Chabod is under no illusions about Auckland’s quality and says earning a good result would be a significant milestone.
“We know they are very good and have just come back from playing against a professional team so must be at a very high level at the moment,” he says.
“But we’ll approach the game like it’s a final. We have to because if we slip up in this match the tournament could be over for us. It’s a good chance to get some revenge and no one has beaten Auckland yet so we will try our best to do it. It’s not like they’re a team we know nothing about – we have played Auckland before and we know how they play. We will try to arrange our team according to that.”
All other O-League sides have already played three matches but the Auckland-Amicale clash could not take place until now due to the champions’ involvement in December’s FIFA Club World Cup in Japan. Ramon Tribulietx’s side lost 2-0 to J-League winners Kashiwa Reysol at the prestigious event but bounced back from that disappointment to beat Canterbury United 3-0 in the ASB Premiership on Saturday.
Tribulietx was pleased with the win – secured thanks to goals from Daniel Koprivcic, Manel Exposito and Emiliano Tade – and says his charges are suffering no ill effects from the festive period.
“It was very satisfying to beat a side that has been one of the best in the competition this season,” he says. “We needed to start the year with a win and the quality was good considering it was the first game back after the break.”
Andrew Milne picked up a strain on the weekend but should be fit to take part against Amicale and Tribulietx does not have any other injury concerns. City have been a victim of their own success in some regards though as, due to their fine showings, the key pair of midfielder Andreu Guerao and fullback Ian Hogg will not be involved on Wednesday.
Guerao has played his last game in a City shirt after re-joining the professional ranks with a move to Georgian top-flight outfit Dinamo Tblisi while former New Zealand age-group international Hogg is having trials in Sweden.
Tribulietx is disappointed to have lost a player of Guerao’s ability but says the Spanish playmaker’s departure was always on the cards.
“He will be a big loss but it was inevitable,” Tribulietx says. “Replacing him will not be just a matter of one player but a number of different alternatives in the depth of our squad.”
The next full round of O-League action will take place on February 17-18 with all eight sides involved.
2012 O-League Match Day 3 Game
Auckland City [NZL] vs. Amicale [VAN]
Wednesday 18 January
Kiwitea Street
Auckland, New Zealand
Local kick-off: 5.45pm
Referee: Kader ZITOUNI [TAH]
Assistant referee 1: Mark RULE [NZL]
Assistant referee 2: Glen LOCHRIE [NZL]
Fourth official: Chris KERR [NZL]
Auckland City: 1. Jacob SPOONLEY [GK], 5. Angel BERLANGA, 6. Chad COOMBES, 7. James PRITCHETT, 8. David MULLIGAN, 9. Manel EXPOSITO, 10. Luis CORRALES, 11. Daniel KOPRIVCIC, 13. Alex FENERIDIS, 14. Adam DICKINSON, 15. Ivan VICELICH, 16. Albert RIERA, 17. Adam McGEORGE, 20. Emiliano TADE, 22. Andrew MILNE, 24. Stephen CARMICHAEL, 26. Liam ANDERSON [GK]
Coach: Ramon TRIBULIETX
Amicale: 1. Ernest BONG [GK], 2. Rexley TARIVUTI, 3. Young PAUL, 4. Selwyn SESE ALA, 5. Richard ANISUA, 6. Nelson Sale KILIFA, 7. Jean-Robert YELOU, 9. Dereck MALAS, 10. Joachim WAROI, 11. Fenedy MASAUVAKALO, 13. Gibson DAUDAU, 14. Moffat DERAMOA, 15. Alphonse BONGNAIM, 19. Johnney TIRAENG, 26. Alick MAEMAE, 33. Joel NAKAPUE [GK]
Coaches: William MALAS and Phillemon JOHN

Share