Auckland City and Waitakere United have split all six titles of the national league under its former New Zealand Football Championship moniker with Auckland clinching the first three and then another in between Waitakere’s two championships.
The pair have split minor premiership honours evenly, three apiece, and look odds on to battle it out for league and grand final honours this season.
Reigning champions Waitakere United have retained the core of the title-winning squad with Roy Krishna shouldering even more of the goal-scoring burden in the absence of Brent Fisher and Benjamin Totori.
Also weighing on the club’s mind is a disappointing loss in the final of the 2010 O-League and the club will have to get past Auckland City in the group stage of that competition if they are to make amends and return the FIFA Club World Cup.
The champions open their season at home on Sunday against a new-look Team Wellington who have lost the services of no fewer than four All Whites, including World Cup squad members Andy Barron and James Bannatyne.
Wellington coach Stu Jacobs has picked up a wider array of local talent than ever before but will need to get the best out of them to produce a third straight playoff appearance.
The season opens on Saturday with new Waikato coach Willy Gerdsen and his revamped squad facing a daunting encounter against Auckland City at Fred Jones Park in Hamilton.
Gersden has brought with him some familiar faces from East Coast Bays and picked up some good young talent but his group is light on national league experience despite their talent.
The match will also be the first outing as co-coaches for Auckland City’s Ramon Tribulietx and Aaron MacFarland, who will not be granted any honeymoon period from the club’s expectant fans.
Despite a stunning fifth-place finish at the FIFA Club World Cup, Auckland City fell out at the semi-final stage on the domestic front and the Kiwitea Street faithful will demand a stronger finish to this season.
Last season’s beaten finalists Canterbury United have retained the services of World Cup bolter Aaron Clapham, and exciting teenagers Andy Barton and Gagame Feni will be ones to watch as the Dragons look to prove last season was a trend rather than a blip.
Otago United were another to surprise last season and although the transfer of midfielder Stu Kelly to Auckland is a big blow, the addition of Paul Seaman from Waitakere and Christchurch-based goalkeeper Adam Highfield will strengthen the side.
Hawke’s Bay United have moved for All Whites midfielder Cole Peverley and have also re-signed former Seattle Sounders forward Jarrod Smith to spearhead their push for a top-four place.
Meanwhile, Manawatu appear hardest hit by departures including golden boot winner Seule Soromon and former All Whites Campbell Banks and Raf de Gregorio.
On the plus side, the attacking flair of Jason Hayne is back in the mix after a season with Auckland while the ASB Premiership’s most capped Premiership player Adam Cowan is still contributing vital experience to a squad now with a strong emphasis on local talent.
Story and photo courtesy of New Zealand Football.
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