AkCity FC At The FIFA World Club Cup

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I am trying to find Raf's goal against Colombia in '03. In my mind that was a good one, hoping in reality it was the same.

Ahli�s home fire is doused by Auckland
Euan Megson
Last Updated: December 10. 2009 1:24AM UAE / December 9. 2009 9:24PM GMT

ABU DHABI // Auckland City manager Paul Posa was full of praise for his gallant amateurs, and his backroom staff, after the Oceania champions ended Pro League side Al Ahli�s Club World Cup aspirations at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium last night.

Auckland seemed to have Al Ahli tactically worked out as soon the game began and, after seeing his team run out comfortable 2-0 winners, Posa was quick to pay tribute to Auckland�s Catalan assistant coach Ramon Tribulietx.

�Obviously our team are quite ecstatic with the result,� said Posa. �The boys have worked so hard for this and it was our night. The key for us was the homework we did on Al Ahli.

�We knew exactly what to expect. Our assistant coach Tribulietx knew every single player inside out and even when we saw their teamsheet we knew how they were going to play, the shape they were going to play. He knew everything about them.

�He�s done the hard yards behind the scenes and deserves a lot of credit here. We knew how they would play and had a system in place to counter that and we worked very, very hard.�

Auckland�s first goal was scored right on half-time through Adam Dickinson while Chad Coombes wrapped up the game after 67 minutes with a magnificent long- range effort.

Posa said: �Coombes filled in at right-back, he would have played up front. But I�m very happy with the result. Chad�s goal was class.


�If James Pritchett�s back, right and fully fit, he will come into contention for a starting place � he is one of our most important players. It�s a case of whether he has enough time. He�s been instrumental in our success and he�s an important player. Chad is just starting to blossom.�

Posa, who described Auckland as underdogs in the run-up to the Club World Cup opener, revealed he was always confident his side would turn training ground form into a match-winning display.

�We were not the favourites for this game, but the amount of work our team have put in and the high prestige we hold this tournament, I felt calm and confident,� said Posa. �We could not have done anything better in the build-up � everything fell into place. I knew we would create opportunities and chances in the game because of the way we have been playing, training and moving the ball. It was just a case of finishing the chances. First of all it was getting the right structure and then finishing the chances we created.�

Next for Auckland are Concacaf champions Atlante, of Mexico. And despite unexpectedly seeing off the hosts to reach the quarter-finals, Posa is well aware of the fresh task facing his tired troops.

�I�m confident the boys will give a good performance,� said Posa. �But if you look outside of Estudientes and Barcelona, I think Atlante are the best and most classy team in this tournament.

�It couldn�t be harder for us from here and I think they will be a class up from where we�re at. But if we�re organised, work hard and play really well again, then maybe we can upset their rhythm. I won�t say we�ll win � it�s going to be a harder ask � but we�ll go into it and give it our best shot. We have to believe we can pinch something out of the game.�

Hopes dashed for Club World Cup glory
Matthew Chung
Last Updated: December 10. 2009 1:26AM UAE / December 9. 2009 9:26PM GMT

ABU DHABI // Last night�s curtain-raiser for the Fifa Club World Cup proved disappointing for Al Ahli fans as they saw their team � and country � shut out of the rest of the 11-day football festival after a 2-0 loss to Auckland City.

With the dream of a matchup with the European champion Barcelona FC dashed, Mohammed Ahmed Shaker, a devout Al Ahli supporter who had predicted a 3-0 victory for his club, said he still looked forward to the rest of the event.

�It was sad in that they didn�t have soul,� said Mr Shaker, 30. �I think that for the tournament and the organisation everything was very nice. Everything was good except for the team.�

Although his team lost, he planned to take in the Barcelona FC match with the winner of the Atlante and Auckland City pairing.

�I hope the rest goes well and I will support it,� he said, �because at the end of the day you have to be proud to have this tournament in our country.�

Despite a small turnout � official attendance in the 42,000-capacity Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium was pegged at 14,806 � the crowd was decidedly pro-Ahli and vocal in its support. The fans whistled at the Auckland City players� arrival on the pitch and then chanted throughout the match, the cheering led by a dedicated section of Al Ahli supporters on the first level of the ground who beat drums and played horns.


The regular Al Ahli supporters were bolstered by support from other clubs, such as Al Ain, who threw their support behind the Dubai club.

�Usually I support Al Wahda,� said Maen al Aulaqi, 16, who had received a ticket from Abu Dhabi International School. �But they represent the UAE.�

Even neutrals such as Domenic Antonucci from Australia had been pulling for Al Ahli.

�I live here now so I�ll follow the local team,� said the business consultant who had been living in Abu Dhabi since January. �I am loyal to my second home.�

Long before the first goal went in for Auckland City moments before the half-time whistle and Al Ahli came within a few feet of striking right back, excitement was building for five other continental club champions, including Barcelona from Spain and Estudiantes de la Plata from Argentina. The top prize is US$5 million (Dh18m).

Fans began arriving at the stadium by bus three hours prior to the match, snacking on fish and chips, Mexican fajitas and Singapore-style noodles as they watched freestyle footballers, beat boxing and break dancing. �We will heat people up before the match, before they go in,� said Ahmed G, 17, one of the beat boxers.

An opening ceremony featured 250 performers clad in colourful carnival costumes.

As Arabian-themed music played from the speakers, the young people ran to the centre of the pitch while young men in kandouras beat a rhythm on their hands on drums.

Then the music lowered and a small boy in white and a girl in red walked out from the players� entrance to greet the crowd in English and Arabic. �Our father the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan al Nahyan, the founder of UAE, told us that the building of mankind is difficult and hard,� the young girl said in English. �It represents, however, the real wealth of the country.

�This is not made up of material wealth. It is made up of men, of children and future generations. It is this which constitutes the real treasure.�

As the crowd applauded, the music kicked in again and performers carried pipes shaped like a dhow with large sails bearing the emblem of the seven teams competing in the event toward the centre of the pitch.

The performance had been choreographed by Wanda Rokicki, who worked on events such as the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

The successful staging of this tournament would provide a �turning point� for the country, the UAE FA president, Mohammed Khalfan al Rumaithi, said on Tuesday.

The UAE were successful hosts of the Fifa World Youth Championships in Abu Dhabi in 2003 and of the more recent Beach Soccer World Cup in Dubai, but this tournament could give the country the courage to ask for more, he said.

The tournament is now building towards the first match featuring Barcelona, which is expected to play some of the world�s best footballers, such as Lionel Messi.

Tomorrow night�s matchup pits Tp Mazembe Englebert from the Democratic Republic of Congo against Pohang Steelers from South Korea.

Where's happyted? I'd actually like to congratulate him! Fantastic effort ACFC!!

Lolz Cnut you think a bunch of "part timers" are going to get a result against Al Ahli.

How is Christie going for ACFC

What the hell language is that? Catalan? Portuguese? Romanian?

when blelburg was signing players for gold coast at the start he wanted hayne (who had been playing for surfers) but because it would use an internation spot he didn't want to risk it on a kiwi when he could get some brazilians