Auckland City FC - Thanks a Trillion

Going to be a great night - see you there true blue, michaelme and Jeff vader?

Yea could be a go, I'll see if any of the lads from Summer Soccer are keen to head along

For anyone interested in following ACFC's progress in Japan there is a nicely done series of videos at http://www.aucklandcityfc.com/

ACFC have the advantage...

... Whilst Ramon and the team analyse the footage of Hiroshima to gain an edge, Sanfrecce's coaching team are scratching their heads trying to find TV footage of ACFC performing in NZ's top football league...

... Haha!

In other football news...

A mysterious black hole has swallowed up all the news stories relating to the CWC on NZ's premier and only 24/7 sport radio broadcasters website. With the CWC (a FIFA tournament featuring the top football clubs from around the globe) imminent, a strange black hole has swallowed all stories relating to the competition and has replaced them with numerous stories about the Australian A-League and England's EPL. Eye witnesses have reported that the black hole was covered in advertising for both Hyundai and Barclays. 

Not surprising Ali, there is a lot of fear in traditional NZ sports circles that football is inevitably rising here to its true status as the world's biggest game. Latest figures show 65% of registered sports team players in NZ are now football and the once dominant codes are desperately trying to ignore this. NZ's media is still dominated by rugby types, despite the evidence on the ground. You can see the same thing in the US and Australia, both with rapidly growing football leagues and player bases but media still fixated on minor sports (like gridiron and Aussie Rules). It'll take another generation.

Yes and no.

The problem with those statistics (lets use the 65% one) is that they are mostly junior teams. Thats primarily because mummy and daddy don't want to see junior getting knocks while still small and developing. Fair enough too. We did the exact same with our son and he is will do the same with his son in a couple of years.

Now those juniors, are not subscribers to the Herald, readers of Stuff and avid watched on One News. Hence if you have a large majority not watching the media, whom are they going to write for... the kids? The adults in this country are by and large supporters of rugby and thats what gets the column inches because thats what sells to the paying adults.

I agree to a certain extent JV but the same holds true for adult players too. There are more adults playing football than the other codes too at about 50%. I think rugby was at about 35% and league a lowly 5% (mostly in South Auckland). And if middle class parents are watching their kids playing soccer because they don't want young Timmy flattened by a 12 stone polynesian kid of the same age, why doesn't that interest translate into coming to watch the ASBP, which is what young Timmy could one day aspire to? Also Auckland is about 15% Asian and rising and they generally follow football. But I don't see many at ACFC or Waitak (depite Krishna). I have however seen Bill McKinley Park full of local Fijian football supporters. Maybe if a largely Fijian based South Auckland team gets an ASBP franchise next season that might improve things overall.

There's a disconnect both in watching and media interest in local football that's puzzling.

Well you learn something new. I did not know that the stats for adults were that high.

There is a disconnect and I guess you could throw out a number of factors as to why. I suspect chief among these (and its a just something I reached for when I think about my grandson) is language from players. Its a catch 22 situation because no one wants to hear it, but the instant a ref does something about it, he's ruining the game. You only need to watch Sigmund on TV and every second word is fuck (generally follow by a you or an off) when talking to a referee. How often do you see a Richie McCaw, Dan Carter, Steve Price, Simon Mannering do that? Our players carry on like the English twats they see on TV. You watch Ivan the next time there is a yellow and I put money on the fact he will run at the referee with a tirade (granted he is not as swear prolific as others). When you then put this on an open park with 2 men and a dog watching, that abuse gets magnified because of the silence from the crowd.

They talk about this 'respect' program but its really only 'talked' about. 'We want to support the eradication of abuse from the game providing you are not punishing my team' is essentially the mantra. The sooner FIFA tidy up the diving (and that is a key point that every 'football hater' picks up on 'oh your fairy boys Hollywood everywhere') and seriously deal to players that abuse others whether it be fans, opponents or referees, the sooner I think the focus then becomes about the game as a product that is on the pitch and not the other crap that comes with it. Its just 1 point but if were not getting column inches on that (Terry, Suarez, Berisha etc) we would be talking about the game and it as a product. No one really talked about how crap the ABs were in the 2nd half against Wales because of dirty Hores actions.....

I accept that most of the above is probably not prevalent in the NZ/ASB game but I do believe that there is a young Waitakere player that was prominent 2 years ago that is no longer playing because he got punted for racially abusing a player during the game...

 it's a forum, not a newspaper, so you can name names...

more people watch speedway than local football.  sad but true. we're a minority sport

also no point generalising about football fans.  some premier league fans won't watch a-league.  some a-league fans won't watch NZFC.  NZFC is about layer 20 in the football pyramid so shouldn't be surprised - you can't knock watching sport at the highest level, no matter what it is.  why otherwise do people get off on the olympics so much?

M ore people watch Speedway than anything outside Rugby, the Warriors, the Breakers and the Phoenix.

7 hours to go - bring it on!

Come on ACFC, we need more prize money!

Good luck to ACFC - basically you're a bunch of carnts but goddamit, you're our carnts and you're taking on those carnts from the other side of the world so I guess I'll have to cheer for you

off to sandringham, c'mon City!!

Half time 0-0.

ACFC have had a few looks at goal, but spent most of the first 45 min.s in their own half.

Hiroshima are showing a lot of restraint, letting Auckland pass the ball far too much, and seem happy to build slowly in midfield.

Credit to ACFC for looking surprisingly competitive here.

Yeah somewhat. Hiroshima have sat off it really

What happens if we concede a goal in the last 10 mins?(rev jinx)

Ah yes, reverse jinx.

Hiroshima look like scoring all over the show. They should pump at least six past Auckland here

Sh!t.  ACFC 0-1 Hiroshima. 

Long rang goal into top left corner. Beautiful strike

Can't blame Tama for that. Over his head and dipped in. Unlucky.

That is true. Before that goal he'd looked very good. 

We should also credit the goalpost for a few great saves. 

If you are going to lose; 1-0 is the way to go. i am sure it was a fighting and determined effort to get that result...well done ACFC.

just saw the highlights.

well done fc auckland. unlucky

Hiroshima were the better team and did deserve to win, but I thought Auckland did very well to keep it close. I thought the keeper had a good game, even if the posts saved him a couple times. Just a shame Dickinson didn't get that late attempt on target.

Tribulietx should've replaced the ineffectual Exposito with Corrales at half time andTade for the hard working but tired Koprivcic on 60min.

Tade did more on the left in 5 mins than Exposito did in 75 when he FINALLY came on.

Riera had a quiet game but Williams, Vicelich, Berlanga and the hard working Dickinson stood out.

Thought ACFC missed the likes of Coombes who would've been far more effective than Bale. McGeorge (not wanted now in Team Wellington) may have been a better choice over Feneridis.

Having sad that City did OK representing Oceania at this level and can leave with heads held high. They will look back in disappointment as they could've got a result with the right players on the park.

I agree with a lot of this but I still think it was wrong for Tribuleitx to go into the game with only Dickinson up front. ACFC seemed contect to play mostly square and back passes in their own half with little attacking intent. When we played so well in the 2009 CWC Paul Posa had ACFC playing an attacking game with Haynes in particular being deadly out wide. We scored five goals in two wins (four scored by Kiwis - Coombes, Haynes and Van Steeden). I think Hiroshima realized we were mainly going to defend and so played a patient game. It wasn't until Corrales and Tade came on we got some bite up front. They should have been on for the whole second half. Exposito should have been substituted earlier. Would like to have seen Hicks on too, or Browne.

The style we played kept the scoring down to 1-0 with some stout defending but lets be honest, Hiroshima should have had three or four but for luck/fine saves. It was a toothless display until the last 15 minutes. Lets find some exciting attacking players like Haynes and Hogg again. We're not Barcelona and shouldn't try to emulate their possession style because we're ponderous going forward.

I have to agree.

ACFC suffer from a possession at all costs mentality. To play football you have to have it but you also need the personnel. Waikato/Declan tried to mirror you guys but never had the personnel. 

If you have the personnel to play that game, you back yourself to go forward and attack. If you don't, you end up going backwards and square with no attacking intent because the priority is possession at all costs.

If you are going to play a possession game, you need to play with purpose or what's the point of having all that ball with nothing to show?

I would hope that Ramon does recognise that sometime soon and make the adjustment

Have seen Exposito a few times against Otago & on TV and have to say he's been a big disappointment

i understand the negative tactics, but they were dead set boring which has even me questioning whether i'd bother watching this again

even in possession auckland were ponderous and appeared to fear actually doing anything.  corrales and tade aside.

the auckland side of a few years ago gave our domestic footy scene something to be proud of

we've moved forward since then and i'm afraid that these days a line of four with a line of five in front of it does little to stir my juices

 City set up to take it to penalties.

The distance between Dickinson and his midfield was embarrassing. I don't think isolation is quite the word for it.

Fullbacks very rarely got forward, infant i cant recall them ever going over half way. 

I thought Riera did his best to be busy and looked to get on the ball (ok he gave it away at times) but wanted to get involved. Williams made some nice saves but his kicking/distribution was woeful. Vicelich and Berlanga did great at the back and looked composed. Dickinson by far the best for City, held possesion majority of the time, allowed his midfield to catch up to him. He chased every loose ball and was a pain for the Japanese back four.

Tade and Coralles came on far too late.

Exposito is finished.

The Auckland City side that won games in the past was far superior to the side that took the field last night.

But for an amateur team 1-0 is no disgrace. Hopefully next time they are more attack minded, because im sure City will be back.

Maybe dickinson a chance to move on to A-League level?  The league is built on uninspriing strikers ;-)

Predictable coverage in the media about how ACFC needs to go pro.  I mean can we all deal with the elephant in the room here?  Why would you run a professional team solely to participate in the CWC?  And how are you going to pay for that without the grants available to "amateur" sport. Let's all get real.  It's a tournament that is an absolute bonus for ACFC and the they've done really well as is.  But their future as a pro team does not exist in NZ

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10852624

Interesting take on what Ramon Tribulietx said. Kind of putting words in his mouth and not going into much thought about the article but worth discussion I think.

I read a similar article on Stuff. Some many lols as well questions and thoughts on it.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/8052028/Auckland-City-fulltimers-wanted-for-cup 

1: Has Vuksich not given Ramon the company line that they have to 'appear' to be amateur for regulations reasons?

2: His players work 8 hour days. Ha

3: Even if they were professional, how would it benefit NZ players with a team filled largely with imports?

4: Even if they were professional, the tactics are now being questioned because like Declans mob, possession alone does not win you games.

5: It was a largely uninspired performance against a team that sat off of them because with the ball, ACFC never threatened and anyone that watched the game knew that it could/should have been more than 1 goal. Ironically, pretty much all of their performances this year have been uninspired (Otago, HBU, Waitak...) so I guess with all the money they throw at the team, it doesn't make them that much better. See back to point 4

6: For some of these 'exceptional imports' yet again, Esposito can't deliver at the next level and once again, did nothing at a CWC. Being professional is going to change that?