Auckland City FC - Thanks a Trillion

I might be wrong but I also suspect the source was Colin Cook who is a key man at Auckland City.

Yeah, Kewell, popular.  Yarn.

Considering ACFC can't beat Team Welly over two legs, I'm not sure what they think they can do against the Roar.

Has been on radio sport news today  http://www.radiosport.co.nz/news/spsoc/1881997097-auckland-city-voted-oceania-club-of-the-decade.  Listen here here as well http://content.radionetwork.co.nz/weekondemand/radiosport/31300.mp3

about talking about getting a relationship going with Barcelona to work together in the future.

I had to laugh when hearing this. If this was actually in play, it would be Waitakere whom would have played the last 3 years as they have been the NZ Champions.

Perhaps the folk at ACFC should perhaps remember that and be a little bit more humble cause I seriously doubt they are advocating for Waitakere to be the team that plays in that game.

This afternoon's O-League Final 2nd Leg will be streamed live at http://ofctv.e-cast.co.nz/index, costs $3 for the stream. 

Auckland leading 1 - nil after 41 mins Exposito the scorer from a free kick. 

1-0 to ACFC at halftime, through a nice passing set piece play. 

Tefana should have been up earlier in the half, Williams missed an aboslute sitter after Spoonley made a save but only parried it into the path of the Tefana striker, who then put this shot wide of the post when it was easier to score than miss.

Back underway still 1 nil to Auckland.

65 mins gone and no change to scoreline.

Red-card to an Auckland player for a raised elbow making contact with a Tefana player during a tackle. This could be diastrous.

Auckland down to 10 after Axel Feneridis shown a straight red with 20 mins to play. 

Squeaky bum time!

That is five yellows and a (straight) red now. I can't see the game. Is the ref getting these calls right?

Hopefully not for the sake of Auckland City and the other ASB Premiership sides

11 mins to go still 1 - nil. 

5 mins to go no change.

Getting live updates on OFC website. Painfully slow and irregular. Has Auckland decided to play total defence? 

Ref was over-zealous on most of the yellow cards.

Auckland putting all 10 men behind the ball when Tefana have the ball

Thanks Patrick

Five minutes added time.

90mins still Auckland 1 up but there will be 5 mins added time.

Thanks Auckland City, we will use our share of your prize money wisely, we promise!

Full time!!!   Finally!

FT Tefana 0 Auckland City 1.

I was just thinking similar things. That US$500,000 will go a long way at domestic level. Having said that, it would probably go a lot further for Tefana.

An hopefully a bit more $$$$ if Auckland can pick up some positive results.

Not if they have to play with ten men. I seriously hope this final was just an aberration.

Enlighten me, for I am ignorant - I was under the impression that French Polynesian football was quite well funded by, well, France.

I am in no way an expert on French Polynesia or the finances thereof. My thinking on the matter is that the NZFC (ASBP) teams that enter this competition are perennial favourites.  Whilst there is nothing wrong with that, New Zealand would benefit if Oceania football was a little more competitive. One way to make that happen is to increase the resources available to nations/clubs that are capable of challenging NZ teams.

If we accept that ACFC ought to share its windfall with the rest of the ASBP teams because they provide the competition that  allows the winning teams to qualify in the first place, couldn't the same argument be used in the OFC?

I know the Oceania nations all receive FIFA funding and other income, nonetheless we need to strengthen Oceania if there is to be a future for New Zealand in it.  As a result of this I would say that I am happy to see the cash spread in NZ, but would not be entirely unhappy for the money to go to any other team which may strengthen the confederation.

Does that make sense?

I like your post, it raises some pertinent questions, but a couple of things need to be clarified.

I think club sides from the region are improving - Hekari won the O-League in 2010 when they defeated Waitakere in the final over two legs, and Tefana topped Waitakere United's group to make this final - they've also beaten Waitakere twice at home, 3-1 in 2010 (when they finished bottom of the group in 2010-11) and 3-0 (when they topped it this season). The 10-0 defeat, while obviously ugly any way you care to spin it, was an abberation (goalkeeper Xavier Samin sent off inside the first 5 minutes).

Ba has also beaten Waitakere (2-1 in 2007). I think you'll find Waitakere are not the greatest of travellers when it comes to regional competition, I'm sure there are one or two other shaky results, too.

Also, Amicale topped Auckland City 1-0 in the group stage this time around and, if you canvass opinions from the players, they'll probably tell you there is no easy away trip when you visit Port Moresby (Hekari, 1-1 draw) or Tahiti (Tefana, 1-1 draw in December 2010).

That said, Auckland City has played 44 matches in regional competitions and lost just four (Waitakere 0-1, Sydney FC 2-3, AS Pirae 0-1 and Amicale 0-1). They've been eliminated at the group stage four times, twice on goal difference.

Member Associations within the OFC tend to take a hands off approach with their affiliated club sides; like anywhere else on Earth, there is a friction when it comes to clubs v federations. 

As for "New Zealand's future" within the OFC, that is not going to change anytime soon. I would say the OFC is beneficial to New Zealand - take a look at the women's game in Australia which has gone backwards since joining the AFC, or how the Australian men's age group sides have also found it tough going. Be careful what you wish for.

Any change in the composition of the Confederations would have to come with a massive change at the top in FIFA first. The AFC member associations have an interesting relationship with the FFA - the cultural symmetry and understanding isn't always there, tetchy at best, awkward most of the time. The same can be said of the political element to that.

The $500,000.00 USD prize money divided up between ACFC, NZF and the seven other ASB Premiership clubs doesn't go far, particularly when you factor in O-League away matches which cost clubs tens of thousands of dollars to cover. Whatever is left over would hardly be enough to buy bibs, cones and a new kit for six other clubs from fellow OFC member associations.

Federation Tahitienne de Football (FTF) has a strong relationship with the FFF, as does Federation Caledonienne de Football (FCF) in New Caledonia, but most of that is realised in coaching, referee development, futsal, beach soccer. 

Let's not forget that the member associations of the OFC are, by and large, very small in terms of population, resource and playing strength. They do enjoy relative successes, they are improving (in my opinion), but its going to take time. Many of the everyday things in life we take for granted here in New Zealand are actually very complicated on the ground in what are third world countries. Crime, HIV/AIDS, illiteracy, domestic violence, different cultural values, all come into play. 

If you think organising a football team in New Zealand is difficult, try assembling a club side in Port Moresby when your players are drawn from the Highlands and so on. Not easy.

One thing that is not lacking is a love of football.

I've worked in football in the OFC for seven years and have been privileged to see the changes first hand, so take this missive for what it's worth. 

I am encouraged by the spirit of your posting that suggests taking a greater, more meaningful, interest in the development of the game is beneficial for New Zealand in the long run. I couldn't agree more. But I think there is another way. 

GGW

Jeez Gordie, we really need you to come and post here more often.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10826696

Chris Bale to City.  Can't imagine that is popular with City fans... pretty sure he wasn't much loved by them.

I'm sure we'll have a chant for him before the end of the day.  We've had cross town traffic before.

Mulligan to Waitak.

 Not sure Auckland got the best of a Bale - Mulligan swap.

 coombes to waitak too

 hicks to acfc?  can anyone confirm?

 it appears that auckland city may have signed this guy...

Pedro garcia 

more info

formerly of sporting gijon and more recently royal charleroi

Haha thought that was another pedro Garcia for a brief moment. 

Auckland 2 Waikato 2, goals for Auckland went to Exposito (who also missed a sitter) and number 20 (tade?). Was a pretty full-strength Auckland side, all the main guys I've seen in the past few years were playing, as well as Hicks as mentioned above, still probably the best player in Auckland. Backline was lacking a bit of pace, number 4 was at fault for a number of chances, and Rory Turner snuck in at the back post on numerous occasions.

Oh and Adam Dickinson tried to get himself sent off, what is wrong with him? Angry man!