You guys aren't allowed to say that stuff. Trueblue will get angry and turn green that you dare cast a stone on the mighty ASB Premiership.
I went and watched this and the 1st 40 was all Waitakere. They should have been 4-0 up after 20. Its ironic that Jake Butlers 35y screamer that stayed 4 feet off the ground the whole way was in some respects harder to slot than the 30 odd chances that were missed (and in some respects, a 5 yard tap in). The equaliser came against the run of play and the remaining 50mins was evenish.
Auckland played their customary 5 ESOL players and were at full strength sans Berlanga and Pritchett. Waitakere made them look like chumps so they have either switched off this league with an eye to Japan, or that 6th ESOL player is the real difference for them. Some NZ depth...
Coombes played one of his more controlled disciplined games I have seen in this league and the midfield of him, Mulligan and Butler dominated ACFC. Feneridis, Reira and Koprivcic were spectators and never got in the game at all. Danny Robinson might have had to make 1 save, Spoonley close to 20. The front 3 for Waitakere looked far more effective than the front 3 for ACFC. A few of the ACFC players went down soft expecting freekicks but I think the ref got it pretty much spot on and they needed to stop rolling around like pigs in shit cause you will not get stuff like that in Japan. Dickinson took all of 10mins to blindside someone. Disappointingly, Ivan played better when he was on a card cause he then had to focus on actually playing football and not remonstrating with the ref or holding Krishna. The Irish guy Brian Shelley should really be sent home along with the Japanese LB for ACFC.
The boy that played at RB, Daniel Saric. I know some people have big raps on him but he was rightfully dragged at the half as Ryan de Vries made him his bitch. The crowd was not as big as previous derby's - someone made a comment that there was a parade on that might have made that the reason why people stayed away. Either way, it was a nice sunny day but if you never went, it was not $10 you would have missed spending. Not a game of football that these 2 teams usually put in and was only better than the televised game 2 weeks ago due to the fact that both sides could string 5 passes before giving it away. At the very least, I can see why there are no Kiwi strikers promoted from the Premiership to the Phoenix making their mark. 2 offside goals and another 25 shots for Waitakere including a few easy tap ins were missed.
I think if I was a supporter watching this, I would expect ACFC to get their asses handed to them in Japan based on this performance. No real football of any cohesion (sans passing it around the back 4) and against better opponents, they will get slaughtered. Spoonley is the only one and perhaps Exposito that can come away with any respect as they were the only players (Spoonley more so) that turned in a good 90.
As for the assertion that these boys hold down full-time jobs, you really need to stop peddling that snake-skin oil True Blue. The club has how many imports (of which another 3 did not play) and you are telling me that they hold down full time jobs like the rest of us? Pah!