Via Niche Cache.
https://theniche-cache.com/football/2025/6/30/aotearoa-domestic-football-roundup-30-june#google_vignette
A bit of a back story to help somewhat counter the agrument that Auckland II are low on the Northern League ladder and don't deserve an automatic NL spot. Sounds like they are resting most of their NZU20 players at the moment.
Weenix might be doing the same at the moment. Gotta watch the loads on young players.
What do ya know, the old mates at Auckland FC have made another couple of reserves signings. They already added Benjamin Perez Baldoni (15, Ellerslie) and Nathan Martin (17, Fencibles) a few weeks back and in the last few days Liam Hill (17, Fencibles) and Evan Masamba (17, Auckland United) have also joined the group. Masamba only made his senior debut for AUFC about a month ago, having previously been with Onehunga Sports. He’s a defender. Hill is a goalkeeper who becomes the fourth Fencies player picked up by the AFC Reserves so far (Ryan Mackay, Eli Jones, Nathan Martin, and Liam Hill).
https://theniche-cache.com/football/2025/6/30/aotearoa-domestic-football-roundup-30-june#google_vignette
A bit of a back story to help somewhat counter the agrument that Auckland II are low on the Northern League ladder and don't deserve an automatic NL spot. Sounds like they are resting most of their NZU20 players at the moment.
Weenix might be doing the same at the moment. Gotta watch the loads on young players.
What do ya know, the old mates at Auckland FC have made another couple of reserves signings. They already added Benjamin Perez Baldoni (15, Ellerslie) and Nathan Martin (17, Fencibles) a few weeks back and in the last few days Liam Hill (17, Fencibles) and Evan Masamba (17, Auckland United) have also joined the group. Masamba only made his senior debut for AUFC about a month ago, having previously been with Onehunga Sports. He’s a defender. Hill is a goalkeeper who becomes the fourth Fencies player picked up by the AFC Reserves so far (Ryan Mackay, Eli Jones, Nathan Martin, and Liam Hill).
AFC have made a strong point about not wanting younger junior squads so as to keep players at their clubs for longer, keeping the local youth comps stronger and thus allowing more room for development beyond their selected few. It’s a positive way to operate which shows respect for what many Northern League clubs are already doing in the development space. This way AFC goes around offering hands-on support and coaching to a wide range of players through their 18 affiliated clubs and then presumably then takes the pick of the crop at a later age. NZF have already supported the Wellington Phoenix in doing similar things so it seems that everybody’s on the same page.
Why are AFC stocking up the reserves right now with four mid-season additions? Well, it’s notable that the lads on A-League scholarship contracts haven’t featured in the weeks since they got back from NZ U20s duty. James Mitchell and Codey Phoenix have been reintegrated from that U20s squad but not the scholars. Probably a deserved rest before they rip into first team preseason in a few weeks, not to mention the Aussie Cup. We’ll see how what happens moving forward but it’s possible we don’t see them for the Reserves much more until the National League phase begins.
Naturally, that does weaken this team. No Finn McKenlay, Jonty Bidois, Adama Coulibaly, or Oliver Middleton (Joe Knowles hasn’t played recently either) has led to three straight Northern League defeats with the latest being a 2-1 loss against East Coast Bays. They weren’t far off though. After conceding a 25th minute penalty converted by Jack Caunter, it seemed that ECB were on track for a narrow win... until Ben Perez Baldoni popped up off the bench. The 15 year old made it two goals in two games for his new club, this time with was a powering header from a pinpoint Ralph Rutherford free kick delivery...