Auckland Pride - Make Auckland Great Again

No idea if it's just luck, or a compliment to their training regime, medical facilities etc but just like last season AFC seem to have few injuries.

Just Nando out at the moment unless their squad below is incorrect.
Contrast that with the Nix with 5 guys out.


Auckland FC v Adelaide United
Saturday, November 1 – Go Media Stadium – 3:00pm AEDT

Auckland FC squad:
1. Michael WOUD, 2. Hiroki SAKAI, 3. Jake GIRDWOOD-REICH, 6. Louis VERSTRAETE, 7. Cameron HOWIESON, 9. Sam COSGROVE, 10. Guillermo MAY, 11. Marlee FRANÇOIS, 14. Liam GILLION, 15. Francis DE VRIES, 17. Callan ELLIOT, 18. Finn McKENLAY, 20. Oli SAIL, 21. Jesse RANDALL, 22. Jake BRIMMER, 23. Dan HALL. 27. Logan ROGERSON, 43. Ryan MACKAY, 77. LACHLAN Brook

(Two to be omitted)
Ins: 8. Felipe GALLEGOS
Outs: 16. Adama COULIBALY
Unavailable: Nando PIJNAKER (injured)

Adelaide United squad: 
3.⁠Bart VRIENDS, 4.Panagiotis KIKIANIS, 7.Ryan KITTO, 9.Luka JOVANOVIĆ, 10.Juan MUÑIZ, 11.Craig GOODWIN, 12.Jonny YULL, 19.Yaya DUKULY, 20.Dylan PIEIRAS, 22.Joshua SMITS, 23.Luke DUZEL, 36.Panashe MADANHA, 40.Ethan COX, 42.Austin AYOUBI, 44.Ryan WHITE, 52.Sotiri PHILLIS, 55.Ethan ALAGICH, 62.Fabian TALLADIRA, 71.Vinko STANISIC, 74.Amlani TATU

(Two to be omitted)
Ins: 52.Sotiri PHILLIS, 74.Amlani TATU
Outs: Nil
Unavailable: 87.⁠Anselmo DE MORAES (fitness)

Nando to play 45 Minutes in a reserve game this weekend.

Chris Lewis was my favourite player but I used to watch Onnie Parun & Brian Fairlie playing Davis Cup against John Newcombe and Ken Roswell. Also against VJ & Anand Armitrage. The former later had a great cameo in Star Trek 4, The Voyage home and in the 007 Movie, Octopussy.

Come on Adelaide!!

Jessie Merino

coochiee

Jessie Merino

The ASB tennis - or whatever they now call it - happens in Auckland smack bang in the post Xmas/NY holiday 'dead time' and every  year it's rammed. Though of course everything else in town is either closed or struggling for numbers. Ghost town, similar to Covid lockdown.

It's basically the only 2 weeks of high level tennis now played in NZ. The other 50 weeks zero, zilch, nada if you are a tennis fan.

The glory days of tussling with Spain in the Davis Cup at a sunbaked Wilding Park long gone.

Jeez... were you there? I stopped going to the Renouf Centre in Lower Brooklyn when Annabel Croft ignored my invitation to a date.

Court ordered by any chance?

reg22

Jessie Merino

coochiee

Jessie Merino

The ASB tennis - or whatever they now call it - happens in Auckland smack bang in the post Xmas/NY holiday 'dead time' and every  year it's rammed. Though of course everything else in town is either closed or struggling for numbers. Ghost town, similar to Covid lockdown.

It's basically the only 2 weeks of high level tennis now played in NZ. The other 50 weeks zero, zilch, nada if you are a tennis fan.

The glory days of tussling with Spain in the Davis Cup at a sunbaked Wilding Park long gone.

Jeez... were you there? I stopped going to the Renouf Centre in Lower Brooklyn when Annabel Croft ignored my invitation to a date.

Court ordered by any chance?

Haha. Excluded from court by the Court. And I was only courting. She lacked courtesy however. No worries, we probably would have bored each other stupid afterwards.

imanixsupporter

There has been bratwurst for years at Mt Smart hasnt there?

Do you mean “sausage fest” by chance?

WanderingSheep

Nelfoos

Cosgrove was very lucky not to get a card for grabbing Thomas around the neck, but I thought the ref was pretty lenient all round which might be why.

Right now I fully expect him to end the season with more yellows than goals.

 
This was what he was like in his first season at the dons (and most of his career). Then had a fluke purple patch that got us some good cash 😎

He’s been gash at games I’ve seen him play in, here in Blighty.

Time for this Cosgrove to step up.

He has had a really decent and lengthy preseason and now two games in the season to find combinations and understand what the leagues about.

Adelaide always give you opportunities to attack and it’s a beautiful day in Auckland.

No excuses not to have a meaningful impact on the result with either goals or asssits today.

Having a look at the available seats for sale online, it definitely looks like second year syndrome is here and the novelty has worn off.

Think this game may be AFC’s lowest ever crowd and reflective of the type of attendance, we will have throughout the season with the exception of the derby which I still expect will sell out.

So can someone explain to me why Rogerson is not starting? He scored and assisted a lot last season.

Ninja

So can someone explain to me why Rogerson is not starting? He scored and assisted a lot last season.

Lachlan Brook a better footballer. AuckFC all over them. Brook, Randall, shots just past the post. Cosgrove goal far post nod in. Made in Barnsley... Randall pings another from outside box....

Randall again, keeper pushes it onto the post....

Rogerson’s form a bit down on last season, but also potentially done a bit dirty by Corica. 

New guys not really firing as a unit yet. Lots of long shots. From people other than May! 

That seemed to be the recipe last season. Rogerson, Pijnaker and Mata in the box. May out of the box.

And they’ve released one Kiwi, got one with a long term injury and dropped another. Brought in two Aussies and an English guy who does a fair impression of an Aussie…

martinb

Rogerson’s form a bit down on last season, but also potentially done a bit dirty by Corica. 

New guys not really firing as a unit yet. Lots of long shots. From people other than May! 

That seemed to be the recipe last season. Rogerson, Pijnaker and Mata in the box. May out of the box.

And they’ve released one Kiwi, got one with a long term injury and dropped another. Brought in two Aussies and an English guy who does a fair impression of an Aussie…

Crocodile Dundee! I wondered where I'd seen him...

Randall against the post, Verstraete volleys the the rebound. 2-1

Top of the League again!

Cosgrove won man of the match - … how?? Quite a poor performance again from him, despite the goal (which anyone on the team could have scored). Really struggle to see how he fits this team

Verstraete is an absolute Rolls Royce though. Wow. May just be the most impactful player in the league 

Jury is still out on Cosgrove, but if he can put 12 in the net during the season he would have done his job.

I wonder if AFC will ever be awarded a penalty to assist him this year. Approaching 35 games in league and cup, with nothing. Amazing considering the number of times they get the ball in the box.

Yep, the Belgium is a great player and one you can build a team around.

He is the one import off contract this year, that they quickly need to sign up again pronto.

Seems a nice genuine guy as well when he speaks. 

Cosgrove scored but he’s still pony.

Auckland bang average going forward but won’t concede much. Woud ain’t up to much but that back four is rock solid, and the replacements off the bench aren’t much worse.

Interesting to see a big drop off of the crowd after a home win last week. Not good signs imo.

I looked and Cosgrove has only ever been in double figures for goals at one club. Everywhere else he’s struggled to score goals. 

It’s an odd signing for Auckland. Imo it disrupts their fluency. His first touch is inconsistent. May had one sighter all game. That’s not good enough- he’s got an absolute howitzer of a shot. You want to get your best players on the ball as much as possible.

I’m also not convinced by players with unusual double barrel surnames like Devenish-Meerkats or Girdwood-Reich, simply on the basis that they seem like villains in a Jeeves and Wooster caper. 

mrsmiis

Cosgrove won man of the match - … how?? Quite a poor performance again from him, despite the goal (which anyone on the team could have scored). Really struggle to see how he fits this team

Verstraete is an absolute Rolls Royce though. Wow. May just be the most impactful player in the league 

IMO Cosgrove is quite effective in the AFC front line. Lays off good balls, ties up defenders... and contrary to one opinion here, I reckon  he knew exactly what he was doing when he scored that cutback header. He'll have got dozens of goals like that. Admittedly not a Rolls Royce. More Peter Crouch. Who played for England more than once.

Cripes- if Cosgrove shows half the technique Crouchy had he’ll be the best signing in the league.

In his defense I missed the start of the game when Auckland were said to be dominant. Though I did see a bit of long shooting. 

martinb

Cripes- if Cosgrove shows half the technique Crouchy had he’ll be the best signing in the league.

Well we'll find out in the next few matches 

Woud really sends shivers done my spine in goal. 

He looks like he could throw the ball into the net at any moment. He was so lucky when he tried to punch the ball into his own player with no pressure on him, not to concede.

I just hope when he does throw the ball into the net he does a few in the same game and gets dropped completely rather than throwing one in every second game and costing more points. 

Jessie Merino

martinb

Cripes- if Cosgrove shows half the technique Crouchy had he’ll be the best signing in the league.

Well we'll find out in the next few matches 

It’s certainly possible they’ll settle and the goal will help. Hopefully not before they play the Nix, though. Maybe he was good initially and dropped off. Adelaide had them rattled and before the subs that famous Auckland press had stopped functioning and the body language was bad. I haven’t seen that before.

AucklandPhoenix

Jury is still out on Cosgrove, but if he can put 12 in the net during the season he would have done his job.

I wonder if AFC will ever be awarded a penalty to assist him this year. Approaching 35 games in league and cup, with nothing. Amazing considering the number of times they get the ball in the box.

Yep, the Belgium is a great player and one you can build a team around.

He is the one import off contract this year, that they quickly need to sign up again pronto.

Seems a nice genuine guy as well when he speaks. 

Though not as if they have had a heap of legitimate appeals for penalty turned down.

AFC are good at choking the midfield, they swarm on the press and win back lots of possesion. They also have a big agressive well organised defense.
However they really still have problems in the final third. I think Cosgrove is a mistake. When he went off the attack was much more fluid. Suddenly May was in the game. Max Mata was 100 times better in link play. Cosgrove lacks mobility and has a poor touch. Maybe he would be ok on a muddy pitch where you just lump the ball to him but the AL is fast and physical and a no 9 has to do a lot of running

I think it is fair to say he was 2nd or even third choice. 

A number of months ago Corica was asked about the import striker recruitment. He replied that they had three on the radar with his preferred choice a South American with MLS experience. Research indicated that this most likely was a Brazilian out of contract who had also played for him at Sydney and goal wise had done well with attributes of both height and pace. By Coricia’s reply it appeared negotiations were advanced but he ended up going to a Mexican first division  team so I can assume we got pipped at the last minute and Cosgrove was our 2nd or 3rd choice. 

It probably however illustrates the standard of the league when a top A league team, apparently with pots of money ends up signing a chap out of contract, at league one level and considered a journeyman.

He will however likely be in the top 3 goal scorers in the league come the season end. 

Buffon II

Cosgrove scored but he’s still pony.

Auckland bang average going forward but won’t concede much. Woud ain’t up to much but that back four is rock solid, and the replacements off the bench aren’t much worse.

Interesting to see a big drop off of the crowd after a home win last week. Not good signs imo.

11,240

I think Becker said last season that they had budgeted for crowds of ten thousand or less. Their new stadium was meant to hold about that many. The drop off is classic Auckland.....one year you are trendy and the place to be seen...the next year...zero. There are still plenty of true football fans who will show up

Chris Turner,  Katzen,  etc. would have bitten your arm off to get 11,000 thru the gate for the NZ Knights

Yep average crowds of between 10-12 outside the derby are fine. 

Compared to other stadiums I also gather mount smart is cheap to rent. 

Financially they are probably doing well with sponsors signed up on improved terms this year and ticket prices up.

Jessie Merino

Chris Turner,  Katzen,  etc. would have bitten your arm off to get 11,000 thru the gate for the NZ Knights

I think most in this league would bite your arm off for 11,000. Especially as a record low.

Just interesting to see that drop off yesterday when the weather was good, it was on a Saturday, and Auckland have made a positive start to this season.

So if  11k is acceptable for AFC surely 6/7k for the Nix should also be acceptable. Kind of puts Welnix spouting on about the Nix getting 10k regularly into perspective.

I thought 10k was necessary to cover the stadium costs

Love it that people complain about Auckland getting 11k. The nix will snap your hand off for that weekly. 

That 11k will rise as Auckland don't seem to have a second season drop off and should get top 2 easy. 

11k for Auckland is the equivalent of 3.5k at a Wellington game adjusted for population. Don't think many would be happy with that.

Nelfoos

11k for Auckland is the equivalent of 3.5k at a Wellington game adjusted for population. Don't think many would be happy with that.

By that standard, selling out Mt Smart = a 7-8k game at the Cake Tin, so not much to be impressed by

Very interesting Reddit thread. Long story short, a Port character known for sharkhousery headbutted a fellow who wouldn't stand up at yesterday's game. Apparently he went nuts last week at a bunch of teenagers who started the wrong chant.

Most interesting comments:

Jessie Merino

I thought 10k was necessary to cover the stadium costs

Yep thats right but think it shows that isnt a realistic target. Such a bloody shame we dont gave a realistic alternative.