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Auckland FC have liftoff, the A-Leagues’ newest club making an instant impact with a 2-0 victory over Brisbane Roar on home debut.
Both the sky and the Mt Smart Stadium stands were blue as Auckland FC arrived in the competition, their picture-perfect debut finishing with a scoreline to delight the sold-out crowd.
Harry Van Der Saag’s eighth minute own goal gave the Black Knights an early lead on Saturday, before Logan Rogerson’s composed second-half finish secured the result.
Hiroki Sakai celebrates after Auckland’s win over Brisbane Roar.Credit: Getty Images
“It’s amazing,” coach Steve Corica said.
“There’s been a big build up to this game … the boys were looking forward to it and we knew the crowd would get right behind us, which they did.”
This was a day that went completely to script for the hosts and league chiefs.
Not only could coach Steve Corica be happy with three points, but Auckland FC’s billionaire majority owner Bill Foley would be delighted with the bumper support from Aucklanders.
The thumping 24,492-strong attendance was vindication too for head office, which awarded the license and pushed on with the club’s entrance, injecting some much-needed vitality to the competition.
That figure was just south of the best-ever crowd for for an A-League Men club’s inaugural game, showing the appetite for the sport in New Zealand’s biggest city.
Auckland FC’s early breakthrough came from an unlikely source.
What a way to get started.Credit: Getty Images
Van Der Saag, the former Adelaide United defender, became the answer to the inevitable pub quiz question of the club’s first goalscorer, tapping into his own net in the most unfortunate of fashions.
Guillermo May released Hiroki Sakai down the right, who bore down on goal and drove the ball across the face, where Van Der Saag miscontrolled under little pressure.
Auckland’s Japanese captain showed fight and spirit to put his side ahead, bundled over earlier in the move before sprinting back to capitalise, celebrating richly.
“A great memory for me,” Sakai said, “I’m not a striker and (I don’t have) many good opportunities.
“It’s my goal or own goal? It’s okay I don’t care – a goal is a goal – I’m so happy.”
The somewhat-scratchy goal was typical of a first half where, in blustery conditions, both sides lacked penetration.
Brisbane were limited to chances from out wide, with Thomas Waddingham through on 22 minutes but shooting directly at Alex Paulsen.
Corica and Sakai agreed there were early nerves that retreated as the contest went on.
May – proving a handful for the Brisbane defence – pinched the ball in the area and crossed for Jake Brimmer, who fell agonisingly short of a back-post toe-poke.
Lively debutant Liam Gillion then went close, firing into Macklin Freke’s legs as a second goal loomed.
Rogerson provided it in the 74th minute, meeting Francis De Vries’ cross with an oh-so-casual side-footed volley in front of Auckland’s boisterous active fans.
Corica, a five-time title winner at Sydney FC, said he felt pressure to deliver for his new fans as Auckland regained a professional football club after 17 years out of the league.
“I’m quite relieved this game is over because there was a big buildup,” he said.
“They’ve been waiting a long time for this and we wanted to win this game for them … everyone should be going home today very happy.”
Who knew there were so many Estonians in Auckland?Credit: Getty Images
While Auckland enjoy the view from the top of the A-League Men ladder, Brisbane and coach Ruben Zadkovich can re-gather next week during their bye.
Ecuadorian forward Neicer Acosta showed impressive signs on his A-League debut, as did Indonesian Rafael Struick off the bench.
Zadkovich said his side were in it for spells but not long enough.
“There were some moments for us where we did really well and started to control it … there were also some sloppy moments where we turned it over a little bit cheap and didn’t smell the danger,” he said.
AAP