Victory served up on a plate for ALM premiers Auckland
Marlee Francois has opened his goalscoring account with a rare Olimpico goal as Auckland celebrated their premiers plate success with a 1-0 win over Perth Glory.
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ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Messi, Kane and the warehouse worker — the Kiwi minnows taking on FIFA giants
Conor Tracey works more than 40 hours a week at Auckland's largest veterinary pharmaceutical warehouse. He calls himself "blue collar through and through," and has made his way from a part-time packer to his current position as the foreman's leading hand. It's a role he juggles with an otherworldly footballing double life. Not to be confused with Auckland FC — the A-League's newest club and most recent premiers — Tracey plays in goal for the entirely amateur Auckland City FC. And this month, he and his teammates will travel to the United States, where they will take part in what is being billed as the richest club football tournament of all time — FIFA's revamped, 32-team Club World Cup. As champions of the often-overlooked confederation of Oceania, Auckland City FC will be the only non-professional — and by far the smallest — team at the tournament. Group stage clashes with German mega-club Bayern Munich, 35-time champions of Argentina Boca Juniors, and two-time European Cup winners Benfica await the team's unheralded squad of office workers and sales reps. Calling it an underdog story doesn't quite do it justice. Because these are, on paper at least, some of the most outrageous mismatches in football history. Often the best team in its region, Auckland City hold the record for the most appearances at FIFA's previous seven-team, straight knockout imagining of the Club World Cup. But barring a stirring third-place finish in 2014, City's previous tournaments have rarely lasted longer than one game, often against the hosting club. These international adventures have been the shining lights in a last half decade that general manager Gordon Watson told ABC Sport had been difficult for the club. A 2020 restructuring of top-flight New Zealand amateur football — of which Auckland City was the only team from the old New Zealand Football Championship to survive — meant that the club's number of games a season almost doubled from less than 30 to more than 50. In addition to weekly league matches and this month's Club World Cup, Auckland City's 2025 schedule included the two-week long Oceania Champions League in the Soloman Islands earlier this year, and will feature a week-long overseas trip for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in December. Combine that with four training sessions a week, physio appointments, as well as a nutrition regime usually only expected of professionals, and it's a lot to ask of a playing group whose footballing "salaries" are capped at $150 a week in expenses. "And I'm spending all of that on petrol," Tracey told ABC Sport, whose drive from work to training can often take up to two hours in the heat of the Auckland afternoon gridlock. Meanwhile, Tracey's World Cup-winning goalkeeping idol and opposite number on match day one of the Club World Cup, Manuel Neuer, earns a reported $700,000 a week at Bayern Munich. And he probably hasn't spent much time in Auckland traffic jams. Internationally, much of the build-up to this month's tournament has centred around FIFA's bare-faced desire to shoehorn both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo into the competition, as well the viability of adding another four-week tournament to an already packed global football calendar. The European club season only finished in late May, and many of the players will be arriving in the US directly from commitments with their national teams. Last September, Manchester City's Rodri said the world's footballers could be heading towards a strike if the fixtures kept piling up. "I personally don't have too much of an opinion about it … for us, getting to play against Bayern Munich, Benfica and Boca Juniors — there's no way we're gonna start complaining," Tracey said. Instead, Auckland City's players face entirely more relatable concerns, like ensuring they have enough leave for a four week "holiday" in the middle of the working year. The addition of the Club World Cup means that football will take Tracey away from his job for eight weeks over the course of 10 months — something his employer has reluctantly accepted. "You can just see them biting their tongue," he said. And the extraordinariness of lining up against some of the best, most highly paid sportspeople on the planet is something that has generally been lost on his colleagues. "I don't think they fully realise … New Zealand's not, you know, football central," Tracey said. "I think they try their best to understand, which is nice. If I have a genuine conversation with them about it, they will say 'that is actually really cool'. "But 80 per cent of the time it's banter and 80 per cent of that banter is just, 'Oh yeah, off on holiday again!'" City's third top scorer on record, Angus Kilkolly, who has had to forgo recent trips in the face of increasing responsibility in his role as the regional manager of a power tool company, also said the enormity of the tournament hadn't really been understood by the people around him. "They know it's a hobby of ours, and they know we do it on the weekend, but I definitely don't think they know the extent," Kilkolly told ABC Sport. Tracey remembers the 2017 Club World Cup vividly. The tournament in the UAE was not only the then-19-year-olds first international tournament, but his first involvement with the Auckland City first team. He walked out to a crowd of 20,000 people before City went down 1-0 to Emirati club Al-Jazira. "As a 19-year-old kid that's used to playing in front of 50 people and 20 dogs, I just went, 'Holy shit, look at all these people,'" he said. "It was stained on my mind." Tracey said that it is these moments that keep him training at a level expected of a professional player while juggling his full-time, physical job and personal relationships. "Sometimes it's really hard to sort of remind yourself why you're doing it, because it is a slog," he said. "It does take a big mental toll." Looming over the tournament, of course, hangs the spectre of a thumping. Despite the commitment, the sacrifice and the passion of its players, Auckland City just isn't Bayern Munich, Benfica or Boca Juniors. "I'm gonna be honest — we've all thought about it. Everyone thinks that we're all thinking about it too," Tracey said. But it's with a sense of responsibility, not fear, that the team will walk out with in the US. "The thing that plays on me most, and I think the club, is that we want to go there and make ourselves proud," Kilkolly said. "We want to leave these games with no regrets — that we've actually gone out there and done the best we can." Auckland City's appearance at the Club World Cup is a testament to all that is beautiful, romantic and downright bizarre about football. It defies logic that an entirely amateur team could sneak its way into the inaugural edition of a tournament FIFA is committed to making the world's most prestigious (and highest grossing) in all of club football. And with the newly proposed Oceania Pro League slated to bring professionalism to the region in 2026, as well as the possibility of increased blurring of Oceanian and Asian club football, Auckland City's outrageous underdog story may well prove to be a one off. "For normal people, most dreams happen after 5pm," general manager Watson said. "And this is what this Club World Cup has been — it's a dream that's happened after 5pm. "But goodness me, the amount of hours and the blood, sweat, tears and toil that have been collected along the way, even before you get to the first game, is unreal."
The Advertiser
2 days ago
- The Advertiser
Tough club challenge awaits Auckland City's part-timers
Auckland City's players aren't full-time professionals and many have taken annual leave to compete in the Club World Cup, where they face what coach Paul Posa calls "the toughest group". New Zealand's champions, fresh from winning the OFC Champions League, will face Bayern Munich, Benfica and Boca Juniors in Group C of the revamped tournament, which starts at various US venues on Saturday, and Posa acknowledged their uphill battle. "It's quite possibly the toughest group we could have drawn," said Posa, who guided them to fifth place in the old Club World Cup in 2009. "We have two traditional European powerhouses in Bayern Munich and Benfica, and Boca Juniors, who are also capable of going all the way. "We have competed in many of the previous versions of the CWC competition, which has given us a broad range of experience allowing us to punch above our weight in the past. Our goals are to be prepared, and compete, to the best of our ability.'' Auckland enter the 32-team tournament months after claiming their 13th Oceania title and fourth in succession. Despite continental success, football remains a part-time commitment for the squad. "All of the players have other jobs alongside their football commitments," Posa said. "However, they have an extraordinary dedication to their football outside of their working hours. "Players have had to take annual leave from their jobs. Indeed, some of the players were unable to take time to attend both the OFC Champions League competition and the Club World Cup." The mid-June to mid-July tournament timing means it falls during Auckland's season rather than after it, as the previous version of the competition did. "The challenge of having the CWC fall in the middle of the season has been ensuring that players are in top form at the right times. However, I believe we're on track to achieve this," Posa said. Serving as caretaker coach for Albert Riera, who's away for family reasons, Posa previously managed Auckland from 2008-10. In the 2009 Club World Cup, they defeated the UAE's Shabab Al Ahli and DR Congo's TP Mazembe to finish fifth. The 63-year-old acknowledged how difficult it would be to repeat his 2009 success. "It's nice to dream we could be that competitive again. However, we're realistic about the challenge," he said. While temporary, Posa has maintained Auckland's established playing style. "It has not been difficult to maintain a playing philosophy that has evolved at Auckland City over many years,'' he said. "Of course, every coach puts their own fingerprint on a team.'' This stability underpins Auckland's continued success. "This comes down to building on experience gained in previous competitions, and a consistent focus on being well-organised and prepared, both on and off the pitch," Posa said. "The culture surrounding the team is such that they always want to win, and motivating them is no problem at all." Auckland City's players aren't full-time professionals and many have taken annual leave to compete in the Club World Cup, where they face what coach Paul Posa calls "the toughest group". New Zealand's champions, fresh from winning the OFC Champions League, will face Bayern Munich, Benfica and Boca Juniors in Group C of the revamped tournament, which starts at various US venues on Saturday, and Posa acknowledged their uphill battle. "It's quite possibly the toughest group we could have drawn," said Posa, who guided them to fifth place in the old Club World Cup in 2009. "We have two traditional European powerhouses in Bayern Munich and Benfica, and Boca Juniors, who are also capable of going all the way. "We have competed in many of the previous versions of the CWC competition, which has given us a broad range of experience allowing us to punch above our weight in the past. Our goals are to be prepared, and compete, to the best of our ability.'' Auckland enter the 32-team tournament months after claiming their 13th Oceania title and fourth in succession. Despite continental success, football remains a part-time commitment for the squad. "All of the players have other jobs alongside their football commitments," Posa said. "However, they have an extraordinary dedication to their football outside of their working hours. "Players have had to take annual leave from their jobs. Indeed, some of the players were unable to take time to attend both the OFC Champions League competition and the Club World Cup." The mid-June to mid-July tournament timing means it falls during Auckland's season rather than after it, as the previous version of the competition did. "The challenge of having the CWC fall in the middle of the season has been ensuring that players are in top form at the right times. However, I believe we're on track to achieve this," Posa said. Serving as caretaker coach for Albert Riera, who's away for family reasons, Posa previously managed Auckland from 2008-10. In the 2009 Club World Cup, they defeated the UAE's Shabab Al Ahli and DR Congo's TP Mazembe to finish fifth. The 63-year-old acknowledged how difficult it would be to repeat his 2009 success. "It's nice to dream we could be that competitive again. However, we're realistic about the challenge," he said. While temporary, Posa has maintained Auckland's established playing style. "It has not been difficult to maintain a playing philosophy that has evolved at Auckland City over many years,'' he said. "Of course, every coach puts their own fingerprint on a team.'' This stability underpins Auckland's continued success. "This comes down to building on experience gained in previous competitions, and a consistent focus on being well-organised and prepared, both on and off the pitch," Posa said. "The culture surrounding the team is such that they always want to win, and motivating them is no problem at all." Auckland City's players aren't full-time professionals and many have taken annual leave to compete in the Club World Cup, where they face what coach Paul Posa calls "the toughest group". New Zealand's champions, fresh from winning the OFC Champions League, will face Bayern Munich, Benfica and Boca Juniors in Group C of the revamped tournament, which starts at various US venues on Saturday, and Posa acknowledged their uphill battle. "It's quite possibly the toughest group we could have drawn," said Posa, who guided them to fifth place in the old Club World Cup in 2009. "We have two traditional European powerhouses in Bayern Munich and Benfica, and Boca Juniors, who are also capable of going all the way. "We have competed in many of the previous versions of the CWC competition, which has given us a broad range of experience allowing us to punch above our weight in the past. Our goals are to be prepared, and compete, to the best of our ability.'' Auckland enter the 32-team tournament months after claiming their 13th Oceania title and fourth in succession. Despite continental success, football remains a part-time commitment for the squad. "All of the players have other jobs alongside their football commitments," Posa said. "However, they have an extraordinary dedication to their football outside of their working hours. "Players have had to take annual leave from their jobs. Indeed, some of the players were unable to take time to attend both the OFC Champions League competition and the Club World Cup." The mid-June to mid-July tournament timing means it falls during Auckland's season rather than after it, as the previous version of the competition did. "The challenge of having the CWC fall in the middle of the season has been ensuring that players are in top form at the right times. However, I believe we're on track to achieve this," Posa said. Serving as caretaker coach for Albert Riera, who's away for family reasons, Posa previously managed Auckland from 2008-10. In the 2009 Club World Cup, they defeated the UAE's Shabab Al Ahli and DR Congo's TP Mazembe to finish fifth. The 63-year-old acknowledged how difficult it would be to repeat his 2009 success. "It's nice to dream we could be that competitive again. However, we're realistic about the challenge," he said. While temporary, Posa has maintained Auckland's established playing style. "It has not been difficult to maintain a playing philosophy that has evolved at Auckland City over many years,'' he said. "Of course, every coach puts their own fingerprint on a team.'' This stability underpins Auckland's continued success. "This comes down to building on experience gained in previous competitions, and a consistent focus on being well-organised and prepared, both on and off the pitch," Posa said. "The culture surrounding the team is such that they always want to win, and motivating them is no problem at all."
Perth Now
2 days ago
- Perth Now
Tough club challenge awaits Auckland City's part-timers
Auckland City's players aren't full-time professionals and many have taken annual leave to compete in the Club World Cup, where they face what coach Paul Posa calls "the toughest group". New Zealand's champions, fresh from winning the OFC Champions League, will face Bayern Munich, Benfica and Boca Juniors in Group C of the revamped tournament, which starts at various US venues on Saturday, and Posa acknowledged their uphill battle. "It's quite possibly the toughest group we could have drawn," said Posa, who guided them to fifth place in the old Club World Cup in 2009. "We have two traditional European powerhouses in Bayern Munich and Benfica, and Boca Juniors, who are also capable of going all the way. "We have competed in many of the previous versions of the CWC competition, which has given us a broad range of experience allowing us to punch above our weight in the past. Our goals are to be prepared, and compete, to the best of our ability.'' Auckland enter the 32-team tournament months after claiming their 13th Oceania title and fourth in succession. Despite continental success, football remains a part-time commitment for the squad. "All of the players have other jobs alongside their football commitments," Posa said. "However, they have an extraordinary dedication to their football outside of their working hours. "Players have had to take annual leave from their jobs. Indeed, some of the players were unable to take time to attend both the OFC Champions League competition and the Club World Cup." The mid-June to mid-July tournament timing means it falls during Auckland's season rather than after it, as the previous version of the competition did. "The challenge of having the CWC fall in the middle of the season has been ensuring that players are in top form at the right times. However, I believe we're on track to achieve this," Posa said. Serving as caretaker coach for Albert Riera, who's away for family reasons, Posa previously managed Auckland from 2008-10. In the 2009 Club World Cup, they defeated the UAE's Shabab Al Ahli and DR Congo's TP Mazembe to finish fifth. The 63-year-old acknowledged how difficult it would be to repeat his 2009 success. "It's nice to dream we could be that competitive again. However, we're realistic about the challenge," he said. While temporary, Posa has maintained Auckland's established playing style. "It has not been difficult to maintain a playing philosophy that has evolved at Auckland City over many years,'' he said. "Of course, every coach puts their own fingerprint on a team.'' This stability underpins Auckland's continued success. "This comes down to building on experience gained in previous competitions, and a consistent focus on being well-organised and prepared, both on and off the pitch," Posa said. "The culture surrounding the team is such that they always want to win, and motivating them is no problem at all."
