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NZ Herald
5 days ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Auckland FC: The 25 moments that made their A-League season unforgettable
Auckland FC enjoyed a remarkable start to life, with one of the most incredible debut seasons achieved by an expansion club in Australasian sport. Michael Burgess looks at the key turning points for the Black Knights, on and off the field. 1. Bill Foley swoops In the hustle for the
The Guardian
29-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Grand final benefits from clear air as A-League seeks to enjoy moment in spotlight
The A-League's stars have unusually aligned with tickets for the first derby grand final between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City sold out for Saturday night. It would be over the top to suggest the decider between the crosstown rivals has become the hottest ticket in town. But the enthusiasm to pack out AAMI Park has done more than just spare the league's blushes, after a lack of AFL and NRL games in the city on the same evening all but gave football a free hit. A moment in the spotlight rarely comes at a bad time for Australian football. The financial boost that comes from attracting 30,000 fans to the showpiece event will be just as welcomed across a competition that has had the Australian Professional Leagues slashing its distribution to clubs this season and reducing the salary cap for the next campaign. The A-League Men has limped along in Australia in recent years, but the addition of a team in Auckland has been a breath of fresh air. The Black Knights' average home crowd of 18,890 set the benchmark in their debut season; the league's one-time major drawcard, Melbourne Victory, attracted 12,778. Even while laying down a marker as the country's top men's club side, Melbourne City have seen home crowds plummet 26% on last year to an average 6,299. A fairytale double for the Black Knights was all but written into the script until Victory brought the newcomers' momentum to a grinding halt when turning over a first-leg deficit in their semi-final with a 2-0 win away from home. City found an easier path to the grand final with a 3-0 romp against Western United, then comfortably managed the return leg after scoring first in a tame draw. Victory have relished playing the part of the villain though they fell short of ruining the party in last year's decider when Central Coast Mariners equalised in the dying stages then fired in two more goals in extra-time to seal a historic treble on home turf. Only the most ardent opposition supporters could deny Victory begrudging respect for bouncing back into a second successive grand final after they lost coach Tony Popovic in the aftermath of the painful defeat and his replacement Patrick Kisnorbo lasted less than six months. Little was expected of Victory after assistant Arthur Diles took charge and began his tenure with a six-match winless run before improved but inconsistent form lifted them to a fifth-place finish. With the continued emergence of Ryan Teague and Nishan Velupillay, and a coaching masterclass from Diles in Auckland, the four-time champions are now one win from a first crown in seven years and just their second since the club hit its high watermark a decade ago. In that 2014-15 season, Victory averaged home crowds of more than 25,000 and swept City aside 3-0 in a semi-final in front of 50,873 fans at Marvel Stadium. As that season's premiers, Victory returned to AAMI Park a week later to defeat Sydney FC and seal their third and – in what might come as a shock to supporters at the time – still most recent league double, before the powerhouse club later suffered a fall from grace. Victory's revival is almost complete – on the pitch at least, if not quite in packing out the stands – as a side that again refuses to be written off and enjoys a sprinkling of stardust from the likes of the enigmatic Daniel Arzani. In a blow for Victory, neutral fans and even the Socceroos, Velupillay is rated as 50-50 for the grand final after injuring his ankle in Auckland last Saturday, but will be given every chance to prove his fitness. While Victory's creative and midfield forces could prove the difference against City, Bruno Fornaroli, Zinedine Machach and captain Roderick Miranda are just as likely to decide the outcome as they did in the semi-final. This year's league runners-up from the other side of Melbourne did about as much as they could to claim the keys to the city during Victory's years of decline. But three premierships and a championship in the past five years were arguably a meagre return for such a star-studded, well-resourced club. City now return for a fifth grand final in six seasons after last year's blemish when their arch-rivals knocked them out on penalties in an elimination final. Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion Much credit is due to coach Aurelio Vidmar for ensuring the transition period was short lived in part by luring Marco Tilio and Nathaniel Atkinson back from stints overseas, and giving teenage sensation Max Caputo time and space to shine. The trio of Australian talents will be critical to the in-form City's hopes of building on their eight-match unbeaten run, along with first-year foreign players in Andreas Kuen and Yonatan Cohen. Australian football has been here many times before, with visions of a grand spectacle that might reignite the passion of casual observers. The Mariners' back-to-back championship triumphs will live long in the memory but so too does the last time Victory and City met under the glare of the spotlight in the wake of the Socceroos' stirring 2022 World Cup campaign. With fans railing against the APL's decision to break with tradition and hold three grand finals in Sydney – a deal that would have concluded with this year's decider – the Melbourne derby descended into humiliating chaos when spectators invaded the pitch and forced the match to be abandoned for player safety reasons. This time, with no new clouds hanging over the competition and the grand final being given clear air in Melbourne, the focus can turn to matters on the pitch and a tussle between two evenly-matched teams playing for more than just championship glory.
Scotsman
29-05-2025
- Business
- Scotsman
Hibs fan forum minutes reveal 'better level' promise on Black Knight players
Training ground revamp and Easter Road upgrade discussed at summit Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hibs owner Ian Gordon and a number of high-ranking club employees laid out their hopes and ambitions for the club at a recent meeting with fans. And the chairman addressed a number of important issues – including plans to land a better class of player through the club's tie-in with billionaire Bournemouth owner Bill Foley's Black Knight group. Hibernian Supporters Panel members also heard news on the need to upgrade Easter Road to meet UEFA criteria for their impending European campaign, last year's huge financial losses – and the need to start winning cups on a more regular basis to fulfil the vision of late chairman Ron Gordon. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The minutes of the meeting, attended by Ian Gordon, communications director Adam Tomlinson, supporter liaison officer Kieran Power and Steve Hazlett, venue and operations manager, include updates on the redevelopment of Hibernian Training Centre. There were also discussions about tifo displays and the dangers of pyros. The official report of the meeting referenced the most recent recorded losses of £7.2 million, noting that the figures 'didn't make for great reading and there's no hiding away from that.' But it was pointed out that Hibs continued to make £1 million from player trading, while season ticket records have been broken – with more growth expected. Interestingly, fans were also told: 'We believe that the strategy with Black Knights can get us to a different level and type of players required can allow us to really build in this area of player trading. On Black Knights, the last 10 months has been positive but especially since Tim (Bezbatchenko) came in; it improves every day and we're in a really good spot as we have shared ambitions and end goals.' Fans heard that 'a club like Hibs need to be winning cups on a more regular basis …' and that 'qualifying for Euro group stages was Ron's ultimate goal.' Aberdeen's Scottish Cup victory ripped that guaranteed league stage football from Hibernian's hands on the last day of the domestic season, meaning David Gray's men will have to get through at least two qualifying rounds before securing a prize worth upwards of £5 million. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad UEFA regulations on Europa League and Conference League group stages addressed Supporters were also told that, while Easter Road's current UEFA Category 3 status would NOT be enough to host Europa League or Conference League group games, work was underway to upgrade behind-the-scenes parts of the stadium to meet Category 4 criteria. All will be completed before their Europa League second qualifying round tie in July. Should Hibs reach the league stage of UEFA competition, meanwhile, the club will consider selling tickets in match bundles – possibly including Hibernian Women's Champions League campaign and the league-winning under-18s, who will enter the UEFA Youth League as an under-19s group. Chairman and majority shareholder Gordon also provided an update on the prosed redevelopment of HTC. Armed with architect drawings, he revealed there will be two new hybrid pitches AND a full-sized indoor synthetic pitch to UEFA Championship Standard, including seating for fans. Work is expected to begin in early 2026. There will also be two new satellite academy facilities open, with Hamilton selected as the first site as Hibs look to spread their recruitment potential. The second venue will be to the west of Edinburgh.
Fox News
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump celebrates West Point athletes in commencement address to military academy
President Donald Trump delivered the commencement address at West Point Saturday and gave a shoutout to the "first-rate athletes" at the school. "I love the sports stuff. What you've done is pretty amazing," Trump said before highlighting the men's lacrosse team. "Last year, for the first time ever, Army lacrosse became the No. 1-ranked men's lacrosse team in the entire country. That's a tough sport, too." Trump then pivoted to the football team, which was nationally ranked earlier this year. "Your sophomore year, Army football beat Navy, 20-17, and the next year, you did it again, beating Navy, 17-11, and dominating Air Force, 23-3," Trump continued. "But this year, the Black Knights fought your way into the top 20 nationally and racked up your longest winning streak since 1949 with the help of graduating quarterback Cadet Bryson Daily, or as you call him, Captain America. I came to a game. I said, 'He could get into the NFL.' But he chose this life. And I think he made a good choice." Trump then implored Daily to approach the stage and say a few words. "Go Army football. … Can't wait to graduate. Love you guys," he said. "I just tapped his shoulder. It's like I hit a piece of steel. The guy's in good shape," Trump said as Daily left the stage. "There's always a reason for success. In a time when other top college quarterbacks were thinking about going pro, Bryson's mind was on something else. He told an interviewer earlier this year, 'I'm focused on my career as an infantry officer.' That's what he wants to do. So Bryson, you did the right thing. That's service at its finest. Thanks, Bryson. That's amazing. He's an amazing guy with an amazing team." Trump delivered a speech to Alabama graduates earlier this month, spotlighting their teams and former head football coach Nick Saban. Trump told the 1,002 graduating cadets that the academy is the "most elite and storied military academy in human history." Trump railed against previous foreign policy initiatives. And he declared an end to critical race theory, DEI initiatives and men in women's sports while vowing to promote a return to merit-based systems and traditional military values. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
The Guardian
24-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Melbourne Victory break Auckland hearts to snatch spot in A-League Men grand final
Melbourne Victory have denied Auckland a shot at an A-League Men fairytale after turning around a one-goal deficit with a 2-0 win in the second leg of their semi-final on Saturday. Victory enforcers Zinedine Machach and Bruno Fornaroli were the villains as the Black Knights lost for just the second time at Go Media Stadium, this season, and fell behind 2-1 on aggregate to end the premiers' hopes of clinching a historic double in their inaugural season. It took a goalline clearance from Victory defender Josh Rawlins deep into the seven minutes of added time, as well as an earlier contentious call to rule out a Logan Rogerson header that would have levelled the tie, for the visitors to book a place in the decider against the winner of the Melbourne City or Western United semi-final. Machach opened the scoring with a speculative shot from long range that was heading well wide of the far post before a desperate lunge from Black Knights defender Nando Pijnaker directed the ball the opposite way. Auckland shotstopper Alex Paulsen was wrong footed and left stranded as the wicked deflection dribbled into the bottom corner of his goal to level the tie in the 55th minute. With the wind in their sails, Victory pressed to claim the advantage and soon found an aggregate lead through combative frontman Fornaroli. The 37-year-old drew on his vast experience and guile to creep out of an offside position and into vacant space between Black Knights defenders with enough time to swivel and fire into the bottom left of the net in the 60th minute. Auckland thought they had levelled the tie at two-all on aggregate when first-tie goalscorer Logan Rogerson headed home from the edge of the goalline in the 69th minute. But while Guillermo May had pounced on the ball just before it rolled out for a goal kick and his cross sailed over Victory keeper Jack Duncan to Rogerson at the back post, the linesman was quick to raise a flag and replays were not clear enough to show that it had not drifted out while in the air. Duncan almost gave the Black Knights a crucial goal in the 97th minute when fumbling a high ball that allowed Pijnaker a shot from close range. But with Rawlins perfectly placed to keep the ball out of the net, the hosts were left to rue missed opportunities late in the first leg while licking their wounds after a memorable first season. Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion The win was Melbourne's first over Auckland after failing to score in their three earlier clashes and leaves coach Arthur Diles's side within touching distance of breaking a seven-year championship drought despite losing coach Patrick Kisnorbo midway through the season. City loom as Victory's most likely opponents in a Melbourne derby grand final after a 3-0 away win over Western United before the second leg of their semi-final is played at AAMI Park on Saturday night.
