Auckland FC claim victory in first game

By Michael Burgess

Auckland FC have arrived – and this was a hell of an introduction.

In all their pre-season planning, the club could scarcely have wished for a better scenario than this.

A sunny evening, a sellout crowd at Mt Smart and an efficient, enterprising performance, with some moments of real quality, as they started life in the A-League on a winning note.

They thoroughly dominated the match against Brisbane Roar and the 2-0 scoreline probably flattered the visitors, who struggled to impose themselves on the contest.

Auckland took the lead through an early own goal before All Whites striker Logan Rogerson carved his name in the history books with a 75th-minute strike to confirm the result.

They could have – should have – had one or two more but that cohesion will come in time.

While they will face much tougher tests this season, as the Queensland team are a very limited outfit, this was a promising start.

They were solid and secure at the back, structured in midfield and dynamic on the flanks, with former Auckland City FC youngster Liam Gillion a standout, adapting well to this level, while striker Guillermo May looked a handy acquisition.

Captain Hiroki Sakai was a class above. He always played the right pass, made some clever runs and was the catalyst for the first goal.

So they have the platform, and most of the 24,492-strong crowd will be back for more if the reception at the end of the match is any indication.

Owner Bill Foley will be content – watching on from his suite – while the entire club will know they have a platform to build on.

But this was more than a football match. It was an occasion. There was a buzz in the air 90 minutes before kickoff, as fans revelled in the sunshine and the atmosphere, with long queues for the merchandise stores.

Fan group The Port filled a block in the south stand, providing colour and noise, on their long journey to one day match the legendary Yellow Fever.

Coach Steve Corica’s first lineup reflected his preference from the pre-season. Sakai, Nando Pijnaker, Dan Hall and Francis DeVries formed the back four, with imports Luis Felipe Gallegos (Chile) and Louis Verstraete (Belgium) anchoring the midfield in front of them. Gillion and Rogerson added pace out wide, with Jake Brimmer the attacking presence behind Uruguayan striker May.

After a nervy opening few minutes from both teams, Auckland FC made a dream start, going ahead after eight minutes, after Sakai’s driven cross forced Brisbane defender Harry Van Der Saag to prod the ball into his own net.

It will be a great trivia question over the years – who scored Auckland FC’s first goal – but Sakai didn’t care, as he celebrated wildly in front of the east stand. May created the opportunity – with a delightful first-time switch that found the Japanese veteran in acres of space on the right flank.

Auckland settled from there and had the better of the first period. There were half chances, without the moment of quality needed. Brimmer was close to a cross, Verstraete dragged a shot wide, while both Gillion and Rogerson looked dangerous on the flanks.

After a punchy halftime show – with Che Fu rolling back the years on the pitch-side stage – Auckland should have gone ahead minutes after the interval. May was again the architect, drawing in two defenders and the goalkeeper but his square pass just eluded Brimmer.

The game opened up from there, particularly for Auckland. De Vries and Gillion found more space on the left, with Gillion drawing a good save from Macklin Freke.

On another fast break, Gillion just failed to find May, before Rogerson’s moment of magic, which drew the biggest cheer of the evening. It was a true striker’s finish – calmly placed from a narrow angle inside the far post – after being found by a perfect De Vries cross, before wheeling away to celebrate.

Auckland managed the game from there – though still had the better opportunities, with Gillion narrowly missing a deserved goal, striking the outside of the post in a late attack.

This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission