Football Round-Up: Auckland FC Must Wait For Title Win, But That’s A Good Thing

Monday, 21 April 2025, 5:53 pm
Article: RNZ

Mathew Nash, Sports Contributor

Auckland FC were one video review intervention away from being crowned Premier's Plate winners in their inaugural A-League campaign over the weekend.

On Saturday night, Marcus Antonsson's late finish was chalked off in Western Sydney Wanderers 2-2 draw with the Black Knights' nearest rivals, Melbourne City, and thankfully so, because Auckland now have the opportunity to win the league title in front of a deserved home crowd at Mount Smart this weekend.

Melbourne City's draw - along with Western United's shock loss to Brisbane Roar - means Auckland's impressive 2-0 win at Melbourne Victory has them teetering on the brink of a famous triumph, but it would have been somewhat anti-climactic, if Louis Verstraete's midfield masterclass and Alex Paulsen's outrageous pointblank save earned them the title win from a Melbourne hotel.

While the ownership, management team and, ultimately, the playing staff deserve credit for this incredible debut campaign, they also deserve to finish the job in front of an expectant fanbase that has played a key role in their success.

For years, Auckland lay dormant as a professional football entity, for a time, the biggest city on the planet without such a privilege. Tainted by the failures of the Kingz and Knights, Tāmaki Makaurau was considered scorched earth.

The Black Knights could easily have gone wrong. With poor planning or promotion, Auckland could played out this beginner's bonanza in front of a smattering of loyal Aucklanders, reminiscent of some of their A-League rivals this term.

The club has been marketed perfectly off-field, as well as benefiting from a far superior stadium choice of Go Media in comparison to North Harbour. The result is 17,591 - the highest average attendance in the competition.

Those fans deserved a chance to revel in any triumph this weekend.

The job for Auckland is simple. With two games remaining, they are six points clear.

One point this Sunday is all they need against the ladder's bottom rung, Perth Glory. A 1-0 reverse in January has proved an aberration for Steve Corica's men - a hiccup in their first mammoth commute to Western Australia.

Nobody expects the same outcome this weekend and anything but a shock defeat would see this incredible story come to a silver-laden end, the way it should do - in front of 'The Port' and the fans who have helped erupt their once dormant city into the second-highest achievement in Australian domestic club football.

Then comes the real test - making the most of their tabletopping advantage in the playoffs to pursue the ultimate crown as A-League champions.

In other football news:

Wellington Phoenix again showed improvement, but paid the price for a slow start in a 3-2 loss to Adelaide United. The result comes amid the backdrop of a will-they-or-won't-they to-and-fro surrounding the future of head coach Giancarlo Italiano.

He's off contract at the season's end and a decision is expected within the next two weeks, as to whether 'Chiefy, who led the club to a franchise-best campaign last year, stays or goes.

The Wellington Phoenix women's team have already made the plunge with their boss, Paul Temple, moving on, but he's not alone, as Football Ferns legend Annalie Longo confirmed her retirement from the game, after a last-day 1-1 draw with Western United.

Meanwhile, in the English Premier League, Liverpool are one step closer to winning the crown, after seemingly Real Madrid-bound Trent Alexander-Arnold scored a winner against Leicester City. The result also saw the Foxes relegated.

Elsewhere, Arsenal pushed Ipswich Town close to the drop with a 4-0 win, the race for the Champions League places heated up with vital wins for Chelsea and Manchester City, as well as a vital one for Aston Villa over fellow chasers Newcastle United.

© Scoop Media

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