Auckland FC's Hiroki Sakai celebrates after the side's opening goal against Brisbane Roar. Photo / Photosport
Auckland FC 2
Brisbane Roar 0
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.
Auckland FC 2 (Harry Van Der Saag own goal 8′, Logan Rogerson 75′)
Brisbane Roar 0
Halftime 1-0
Auckland’s third attempt at a professional football club after the Kingz (1999-2004) and New Zealand Knights (2004-07) – a 17-year wait for football fans in Tāmaki Makaurau.
They are majority owned by American businessman Bill Foley, who also has stakes in Premier League club Bournemouth AFC as well as Hibernian in Scotland and FC Lorient in France, with part ownership from former All Whites Noah Hickey, Tim Brown and Winston Reid as well as former All Black Ali Williams and his wife entrepreneur Anna Mowbray – while recently adding Kiwi NBA star Steven Adams to the group.
Auckland FC have secured two-time A-League winning coach Steve Corica who enjoyed success across the Tasman as both a coach and player of Sydney FC.
Captain Sakai has one of the best resumes of any footballer to grace these shores. A right-sided defender with 74 caps for Japan and a career that has taken him to Germany’s top-flight Bundesliga and France’s Ligue 1 as well as the Europa League, has made him a household name in the Land of the Rising Sun and earned him the captain’s armband for Auckland’s debut season.
Australian Brimmer is a signing that has somewhat surprisingly slipped under the radar. The 2021-22 recipient of the Johnny Warren Medal, which is awarded to the A-League Men’s best player, should tell you that this guy can play. Most comfortable in the middle of the park, Brimmer has a reputation for contributing with goals and has more than 150 A-League caps at just 24. He spent time in Liverpool’s youth system before signing his professional deal with Melbourne Victory.
How on earth Auckland found and signed Uruguayan May is anyone’s guess, but they have. Described by Corica as a “technical, creative striker with great movement” May will shoulder a lot of the goalscoring workload for his new club.
He arrives in New Zealand after a dip in goals for his former club, Newell’s Old Boys, but has set the challenge for himself to win the A-League’s Golden Boot in his first season so you cannot doubt his mindset – one to keep tabs on as the season progresses.
You either live in an area yet to receive internet access or are an avid football detractor (not sure why you’d be reading this if you are) if you haven’t heard of Alex Paulsen.
The Wellington Phoenix were hit with a goalkeeper crisis last season and Paulsen shot himself to fame from relative obscurity by contributing to the Nix conceding the fewest goals in the league and making their historic run to within one match of playing for silverware. His sensational transfer to AFC Bournemouth and even more sensational loan move to Phoenix rivals Auckland make him the No 1 Kiwi to watch for more than one reason.
Cam Howieson has long been touted as one of New Zealand’s best domestic players and he has a chance now with his first professional contract to prove those calls right. He faces stiff competition in midfield with Brimmer and visa acquisitions Gallegos and Verstraete but don’t bet against him being a key player for Auckland FC.
Nineteen-cap All Whites defender Pijnaker joined AFC from Sligo Rovers in the Irish Premier Division, bringing a load of European experience with him to the A-League newcomers.
The club reportedly had to fend off advances from other clubs to secure the central defender but in doing so added a key part of their backline and at just 25 he is entering the prime of his career.
Saturday was hard to reconcile with what we have seen over the last two months.