Football: Kiwi sides in showdown for big bucks

Auckland City FC. Photo / Phototek

Team Wellington and Auckland City FC face off in the final of the Oceania Champions League football tournament tomorrow, where the winner will receive arguably the greatest prize in worldwide amateur sport.

The O-League champion will receive a minimum of $659,000, which is split with New Zealand Football, and a spot alongside some of the best club teams in the world at the Fifa Club World Cup in Japan.

And as Auckland showed last year by coming third, there is potential to turn a team of part-timers into world-beating, multi-million dollar makers.

But first the two ASB Premiership teams have to slug it out in the Fijian heat.

Auckland are the defending champions and favourites, but coach Ramon Tribulietx believes Wellington are the "complete team" and will provide a formidable challenge.

"Team Wellington are one of those teams who can capitalise when they have a lot of possession," Tribulietx said. "The game is going to be pretty even and very difficult, probably one of the most difficult games we'll have played in the last few years."

Wellington has beaten Auckland twice this season, once in the ASB Charity Cup final on penalties in the season curtainraiser and again 4-0 in the ASB Premiership in November. But the last time they met in February Auckland comfortably won 3-0.

"Every game is different but we know each other very well, that's the reality. They know what we are trying to do with and without the ball. We know their players and how they normally try to achieve things.

"There's probably going to be very few surprises in there. They are a very complete team, if I can say it that way, with talent up front, goalscorers up front and physical midfielders."

Auckland are at full strength but a number of Wellington's key attackers are under an injury cloud.

Influential All White midfielder Jake Butler has been ruled out after doing ligament damage to his ankle in Wellington's 2-0 semifinal win over Ba, while coach Matt Calcott is hoping strikers Jarrod Smith (calf) and Michael Gwyther (knee) will pass fitness tests today.

Auckland's strength is in their structure, tactical understanding and possession-based play and they are led by a solid back four.

Wellington, who have added new signings Chris Bale, Aaron Scott, Butler and Tom Jackson to their starting XI, are dangerous at set pieces and possess pace up front.

OFC Champions League Final

Suva, 7pm tomorrow, Live Sky Sport

Auckland City FC
Tamati Williams, Marko Dordevic, Takuya Iwata, Mario Bilen, Angel Berlanga, Anthony Hobbs, Darren White, Ryan de Vries, Cameron Lindsay, Adam McGeorge, Ivan Carril, Colin Murphy, Ivan Vicelich, Daewook Kim, Joao Moreira, Danyon Drake, David Browne, Gustavo Souto, Oscar Garcia, Andrew Milne, Sam Burfoot, Jacob Spoonley, Michael Den Heijer. Coach: Ramon Tribulietx.

Team Wellington
Michael O'Keeffe, Tom Jackson, Aaron Scott, Tyler Doyle-Lissette, Bill Robertson, Sean Lovemore, Henry Fa'arodo, Cole Peverley, Jarrod Smith, Luis Corrales, Michael Gwyther, Ian Hogg, Alex Feneridis, Cory Chettleburgh, Tim Myers, Justin Gulley, Jake Butler, Mickael Partodikromo, Chris Bale, Adam Cowan, Tamupiwa Dimairo, Dan Clarke, Alex Carr. Coach: Matt Calcott.