Soccer: Battle of the oldies

The two oldest players on the pitch may well hold the key to the winning and losing of Sunday's New Zealand Football Championship grand final.

At 37 and a bit years, Grant Young and Neil Emblen have seen it all but both are professional enough to hanker after another shot at finals glory.

Young, older by a month or three and coerced out a self-imposed retirement after calling it quits late last year, will spearhead the Auckland City attack in a game they must win to keep alive any hopes of another shot at Fifa's Club World Cup.

Emblen, the linchpin of the Waitakere United defence, will be doing all he can to stop him.

Playing alongside players barely half their age presents a challenge for the pair who do not trouble the hairdressers any more.

But any suggestion they are past their best finds no support in either camp.

Emblen, surely, is on the very short list as player of the year. He was named player of last year's grand final win over Team Wellington and would love a repeat on Sunday.

"I can't wait," said Emblen. "I'm like a big kid. We have been going since September and it comes down to this. This is why we, as part-time players, put in the work we do. I was lucky enough to be player of the day in the last final. I have a great determination to do it two years running.

"There will be a decent crowd - as good as you are ever going to get to watch part-timers in New Zealand. Both teams play under pressure every week because we are both expected to win every time we go out.

"I would love to go back to the Club World Cup and we know if we win this game we will have that chance. That would be more than enough to keep me going for another year," said Emblen. "I will know when my body has had enough."

Even as assistant to coach Chris Milicich, Emblen maintains he is "still one of the lads" but relishes the added responsibilities he bears.

Emblen has "been there, done that" to a decent level, having played 235 games for Wolverhampton Wanderers, stints at other clubs including Norwich City and Walsall and a dozen or so games for Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

He also went to a sixth-round FA Cup replay with Wolves before bowing out to one of his favorite English clubs, Tottenham Hotspur.

He arrived in New Zealand in 2005 to link with the much-lamented New Zealand Knights. After two seasons he switched to Waitakere, where he plays a key coaching role both with United and feeder club Waitakere City.

Young, who played his one international for his native South Africa against Australia in 1994, joins fellow South African Keryn Jordan in the lethal two-pronged strike force at Auckland City.

Between them they have scored 113 goals with Jordan leading the way with an amazing 61 in just 66 NZFC outings. Young has 52 from 86 while Waitakere's Benjamin Totori is next with 51, also from 66.

It appeared Young's playing days were behind when he said "I'm not 21 any more" but with Jordan sidelined through injury, he answered the call and will be keen to repeat his efforts in the 2004-05 final when he scored twice to get City home 3-2 over Waitakere.