KEY POINTS:
Shane Rufer's YoungHeart Manawatu have a score or two to settle when they run out on to Fred Taylor Park to play Waitakere United tomorrow afternoon.
The feature fifth round New Zealand Football Championship match-up throws up a couple of interesting asides.
Former Manawatu stars Commins Menapi and Benjamin Totori are now with Chris Milicich's side. That irks Rufer. So does the fact that United are off to Japan on Sunday as O-League champions representing Oceania at the FIFA Club World Cup.
"If they [Waitakere] had not been awarded the points from the game they lost to Auckland City, we would have been in the O-League," said Rufer but, it must be added, without malice. "Who knows what might have happened."
Like all in the Manawatu, Rufer is feeling Totori's loss following his decision to move north to join Menapi in his second season at United.
"You are not going to find a player who will score you 24 goals," said Rufer of Totori's departure. "It has not been easy for us. Of last season's squad, 50 per cent have gone."
Rufer has looked offshore for replacements but says it is taking time to mould his team given the mix of Fijian and Uruguayan players he now has on his books.
That, and having to keep within the restrictions on the number of "imports" on the field at any one time leads to some quick thinking.
"It has been a bit of a juggling act for sure," said Rufer. "Osea Vakatalesau is one of our Fijians but as the marquee player he is not bound by the restrictions."
Rufer is warming to his other imports saying Pablo Yackson is a very good defender and working well with Fijian Peni Finau.
"We have been experimenting with our shape to suit our game," said Rufer. "In our first three games we played three different formations."
Up front they are coming right as seen in last week's 6-0 romp over bottom-placed Otago United.
Manawatu face a testing week.
They play Japan-bound Waitakere tomorrow and a week later head north again to play Auckland City.
In a pre-season game, Manawatu lost 6-0 to Waitakere. Expect it to be closer this time.
While Totori will be up against his former teammates, so will Manawatu goalkeeper Michael Utting who will relish testing his skills against a United side who have grown this season but are looking for goals from their Solomon Islanders up front and midfielders Allan Pearce, Jason Hayne, Paul Seaman and Chris Bale.
After dropping their first points on Sunday, Auckland City will be all out to return to winning form in Hamilton but, as ever, they will not find it easy against Waikato FC at Waikato Stadium. City are without injured Keryn Jordan but have ready-made replacements in Paul Urlovic or Henry Fa'arodo.
