AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
Friday, January 16th, 9:35pm (NZT)
Written by Jonno Ross
After a much-needed victory against Brisbane Roar last Friday night, the team look ahead to their fourth away game in five matches. The win last time out couldn’t have come at a better time. Two points clear at the top, and the boys will look to hold onto their position. A tough fixture this week, AAMI Park is always a difficult fixture. Last game out of three away games in a row before we are back home. One last big push. Let’s get it.
For a club with such a rich history, Melbourne City aren’t quite in the form you’d expect from them. They’re currently in 6th position in the league – yes, they’re in a playoff spot, but with the league so congested, they can easily be overtaken if they don’t manage the three points this week. If the teams below them win, and City don’t, they could go from 6th in the league, all the way to 10th. They need to be on top of their game this week in order to get the three points. A win could see them go to third, depending on the results from the teams above them. Such a congested league, no team can afford to drop points.
Melbourne City are on a strange run of results at the moment. They’ve only got one win in their last six games. They beat Brisbane Roar 1-0 back in Round 11, but in between those six games, they’ve lost three and drawn two. They need to start getting good consistent results if they want to challenge at the top.
They aren’t a side to be taken lightly, of course. The likes of Aziz Behich, Andrew Nabbout and Max Caputo are all players who have won the A-League Championship and Premiership. Their experience of being champions bodes well for City. Auckland FC, beware.
Auckland FC are back on track and remain on top of the league ladder after their win against Brisbane Roar last Friday night. It was a convincing 2-0 victory thanks to Sam Cosgrove’s opening goal of the match, the first goal we’ve scored from a corner this season. Lachie Brook got the second goal, with a beautiful left-foot strike, which got him nominated for the A-League’s goal of the week.
It was Auckland’s first win since beating Western Sydney Wanderers on December 19th – nearly a month’s wait to get their hands on three points.
AFC have a good record against Melbourne. Another team that we haven’t lost to yet. Last season, we played them twice, drawing with them 2-2 at AAMI Park, then beating them in the reverse fixture 3-0 at Go Media Stadium. We all remember THAT 25-yard screamer from Guillermo May. What a hit.
We hope to carry on our unbeaten streak against one of the league’s most successful teams.
After playing three games in just nine days, Auckland can happily report that, thankfully and surprisingly, there are no players out of action with injuries. In even better news, Jake Brimmer is back in training after suffering a hamstring injury. A welcome return and a decision for Corica to make on whether he is fit enough to be in the squad on Friday night.
It’s one last push for Auckland, as they play their final game away from home (for a week) – they’ve played four of their last five games away from Go Media Stadium, next week they play Central Coast Mariners at home. But first, the focus is on Melbourne City at AAMI Park.
Auckland will want to secure three points this week to stay on top of the league, and with the likes of Sydney FC, Macarthur Bulls and Newcastle Jets hot on their tail, nothing but three points is what Corica’s men intend to take back to New Zealand with them.
A win could see us go five points clear at the top, depending on other results. A loss could see us drop into second place. Every AFC fan will be manifesting a positive result from back home. Hopefully, Auckland will get the job done in a game that has all the ingredients to be the game of the season thus far.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
It’s tight in the Golden Boot race. Lachlan Rose (Newcastle Jets) leads the pack with 6 goals, with seven players hunting him down with 5 goals to their names. Three of those seven are on the pitch, facing off against each other. Melbourne’s Max Caputo and Auckland’s Lachie Brook and Sam Cosgrove will be looking to lead the league’s Golden Boot leaderboard.
These players are competitors and will be hungry for more. Hopefully, it’s our boys who get on the scoresheet rather than Caputo. Watch this space…
