Go Media Stadium, Auckland
Saturday, November 7th, 5:00pm NZT
Written by Jonno Ross
It’s that time again…derby week is here! Auckland FC welcome Wellington Phoenix to Go Media Stadium on Saturday afternoon for the first New Zealand derby of the season. With local bragging rights up for grabs, there’s plenty riding on this one, and both sides will be eager to make a statement. Can Auckland FC make it seven wins in a row, or will the Nix finally get one on the board?
You can almost smell it in the air. The excitement, the tension, the expectation of winning. After six derby wins in a row, nothing less than a victory is now the benchmark for this club. For the Phoenix, well, they come into this one as the underdog, and that could be dangerous for Auckland FC.
Auckland FC will look to get back to winning ways after a frustrating couple of weeks. Following an impressive 3-1 opening victory over Melbourne City, the boys suffered a disappointing 5-2 defeat against Western Sydney Wanderers before travelling to Brisbane last weekend.
Things looked promising at Suncorp Stadium, with Hiroki Sakai opening the scoring in the 11th minute with a superb strike from outside the box. Auckland defended resolutely for much of the contest, with Michael Woud making a few crucial saves. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to hold on, as Brisbane’s Tom Aldred found the equaliser in the 95th minute. A 1-1 draw was the final result, leaving Auckland with plenty to take away from the performance, but also the frustration of letting three points slip away so late. A result that left the players and fans feeling like we had suffered defeat, but overall, a point on the road against an unknown new-look team wasn’t actually bad.
And here comes the big one.
Derby matches are never just another game. Form can go out the window, and there’s always an extra level of intensity when these two rivals meet. Auckland will have the advantage of playing in front of their home supporters, and a strong crowd at Go Media Stadium could make all the difference. This fixture almost has the feel of knockout finals football. Everything is on the line.
The biggest challenge for Auckland will be containing Wellington’s attacking threat. Corban Piper has been in excellent form, while the Phoenix have also shown they can find goals from different areas of the pitch. Auckland’s defensive organisation will need to be much stronger, particularly when dealing with Wellington’s pace on the counterattack.
At the other end, Auckland have shown they possess plenty of attacking quality. If they can move the ball quickly, create opportunities and make the most of their chances, there’s every reason to believe they can hurt Wellington.
This is also an opportunity for Pedro Moreira’s men to send a message to the rest of the competition. A win against an in-form Wellington side would provide a huge confidence boost and could be exactly what Auckland needs to kick-start their campaign.
Wellington Phoenix arrive in Auckland in outstanding form. They’ve made a perfect start to their season, winning all three opening fixtures and sitting pretty at the top of the A-League ladder. Their latest performance was particularly impressive, coming away from Newcastle with a convincing 3-0 victory. Corban Piper opened the scoring before late goals from Riley Bidois and Nathan Walker sealed the three points.
Chris Greenacre’s side are looking confident, organised and dangerous going forward. Three wins from three is exactly the sort of start Wellington supporters would have been dreaming of, and they’ll be travelling north believing they can continue that run. Their defence is looking resolute too – something that has been seldom mentioned in the club’s past. Just one goal conceded in 270+ minutes of football is some feat, and they’ll hope to keep their opponents out once again on Saturday.
Auckland FC need to have concentration levels at maximum for the full 90 minutes this weekend. The Phoenix have very much been a second-half team, scoring five out of their seven goals in the second halves of their fixtures so far.
The boys know what’s at stake. Three points, local bragging rights and a chance to remind everyone what the defending champions are capable of. One thing is for sure though – no matter what the end result is on Saturday, you can guarantee to be hearing the home support singing: “A League Champions, you’ll never sing that.”
Come on Auckland 🔵⚫️
Players to Watch:
Auckland FC – Hiroki Sakai
After opening his A-League account against Brisbane with a fantastic strike, Sakai will be looking to carry that confidence into derby day. His experience, quality and ability to contribute at both ends of the pitch could prove important in what promises to be a massive afternoon for Auckland FC.
Wellington Phoenix – Corban Piper
Piper has been one of Wellington’s standout performers this season, scoring in each of their opening matches. His latest goal against Newcastle continued his impressive run, and Auckland will need to keep a close eye on him if they’re going to contain the Phoenix attack.
FUN AT GO MEDIA STADIUM
- Inflatable Slide
- Line Dancing Lessons
- Ride-on Animals
- Rosie Teese Performance
- Cultural Call
