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Auckland FC Draws Decent Crowd For Debut Fixture
by Jeremy Ruane
Fledgling A-Leagues football club Auckland FC played their maiden fixture at Keith Hay Park on July 31, twice coming from behind to draw 2-2 with Auckland United in a rain-drenched exhibition match which attracted the biggest ever attendance to the venue, somewhere in the vicinity of 2500 local football followers gathering to witness New Zealand footballing history.
The story of this country's involvement in Australian football's professional competition is well documented, with the Football Kingz kicking things off when taking on Carlton in their maiden National Soccer League fixture on 1 October 1999.
That club lasted five seasons before the NSL folded after the conclusion of the 2003-04 campaign, the competition eventually being replaced by the A-League, which commenced in August 2005 with a Kiwi entry, New Zealand Knights, among the eight contenders.
Let's just say that outfit wasn't a great advert for the game in this country, and certainly not for the city which is NZ's home of football, last-placed finishes in the two seasons they contested prompting the plug to be pulled at the conclusion of the 2006-07 campaign.
A newly formed club, Wellington Phoenix, took over the A-League licence which the Knights forfeited, and has competed in every A-League season since, twice reaching the semi-finals in 2010 and 2024, while expanding their horizons via a women's team since the 2021-22 season.
More often than not, however, their biggest regular season attendances have come when Wellington played in Auckland, underlining A-League management's long-held desire to see a team based in NZ's biggest city gracing their competition.
When they most recently looked to increase contenders, an Auckland entry was openly encouraged, and in November 2023, a bid led by US billionaire Bill Foley was green-lighted, sparking activity aplenty from the successful bidding group, which also has interests in, amongst other outfits, the Las Vegas Golden Knights ice hockey team and English Premier League club Bournemouth.
Fast forward to a wet night at the end of July in Auckland, at a ground which has been graced by 80% of the players who've represented New Zealand in women's football over the years. On this occasion, it was hosting the city's first professional football club in nigh on two decades, as well as host club Auckland United.
And it was FC who started the sharper, a lovely fifth minute move which saw Cameron Howieson and Francis de Vries work a one-two on the left before bringing Joey Champness into play. His clever pass rewarded Luis Toomey's darting run into the inside left channel, the striker back-heeling the ball into the stride of Champness, whose stinging drive was parried by United goalkeeper Nathan Garrow.
Champness was unable to head home the rebound on what was a short night's work for the winger, who succumbed to a tackle-sourced ankle injury just fifteen minutes into the match - a disappointment, as in those fifteen minutes he offered enterprise, guile and trickery which will be welcome weapons at FC's disposal during the A-League season.
United, who were attacking the southern end of the ground in the first spell, responded through Ry McLeod, who wriggled through three challenges on the right before entering the penalty area, from where he sent a fifteen yard drive sizzling over the bar and into the ranks of "The Port", FC's fan base, who will be firmly entrenched in GoMedia Mt. Smart Stadium's southern stand whenever FC play at home.
After Logan Rogerson had fired wide from twenty-five yards with overlapping fullback Callan Elliot storming up outside him, United stunned the new team by opening the scoring in the ninth minute, Boyd Curry heading home from close range after Oli Fay's corner wasn't cleared.
FC didn't take this setback lying down, and were soon pressing for an equaliser. De Vries' cross was spilled by Garrow, but Kurtis Mogg was on hand to spare his blushes before Rogerson could capitalise on this twelfth minute opening.
United's star turn in the first half was Hiroyoshi Kamata, whose intelligent use of the ball and movement off it were attention-grabbing, to say the least. In the nineteenth minute, it was his dazzling close control and footwork which caught the eye, weaving his way through four challenges before lashing a twenty-yarder narrowly past the far post.
FC responded via a right flank raid in which Rogerson, Elliot and Toomey all featured, before Max Mata's bid to convert their enterprise into an equaliser was thwarted by Tommy Smith's timely clearance.
Steve Corica's charges didn't have long to wait for a leveller, however, and it was a well executed move which altered the scoreboard in the 27th minute. Rogerson and Elliot worked a one-two on the right before the former Auckland City player delivered a cross which deflected off a defender.
This deceived Garrow, whose hesitance was punished by Mata, the striker eventually bundling the ball home from four yards to bring about parity and secure himself a place in history as Auckland FC's maiden goalscorer.
It would have been 2-1 to the pros soon after but for a stunning reflex save by Garrow. De Vries' corner was cleared to Howieson, who worked an
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opening with Champness' replacement, Ralph Rutherford.
The resulting cross was met by Mata, whose thumping downward header reared up in front of the diving figure of Garrow. He instinctively tipped the ball up and over the bar, earning an appreciative pat on the head from Mata for his efforts.
FC kept pounding away, Finn McKenlay's drive being blocked by Curry, before Smith sent a header flashing past the post. Elliot then sent Toomey to the by-line, from where he whipped in a low cross which skidded just beyond Mata, who was sliding in looking to turn it home.
The rain was by now falling - the first twenty-odd minutes had been played in dry but chilly conditions - and the pitch - which held up well throughout proceedings - was now slick on top. The last time Keith Hay Park played host to a crowd anywhere near this big was in the rain-drenched 2009 Chatham Cup semi-final, during which a portion of the pitch flooded. No such issues this time, thankfully.
Eight minutes before half-time, United spurned a glorious chance to retake the lead. Corey Phoenix and Fay combined on the left, with the latter's teasing cross arcing beyond Ishveer Singh. Yuki Aizu was coming in behind, however, but the fullback somehow contrived to steer the ball over the bar from four yards.
Three minutes later, Kamata intercepted a pass and spread play wide to Fay, the Japanese player immediately racing forward through the inside right channel as his team-mate made his way down the left, with Singh inside him should Fay opt to play short.
He didn't, instead picking out Kamata with a cross which was deftly controlled. One opponent later, Kamata let fly, a rifled twenty-yarder which the airborne Michael Woud tipped over the bar, FC's 'keeper also denying Singh before the interval.
FC named a number of trialists for this contest, Rutherford being one of them. Another, Dejaun Naidoo, took to the field for the second half in place of Rogerson, the first of a host of substitutes who would enter the fray throughout a half which was initially bossed by United, Fay in particular.
He it was whose driven 49th minute cross, intended for half-time substitute Will Mendoza, was cut out by Smith. Seconds later, the enterprising Fay went for goal himself, cutting in off the left before unleashing a curling effort which troubled Woud little.
Ten minutes into the second spell, United regained the lead with a superbly crafted goal. Mendoza got the better of Howieson on the right before bringing McLeod into play. His deep cross found Fay coming in off the left flank, and the winger produced an exquisite cushioned first-time pass inside which fair begged a finish to match its quality. Phoenix provided it, sweeping home in style from six yards - 2-1 United.
Back came FC, Howieson spreading play wide to Elliot, whose curling cross sought out the run of Naidoo, darting in off the left flank. He was just unable to make contact with the ball, which went out of play and prompted an avalanche of substitutions, United introducing seven pairs of fresh legs as they cleared their bench - exhibition match rules applied, so everyone named on the night had a run-out.
United fancied their chances of upsetting the apple cart, Daniel Atkinson drilling a fierce drive into one of numerous umbrellas sheltering patrons abaft the north-end goal in the 64th minute. FC responded via one of their newcomers, Jonty Bidois, who dribbled through several challenges but failed to pull the trigger.
After Dan Hall had headed a de Vries corner past the near post, United went close to sealing the contest fourteen minutes from time. Mendoza sent a raking ball wide to Atkinson, who took on two before returning the ball to Mendoza, racing up in support inside him. One touch later, he let rip from twenty yards, a shot which was deflected to safety.
FC responded by piling on the pressure. Bidois saw a shot blocked, before Elliot's angled low cross fizzed across the bows of Howieson, Bidois and Toomey as the pros looked to avoid being upstaged by their amateur hosts in this historic encounter.
They fulfilled their objective ten minutes from time, Toomey striding onto a pass before thundering a twenty-five yard grasscutter beyond diving United goalkeeper Blake Callinan into the bottom far corner of the net, prompting a huge roar of approval from "The Port", who by now were well into the spirit of things and swiftly establishing chants and catch-cries which will become standard sounds you'll hear from their AFC hymnal in the coming months.
FC weren't satisfied with parity, but their pursuit of a winner proved fruitless as United rebuffed them for the duration, 2-2 the outcome on this historic occasion for both FC and United, a club which has only hosted a four-figure crowd at Keith Hay Park once before.
United: Garrow (Callinan, 46); Aizu (Barbosa, 63), Curry (Haviland, 63), Mogg, Phoenix (Siebert, 63); McLeod (Atkinson, 63), Beale (Mendoza, 46), Takahashi (Sykes, 63), Kamata (Wallace, 46), Fay (Mandizvidza, 63); Singh (Colloty, 63)
Auckland FC: Woud (Knowles, 63); Elliot, Hall, Smith (Boxall, 67), de Vries; McKenlay (Coulibaly, 54), Howieson, Champness (Rutherford, 15); Rogerson (Naidoo, 46), Mata (Bidois, 63), Toomey
Referee: Ashley Wilson
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