Auckland City v. ES Setif, 13/12/14

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City Stun Setif To Continue Living World Cup Dream

by Jeremy Ruane

Auckland City entered uncharted territory at the FIFA Club World Cup Finals on December 13, downing African champions ES Setif 1-0 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat to advance to the semi-finals of the competition and continue living their World Cup dream.

The "Navy Blues" were good value for their win, too, as the lone amateur team at the annual coming together of the confederations' club champions made light of their status to overcome another professional side and set up a showdown with Argentina's San Lorenzo at 8.30am on Thursday, NZ time.

There was nothing to separate the Algerians and the champions of Oceania during the first forty-five minutes, which was largely dominated by defences. Only one chance materialised in the opening half-hour, a headed effort by Setif's Mohamed Benyettou which sailed harmlessly over City's crossbar.

Then, as the rain began to fall, the fun started. Ryan de Vries caught Farid Mellouli in possession and promptly fired a warning shot across Setif's bows, or, in reality, a twenty-yarder narrowly past the right-hand post of stranded goalkeeper Sofiane Khedairia in the 31st minute.

Two minutes later, Emiliano Tade fed the overlapping Takuya Iwata, whose cross arced just beyond the head of the diving figure of de Vries, as he attempted to meet the ball at the near post.

A scramble ensued, with both Angel Berlanga and de Vries seeing efforts blocked by desperate Setif defenders, who eventually escaped with their goal-line intact, a status they managed to keep up to half-time, despite Berlanga chipping Khedairia but hitting the top of the crossbar on the stroke of the interval, after more de Vries industry.

The second spell brought about the first save either 'keeper had had to make, five minutes into the half, when Williams comfortably smothered Benyettou's deflected effort.

When Khedairia was called upon two minutes later, it was to fish the ball out of his net as Auckland took the lead. Tim Payne fired City's first corner of the match into the penalty area, where John Irving controlled the ball neatly before side-stepping Mohammed Lagraa and rifling home a drive through a crowded penalty area from the edge of the box.

Setif were stunned, and instantly sought a way back into the contest. Amine Megateli and Mellouli combined to present Ahmed Gasmi with a chance, but Williams dashed swiftly off his line to block at close quarters.

On the hour, Toufik Zerara picked out Benyettou lurking beyond the last defender with a pinpoint cross. The striker deftly controlled the ball before side-stepping the recovering figure of Berlanga, only to see Williams block his shot to safety.

The Moroccan crowd were getting right in behind Auckland, as they sensed another day for the underdogs was imminent. By the end of the match, every City pass was being "Ole"'d as the natives delighted in seeing their Algerian rivals undone by the team which had ousted their own champions.

With twenty minutes to go, City came desperately close to doubling their advantage, with only the fingertips of Khedairia preventing de Vries from rounding off a counter-attack in the desired manner.

Setif, of course, were chasing the game by this stage, but were doing little of consequence with the ball when in possession. That wasn't always the case, mind, as two attacks in the next ten minutes proved.

Megateli sparked the first of them, in the 74th minute, as he picked out Benyettou with a cross to

the near post. The striker's effort fizzed past the upright, while a headed effort by substitute Sofiane Younes, six minutes later, curved across the face of goal after he had got in between two defenders to meet Lagraa's angled cross from the left.

City otherwise kept Setif at arm's length, and then some. Twelve minutes from time, they squandered a glorious chance to make it 2-0. Emiliano Tade led a slick counter-attack before bringing de Vries into play on the right.

He checked inside before curling a chip over the head of Khedairia, with the goalkeeper the most relieved man on the park as he turned to see the ball drift just past the far post.

Seven minutes later, de Vries featured once more, via another right wing rampage. When he looked up to pick out his target, Tade was the lone blue-clad figure in a Setif penalty area in which white shirts were by far the more dominant feature.

So a keep-ball session swiftly developed, with de Vries, Berlanga, Tim Payne and Tavano all relishing the "Oles" which rained down from the stands as their Algerian opponents faced up to the stark reality that their FIFA Club World Cup-winning hopes were as good as over.

City threw on some fresh legs in the form of Sanni Issa for the last few minutes, and his first contribution of note saw him play a ball wide for Tade to chase down, something the Argentine striker achieved against the odds.

While his cross ended up nearer Khedailia than its intended target, Issa, the message in his action - that he wasn't prepared to give up even though City held the advantage on the scoreboard and time was running out - spoke volumes about Auckland's ethos, and why they were on the verge of upstaging another opponent at this tournament.

They still had a few minutes to go before the job was done, however, and in that time, a rasping angled cross-shot from Younes forced Williams to save at his near post, at the expense of a corner.

City cleared their lines from this, and it was fitting that the last act of note in this match was an attack by the Antipodean upstarts, ignited by the outstanding figure of Irving - rightly named Man of the Match afterwards.

He picked out Issa with his pass, with the substitute promptly releasing Tade once more, this time down the right. He charged into the penalty area, but with Issa and fellow substitute Darren White up in support anticipating a cross, Tade took on one too many defenders - cue groans from the terraces.

That disappointment swiftly turned to delight, however, following the final whistle of Portuguese referee Pedro Proenca, who had his hands full coping with the increasing frustration of the Setif players to the extent that four of them were booked.

To Auckland, this mattered not one jot. They were in dreamland, a semi-final against San Lorenzo a fixture very much beyond their wildest dreams when they left the City of Sails for their latest FIFA Club World Cup Finals venture.

Now it's reality. Whoever would have thought the Kiwi club that does would do this?

ES Setif: Khedairia; Megateli, Arroussi, Mellouli, Lagraa; Gasmi (booked, 63) (Ziaya, 64), Dagoulou (booked, 42) (Djahnti, 46 (booked, 47)), Zerara, Bouikira (booked, 90); Belameiri (Younes, 69), Benyettou

Auckland: Williams; Berlanga, Irving, Dordevic, Iwata; Payne, Vicelich, Bilen; de Vries (White, 90), Tavano (Issa, 86), Tade

Referee: Pedro Proenca (Portugal)

Auckland City