The Premmy Files – Charity Cup Impressions
And thus it has begun. Auckland City against Team Wellington in the Charity Cup and the 2018-19 Premiership season is underway. Just the one game to get the ball rolling with both teams still trudging through a few preseason cobwebs but don’t worry too much about that, all it did was enhance the spectacle at Kiwitea Street.
Before we begin, be sure to take a few seconds and read the Premmy Files Season Preview, which tackles expectations, last season’s exploits, and a few frisky narratives for each team, and then also give a breeze through A Hefty Squad Analysis, which goes through the specifics of each team’s playing staff. Both essential knowledge if I do say so myself… and much deeper than you’ll find anywhere amongst those more financially resourced establishments that dominate the kiwi sport media landscape.
But Premmy Files is its own establishment these days, with in-depth recaps of every gameweek and plenty more along the way (hopefully videos too if circumstances permit), so this is where I take a moment to say that if you appreciate the content and want to support and enhance the focus on domestic football in Aotearoa then a quick pledge on TNC’s Patreon page is the best way to go about it. Even if it’s just the price of one less cup of coffee (or malted beverage) this month then all goods, it’s all going towards The Niche Cache’s ongoing revolution for quality sports and culture coverage. Sweet as.
Auckland City, as you know from reading those previous things, are missing a lot of goals from last season. Their entire first-choice front three of Emiliano Tade, Callum McCowatt and Ryan De Vries is goneskees. The question then was who’d start up front here. Two of the three were highly probable with Micah Lea’alafa inheriting one role after RDV left and Javier Lopez Iglesias being brought in to be the new star striker. And a fair signing he looks to be too. As for the last forward in the trio, it had appeared that Dylan Manickum would be the fella but instead it was Dan Morgan who got the nod – which probably also had some tactical funk as Morgan’s ability as a fullback meant more defensive cover for Alfie Rogers behind him against a Team Welly team that offers plenty down the wings.
Then we had a midfield of Cam Howieson, Te Atawhai Hudson-Wihongi and David Browne – two kiwis and a lad from Papua New Guinea with the oldest of them still just 23 years old – with Albert Riera out injured and Fabrizio Tavano also missing. Enaut Zubikarai started in goal. Mario Bilen and Angel Berlanga at CB. Alfie Rogers on the left of defence and the ever-versatile Jordan Vale on the right. Quite a few changes from the grand final last season yet still a familiar look; Ramon Tribulietx has always had a knack for deceptive rotation.
Jose Figueira’s a bit different, as Team Welly look their best when they’ve got a consistent XI rolled out each week. Club World Cup qualification has meant zero worries in retaining last season’s squad but they have added a couple useful players. One was Henry Cameron, looking to give his career a resurgence back in Aotearoa. Hank’s a proper winger in a team that doesn’t really use wingers, at least not in this game where their front three was inverted a bit, Andy Bevin playing behind Angus Kilkolly and Hamish Watson rather than all out in a row like they’d often do last term. That gets Watto with a guy working off him and Bevin through the middle, advantages for each, while creating room for the overlap from the wingbacks which is where, coming back around to the initial point, Henry Cameron was posted up. Out on the left where Eric Molloy usually tends to play – which was funny because Sky TV had a pregame focus pack set up on Molloy who wasn’t even in the squad in the end. Nice one, Sky TV.
On the right was Jack-Henry Sinclair (who is still getting called Jack Henry-Sinclair for some reason, as if he hasn’t been around long enough for people to learn his name yet). The Marios (Ilich and Barcia) in the middle. Scott Basalaj in goal. Back three of Gulley, Palezevic and Hilliar. One and three were dead sets. Two of the best defenders in the league and always gonna start when fit. Palezevic was a little more surprising given that he’s more of a defensive midfielder by trade. But midfielders slotting into back threes are common around the world. Back threes tend to help you squeeze your wide players forward and work with some alternative arrangements so you want to have that passing ability coming out from the back to capitalise on it.
Not sure if that’s how it really went here, though. There was maybe a ten minute spell of settling in where Auckland City hogged the ball but didn’t really do anything and then suddenly the game broke into all sorts of excitement. Team Welly had hardly shown what they could do when Mario Barcia did as Mario Barcia does and volleyed one into the top corner from the edge of the box, turning a half chance into a goal. Within minutes it was 2-0 thanks to Hamish Watson, a guided header into the corner of the net off a superb cross from JH Sinclair. Two chances and two goals. Shell-shocked? Not exactly. Cam Howieson dragged one back almost immediately and the visitors never really got to stew in their spectacular lead before it was already under threat again.
Can’t underestimate the timing of that Howieson goal. If he hadn’t slapped it home then the reality of being 2-0 would’ve started to unravel for a team that won a title on the back of immense defence and just enough attack and were now left to rely on their attack to overcome a 2-0 deficit which, okay it wasn’t the defence so much as excellent work from Team Wellington… but it doesn’t matter how you got there when you’re staring down the barrel, all that matters is how you’re going to get out of this particular predicament.
Howieson’s goal gave ACFC the momentum of the chase and soon enough they were level thanks to Javier Lopez. Lots to like about this bloke. He’s a genuine centre forward who didn’t hesitate for a second in popping off a few early sighters at goal. Dude drops deep to get the ball but he also knows how to be a focal point in the front line and he looks very useful distributing and unleashing those around him. Emiliano Tade is a legend at this club but Lopez, for footballing reasons, seems like he might be an even better fit (of course, if they had both of them…). Very classy player. His goal was deceptively good, a proper old diving header after a lovely assist from Micah Lea'alafa.
Team Wellington had brought a lot of pressure when they could, their central attacking dudes working hard to win the ball in dangerous areas and testing City’s resilient calmness at the back. The second goal they scored came after a nice transitional move having won the ball in a dangerous area. That’s the trick. Except winning the ball in dangerous areas is hard to do and once City settled down, they were much better at protecting themselves. Lea’alafa should’ve given them the half-time lead but Basalaj made a superb save rushing out on him. But no surprises when Dan Morgan found himself in the right place at the right time soon after the resumption for a 3-2 ACFC lead.
Palezevic was subbed off soon after, having found himself on a yellow. The jury’s out over his durability in that role, especially since it was Taylor Schrijvers who replaced him, another centreback, suggesting that Jose Figueira was thinking the same thing. Palezevic definitely coulda done better for the first goal. Still, it’s a tough one to judge after such an unexpectedly open game. With these two sides, you could guess there’d be quality on show… but goals? Not so much. Yet that’s what we got here and Tribulietx compared it to a preseason fixture with plenty of work-ons for both teams. He’s not wrong – hence you can’t be too critical at this early stage of any player.
What you can do instead is throw the shaka sign at a few players who excelled and one of those was David Browne. An ACFC player as a teenager, he’s spent the last three years over in Holland trying to make it with PEC Zwolle and Grongingen. He never played a senior game however it didn’t take his magical work for the fourth goal to see what a top notch player he’s returned as. On that note… how bloody good was his magical work for the fourth goal? Velco first touch, a few tekkers, one searing burst of speed, a sharp cross… next thing Lea’alafa’s putting this thing to bed.
Or not quite because Hamish Watson pulled one back late on for Team Welly to give us an anxious six minutes and change of stoppage time. Nothing else happened though. Auckland City lifted the Charity Cup and, really, they shoulda won by more. Both teams far from their potential although with heaps to enjoy at the same time. Like Hamish Watson. Great to see him back in the goals and it’s no small thing that he got the start over Ross Allen, the Guernsey Gunner, who scores goals as easy as he eats his breakfast (don’t forget about Tom Jackson either). If they keep going with Kilkolly and Watson up top then it’s gonna be fun to watch, gotta love a proper centre forward pairing in the age of the lone striker. The performance from Jack-Henry Sinclair was wonderful too, youngblood knows his way up and down the sideline.
By the way, Enaut Zubikarai’s Premiership clean sheet streak ended at ten games. Oh well, so it goes. It’s funny because their defence seemed to have gotten even better while their attack looked weaker but the result of this one said otherwise. Again, one game. Can’t make any permanent judgements from one game. But Javier Lopez looks the goods so that’ll do heaps while obviously not having Albert Riera was a factor in the defensive vulnerability. The thing about Super Zubi is that he’s a near flawless organiser and leader from the back, who can play with the ball at his feet, but he’s not actually a fantastic shot stopper. If they’re letting teams get at them then the goals will come.
Team Wellington won this corresponding game last season but Auckland City ended up winning both league play and the grand final. Team Welly got the last laugh in the Champions League but keep that lesson in mind. This was the first of many games. These teams might be unrecognisable by the end of it. Based on the seven goals we unexpectedly saw in this one they might be unrecognisable by next week. But, hey, first blood to Auckland City in the 2018-19 NZ Premiership. She’s gonna be an enjoyable ride, folks.
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