Auckland City vs Team Wellington

Well, this was it, friends. The last ever game of football in the ISPS Handa Premiership before the new National League format begins. On the one hand it’s awesome that there’s upwards progression for [most but not every] club in the country which’ll hopefully get fans more involved and all that... on the other hand they’re trying to treat the top league in the country like a development competition. But that’s a discussion for the future. Let us here instead recap what was an outstanding game of football. A fitting farewell to the NZFC/Football Championship/Premiership after seventeen chaotic, entertaining, unpredictable, hotly debated, financially vulnerable years.

And there was no more appropriate fixture to say goodbye with than for Auckland City to be taking on Team Wellington. The two powerhouse clubs of the era. Two teams who traditionally shape up pretty well head to head too, with a heap of players who’ve represented both sides of the fence. Not to mention the Master vs Apprentice dynamic at play between coaches Jose Figueira and Scotty Hales.

Auckland City were without Logan Rogerson who it’s since been revealed has signed with HJK Helsinki in Finland where he’ll join another ex-ACFC hero in David Browne. That’s the top club in Finland right there and the new season starts on Thursday morning. He’d already missed all of preseason and the league cup group stage to stay with the Navy Blues for as long as possible but the week’s delay due to lockdown ultimately cost him the chance to play in this game. Losing your top scorer is a bummer but the return of Emiliano Tade actually made it a net gain for ACFC... although clearly in a final you’d rather have both.

The main question for City was whether Tade would move into the front-line in Rogerson’s absence with Yousif Al-Kalisy coming back in to start or whether someone like Kayne Vincent might get the target man start instead. Figueira went with the latter. Al-Kalisy was unlucky to miss out last week so happy to see him recalled for the final, while Dylan Manickum slid out to the left wing to allow Tade to play through the middle. The only other change from that game was Jordan Vale in at right back for Andrew Blake. Vale had started 12 of 15 previous games at RB/RWB this season so can’t argue with that (he also had one start on the left). Blake can play either side but Alfie Rogers has been the form dude of the three. 50th appearance for Dylan Manickum as well.

As for Team Wellington, they entered this game in olympic form with four straight wins averaging four goals a game and there simply wasn’t anything needed to be changed. An unaltered XI from the semi-final. Ben Mata not in the squad so presumably still injured, thus the Gulley/Schrijvers/Midgley trio continued without a need of thought. Zac Jones kept his gloves on with Scott Basalaj on the bench. And for the tenth straight game it was the Andy Bevin/Sam Mason-Smith/Hamish Watson triangle up top-skees.

This game was fascinating for so many reasons, even apart from the existential state of the league itself. How would City cope without Rogerson’s pace in behind? Who’d control the wide areas of the park? Could Team Welly disrupt the metronomic possession of the Navy Blues? Would the world survive a Hamish Watson vs Brian Kaltack head to head without apocalyptic recouse? How fit was Emiliano Tade after so long out injured? How many penalties and red cards would be dished out?

Then there was also the state of North Harbour Stadium. The pitch looked in fine form so that was no dramas, but it is a pretty large field which meant more space, especially out wide... and it looks even bigger than it is because of the stadium structure. Compare it to both Kiwitea Street and David Farrington Park where both grounds are quite confined with fans extremely close to the action, almost hovering over it in both cases.

Initial suggestions... gotta say that Team Welly were the ones making the most of it. The game zipped and zapped in both directions with a lot of quick movement and sharp interplay on show from both teams, defenders on their heels, but that’s the norm for Auckland City so to see Team Wellington matching them from the start was a great omen for their fans. Rory McKeown and Ollie Whyte both had a couple sizzling touches early on, while Sam Mason-Smith was making a point of stretching the defence.

But that didn’t mean a one-sided affair. It only meant an even affair. Yet just as Auckland City were starting to get the heat in the oven up to temperature, with Al-Kalisy and Tade linking up a couple tantalising times, the next thing you know they’d conceded a penalty. Major, major moment in the match as Alfie Rogers clipped Jack-Henry Sinclair rushing past him. JHS’s sheer speed was what got him to the ball first but he wasn’t strictly looking for the foul. The delicate touch that he got on the ball, despite the pace he attacked it at, meant that he still would have gotten to it before it went out over the byline had he not been chopped down. Rate that from Sinclair.

Shockingly, Hamish Watson missed the spot kick! But then Andy Bevin was first to follow it up and he snuck that thing inside the post with one touch. Smooth as it gets. And though it would be easy to blame the ACFC defenders for allowing him to get there, reverting to the tired old cliche of “they just didn’t want it enough!”, it’s worth saying that Adam Mitchell and Mario Ilich were right there with him only for that ball to bounce perfectly into Bevin’s path. This angle shows what a sneakily excellent finish it was...

The Navy Blues had to respond, they were favourites coming in after all, and the plan there was to get the ball to Emiliano Tade as often as possible. He thumped one straight at Zac Jones in the 21st min for a decent save, didn’t have to move but the shot had some hot sauce on it. And any time that City were able to get out on the break they looked sharp. Al-Kalisy also curled one off target after a poor clearance from Scott Midgley... but mostly it was Tade pulling the strings. It was obviously a different dynamic without Rogerson’s speed in behind to stretch things out but you did get the feeling that City were overly reliant on the Argentinian. Then again... he’s Emiliano Tade. All-time leading goal-scorer in this competition. Let the man eat.

The other thing that was happening was things were getting frisky with the niggle back and forth. Which is always fun to see in a grand final but gotta remember that trying to get scrappy against Hamish Watson is just bringing a knife to a gun fight. In amongst all that stabbing and shooting there were moments of sheer quality the whole way through... yet none of it was quite as sumptuous as the second TeeDubs goal...

That’s 100% NZ Pure right there. The passing, the movement, the options, the team-work. Simply superb.

Important PSA: That’s not a backheel. He’s flicked it with the inside of his heel not the back of it. Also nobody better be calling that cheeky or showy or flashy... it’s actually the most efficient way to get the ball in the net from that angle. You’re striking it from a more stable base than reaching out in front for it. Takes some practice but so do all aspects of finishing.

Thus half an hour in and Auckland City were trailing by two and it’s a long way back from there. Or... it would be if they didn’t have Millie Tade on their side. He stepped in on Mario Barcia in the corner of the area and yeah it was soft but yeah there was also contact. Came in from Barcia’s blindside and put himself in the way of danger like a wise man would. Argentine on Argentine violence. Tade took the spot kick himself and slotted it with power, Jones went the right way and still he had no chance.

Now the pressure of the final was seeping through as City chased a comeback and Team Welly felt the vulnerability of their lead. The slick passing of the first half hour gave way to sloppiness. Turnovers on top of turnovers. Dylan Manickum went close off another free kick routine. Jones saved that one then Al-Kalisy blazed across the face of goal on the seconds. All goods because about a minute later it was 2-2. ACFC knocking it around the box when a cheeky hesitation from Tade allowed him to then slip the ball through into the run of Manickum who beat Jonesy from close. The TeeDubs defence late to react... but jeez what a pass that was. The Emiliano Tade Show, ladies and gents.

Half-time then came at a convenient spot for Team Wellington. They’d been in defensive mode between the two ACFC goals and a lot of that was self-inflicted as they failed to keep the ball as they had earlier on. It was still 2-2 so no need to panic but clearly they needed to settle and get back to how they started. A test of the proverbial mettle.

Yeah... no need to worry about that. Their mettle was made of metal. Tade was again heavily involved coming out of the break but some of his decisions weren’t the best. It was like he felt the pressure to be The Guy, rather than the usual ACFC thing of keeping the ball moving. He did dash onto a ball over the top from Al-Kalisy, shaping up Taylor Schrijvers before unleashing an effort that Zac Jones saved, but then straight after, 54th minute of the match, Team Welly busted in again. Mason-Smith with a pass through to Watson that was pretty similar to Tade’s pass to Manickum. Brian Kaltack cut it out but couldn’t clear the danger and Watson hustled it back before rolling the ball under his foot to Ollie Whyte on the edge of the area and he crunched it home from there. Cam Brown got a hand to it but lacked the wrists of steel he needed to keep it out. Great strike from a dude who was having a beaut of a game. Team Welly back in the lead.

Man, this game was awesome. The tactical duel, the goals, the niggle, the desperation now bursting at the seams. Rory McKeown floated an inch-perfect cross over the top to Watto on 59 mins but Brown put up the big denial to HW’s side-footed shot. The second fantastic save he’d made of Hamish Watson this game. There was another McKeown cross to Watson a little while later but it ended up as a corner, the header deflecting out off Rogers. Meanwhile Mohamed Awad was doing some serious work trying to get things going for City... as ACFC old boy Joao Moreira came on up front and instantly won a free kick in the corner for TW. Soft free kick but so it goes. McKeown whipped it in... and Andy Bevin flicked in the header at the near post for 4-2!

Mate. Twenty minutes remaining and Auckland City suddenly had to spark up another two goal comeback... only now there were no second chances. In this life (/season) or the next. Deandre Vollenhoven came on for Al-Kalisy with Manickum dropping deeper. Andrew Blake would replace Jordan Vale soon after... though it wasn’t until right near the end that Kayne Vincent entered the fray and you did get the feeling that guys like Awad and Tade needed a presence like Vincent to play off of once things got tetchy. And Tade... well he was tiring fast. Only played once in the last four months or so and the minutes just weren’t in the legs as his influence faded steadily in the second half. Zac Jones was dealing with any and all crosses and the Navy Blues looked like they were running out of options. Can’t say that too often.

Jack-Henry Sinclair ended a fine performance as one too many blows caught up with him and the magic spray didn’t do the trick. Gotta be honest though, Team Welly were dealing with things rather comfortably at the back now. As well as they had done all game, presumably because City were getting panicky. Awad was now by far the best outlet but he didn’t have much help. Tell you how was really dealing though, that was Hamish Watson. For a guy who missed a penalty and didn’t score otherwise he was so influential in what Team Welly were dishing up. Including getting right amongst the pestilence...

Kane Vincent flicked a header over the top and even six minutes of stoppage time didn’t feel like enough, not with a two-goal deficit. However Awad’s persistence did finally get rewarded in the 92nd min as a push in the back by Whyte led to the third penalty of the afternoon. The contact was definitely outside the box (even accounting for the fact that if the foul starts outside the area but continues into the area then it’s a penalty)...

... but even still this was not Auckland City’s day. Emiliano Tade went with the panenka chip down the middle except he overhit it and it came back off the crossbar. He tapped in the rebound but he already knew it wouldn’t count. The penalty taker can’t touch the ball again until another player has touched it, be it the goalie or someone else, otherwise you’d just dribble it forward, right?

There were still four minutes left but that was the last chance. The resistance died then and there. As evidenced by Adam Mitchell telling Watto that he’d finally had enough of his shit by punting him into touch while HW tried to hold the ball up in the corner. A yellow card that Mitchell very much signed up for. Hamish Watson probably had a giggle under his breath, those bruises are badges of honour for the King of the Pests.

Thus taking us to the final whistle in the grand final, the final ever Premiership game. Team Wellington crowned champions for a third time with a 4-2 triumph. Going out on top with the trophy in hand. Get on up.

Ordinarily a team that loses a grand final gets to channel that despair into motivation for next season. That’s not quite what Auckland City are dealing with here... but maybe they can as the club will continue into the future having struck a deal with sister club Central United to take their Northern Premier League spot. That season begins literally next week and it’s gonna get funky, especially amongst those Auckland/Waikato clubs.

There was no doubt that Auckland City were the best team through the regular season. Started with a stumble but then stormed home for their seventh straight minor premiership. But it’s often been the case that Regular Season ACFC > Playoff ACFC. After winning four of the first five titles in this comp, Auckland City only won four of the next 12 and that includes last season when the playoffs didn’t happen. Ten minor prems, four championships. Beaten in five grand finals. Not really sure what’s up with that, the cream certainly rises to the top in a league format but a one-off final does open things up and they were second best on this Albany afternoon, no doubt about it.

Maybe if they hadn’t dug themselves a hole to begin with. Maybe if Logan Rogerson had been there to add some more punch and variety to their attack. A couple soft concessions of goals too. Dunno. That’s just the way it goes sometimes. Awad was excellent. Tade was immense in that first half especially. Cam Howieson had a strong game. Alfie Rogers too, with the exception of the penalty he gave away. They were second best on the day is all, no crime in that. No blame needs to be cast. They were good but Team Wellington were gooder.

As a consolation, here’s a screenshot of Dylan Manickum with his hair down...

Andy Bevin won the Steve Sumner Medal. An understandable if predictable decision, giving it to the bloke who scored the most goals. Those are the most important things after all. But Bevin, as good as he was, probably wasn’t as influential in the overall performance as Hamish Watson (again, despite missing a penalty and going goalless), Jack-Henry Sinclair, Ollie Whyte, or Mario Barcia. Taylor Schrijvers led the way at the back as well to cap a brilliant season from him. There were no bad players to be honest so you could hardly go wrong. Team Welly came into the game in top form and they continued that top form with their four goals as per... busting down the best defence in the league and leaving them scrambling for a backup plan. That’ll do it. Hell of a way to bow out for Team Wellington, hell of a way to bow out for the ISPS Handa Premiership.

Rest in peace, Premiership.

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