We’re halfway through the A-League season and the Auckland FC train is still rolling along. Naturally, the perpetual clean sheet that they were working with at the start of the season has had to visit the laundromat a couple of times. The overload of games in Aotearoa has been balanced out with a lot more international travel. They’ve had some injuries to disrupt the stable starting eleven that they began with. And yet the (Blue and) Black Knights continue to rack up the points.

They particularly seem to keep doing so with late goals. It’s almost getting ridiculous, following more result-altering stoppage time goals against Adelaide and Western Sydney last week. This team doesn’t quit. Nine of their 22 goals have been scored after the 80th minute of matches and six of them were supplied by substitutes. On five separate occasions we’ve seen AFC grab a goal in the fifth minute of injury time or beyond... not just in stoppages but in the fifth minute or later of stoppages. Take a sec to make sure you read that correctly. So many of these late goals have directly earned them points. For example...

• Nando Pijnaker’s 90+7th minute winner vs Sydney FC

• Jake Brimmer’s 89th minute goal for the lead vs Wellington Phoenix (and then his 90+6th minute clincher)

• Neyder Moreno’s 83rd minute goal for the lead vs Newcastle Jets (De Vries then scored at 89’ to seal the deal)

• Neyder Moreno’s 90+5th minute equaliser vs Melbourne City

• Logan Rogerson’s 90+9th minute equaliser vs Adelaide

• Neyder Moreno’s 90+5th minute winner vs Western Sydney

AFC have claimed 30 points from 14 games to be resting first on the standings (although Adelaide would go back ahead if they win their game in hand). Scratch all the goals that they scored after the 80th minute and they’d only have 20 points which wouldn’t even keep them in the top six... albeit they’d still be two points ahead of the Wellington Phoenix.

In contrast to that stat, AFC have only scored three times in the initial twenty minutes of either half. They really do leave it late... including finishing first halves strongly because they do also have a wee cluster of seven goals in the last quarter of an hour of first halves. There’s a pretty blatant pattern here that speaks to fitness, squad depth, and winning mentality. Nobody emphasises that more than Neyder Moreno who has looked like a passenger in his four starts, of which AFC have lost twice and only taken four points, yet when he plays off the bench he’s been spectacular with Auckland FC undefeated in his substitute appearances. All four of his goals have come via the bench.

But late goals aren’t the only reason why this team has been so good from day one. They help, sure. As does the astute hiring of a coach that knows the A-League inside out like Steve Corica. As does the astute hiring of a director of football who knows the A-League inside out like Terry McFlynn. They had a long preseason trying to mould a group of players into a football team and not only did that seem to work beautifully but it’s had the flow-on effect of making them one of the fittest teams going around – as those late goals attest. Clever import signings and a cohesive strategy built around an elite defence have provided a clear identity. Add in the growing confidence of seeing those wins tally up, seeing those clean sheets tally up, and this is what you get.

But you know what? They would not be where they are without the contributions of their kiwi lads. This is one aspect within many, and they’re all interconnected, but it’s crucial to have a strong local core in any competition where visa spots are limited. Auckland FC made that a firm emphasis when they began unveiled players - their first two waves of additions all hailing from Aotearoa. As this squad got assembled though, you’d have been forgiven for thinking that the NZers were mostly just there to be backups. Alex Paulsen was always going to be the number one after they got that deal over the line, fair enough. Nando Pijnaker seemed like the obvious candidate to partner Aussie-Fijian Dan Hall at the back, yeah righto. But the rest of them? Hmm.

Turns out that wasn’t worth worrying about. 14 games into the club’s existence, Alex Paulsen and Nando Pijnaker have played every single minute. Francis de Vries joins Guillermo May in having also started every game. Logan Rogerson has come off the bench a few times but he’s featured in every match. Felipe Gallegos has done the same, meaning that 4/6 ever-present players are kiwis... and Liam Gillion and Tommy Smith aren’t too far behind. Cam Howieson would be too if he didn’t get injured.

Meanwhile, Max Mata seems to have burst into first eleven status lately. Guys like Callan Elliot, Jesse Randall, and the scholarship fellas are deeper down the charts but Elliot’s still made five starts and Randall’s gotten three. No issues with them stepping up as required. We’ve seen youngsters like Finn McKenlay, Luis Toomey, Jonty Bidois, and Adama Coulibaly get minutes. Even youth player Codey Phoenix got onto the bench for one match. It’s only poor old Michael Woud stuck as the reserve goalkeeper who’s not gotten to do anything... and he’s stuck behind another kiwi. You could make a genuine argument that there’s not a single New Zealander in this squad who has underperformed compared to preseason expectations.

(Key words being “in this squad” because there was the sorry situation with Joey Champness, who got injured during preseason and then was never seen again. He didn’t make a single matchday squad before being mercifully released about a month ago... and it sounds like they were pretty happy to see him go. Champness has since signed with a club in Iran and he last week had a chat with the NZ Herald in which he claimed his departure was down to wanting to test himself overseas during his “prime years” of football. That’s quite a line for a bloke who’s had three separate breaks from football of at least nine months prior to the age of 27. Especially since he also used the opportunity to promote his new startup tech business, self-described as “the world’s first social investment network”).

Francis de Vries is the most spectacular example of exceeding expectations because nobody could have anticipated this kinda production from the bloke. The idea that he’s come out of nowhere at age 30 is ridiculous considering he was already a capped All White and had played top division in Sweden prior to joining Auckland FC. But after a torn ACL led to him being released by IFK Varnamo, landing back in NZ with Eastern Suburbs, that could have been it for his pro career. Even in his games for Eastern Suburbs it’s not like he was amazing. There were instances of that superb crossing ability and the set piece prowess but for every beauty there were a couple of stinkers. He was solid without being dominant. Good without being great. He definitely didn’t look like international quality. Of course, he was also working back from a serious knee injury so a significant measure of slack has gotta be given.

The other thing to consider with FDV’s curious career – which has taken him from college ball in the USA to Vancouver Whitecaps reserves back to Canterbury United then to Varnamo where he experienced consecutive promotions from the third tier to the first tier in Sweden before the knee injury put him on the Eastern Suburbs to Auckland FC pipeline – is that this guy only really specialised as a left-back after getting to Sweden in his mid-20s. In America and Canada he was way more of a centre-back. In New Zealand he was more of a defensive midfielder. It was Varnamo that planted him at LB and let him grow... and when you consider that his greatest attribute is his crossing, well, those other positions aren’t exactly ideal places for swinging in crosses. No wonder he flourished so much after getting to Sweden.

Steve Corica’s picked up when the Swedes left off by chucking FDV on the left side of a four and letting him charge up and down and whip that ball into the area. Minimal overlaps, minimal take-ons. Just wicked left-footed swingers. He’s also taking some sexy corner kicks and it’s obvious who valuable that’s been for a team that’s scored a bunch from set pieces. De Vries has one goal and three assists and that’s just the direct stuff, not counting the second phase chances that stem from his crossing... and it’s worth mentioning that De Vries is proving himself to be a very canny operator in defensive mode as well. From looking like someone whose career might have been spluttering, he’s now playing the best footy of his life. It’s even gotten him back into the All Whites mixer and that’s no small feat given the riches available at left-back at the moment. If anyone tells you they saw this coming from Franny de Vries then they’re either lying or they’re related to him.

Liam Gillion is another grand case. He was signed on a scholarship deal then ended up starting in week one and staying there for the first eleven weeks, even debuting for the national team amongst all that. Granted, he’s dropped out of the squad entirely for the last couple games, with Corica speaking of a dip in form for Gillion and wanting to give him a chance to catch his breath and reset himself. That pause button was probably overdue given how rapidly everything had happened for this bloke over the preceding few months.

Again, Gillion didn’t come out of nowhere – he’d been bossing it on the wing for Auckland City for the previous two seasons. But to step up to the ALM as suddenly and smoothly as he did was just crazy. Even keen National League followers (like me) couldn’t have expected him to be as prominent as he has been... and it goes beyond talent and workrate. This also speaks to a willingness from Steve Corica to pick his teams based on form and fit rather than reputation. When scholarship players are able to get starts ahead of goal-scoring imports then you know there’s proper competition for places.

At this point, Negative Ned does need to point out that there’s been a big lack of end product for Gillion that he’ll need to polish up. Zero goals from 1.98 xG plus only one assist... doesn’t quite match the hype. But he’ll get there - after all, this was never an issue for him at Auckland City so it’s not as though it’s a characteristic thing. Like so many of his other comrades, even more in his case, Gillion’s already proved to be a much more effective A-League player than anticipated. And when he dropped out of the squad, who took his place? Jesse Randall. Another speedy youngster from the National League development course ready to rock and roll. One goes out, one comes in.

Logan Rogerson has long had a weakness for finishing but after a couple of successful years in Finland he really tightened things up. He’s actually ahead of his Expected Goals mark so far with AFC (3 goals from 2.72 xG). Mostly he stays wide and makes tracks up and down the edge but he’s grabbed some crucial goals too. Fantastic workrate. Keeps himself involved. Other than his pace, there’s not really anything that sets him apart but he does a lot of little things well and his coach has embraced that. There was a wee spell when Rogerson dropped out of the starting team... during which AFC suffered their first two losses and were kept scoreless in 3/4 matches. He then won his starting spot back and everything’s fine and dandy again. Put simply: the team has been better when he’s been involved. Six months ago he might have gone adrift after hardly playing for FC Noah in Armenia. Now he’s looking like a locked-in All Whites squadie.

Alex Paulsen doesn’t really count towards this idea. He’s gone from being the best goalkeeper in the A-League to being the best goalkeeper in the A-League. Nothing’s changed... although that in itself is impressive because he’s come from a Wellington Phoenix team that allows lots of (mostly low-percentage) shots to an Auckland FC team that hardly allows any shots at all and AP’s maintained that same excellence between the contrasting defensive styles. The only drama is that he hasn’t saved a penalty for AFC yet.

Alex Paulsen - Last Season vs This Season

But Nando Pijnaker certainly applies. Despite being a regular All Whites selection pretty much since his debut, his club career took a few years to take off. He eventually got there with Sligo Rovers where he was absolutely fantastic during his last year or so... but the League Of Ireland probably wasn’t a challenging enough level to take him any further. Having said that, it wasn’t clear how that stuff would translate to the ALM. Well, here we are halfway through the campaign and Pijnaker leads the competition in defensive clearances, isn’t far behind in blocks, and he’s also somehow scored three goals. Not to mention that he’s had to hold it down with several different CB partners due to Dan Hall’s injury. We knew he was good but we didn’t know he was this good. Or this consistent. Or this dominant. All the potential of his early days seems to be blossoming in blue and black.

Let us not overlook Tommy Smith either. Smithy’s at the other end of his career and didn’t start very many games for Macarthur last year, then settled into a useful role as The Closer to begin his AFC stuff where he’d come on as a substitute to help close out tight games – a task that he was often given by AFC assistant coach Danny Hay back when he was in charge of the All Whites. Smithy did great with that... yet when Dan Hall got injured it was Hiroki Sakai who was initially asked to slide across and be that other CB. The right-back rather than the CB specialist on the bench. Two reasons for that: Smith’s a left-sided central defender and it was the right side that needed filling, also Smith’s fitness was a big question mark. Turns out that was a blunder on Corica’s part because it was only when Smith broke into the starting side that AFC’s post-Hall wobbles came to an end and the Black Knights began to look like the Black Knights again. He was the bloke that steadied the ship. Yet more crucial minutes being provided by one of the New Zealanders in the squad.

Based on the last few weeks, it looks like Max Mata is on course to be another such case. His career has ben an odd one, spending time in Switzerland, Estonia, USA, Ireland, and England. He was brilliant in Ireland and pretty good in Estonia. Hardly played in Switzerland. Not so good in USA and England. He’s had some ups and he’s had some downs making it hard to predict how he’d fare in the A-League. As it happens, he didn’t fare much at all to begin with... but he’s made a genuine difference to the side since jumping into the starting eleven more recently, offering a fresh look to the team’s attack where they can use his hold-ups and flick-ons to bring the wingers into the action while allowing Guillermo May to do what he likes to do by dropping deeper to get involved. Early days after three starts but the signs are promising for Mata as well.

We’re not talking about one or two breakout players here. Auckland FC took a risk with how they put this squad together by banking on the quality of players in Aotearoa’s domestic stuff. They only used three local spots on Australians and one of them is currently injured (Dan Hall) while another has barely even played (Scott Galloway). Jake Brimmer is the other, obviously. Paulsen, Pijnaker, and Smith were the only regular All Whites that they scooped up. Several others had been capped but weren’t really in favour at the time.

These weren’t open goal signings... yet almost every single one of Auckland FC’s kiwi players has turned up as an improved version of themselves (and the one who didn’t got booted out). That’s good coaching, that’s good tactics, that’s good squad chemistry, that’s good leadership, the awesome enthusiastic support from the stands has definitely helped too. It’s also yet another dose of proof that there are plenty more footballers in New Zealand capable of playing professionally than are currently employed to do so. Don’t even worry about it. Auckland FC put their faith in that fact and now look where they are.

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