Auckland City threaten the improbable
Once again, Auckland City FC made the impossible seem possible.
They didn’t get the result in their Club World Cup playoff match on Thursday night — going down 2- 1 to Kashima Antlers — but came a lot closer than most people imagined.
Their performance won’t rank alongside the heroics of 2009 and 2014, when they won multiple games at Fifa’s flagship club competition, but their display in Yokohama deserves its own special mention.
In a normal world, the gulf between the Japanese champions — the best team from the best league in Asia — and a Stirling Sports Premiership side would be insurmountable.
But somehow, Auckland City bridged it. Their tactical organisation, collective approach, work rate and mental application were top drawer, as they proved that with thorough preparation and strong self- belief, it’s possible to compete at that level.
After a solid first half, Auckland City took the lead in the 49th minute, with a well executed Dae Wook Kim header from a free kick. The goal shocked the Antlers, who brought on their t wo top strikers soon afterwards.
The end result was fair on the balance of play, as Kashima created the best opportunities, especially in the final 25 minutes.
But Auckland City will also ponder what might have been, in a game of such fine margins. Both the goals they conceded were comparatively poor by their standards, with the defence guilty of ball watching for the first and hesitation for the second, and the 88th minute winner was an unfortunate lapse.
But the Sandringham- based club will take pride from their display. They pushed Kashima to the limit, and began to frustrate the Japanese champions in the second half, as they held the lead for almost 20 minutes.
One of the high points came just before the hour mark, when Auckland City were ahead on the scoreboard and knitted together several intricate triangles in possession, as they grew in confidence and the game began to open up.
For a moment, you forgot you were watching a semi- professional team against the most decorated team in J- League history, with an annual turnover near US$ 100 million ($ 139 million).
A good insight came from veteran Fifa commentator John Helm, as he pondered an improbable upset midway through the second half.
“One thing about Auckland — they will be calm,” said Helm. “They play as a unit. Everybody defends, and everybody attacks when they can.”
And the sight of Kashima hanging on in the last few minutes, as Auckland City pushed for an equaliser, was as improbable as it was impressive.
“[ Kashima] were aggressive and they made our lives very hard,” reflected Auckland City coach Ramon Tribulietx.
“It’s very difficult to come to Japan and try to dominate the national champions. I’m proud of how we played though. We came very close.”