It’s early exit again for Auckland City

This could have been another moment of glory for Auckland City at the Fifa Club World Cup, to join the ones from 2009 and 2014.

But despite their dominance, they lost 1-0 to Al Jazira, the United Arab Emirates champions, and their campaign finished at the playoff stage for the third year in a row.

City have played at the Club World Cup nine times, but they have never been on top in a match like they were yesterday at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain in the UAE. They outshot their opponents 17 to five. They had seven shots on target to two. They had 59 per cent of possession to Al Jazira’s 41. The key statistics have never been in their favour like that at this tournament.

But they are now headed home and back to the New Zealand national league, and as they make that journey, they will surely wonder what might have been.

The goal that Al Jazira scored was a fine one, there is no doubt about that.

In the 38th minute, their prolific striker, Ali Mabkhout, ran at the City defence for the first time all night, but defender Angel Berlanga was there to pick his pocket. Unfortunately for Berlanga, the ball rolled into space, and Romarinho ran in and smashed it towards goal from 25m out, where it beat keeper Enaut Zubikarai to the left.

Zubikarai only had one other save to make all night, and that was very late in the game, when Mabkhout took a shot from outside the box that he dealt with easily.

Down the other end, Al Jazira’s keeper Ali Khaseif was kept busy.

City’s best chance came in the 75th minute, when Howieson crossed the ball in from the left, putting it on a plate for de Vries, who slid in to meet it five metres from goal, but poked it straight at the keeper.