TW hope to end Oceania drought
Team Wellington will be hope to exorcise some demons as they tackle another OFC Champions League campaign.
Despite having the measure of Auckland City domestically – winning back-to-back ISPS Handa Premiership titles – Team Wellington have failed to replicate that success at the Oceania tournament, where they have finished second to Auckland for the past three years.
But with Club World Cup qualification at stake, winning the Oceania tournament brings a much bigger reward. And there is a clear desire from Team Wellington to finally end that drought in 2018.
‘‘Of course it’d be great for us, and at the end of the day that’s the carrot for all of the clubs,’’ said coach Jose Figueira, prior to flying out to the Solomon Islands.
‘‘Auckland have enjoyed a real period of dominance and all the other clubs, including us, are working hard to break that. As a human being it’s in the back of your mind, you imagine being there and things, but there’s a lot of hard work to go in before that.’’
That hard work begins in the Honiara heat today as Team Wellington open the tournament against group D hosts Marist (Solomon Islands), before rounding out pool play against Lupe o le Soaga (Samoa)
and AS Magenta (New Caledonia).
With each of the four group winners earning hosting rights for the quarterfinal stage, Figueira said the initial target is just to make sure Team Wellington finishes top of group D.
‘‘For sure, the target is to make sure we go over and get the job done and finish top. We want to bring Champions League football back to David Farrington Park and that will set us up nicely for the rest of the knockouts.’’
Team Wellington have travelled without key midfielder Andy Bevin, who is unavailable, and striker Tom Jackson, still injured.
But offsetting their absence is the inclusion of former Wellington Phoenix striker Hamish Watson, who is finally available to play after serving a 30-day stand-down – a Fifa requirement when making the transition between professional and amateur football.
‘‘It’ll be good to shut him up really,’’ Figueira quipped. ‘‘He’s been champing at the bit to play. Even now he’s been doing the extras, putting the work in.
‘‘It’ll be great to add him, and his power, presence and goal-scoring will do us good for the O-League and hopefully the latter parts of the playoffs.’’
Meanwhile, nine-time champions Auckland City host group C, which also features Lautoka (Fiji), AS Venus (Tahiti) and Madang (Papua New Guinea).
Their first match is against Venus at Trusts Arena tomorrow.
Already through to the quarterfinal stage are Nalkutan (Vanuatu), Lae City Dwellers (Papua New Guinea), AS Dragon (Tahiti) and Solomon Warriors (Solomon Islands).