Auckland City Football Club is a semi-professional association football club based in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city. The club competes in the ASB Premiership (formerly known as the New Zealand Football Championship) which is the highest level of domestic football in the country.
Auckland City has won the regular season as well as the Grand Final six times. They represented the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) in the OFC Champions League, which they won most recently in 2015 for the seventh time. With a third place in 2014 they also became the only OFC team to reach the semi-finals of the FIFA Club World Cup.
Auckland City claimed their sixth ASB Premiership title on Sunday with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Hawke’s Bay United in the 2014-15 Grand Final at Kiwitea Street.
The defending champions were made to work hard for what was their 13th successive win, going behind to a 19th minute Ryan Tinsley penalty.
Facing a disciplined and structured Hawke’s Bay defensive unit, the hosts initially struggled to break down their opponents before new All Whites forward Ryan De Vries – who won his sixth straight ASB Premiership title – found the equaliser in the 38th minute.
The second half saw Auckland step up their tempo and several chances came and went before Marko Dordevic headed home a 62nd minute Darren White free kick for what proved to be the winner.
Auckland City coach Ramon Tribulietx said the team’s belief in their possession-based philosophy got them across the line on Sunday against a tricky opponent.
“I think we kept trying and that’s probably the key,” Tribulietx said. “I thoroughly believe in this way of playing and they set up a very difficult net in the middle third and it was difficult for us to play through.
“We had to readjust a couple of things in terms of our structure and look to receive in those pockets because in the first 20 or 30 minutes we were struggling to penetrate.
“The bottom line for me is we carried on playing the same way and in some respects that paid off at the end.”
All Whites forward Ryan De Vries got the home side back level in the first half. Photo by www.photosport.co.nz
Tribulietx reflected on a domestic season which saw his side sweep to the title with a run of 13 wins from 14 matches after returning from the sensational FIFA Club World Cup third place finish.
“It’s been a great season. We finished in the top position 12 points clear of the second one so in some respects we deserve this.
“It was good to confirm not only the home and away round-robin season but also the championship. We’re very happy with that having done both in two consecutive years is great for our boys.”
Hawke’s Bay United coach Brett Angell was philosophical after the final whistle.
“Sometimes it’s about learning and the rub of the green doesn’t go your way,” Angell said.
“If we had of scored the one which was probably the best chance of the game early on then it changes but unfortunately it didn’t go in.”
“If we look back it’s been a magnificent season. It’s obviously not ended the way ideally we would have wanted it to end. I said to them before the game, don’t leave anything on the field, and I don’t think they did.”
The opening 10 minute period saw the game settle into a clear pattern – Hawke’s Bay allowing Auckland City possession in their own half and looking to regain in midfield and counter at pace.
But despite the Hawke’s Bay organised structure, the home side had a great chance to open the scoring after just five minutes.
White curled a 20-yard free kick against the bar and, fresh from the All Whites trip to Korea, De Vries headed the rebound over with the net empty.
Ten minutes later, the thinking behind Hawke’s Bay’s approach was laid bare as the visitors countered quickly down the right flank and Sean Lovemore found space to cut back for Saul Halpin but with the goal at his mercy he hit the bouncing ball over the bar.
But the miss was soon forgotten by the visitors when they earned a penalty four minutes later by the same method. Facundo Barbero was barged over by Oscar Garcia and Tinsley buried resulting spot kick for a 1-0 lead.
https://twitter.com/AucklandCity_FC/status/584564099402436608
Down a goal for the first time since February 22 against Canterbury United, the defending champions were struggling to find a way through the organised banks of four of the visitors with the tempo too slow and movement too sluggish to penetrate.
But Sam Burfoot, also part of the All Whites squad in Korea, found the key in the 38th minute – his lofted pass got Auckland in behind and after a neat reverse by Ivan Vicelich, De Vries was released to curl a calm finish beyond Josh Hill for 1-1.
The second half produced the same template, Hawke’s Bay soaking up Auckland’s possession but the difference came with the hosts playing at a faster tempo.
A Billy Scott sliding tackle prevented Auckland City taking a 48th minute lead after great work from Burfoot in the lead up and then Burfoot himself had the crowd up but his shot hit the side netting eight minutes after the restart.
Garcia then volleyed over from 10 yards soon after as Auckland now were finding the goalscoring chances they weren’t earlier and then a contested decision proved crucial.
Peter O’Leary awarded Auckland City a free kick for handball on the edge of the Hawke’s Bay area, to the frustration of the visitors, and they were left fuming when Dordevic headed White’s whipped delivery home out of the reach of Hill.
From there the hosts were effective in their work, clinically closing out the game with Hawke’s Bay struggling to replicate the counter attack threat they posed in the first period as Auckland City capped an excellent season with yet another domestic trophy.
ASB Premiership 2014-15 – Grand Final
Sunday 5 April
Sunday 5 April
Auckland City FC 2-1 Hawke’s Bay United (half: 1-1)
AC: Ryan De Vries 38’, Marko Dordevic 62’
HB: Ryan Tinsley (pen) 19’
AC: Ryan De Vries 38’, Marko Dordevic 62’
HB: Ryan Tinsley (pen) 19’
Auckland City FC: 1. Tamati Williams (GK), 2. Marko Dordevic, 3. Takuya Iwata, 4. Mario Bilen, 5. Angel Berlanga, 9. Darren White, 10. Ryan De Vries (12. Adam McGeorge 90’) 1, 15. Ivan Vicelich, 17. Joao Moreira (19. David Browne 82’), 20. Oscar Garcia, 23. Sam Burfoot (25. Michael Den Heijer 57’)
Substitutes not used: 11. Cameron Lindsay, 13. Ivan Carril, 22. Andrew Milne, 24. Jacob Spoonley (GK)
Coach: Ramon Tribulietx
Substitutes not used: 11. Cameron Lindsay, 13. Ivan Carril, 22. Andrew Milne, 24. Jacob Spoonley (GK)
Coach: Ramon Tribulietx
Hawke’s Bay Utd: 1. Josh Hill (GK), 4. Ross Haviland, 5. Finlay Milne, 6. Ryan Tinsley, 9. Sean Lovemore, 10. Viktor Lekaj (16. Leon Birnie 87’), 11. Mario Barcia, 12. Saul Halpin, 19. Facundo Barbero (7. Troy Pennycooke-Morgan 71’), 21. Sean Liddicoat, 22. Billy Scott (8. Alex Palezevic 82’)
Substitutes not used: 2. Wade Randle, 26. Kyle Baxter (GK)
Coach: Brett Angell
Substitutes not used: 2. Wade Randle, 26. Kyle Baxter (GK)
Coach: Brett Angell
Honours
Worldwide
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- Bronze Medal (1): 2014.
Continental
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- Champions (1): 2014.
National
Rivalry
Auckland City FC's rival is cross-town team Waitakere United. It is the only city derby in the ASB Premiership and is known as the "Super City" derby. These games are fiercely contested, drawing crowds between 1,500 and 2,500. Their 2011 Grand Final clash was played in front of a crowd of 3,500.
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| Full name | Auckland City Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | City, The Navy Blues, La Famiglia, The School of Astrophysics | ||
| Founded | 2004 | ||
| Ground | Kiwitea Street Auckland, New Zealand | ||
| Capacity | 3,500 | ||
| Chairman |  Ivan Vuksich | ||
| Coach |  Ramon Tribulietx | ||
| League | ASB Premiership | ||
| 2014–15 | 1st, Champions | ||
| Website | |||
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