Source: Radio New Zealand
Sam Cosgrove of Auckland FC, right, heads the ball against Adelaide United. www.photosport.nz
Auckland FC have played more than 2550 minutes of football so far this A-League season, but a moment’s inattention could be what they remember the most.
Last season a period of five minutes in a semifinal ended their season.
Before Friday’s second semifinal against Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium, coach Steve Corica will make sure to bring up that period of play that cost the team a maiden grand final appearance.
He wants the players to “feel the hurt”.
But the players have not forgotten. A year on, as the finals series has played out over the last fortnight a few of them referred to it in public, more will have thought about it privately.
“We know how bad it is to lose a semifinal,” Corica said.
“Last season, the only thing we did wrong is we conceded two goals in five minutes. We can’t afford to do that. Can’t afford to concede at all.
“We’ve got to try and keep a clean sheet. I think we’ll do our best to do that, but I think we have enough goals in us to win the game.”
Auckland and Adelaide are level at 1-1 after the first semifinal in Auckland on Saturday.
A win on Friday sets up a grand final against either Newcastle Jets or Sydney FC who are also locked at 1-1 after the first leg of the home and away semifinal.
Coaching vernacular
‘Moments’ is popular coaching vernacular.
Corica has spent the finals series mentioning moments of “switching off” – something he wanted players to avoid.
Likewise, Brisbane Roar women’s coach Alex Smith mentioned “two moments, lapses of concentration” that saw the Roar lose their semifinal to Wellington Phoenix on Sunday and miss out on a grand final.
Hiroki Sakai of Auckland FC and Anselmo de Moraes of Adelaide United compete for the ball. www.photosport.nz
Corica believed his team were “definitely focused” in the first semifinal.
“I think it’s just little details. We switched off for a minute, Hiroki [Sakai] got beat by [Yaya] Dakuly on the left-hand side, great ball across the face, we couldn’t deal with it.
“It’s just trying to maintain focus, don’t lose what we’ve been [doing to be] disciplined defensively.
“[It’s] just trying to limit their opportunities because they’re a good team. They score a lot of goals. They also concede, so our job is to score more than them.”
Straight after the game on Saturday, which was likely their last home game of the season unless Sydney beat Newcastle, Corica admitted the players “lost maybe a little bit of concentration” when two Auckland players went down with injures that required them to leave the field within the first 10 minutes of the second half.
“It’s just the way it is sometimes with football, you’ve got to deal with these moments in games.”
Guillermo May and Jake Brimmer will not play in second semifinal. Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Auckland will be without Guillermo May who injured tendons in his ankle in the first semifinal and Felipe Gallegos and Jake Brimmer will also miss the must-win match at a sold-out Coopers Stadium.
In 90 minutes there will be many moments that could turn the game in Auckland’s favour on Friday. But history suggests it will take extra time, if not penalties, to separate the two teams who have had four draws in the five matches they have played in the last two seasons.
The match kicks off at 9.35pm (NZ time).
Follow updates on RNZ’s blog.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand