Auckland FC v Melbourne Victory: The tricky balance for the Black Knights

Louis Verstraete of Auckland FC celebrates his goal against Melbourne Victory in April. Photo / Photosport

Ask Auckland FC about their approach to the first leg of their A-League semifinal against Melbourne Victory and the answer will be a simple one. They are going there to win. There are always extra permutations, complications and intrigue around a home and away series, which becomes a 180-minute contest.

It’s a tricky balance. Do you pick or stick? And how aggressive should you be? Football soothsayers will emphasise caution, pointing to the adage that you can’t win such a tie after 90 minutes – but you can lose it. The Black Knights are emphasising a positive strategy, determined to control their destiny before the return to Auckland next week and take the game to their opponents rather than focus on avoiding defeat.

“We want to win – it’s a big difference,” said midfielder Louis Verstraete. “It’s a totally different mindset to if you go somewhere and you don’t want to win, then you are a little bit scared and you just defend. We want to play our normal football, be aggressive in the pressing, we want to go forwards, that is the plan.”

Coach Steve Corica, a veteran of numerous finals matches as a player and coach, concurred. Having a second leg does change the equation – but not by much.

“I don’t like going in just for a draw, for instance, that’s not my mindset,” said Corica. “[And] if you give them [the squad] a negative mindset, that is not good for us. My mindset is to win every game. We want to get ourselves in a good position to take home to Go Media stadium.”

However, it’s likely to be a cagey affair. Melbourne Victory are the masters of playoff football, with so much experience down the years, while Auckland’s startling success this season has been built on a strong defensive template. That will continue, especially against a Melbourne team with several attacking threats.

“They have a few players on an individual level who can decide the game,” said Verstraete.

Auckland FC players celebrate winning the A-League Premier Plate. Photo / Photosport

Corica feels his team are in a good place. He isn’t concerned about any lingering effects of the 4-2 defeat to Western United in their last competitive match, pointing out that a dip was to be expected with the hangover from the Premiers Plate party. They have benefited from the week off – with a chance to refocus – and are starting with a clean slate.

The coach also has a fully fit squad to choose from, a luxury at this stage of the season. Striker Guillermo May (knee) and Max Mata (hamstring) are the only concerns – though Corica said their issues that saw them miss parts of Tuesday’s training at North Harbour Stadium were minor. It was an intense session, with an 11 v 11 game, followed by quick-fire five v five conditioning drills, to keep players sharp and focused. Auckland have been the dominant team all season, with only three losses, but Verstraete assured that no one is getting ahead of themselves.

“If you were here at the training ground every day, you would know there is no complacency,” said Verstraete. “The coaching staff won’t allow it ... the players individually won’t allow it from other players. The hunger that we have been seeing all season is still there and even more than before.”

And against Melbourne Victory, there would be no grounds for over-confidence, given the clashes this campaign. The 0-0 draw on New Year’s Day was a fair result, while Auckland’s 2-0 win in April was a bit of a smash and grab display, with Victory going close on a couple of occasions, only denied by the brilliance of Alex Paulsen.

“We defended a lot in that second game and we were very clinical,” recalled defender Nando Pijnaker. “They were very dangerous, they had a lot of chances.”

After a light session and recovery on Wednesday, the team travelled to Australia on Thursday afternoon. They’ll have a captain’s run on Friday – mainly to go through set pieces – before Saturday’s game, which is expected to draw a big crowd to AAMI Park, including a decent contingent of Auckland FC fans.

“Over the ... season we have been the most consistent team,” said Corica. “Finals football is a little bit different and the intensity level goes up. [But] if we can control the nerves and play good football, we have a good chance there.”

Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist for the NZ Herald since 2005, winning multiple national awards covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.