Auckland FC coach Steve Corica has overseen a successful start to this season.
Auckland FC coach Steve Corica believes Sunday’s clash with Brisbane Roar (3pm) will be one of the biggest tests of depth in the club’s history.
As well as missing injured captain Hiroki Sakai and vice-captain Jake Brimmer, the team are also without key defender Dan Hall, serving a one-game suspension for the red card incurred in the memorable win over the Wellington Phoenix a fortnight ago. Midfielder Logan Rogerson is also unavailable – out for two weeks as the other derby red card recipient – while winger Marlee Francois remains on the comeback trail.
It’s a decent list. Adding to the equation, All Whites Francis de Vries and Jesse Randall arrived back in the country only on Friday morning and will be restricted to a light training run on Saturday, while also dealing with jet lag, after more than a week in the United States.
“It’s going to be definitely a challenge with a couple of the situations that we have,” said Corica. “[But] that’s what football does, you know, injuries, suspensions, others get their opportunity, it’s up to them to take it now.”
While it’s not ideal, the scenario is another reminder of the strength of Auckland’s squad, arguably the deepest in the league.
Hall is a massive loss, as the linchpin of the backline with his covering pace and physicality. But he will be replaced by Nando Pijnaker, who has 23 caps for his country and featured in all but one game last season. Pijnaker has been out for three months with a broken ankle – suffered in pre-season – but made a successful return against the Phoenix, sent on early in the second half after Hall’s dismissal.
Sakai is missed on a few levels and Corica confirmed he is still at least three weeks away, after the hamstring injury suffered against Adelaide. But Callan Elliott is a talented deputy, with plenty of A-League experience, and has represented his country in the Under-20s, Oly-Whites and All Whites.
Brimmer has started the season well, but Chilean Felipe Gallegos was part of the first-choice XI for most of last season and formed a highly effective partnership with Louis Verstraete in central midfield. Rogerson was an important figure in the inaugural campaign but has been overtaken by Lachlan Brook and Jesse Randall in the battle for the wing spots so far this season, while Francois is also further down the pecking order.
Corica confirmed that de Vries and Randall will both start, despite the travel demands.
“They looked okay [on Friday] morning actually, but it’s going to kick in later when they start to get a little bit tighter,” said Corica. “We’ve given them the right times to try and stay up as much as possible and sleep at the right times.”
Corica feels the team are in a good space. The players were given three days off during the international break and also took the chance for some team bonding, with mini golf and a dinner together. Most importantly, the squad are on a high after the derby success in Wellington, where they played almost the entire second half shorthanded and the last 20 minutes with only nine men.
“It showed the character of our players and the belief they have to see out games,” said Corica. “We didn’t need to score, we needed to defend, and boy did they defend, they were excellent.
“We already have good belief in our defensive setup, structurally and it just showed how together they were as a group: strong, compact. You see their faces after the game, obviously we were really proud of the three points. It was a really important win for us, and it showed with nine men we can still do it.”
Brisbane already look a vastly different proposition to last season, where they finished second last on the ladder, with only five victories. They have already claimed two wins this season, as well as taking a point off champions Melbourne City, while their only defeat came in Wellington, when the Phoenix scored a 97th-minute winner.
“They’re a good team, defensively very strong,” said Corica. “They’ve only conceded two goals. They’ve kept three clean sheets, so it’s going to be tough to break them down.”
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.