These are humbling times for Auckland City FC at the Fifa Club World Cup.
Saturday’s 6-0 defeat to Benfica was a much-improved performance but the result still stings, off the back of the 10-0 rout against Bayern Munich last Monday. While their struggles have made headlines all over the world,it’s not the kind of publicity they would have desired.
The Sandringham-based club have an impressive legacy in Fifa events but previous tournaments – usually played in December and with only seven teams – could often go under the radar. Whereas this post-season event – with the biggest clubs on the planet and staged for primetime audiences in Europe and North America – is much more visible, as many international fans and media become aware of Auckland City FC for the first time.
It’s a shame. Auckland City have been a symbol of excellence in New Zealand for nearly two decades, specifically their regional and international exploits, summed up by their record at Fifa’s annual tournament.
Between 2006 and 2023, they featured in 12 editions of the Fifa Club World Cup. They played 17 matches, with a respectable three wins, two draws and 12 losses. Most of those defeats were narrow margins, conceding an average of 1.6 goals per game.
They beat the African champions twice, bested the North American champions on penalties and took down the best team in Morocco – in their home stadium. They had a series of tight tussles with the J-League winners over four years (losing 2-0, 1-0, 2-0, 2-1) and pushed Argentina’s San Lorenzo – then the best team in South America – to the limit in 2014.
Overall, across 17 games and 18 years, they had conceded 29 goals. Now, in the space of six days, they have shipped 16. There is, of course, a significant caveat, as both matches have been against European opposition, something they have never encountered before. And not just Uefa teams – but heavyweight ones.
Auckland City FC's David Yoo (in yellow) and SL Benfica's Angel Di Maria. Photo / Photosport
The tenacious first-half defence on Saturday caught the eye, as did the greater ambition with the ball. The soft penalty just before halftime was unfortunate but a bigger factor was the two-hour rain delay ahead of the second half, which allowed the Portuguese to reset and didn’t help the amateur lads. Nathan Garrow, the 20-year-old Auckland City goalkeeper, was superb, while the manner of the last three goals was again disappointing, though mostly down to fatigue.
It’s been a trying few weeks. In the past, Auckland City have been renowned for punching above their weight on the global stage, while usually having a couple of outstanding individuals. That hasn’t quite been the case here.
Granted, in the United States, they have been massively overmatched. There has been no lack of effort or spirit but without the head-turning micro-moments of the past.
It’s surely not a complete coincidence that their struggles have coincided with the downward trend in the domestic game, with the standards at their lowest in 20 years. This is mostly due to the rash decision to discontinue the New Zealand Football Championship from 2021, as New Zealand Football returned to a regionally based system that has never really worked before.
The overall quality has dived, which has affected the level of the top clubs more than anything. This, along with the mandated minutes for youth players and the weekly cap on player payments of $150, has flattened out the pyramid – and not in a good way.
It won’t matter for the next edition of the Fifa Club World Cup in 2029 – as the region’s representatives will be a professional team, from the winners of the new Oceania Pro League – but it is concerning for the overall health of the sport here.
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.
