Football: Auckland City can no longer fly under radar

Auckland City will take on the J-League champions in their seventh appearance at the tournament. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.nz

As the build-up begins to Auckland City's opening match at the Fifa Club World Cup on Thursday, get ready for a healthy dose of sporting cliches.

The Oceania representatives will take on the J-League champions in their seventh appearance at the tournament.

We'll hear about 'David and Goliath', 'Mission Impossible', 'underdog battles' and maybe even 'a sporting miracle'.

And the reality is that despite the ASB Premiership team trumping the champions of Morocco, Africa and North America last year, all of those cliches still ring true.

Auckland City's task remains one of the biggest mismatches a club team can face in world sport.

Despite everything learnt in Morocco during last year's fairytale campaign, and a squad bolstered by some handy acquisitions, the gulf in class, resources and experience is huge.

Coach Ramon Tribulietx said recently they were taking on a team in Japan "20 times bigger" and that's not too far from the truth.

Their opponents will be either Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who were also J-League champions in 2012 and 2013, or Gamba Osaka, who were champions last year and reached this season's Asian Champions League semifinals.

Hiroshima won the first leg of the final 3-2 at Osaka on Wednesday. The second leg was played overnight. Whoever qualifies will be match hardened, coming off a 36-game domestic season, followed by a playoff series.

Any chance Auckland City could sneak under the radar or be taken lightly would have been extinguished by their heroics last year.

But there are reasons for hope. Tribulietx has become a master at preparing teams to take on much more fancied opposition and their previous performances in Japan have been meritorious.

Auckland City also has a core of players who featured last year, including Angel Berlanga, Marko Dordevic, Takuya Iwata, Mario Bilen, Ryan DeVries and Jacob Spoonley. And they had a promising 1-1 result in a hit-out against J-League 2 side Yokohama on Friday.

"It was a good game and they gave us a good run-around. We really got the legs working," said defender Jesse Edge. "It was a good start by the boys. It dropped off in the second half but it was a good run-out overall."

Thursday's match is the 10th anniversary of New Zealand participation in the Club World Cup, which began with Auckland City in 2006.