Soccer: City pulling out all stops against defensive United

It will be payback time for Allan Jones and his Auckland City players when they meet Canterbury United in the New Zealand Football Championship major semifinal at Kiwitea St this afternoon.

United are the only team to have beaten City twice this season and Jones is keen to get that monkey off their back in the run-up to the grand final.

It does not matter to Jones that he and his team are already assured of their place in next month's Oceania club championship and with it the chance to go on to the world finals.

"They want to win this, for sure," said Jones. "That way we are through to the final and guaranteed another game at home."

The winner of the final will join City in the play-offs. If City completes the double, YoungHeart Manawatu will join them in the Oceania qualifiers.

While Canterbury had to beat Manawatu last Sunday to win through to today's second-chance semifinal, City had the weekend off.

A good or a bad thing?

"Who knows? While we didn't have a game, we had a hard training session," said Jones. "The break has allowed everyone to recover, which means I can put out the very best team I have available."

Wary of the southerners, Jones says the Jeremy Brockie factor adds plenty to the match.

He says Canterbury and Manawatu, the next-best teams in the league, are completely different.

He sees Manawatu as a team who have relied on their pace and attacking flair while Canterbury, he feels, have got their results through their dour, defensive approach coupled with Brockie's undoubted influence.

"It certainly adds a bit to the game," said Jones. "Just how we approach it will depend on where he plays but that does not mean we will be deviating from our game plan just because he is playing.

"His appearance certainly adds to the occasion. I would like to think people will turn out for what should be a cracking match. If it is not a full house, I'll be disappointed."

But Jones has attacking trumps of his own in Grant Young and Golden Boot winner Keryn Jordan.

It promises to be a decent scrap with the hope of goals, even if Canterbury have lost some of their goal-grabbing ability following Brent Fisher's departure and could not find the net against Manawatu.

The winner of today's game goes straight to the April 22 final while the loser will play the winner of tomorrow's elimination semifinal in Palmerston North between Manawatu and Team Wellington next weekend.

While Jones has no preference should City win through to the final, he does rate Manawatu as the team most likely to make it through, pointing to their second-place finish in the 21-round championship battle.

"Despite losing twice to Canterbury, Manawatu have shown out as the second-best team in the country by finishing second," said Jones.