KEY POINTS:
Don't mention the "D" word to Waitakere United coach Chris Milicich.
Fully aware draws in today's O-League group decider against perennial rivals Auckland City and Sunday's final New Zealand Football Championship game in Dunedin will give the West Aucklanders a double whammy, Milicich won't have a bar of it.
"We want to win. End of story," said Milicich. "You can't allow yourself to get hung up on things like that."
He is more interested in seeing an improved showing from his players after a lacklustre effort in Sunday's 2-0 home win over Hawkes Bay United.
"Even though they won, the players were quite down on themselves in the dressing room," said Milicich. "They know they can - and will have to - do better when they play Auckland City. We have to approach every game one at a time at this stage."
While he will not have key defenders Danny Hay and Neil Emblen for Sunday's game, they will play the O-League game and are seen by Milicich as key components.
"Auckland City are a quality team with a quality record," said Milicich. "We have to look to nullify the threat they pose. Hay and Emblen will be key to that."
United won the first-leg clash between the two sides 1-0. Everything points to it being just as tight in the return.
"In the last two games against Waitakere we haven't started well," said City coach Colin Tuaa. "We finished strongly in both games but against a team which has so much experience in their back three or five, you don't want to be playing catch-up."
Despite needing a win to progress, Tuaa said he will not be looking to go on all-out attack.
Like United earlier in the year, City have to back up just over 48 hours after returning from the difficult trip to Tahiti.
"That's never easy," said Tuaa. "But, apart from James Pritchett who was ruled out before kick-off in Tahiti, we have no injury worries."
City are unlikely to have US-bound Bryan Little in their squad again this season but are getting more and more game time from Keryn Jordan.
"We have a pretty settled squad," said Tuaa. "That is always a help."
The winner of group A will progress to the home-and-away O-League playoffs with top Solomon Islands club AC Kossa. The winner of that will qualify for the Fifa Club World Cup in December.
