Soccer: United and City set to build on forceful beginning

Neil Emblen. Photo / Natalie Slade

Waitakere United's trip into the unknown - the first Premiership action at Dunedin's new indoor stadium - and Auckland City's first home game should be good opportunities for both teams to continue their emphatic start to the new season, although neither coach views their assignment as easy.

"Otago had a great first-up result in drawing 2-2 away to Team Wellington," said Waitakere coach Neil Emblen. "I have watched video clips of that game and they look like they are playing with confidence.

"It will be great to play in a brand-new stadium and while we have a good record against them it is never an easy game in Dunedin."

Emblen is likely to put out the same team who won 3-0 first up against Hawkes Bay United. Aaron Scott, who played in last weekend's 10-0 O-League win over Tefana, is not travelling as his wife is expecting their first child.

City head coach Ramon Tribulietx is also set to stay with the teams he has put out with last weekend's starting line-up in Honiara likely to run on to Kiwitea St for tomorrow's ASB Premiership clash with Team Wellington.

The Auckland coaches will come up against new coaches in tomorrow's games with Richard Murray now in charge of Otago and Matt Calcott at Team Wellington.

* Emblen's trip to Dunedin tomorrow comes at the end of a busy week.

He and assistant coach Chris Zoricich and technical adviser Raul Blanco have been working with under-23 Olympic team hopefuls in an intense few days at North Harbour Stadium.

"We have cast the net pretty wide. So far we have probably seen around 50 players," said Emblen. "Now we will continue to look at eligible players in the ASB Premiership and then have another camp in Wellington next month.

"We have been impressed with what we have seen so far but there is still a lot to be done. In January we will have either another domestic camp or perhaps head to Australia."

The team to play March's Oceania Olympic qualifiers in Fiji will be named in late February-early March with a training camp to be held from March 6 to 10 ahead of the six-team tournament, which starts on March 12.

* Under-17 international Tim Payne is on the verge of signing to play at English Premier League club Blackburn Rovers.

Payne is just back from eight weeks of trials at the club and once he obtains a work visa he is hopeful of being offered a contract.

"I can't be contracted as a professional until I turn 18," said Payne, who was a member of the Waitakere United ASB National Youth League team last season. He was also in the Danny Hay-coached Sacred Heart team who won the Lotto National Secondary Schools title for the first time.

* Auckland City officially launched their Fifa Club World Cup campaign with a media briefing at Kiwitea St yesterday.

The team is returning to the tournament for the third time after finishing sixth in Japan (2006) and fifth in Abu Dhabi (2009). In finishing fifth, City beat African champions TP Mazembe. A year later the Africans reached the final where they were beaten by FC Internazionale Milano.

The team to travel will be named in about 10 days. They will play a warm-up game before meeting the yet-to-be-crowned J-League winners in the tournament opener on December 8.

* After years of service to the game, Arthur Egan has written a book reliving his times as perennial kitman to New Zealand and club teams.

The Egan has Landed is a thoroughly readable, perky account of his 50-plus years in football. Egan's book will be available at Auckland City's home games from tomorrow.