Soccer: Pritchett secures Club Cup call-up

After being in and out of the Auckland City squad in the early part of this domestic season, former All Whites defender James Pritchett has, as expected, been included in the 22-strong squad for next month's Fifa Club World Cup in Japan.

Pritchett is off to his third cup tournament with City while Daniel Koprivcic will play in his fourth Club World Cup after two earlier trips to Japan with Waitakere United.

Auckland City head coach Ramon Tribulietx has named a predictable line-up with a good blend of youth and experience.

Along with Pritchett and Koprivcic, captain Ivan Vicelich, Chad Coombes, Adam Dickinson, Jacob Spoonley, Ian Hogg, Alex Feneridis, Sam Campbell, Adam McGeorge and Paul Gothard have been named for their second cup sojourn.

Gothard was Spoonley's understudy in Abu Dhabi and goes away this time as goalkeeping coach and the third goalkeeping option behind Spoonley and Liam Little.

The squad, without Vicelich, who is delaying his departure awaiting the birth of his second child, leave on Monday - 24 hours after their ASB Premiership clash with YoungHeart Manawatu at Kiwitea St - to prepare for the tournament.

They will play a warm-up match on December 2 against Ryutsu Keizai University before meeting the yet-to-be-found J-League winner on the December 8 tournament opener. The winner of that game will book a quarter-final clash with Mexican club CF Monterrey.

"The core of this team is based around the likes of Ivan Vicelich and David Mulligan," said Tribulietx. "We have a group of very experienced players who we're going to rely upon to set the bar as high as possible in Japan.

"We have added some up-and-coming youngsters like Simon Arms and Thomas Doyle - it's a good blend."

Also included are the former Barcelona pair of Manel Exposito and Andreu Guerao alongside fellow Spaniards Angel Berlanga and Albert Riera. They are joined by Argentine Emiliano Tade and Costa Rican striker Luis Corrales. Exposito, with seven goals in five games this season, will lead the attack.

Midfielder Feneridis and defenders Hogg and Sam Campbell are players almost certainly on Neil Emblen's shortlist as he prepares to name his squad to play next year's Olympic qualifiers in Fiji. Nineteen-year-olds Andrew Milne and Thomas Doyle have also been included in the City squad as has defender Simon Arms, 18.

CITY SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Jacob Spoonley, Liam Little, Paul Gothard.

Defenders: Ian Hogg, Sam Campbell, Angel Berlanga, Chad Coombes, James Pritchett, Ivan Vicelich (captain), Andrew Milne, Simon Arms, Thomas Doyle.

Midfielders: David Mulligan, Alex Feneridis, Albert Riera, Adam McGeorge, Andreu Guerao.

Strikers: Manel Exposito, Luis Corrales, Daniel Koprivcic, Adam Dickinson, Emiliano Tade.