Lure of FIFA payday on line for Auckland
Reuters - Thursday 14 April 2011, 06:59
WELLINGTON - If Auckland City's amateurs
had any doubts that Sunday's Oceania Football Confederation
final could be the pinnacle of their footballing lives, co-coach
Aaron McFarland made sure the message got through loud and
clear.
With a potential $500,000 payday on the line against Amicale
of Vanuatu, McFarland hammered home that Sunday's second leg
could be the last time they play for the amateur club from New
Zealand's largest city.
Auckland are in the driving seat after winning the first leg
2-1 in Port Vila on April 2 and Sunday's season-ending game will
determine the Oceania champions and guarantee an invitation to
FIFA's lucrative Club World Cup in Japan in December.
As is the nature of New Zealand's national league that runs
during the southern hemisphere's summer, the team will disband
immediately after the final whistle at Kiwitea Street.
"It's the last game of the season and who knows, in theory
you could have a completely different staff or group of players
representing Auckland City at the Club World Cup," McFarland
told Reuters via telephone.
"It's (an) amateur (club) but every player needs to hold a
contract that expires at the end of this game. So it's all about
this weekend... and getting Auckland City into the Club World
Cup."
McFarland said while some players might move to professional
clubs overseas, change to other amateur teams, or not be
re-contracted when the national league resumes later this year,
he expected the majority to be retained should they qualify.
"In reality, a lot of players will be motivated to go back
to the Club World Cup and regardless of who the coach is they
will want to retain the core of this team," he added.
"But (the message), is it's all about this weekend."
PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE
McFarland said the squad were mostly university students
while the rest worked full-time jobs ranging from signwriting,
coaching, and in the retail sector while one was holding down a
professional position in the finance industry.
Like their predecessors, however, they had adopted a
professional approach to their season and the OFC competition.
"I reckon the players are the most committed in the
country," he said. "We train four times a week and play one
match so that's five times a week they're all together.
"I don't see any other sides outside of the national team
doing that on a regular basis. That's a huge commitment to ask
of people who have normal jobs.
"So the players and staff have a very professional outlook
but the board and all backroom staff are very organised as well.
"It's run on the dedication of volunteers... they just love
the game so much."
While the Auckland squad includes 2010 World Cup All Whites
Ivan Vicelich and David Mulligan, they also secured the services
of three Spanish players including Manel Exposito, who played
for Barcelona and trained with Atletico Madrid.
Exposito scored the first goal in Port Vila, where almost
8,000 people packed into the ground and hundreds more watched on
from vantage points on trees and buildings surrounding the
venue.
"It was an incredible atmosphere," McFarland said.
"The game was at 3pm but apparently the ground was full by
12pm and people were just sitting there waiting."
McFarland said they could fit just 3,500 spectators into
their ground in suburban Auckland "if they all sit on the grass
bank" and it would be difficult to match that atmosphere.
"When they (Amicale) scored their goal to equalise it was
one of the loudest roars I have ever heard, and I live near Eden
Park," he said referring to the venue for this year's rugby
World Cup final.
"My ears were ringing from that roar, they were just so
excited."