Why Auckland’s perfect start to the A-League means so much as football fever rises

Auckland had plenty of chances and hit the crossbar, while Sydney had an 83rd-minute goal disallowed after a lengthy VAR check before the fireworks finale. But what is important is the fact that so many people – after two matches – already care so much about the team in blue and black. Auckland Football Club has established its identity and first and subsequent impressions mean a lot.

There will be much tougher challenges ahead, especially when they have to travel across the Tasman and also deal with injuries and congestion. But they have momentum, which is critical.

Wellington Phoenix, in their inaugural season in 2007–08, had to wait four matches for their first win, and didn’t get their second win until matchday six. Auckland did it in eight days, even though they were lucky enough to play back-to-back home games with a limited Brisbane Roar side coming first.

But Sydney had a much tougher time on Sunday. They have reached six finals in the last decade (three of which they won) and have finished outside the top six only twice in that period. They have a wealth of experience and skill, although they would have been travel-weary having only arrived in Auckland on Friday afternoon after an Asian Champions League game in Japan on Wednesday.

The Auckland team is full of faith and confidence after Sunday and no team will look forward to visiting Mount Smart. The dream start also became an incentive for Corica and his team. He was sacked by Sydney FC in unexpected circumstances after a couple of poor seasons – and some questioned his appointment to the expansion club.

But there won’t be any now, as he has built a dedicated and competitive team from scratch. They are well structured and defensively sound; haven’t missed a goal yet. The attack is a work in progress – and will always take time – but the potential is clear, especially given their speed and offensive threat on both flanks.

“We deserved to win and to score a goal at the very end was something special,” Corica reflected after the match. “The crowd was amazing, gave everyone a huge roar.”

Auckland had a reprieve – Sydney’s 83rd-minute goal was ruled out for a tight offside call – but made the most of their escape. The validity of Pijnaker’s goal was questioned by Sydney coach Ufuk Talay, who felt the defender had handled the ball before he cleared the ball over the line.

“I don’t know how VAR missed it,” Talay said. “They spent a lot of time figuring out how to not score when we scored, (but) they did it very quickly to let a goal in on the other side.”

But the former Wellington Phoenix boss was impressed by the spectacle and the “great atmosphere” created by the home fans. Sunday was a strange feeling for Corica after 19 years in Sydney as a player and coach, but it brought him great satisfaction.

“I had a great time in Sydney,” Corica said. “But coaching is about moving on and getting better.”

He was delighted with his team, with particular praise for defensive midfielder Louis Verstraete, who excelled again.

“He was incredible,” Corica said.

However, there were some strong performers in the park. Cameron Howieson excelled in his first A-League start after Jake Brimmer was left on the bench through illness. Young forwards Logan Rogerson and Liam Gillion showed pace and verve – with only occasional frustrating decision-making – and midfielder Felipe Gallegos impressed with his vision. Center backs Dan Hall and Pijnaker did well to neutralize Sydney’s attacking threat and both backs worked tirelessly.

The weekend’s results, which saw Phoenix pull off an impressive win in Perth, set the stage perfectly for Saturday’s A-League derby (5pm) as Auckland visits the capital for the first time.

“It’s going to be something special,” Corica said. “Our first chance to be away from home and we want to go there and win. It’s that simple. It’s about going there, putting in a good performance and getting three points, but I’m sure it will be a difficult game and a physical one too.”

Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering the Olympic Games, FIFA World Cup and America’s Cup campaigns. A passionate football fan, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.