World Club Championship

[AucklandRover]

You probably haven't noticed, but Auckland City have qualified for the semi-final of this competition, after winning their first two games without conceding a goal.
The most remarkable thing about this is that the players are part-timers and amateurs. (Wellington Phoenix is the only professional team in NZ).
The progress will mean the team will bring home at least $2.5, which will be distributed amongst other clubs as well.
They are due to play the South American qualifiers in the semi-finals, so that will probably mean the end, but the whole thing will be a much-needed boost for NZ football.
One of the players is Tim Payne, who Rovers released at the start of the year. He is also a regular in the NZ national team.

I forgot the "million" after 2.5!

[alfinyalcabo]

Great stuff Aukland mate.. Be great if they could beat one of the South American big boys..

[AucklandRover]

Great stuff Aukland mate.. Be great if they could beat one of the South American big boys..

Alf - the opponents are San Lorenzo, from Buenos Aires. Apparently, they are the Pope's favourite team!
Still, we've got Matt Smith and you've got Jimmy Anderson, so we know what divine support is like.
I believe Gandalf The Grey is often at Auckland City games.

[AucklandRover]

I don't know if any of you saw the semi-final, but Auckland City were unlucky to lose 1-2 after extra time. They conceded a goal in first-half injury time but equalised with 20 minutes to go. They dominated those 20 minutes and one of the players missed a simple chance just before full-time. Not surprisingly, they looked a bit tired in extra time, but after San Lorenzo scored a second, Auckland came back again, and Tim Payne (who was excellent throughout) hit a post.
It would have been a massacre against RM in the final, of course, but I'm sure the players would have loved it.
Amazingly, Auckland had 57% possession.
All this has been a huge boost for the status of football in NZ. Look out for the manager, Ramon Tribulietx. Anyone who can set up a team of part-timers to perform so well in a first-class tournament must have something to offer.

[AucklandRover]

Auckland took third place by beating Cruz Azul on penalties. This boosted their earnings to $NZ3.22M.
In New Zealand terms, this is a huge cash boost for football.
Incidentally, Mauro Formica was playing for Cruz Azul. Apparently, they call him "el Gato" - the "Cat", and he is regarded as one of their star players.