Luis Felipe Gallegos of Auckland FC. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Identifying the best player on the pitch throughout a 90 minute game of football can sometimes be painfully obvious. That was certainly the case this weekend as Auckland FC played out a 1-1 draw with Western Sydney Wanderers at Mount Smart.
Felipe Gallegos covered every inch of every blade of grass at Go Media Stadium and scored his first goal since becoming a member of the inaugural order of the Black Knights.
It's a timely reminder that when it comes to football team recruitment, us anoraks and outsiders know absolutely nothing compared to the experts.
When Auckland FC were still gestating, plenty of commentators, pundits and experts fantasised and theorised over who might be on the new roster. With financial backing from US billionaire Bill Foley and the chance to join a fledgling franchise, some big name ideas were being floated.
I count myself among those pontificators and while some predictions proved accurate (Dan Hall, Tommy Smith, Cameron Howieson) others were less so - last I checked Jamie Vardy remains with his beloved Leicester City.
It is the imports where this Football Manager-like fantasy booking was so prevalent. When Japanese legend Hiroki Sakai was first announced it seemed as though household names were indeed the selection of choice.
What followed - Gallegos, Louis Verstraete, Guillermo May and Neyder Moreno - did not fit that billing. Their signatures resulted in a collective unknowing shrug.
Auckland FC's Louis Verstraete and Melbourne Victory's Kasey Bos. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / www.photosport.nz
While some football hipsters likely waxed lyrical about Verstraete's 2022 performance against Virton in the Belgian Pro League, us mere mortals had never heard of the four subsequent imported newbies.
Yet, all have been valuable members of the squad. Verstraete, a mid-season dip aside, has been one of the league's most valuable midfield players. May has thrived, especially since dropping into a deeper 10 role and scoring some of the league's standout goals of the season. Moreno has been a vital contributor with late goals that have propelled Auckland to their lofty league position.
Gallegos, meanwhile, has slipped under the radar. The English Premier League and its continental cohorts have permeated into the football culture of New Zealand so deeply that we too have a Euro-centric bias to our football knowledge base. So, a 33-year-old with no international caps and limited experience outside Latin America during spells in Greece and Germany, caused little to no fanfare.
But he has been ever-present for Auckland. Industrious, combative and creative he has formed a fruitful partnership with Verstraete while also adapting to a much more defensive role when partnering Jake Brimmer during the Belgian's down-time.
Auckland FC’s Felipe Gallegos vents his frustration with match referee Casey Reibelt during the A-League match between Auckland FC and Western United FC at Go Media Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday 21 December 2024. © Photo: Andrew Cornaga / Photosport Photo: Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Director of Football Terry McFlynn and his wider recruitment team deserve plenty of plaudits for ignoring the lure of big names and instead signing players who would fit the style and temperament of this brand new squad.
So often A-League teams cycle through imports like training bibs. A handful of hits here and there but more often than not a one-season event which eventually ends with a mutual parting of ways. But with four of the five, including Gallegos, tied down for next season, Auckland will be settled on their foreign recruits for a little while yet.
In other football news:
It's been coming and the Wellington Phoenix are back to winning ways after a recent upturn in their performances. Goals from Kosta Barbarouses and Kazuki Nagasawa secured the 2-1 win over Newcastle Jets. Spare a thought for Matthew Sheridan, who had arguably his best game in a Phoenix shirt. He had his faculties and his eggs scrambled after taking powerful shots to the head and nether-regions during the victory. Talk about taking one (or two) for the team.
Auckland City FC are into the semi-finals of the OFC Champions League - finishing top of their group after wins over Tahiti's Pirae and New Caledonia's Tiga were followed by a 1-1 draw with Fiji's Rewa. They face Vanuatu's Ifira Black Bird in the final four on Wednesday.
Chris Wood remains injured and his Nottingham Forest side had a pinky pulled off the ledge of their Champions League place as Aston Villa, part of the chasing pack, earned a 2-1 win at the weekend.
Elsewhere, Liverpool lost to Fulham to stop their procession to the title. However, Arsenal didn't gain ground after a 1-1 draw at Everton. Meanwhile Southampton are relegated and could still finish with the worst points tally in Premier League history, after a 3-1 loss to Spurs.
Finally, United and City played out arguably the worst Manchester derby in history - a drab 0-0 affair which likely had fans at Old Trafford wondering what on earth all these ticket price rises are for.
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