A-League: Auckland FC provides fresh start

Auckland FC has created a place for those looking for new beginnings.

The head coach arrived after being sacked by another A-League team, an assistant coach returned to New Zealand after walking away from the All Whites job, players were plucked from the domestic league and given another shot at professional football and a two-time A-League champion crossed the Tasman looking for new challenges.

The expansion A-League club has also given the country's largest city its first professional football team in 17 years and fans of the round ball a chance to move on from the horrors of previous professional sides.

After winning the Premiers Plate for finishing top of the league, in their first season, Auckland FC are now into the 2024/25 season semi-finals on Saturday and are chasing the double of winning the A-League Championship too.

Many pundits did not predict Auckland would make it this far this soon, but the blind belief was there from the start from the ownership group through to the playing group who are planning on making more history over the coming weeks.

To further prove they, and Auckland FC, belong.

The coach

Steve Corica was a stalwart of Sydney FC until three consecutive losses ended it all.

Over 19 years Corica progressed from a foundation player to club captain and then to Sydney FC's longest serving coach.

As an attacking midfielder he scored the winning goal that meant the first ever A-League Championship trophy went to Sydney FC in 2006.

During his time, he won 13 trophies with the club including five Championships, four Premierships, two Australia Cups, the Oceania Club Championship and an A-League Youth Championship.

But Corica and Sydney FC parted ways one month into the 2023/24 season. In November 2023 after Sydney FC had not won a game and not scored a goal in the first three games of the season Corica was shown the door.

Corica was not out of work long after being recruited to guide Auckland FC in December 2023.

Since arriving at the new club Corica has added another piece of silverware to his CV and overseen several A-League records.

Corica's Auckland side had the best start to an A-League season by a new club with six wins in a row; they went five games before letting in a goal - the longest time before conceding a first goal in A-League history; Auckland also had a 14-game unbeaten streak this season.

His coaching has been popular with the fans as he won all six available Coach of the Month awards, decided by public vote.

"When you set out at the beginning of the year you always want to set out to win the trophy, both trophies, that's my goal every year to win and obviously we've got the one trophy that we want and there is another opportunity for one more."

Success with Auckland is not the same as it was with Sydney, according to Corica.

"It's definitely different to the [silverware] I won in Sydney, it's really special actually. It's not easy starting a new club and getting players gelling so well... sometimes you get players wrong and that has an effect on the team but I think we've done pretty good with the players we've brought in they've all stood up at times and done exceptionally well and we're in the position we are because of them."

While Corica moved to Auckland for a fresh start for his coaching career his family stayed in Sydney.

A sacrifice that meant, among many things, he missed son Jake's under-16 football games this season.

"I used to go to all his games when I could so I'm obviously missing them. I do get them on video and of course I give him [feedback], he asks for feedback which is a good thing, but I watch it on my phone and it's a bit difficult at times to see but it's the best way at the moment, hopefully I'll catch a few of his games another time."

The assistant coach

Former All Whites coach Danny Hay left New Zealand after walking away from the national team coaching job but the formation of Auckland FC provided a reason to return.

Hay spent nearly 18 months coaching in Perth before getting the call to reunite with Corica who he had played along side at English club Walsall ,ore than 20 years ago.

"Personally it's a huge opportunity to continue to develop as a coach and to be part of something that could truly change the landscape of football in Auckland," Hay said at the time of his appointment.

The New Zealander had played for Perth Glory as well as the last Auckland-based team in an Australian competition the unsuccessful New Zealand Knights where he was a marquee player and before that the Football Kingz, following his career in England.

Auckland FC chief executive Nick Becker had described Hay's appointment as a "no-brainer".

"Danny Hay was easily the best candidate for the role. He brings a shared philosophy and desire to play high tempo, attacking football."

Hay's input at set piece time has been "fantastic" according to Corica. And a big part of why Auckland scored a lot of goals from set pieces this season.

The former All Whites captain now has some good memories of professional football in Auckland after being part of a successful campaign.

Players

Auckland FC has provided a professional football lifeline for players like All White Francis de Vries who was one of the first four signings unveiled by the club.

The defender, who was named Auckland FC's Members' Player of the Season at their recent awards, was signed from the New Zealand Northern League amateur team Eastern Suburbs.

Defender Dan Hall is a back-to-back A-League champion. He left a successful Central Coast Mariners side to join a new club in a new country not really knowing what the outcome would be.

"I was always up for a new challenge and will forever be grateful for what the Central Coast did for me and my career giving me my first opportunity but here at Auckland I am very happy and happy to wear the badge every week.

"Not many players get to be part of a founding club, so I'm enjoying it, and it's a journey. We're a good group of players and a very friendly environment so it's been good coming into work every day."

Auckland FC has provided a homecoming of sorts for vice-captain Tommy Smith after years playing professionally in England and America.

Smith attended high school at Westlake Boys and lived in Browns Bay, a stone's throw from Auckland FC's training ground at North Harbour Stadium, he has returned to Aotearoa after a short stint in the A-League at the back end of last season with Macarthur Bulls.

Being a senior player in the side with a lot of football experience has given Smith an opportunity to contribute on and off the park in a new way.

"There's some players in the dressing room where it is their first ever year of professional football so to try and help guide them with my experience and know-how is part of [the vice-captain] role but obviously we need to set examples as well."

Australian Marlee Francois was a mid-season addition to Auckland FC after he had played all his professional career in England.

Without a club for six months before his arrival in Auckland, Francois at least had a better idea than some of his team mates about what he was getting into by signing on with the club at the top of the A-League standings.

"I knew what the goal was when I was coming in which helped and then coming in I fit in really well with the gaffer with the coaching and the playing style which is good and obviously got silverware which is a bonus," Francois said.

The city

Auckland has embraced the newest professional sports team and shaken off the memories off the New Zealand Knights that were kicked out of the A-League in 2007.

A total of 235,316 people attended the 13 home games during the regular season.

With 24,492 people at their first home game and reportedly a new record crowd for a regular season domestic football game of 27,009 supporters when they played local rivals Wellington Phoenix at Mt Smart Stadium in February the club is making a mark in the Auckland sporting landscape with the highest average crowd attendance of any A-League club this season with 18,101 fans per match.

Such is the support for the club a total of 2,700 seats will be added to the north end of Mt Stadium for the home semi-final on 24 May and should Auckland progress to the grand final a further 800 seats will be added.

Auckland FC is also planning a long-term future in the city. The club's owners, including billionaire Anna Mowbray and her former All Black husband Ali Williams, have proposed investing $300 million into developing a 12,500-seat sports stadium in Western Springs to be the club's new home.

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