Little more than two years ago, Auckland FC were just a concept. An idea wey, on paper, given the chequered history of both expansion clubs and overall Kiwi involvement for Australian soccer, never guaranteed to actually work. But now, dem don become kings of the A-League, and their coach, Steve Corica, stand tall above all his contemporaries.
Thanks to Auckland’s 1-0 win over Sydney FC for Saturday’s grand final, Corica become the first coach to win three A-League championships. He now dey for heady company for the annals of Australian national league history: alongside Zoran Matic and Eddie Thomson, two coaching greats from the old National Soccer League, and just behind Ange Postecoglou, the only man wey don do am four times, whose long-standing record now dey within reach.
Make you no think am as revenge. That would sit uncomfortably with Corica, even though dem sacked am unceremoniously by the Sky Blues for late 2023, after 19 years of unbroken service as player, assistant and then senior coach. As he do with Sydney (until dem ask am to stop), the former Socceroo don mould Auckland FC for his own image. With the greatest of respect to Corica, e no be pretty one.
The Black Knights play structured, disciplined, highly physical brand of football, and e no be style wey dey tug at heartstrings if you be neutral. This grand final, played largely on their terms, na tough watch – but not if you get dog for the fight. For the locals, all 28,307 of them, this na everything, a new high-water mark for domestic soccer across the ditch. Aesthetics na secondary concern at best.
“That’s grand finals. Sometimes dem no dey pretty,” Corica talk. “E dey about the desire, wanting to win every second ball. I think we show that. E be weird one, obviously, when we know we go play Sydney for the final after spending so much time there and winning trophies for dem. But I love winning. I want these boys to put on show tonight … e no be the prettiest of games, but dem show the spirit we expect of dem.”
For the first time, an A-League grand final no just involve New Zealand side, but dem hold am over there too, for Auckland’s sold-out Go Media Stadium. The city embrace the occasion, just as dem don embrace the club from the moment dem begin play last season – now their transformation into a bona fide power complete.
Cam Howieson’s 60th-minute winning goal na, for typical Auckland style, scrappy but effective. Sydney’s attempts to clear ball from their defensive box trigger short bout of aerial ping-pong, wey end when e fall to Howieson, and he take first-time lash at am. Taking fortunate deflection off Sky Blues defender Jordan Courtney-Perkins, e whiz past helpless goalkeeper Harrison Devenish-Meares and enter to break what don be, to that point, rather dull deadlock.
Before then, there no be hardly any clear-cut chances for either side. Sydney don create the better openings, but flirt repeatedly with danger for their attempts to play out from defence and through Auckland’s high press – but the hosts no fit take advantage. E be much the same for the second half, the start of wey yield Sydney’s best period of the match. But the goal change everything, give Auckland something to hold on to as dem sit back and camp for defence, and as the minutes tick by, the pressure ramp up on the visitors.
Even accounting for the late introduction of their veteran star Joe Lolley, there be no getting around Corica’s black and blue wall. “E be wetin I think e be: set pieces, long throws. Dem dey direct,” talk Sydney coach Patrick Kisnorbo, wey come into the job two-thirds of the way through the season and get dem to grand final from fifth for the ladder. “E dey disappointing, you cop goal from deflection … that’s the goal wey separate winning and losing. Besides that, I no think too much else.”
“Obviously the initial thought dey disappointing, but when I rewind am back and I really think about am and digest everything, e dey pretty remarkable wey we don end up for grand final, especially where we start and where the group dey. E hurt, make you no get me wrong … [but] these boys don do really great job getting to final tonight.”
At the final whistle, there be only heartbreak for Sydney, but delirium for Auckland, wey join the NBL’s New Zealand Breakers as the only Kiwi team to don win grand final for Australian club competitions. Rugby fans: Super Rugby na technically international competition. Dem don put New Zealand soccer for the Australian map.
This time last year Sam Cosgrove dey, for his words, “sat on my arse for England”. After starting his time for top-level football at Wigan Athletic not long after dem don relegate from the Premier League, Cosgrove don reach something of career crossroads for 2025. He don spend two years at League One side Barnsley, wey include loan spell at division rivals Stockport County, but seem to dey head even further down the English football pyramid.
That was until opportunity arise at Auckland FC, wey at that stage don just wrap up their first year of existence. Cosgrove take the plunge, pack up his life and move to New Zealand for fresh start. And boy, that decision don pay off. He finish his first season for the A-League with championship medal, having also top the league’s goal-scoring charts after find the back of the net 11 times for debut season to remember with the Black Knights.
So much of their gameplan revolve around the big striker’s hold up play, with his physicality proving handful to many teams, as e do for Sydney for Saturday night’s grand final, wey Auckland win 1-0. Speaking after the game, Cosgrove still seem a little shocked at how quickly, for the scheme of things, his life don change and how well things don go since his move from the UK.
“Nine months ago, I never would have envisage this,” Cosgrove talk on Paramount+. “I was sat on my arse for England, not knowing where my career dey go take me, and these guys come out of nowhere. This na incredible, this na one of the best moments of my career. I just want to take am all in because e no dey come along very often, I fit tell you that.”
Through a career wey also feature spells at down-and-dirty non-league sides like Chorley, Nantwich Town and North Ferriby United, as well as stints at higher-profile clubs including Aberdeen for Scotland and Birmingham City back for England, Cosgrove feel like he don see am all. But he clearly no consider wetin ‘see am all’ mean outside of Europe, and dem don blow am away by wetin he don be part of – not just for Auckland, but for the A-League more generally.
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