PREVIEW: Squad changes pep up rivalry between Auckland City and Olympic

Player departures over summer mean Auckland City and Wellington Olympic will resume their rivalry with re-arranged attacking line-ups when they meet in Saturday’s OFC Men’s Champions League play-off.

The teams — who have wrestled for the status as the country’s best for the past couple of seasons — meet at City’s Kiwitea St in the first match of a two-legged play-off series to decide who will represent New Zealand at the OFC tournament.

In a replay of November’s Men’s National League Grand Final, won 2-0 by Olympic, the sides will play over consecutive weekends to determine which club heads to Tahiti for the eight-club competition from May 11-24, 2024.

Main photo: Wellington Olympic captain Ben Mata and Auckland City’s Ryan De Vries are ready for another battle of wits when their sides meet on Saturday. Photo: Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.

Since the grand final, both clubs have shuffled their squads, with movement of players.

Auckland City’s summer moves

Auckland City striker Oliver Colloty (20) moved to Wellington Olympic and is expected to be in the squad to face his former club.

The New Zealand U-20 international made his competitive debut for Olympic in the side’s 3-0 Charity Cup win against Chatham Cup holders Christchurch United.

READ MORE: Age group internationals sign for Wellington Olympic ahead of Charity Cup >>>>

The Navy Blues will also be without record-breaking goalscorer Emiliano Tade (36) who has signed with Northern League rivals Western Springs.

READ MORE: Auckland City striker Emiliano Tade signs for rivals Western Springs >>>>

Auckland City’s forward line is likely to be led by Angus Kilkolly who stamped his pre-season form with two goais in City’s 3-2 friendly win against Eastern Suburbs, and the experienced Ryan De Vries.

Winger Joe Lee and New Zealand U-17 international Stipe Ukich have both scored in a couple of City’s pre-season wins, while the club’s highest-profile signing has been former England youth international winger Joe Ridley (20).

Ridley came through the youth academy at English Championship club Middlesbrough, spending 10 years at the club.

READ MORE: Auckland City sign former England youth international ahead of OFC play-offs >>>>

Meanwhile, City have bolstered their defence with the signing of Vanuatu international Timothy Boulet (25). He signed last November, in time for City’s FIFA Club World Cup appearance in Saudi Arabia, but has yet to make his first competition appearance at Kiwitea St.

READ MORE: Vanuatu international defender Timothy Boulet joins Auckland City >>>>

Wellington Olympic’s summer moves

Former New Zealand international winger Joel Stevens (29), a three-cap All White, left Olympic to join Christchurch United, while last season’s Golden Boot winner, Gianni Bouzoukis, and defender Jack Cawley, have both moved to Australia.

READ MORE: Golden Boot co-winner Gianni Bouzoukis signs for Sydney club >>>>

READ MORE: Wellington Olympic defender Jack Cawley signs for Danny Hay’s Perth SC >>>>

New coach Paul Ifill has brought in some talented additions to the Olympic squad.

These include New Zealand U-20 striker Oliver Colloty (from Auckland City), national U-20 defender Adam Supyk (from Eastern Suburbs) and Jonty Roubos (from Miramar Rangers).

Other key signings include U-23 international Jesse Randall (back from a season with Charleston Battery in the United States) and Eddie Wilkinson (from Christchurch United).

Irish import Joel Coustrain (28), signed from Irish club Aisling Annacotty, scored for Olympic in their Charity Cup win, finding the net only a minute after coming off the sub’s bench for his competitive debut.

Former Wellington Phoenix and Lower Hutt City forward Kaelin Nguyen was also one of Olympic’s form players in the Charity Cup match.

How to watch

If you can’t get to the game, you can watch it live and free on FIFA+ (see link below).

Wellington Olympic are inviting their supporters to watch the match on the big screens in their clubrooms, which will open at 1pm.

Fixtures

National play-offs — first leg

Game to be played on Saturday March 9, 2024

Auckland City v Wellington Olympic
Kiwitea St, Auckland, 2pm

National play-offs — second leg

Game to be played on Saturday March 16, 2024

Wellington Olympic v Auckland City
Martin Luckie Park, Wellington, 2pm

Read the match programme

Auckland City have published a match programme for this fixture. Read it online here:

Possible squads

Lead-up form

Auckland City have won three of their four pre-season games against Northern League opposition.

They lost 1-0 to Birkenhead United before beating West Coast Rovers (3-1), Eastern Suburbs (3-2) and Manurewa (2-0).

The biggest pointer to Wellington Olympic’s readiness for the OFC play-off was their 3-0 Charity Cup win against Christchurch United on March 3.

READ MORE: Wellington Olympic lift Charity Cup with 3-0 win against Christchurch United >>>>

Head-to-head: The last five meetings

What’s at stake

The winner of the play-off series will compete in Group A of the OFC Men’s Champions League, for which the draw has already been made.

READ MORE: Draw made for eight-club OFC Men’s Champions League tournament >>>>

Results at the OFC Champions League over a four-year cycle decide which club will represent Oceania at future FIFA Club World Cups, which will move to an expanded 32-team format starting in 2025.

Auckland City have already qualified for that tournament, based on results from the past three years.

The winner of this year’s OFC Champions League will automatically qualify for a new annual FIFA club competition, the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

The first staging of the six-club tournament will be in December.

READ MORE: Pathway confirmed for New Zealand clubs in new annual FIFA competition >>>>

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