Football Season Guide

Were absolutely superb in their first A-League campaign. Ended up finishing at the top of the ladder although ran out of steam in the play-offs, and ultimately failed to add the finishing touches to an almost dreamlike start for the A-League's latest franchise. They had to make some changes pre-season with star goalkeeper Paulsen's loan ending, and the same applies to regular striker Mata. Experienced centre-back Smith left, and so did Colombian wide threat Moreno, all of which contributed to their relative success last season. In came GK Morris to replace Paulsen - except he picked up a bad injury, and was forced to retire before debutising. Subsequently, they've rescued ex-Phoenix goalkeeper Oliver Sail from his stint at Perth Glory to be their mainstay. He's good but not as consistent as Paulsen, and that's going to hurt them - Paulsen gave them an edge in tough games last season. They should be fine in midfield though. Brook has joined to replace Moreno, and he's a very good player to have at this level. Aside from him, the emergence of Randall should ensure that May and new attacker Cosgrove are not isolated. They also added midfield engine Girdwood-Reich, which was a good bit of business - he can also cover at CB if required. The main concern for Auckland FC this season is that they'll grow stale. The second season is always the biggest test, and boss Corica is not inventive - he will keep doing what he did last season only now everybody in Australia is expecting them to do it. They're a lot more familiar now. It's logical to expect them to dip because of it. Furthermore, key defender Pijnaker is likely to miss start of the season due to injury. He is most likely due back in November. It's not the end of the world, but it's a sub-optimal beginning for an outfit that relies heavily on momentum and confidence.