Auckland City players hugged the Swedish referee’s final whistle Glenn Nyberg at Geodis Park in Nashville on Tuesday (24). The 1-1 draw with Boca Juniors represented the highlight in the amateur team campaign at the Club World Cup, started with a 10-0 loss to Bayern.
“We have recovered a little respect,” said Christian Gray, 28, the author of the only goal of the New Zealand formation in the competition. “Scoring the goal was a little surreal. The record has not yet fallen, to tell the truth. I’m happy for the boys, the club deserved,” added the defender, who, in his country, is a teacher in training during the day and trains with his soccer colleagues at night.
Auckland City is the only amateur team of the championship, although not new to the intercontinental competitions of FIFA (International Football Federation). As the Australian Federation is affiliated with the Asian Confederation, there are no major competitors in Oceania to the New Zealand association, which has just completed its 14th World Cup participation.
The current version is not the best of the club, which even won the third position in the 2014 dispute, with a penalty shootout on the Mexican Cruz Azul. This time, the campaign – which also had a 6-0 loss to Benfica – was closed with 17 goals conceded, a marked and many stories to tell at work lunchtime.
As they are not salaried at Auckland City, players keep other occupations. Some of them also work with activities related to sports, such as soccer teachers. There are also brokers (real estate and insurance), sales representatives, a stockist, an assistant work engineer and a barber.
