17 May 2014

Sport: Auckland City to go all-out in second leg

6:24 am on 17 May 2014

Auckland City football coach Ramon Tribulietx says his team is treating tomorrow's deciding leg of the Oceania Champions League final as a must-win, one-off game.

The tie is delicately poised with City and Vanuatu's Amicale FC drawing 1-1 in last week's first leg in Port Vila.

With an away goal up their sleeves, a scoreless draw at Kiwitea Street would be enough to book a return trip to the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco.

But Ramon Tribulietx says sitting back and playing defensively is not their style.

"Our mindset is very clear: we've just got to concentrate on playing a one-off game, a normal game, our normal systems like we always do at home, try to have the ball and try to make sure we defend with our heart. It's one of those 90 minutes that if the game is not a pretty game we have to throw everything out there because there's no second leg now anymore."

Auckland City have won the last three O-League titles, including in 2011 when they beat Amicale in the final.