‘It’s About Attitude’: Auckland FC Coach on Team’s Recent Struggles

Auckland FC coach Steve Corica admits the real test is coming for his team – and how they respond will define their season.

After their fairy-tale start, which surpassed all expectations, a slump was inevitable. That’s football – teams adapt, injuries mount, and form fluctuates.

Last month’s 4-0 home defeat to Western United was a wake-up call, though the team responded with a strong showing on the Central Coast. However, Saturday’s 1-0 loss in Perth will sting more, given the missed chances and the gap in quality between the two sides. Adding to the frustration was the loss of captain Hiroki Sakai to concussion. Sakai will miss Saturday’s clash with Melbourne City and is targeting a round 13 return against Adelaide.

“At some stage, we were going to go through a bad period,” said Corica. “We’re sort of going through that now, and it’s how we respond to it and how we come out of it [that] I am looking forward to.

“Obviously, we started so well. A couple of losses now, so people are starting to maybe doubt us. It’s up to us really – how we want to be. I want to be a consistent team each week.”

The upcoming stretch of games presents their toughest challenge yet: three matches in nine days, following the long trip to Western Australia. After Saturday’s match against league leaders Melbourne City, Auckland face second-placed Adelaide away – one of the A-League’s toughest venues – before meeting Western Sydney Wanderers in Sydney.

Despite recent struggles, Auckland remain well-positioned, just one point off the top with a game in hand. Still, their performance against Perth highlighted two major concerns.

The first is complacency. Corica identified this as a factor in the Western United loss and felt it was an issue again in the first half against Perth.

“For me, it’s about attitude – making sure we play 90 minutes and not 45 minutes,” Corica said. “We’ve been slow starting, let’s say that much. There’s been three or four games where we’ve started slowly in the first half, and then there’s a total difference in the second half. That’s why I’m talking about consistency. We’re still not there in that department.”

The second issue is scoring. Auckland have failed to find the net in their last two matches. A goalless draw with Melbourne Victory, given their strong defensive record, was forgivable. But failing to score against Perth, who have conceded a league-high 35 goals, was less excusable.

“We created probably five or six good chances,” said Corica. “Sometimes that happens that you don’t score goals. Let’s say that we have to be better in front of goal.”

Saturday’s game will likely offer opportunities in transition, which plays to Auckland’s strengths with their pace and counterattacking threats. Still, composure will be key when chances arise.

“It’s about making good decisions,” said Corica. “Being better with the ball, getting the ball into the box and then being calm under pressure.”

Midfielder Cam Howieson is expected to return this week, but Scott Galloway will be out for three to four weeks with a calf strain. With Dan Hall, Sakai, and scholarship player Adama Coulibaly unavailable, defensive depth will be thin. Corica, however, sees this as an opportunity for younger players to make their mark.

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