Auckland have to wait to seal ALM premiership

Anna Harrington | April 19, 2025

Auckland FC will return home to New Zealand with one hand on the A-League Men premier’s plate after tightening their grip on top spot.

But they will have to wait at least another week to officially claim their first piece of silverware after other results didn’t go their way.

Steve Corica’s charges beat Melbourne Victory 2-0 on Saturday evening, with Louis Verstraete and Guillermo May scoring in the 53rd and 89th minutes to send Auckland seven points clear with two games to go.

They then watched on nervously from their hotel as second-placed Melbourne City fought back from 0-2 down against Western Sydney to snatch a 2-2 draw at CommBank Stadium, cutting the deficit to six points.

Had Western Sydney won, it would have locked in top spot for Auckland.

Instead, they face struggling Perth Glory at Go Media Stadium next Sunday expecting to seal maiden silverware on their home deck – and knowing a point or more will seal it.

“It’s just important that we get it done,” Corica said. 

“We have to do what we did tonight and defend for our lives, that’s what we have to do. 

“But I’d like to be a little bit better at home and more positive again.”

As it stands, Auckland sit six points clear of City, but with a superior goal difference (+23 to +12).

Auckland would need to lose their next two games by a total of six goals, while City would need to win theirs by the same amount to leapfrog the league leaders.

Auckland finish the home-and-away season on the road against Western United, who have fallen out of the premiership race but can still finish in the top two and claim an Asian Champions League Elite berth.

Arthur Diles’ fifth-placed Victory (39 points) have their finals position under threat, given Adelaide (36) and Sydney (34) are within touching distance.

Victory travel to face Macarthur away on Friday, then host Newcastle on May 4.

Auckland scored when Callan Elliott burst down the right and crossed the ball for Frances de Vries.

De Vries slipped the ball back to Verstraete, and the Belgian midfielder’s skidding shot from the edge of the area nestled in the bottom corner.

As Victory pressed for an equaliser, Auckland goalkeeper Paulsen brilliantly dived down low to scoop away a Nikos Vergos header in the 86th minute.

“There’s moments in games. You don’t know when they’re going to come, but that was his moment. Fantastic save,” Corica said.

Then, Verstraete pounced on a loose Roderick Miranda pass and squared the ball for May to tap home, sending a packed away bay into ecstasy.

“(We were) 1-0 down and their keeper makes a world-class save,” Diles said.

“They’re the moments. And in the end, they didn’t go with us today.”

Auckland’s Chilean midfielder Luis Gallegos was forced off in the 44th minute through injury, with Corica unsure of its severity.