[Source: All Whites/Facebook]

Auckland FC coach Steve Corica called for another strong showing in the second leg of the A-League Championship semi-final against Melbourne Victory after the competition’s newcomers secured a 1-0 win in the first leg.

As Corica’s side seeks to become the first team from New Zealand to reach the A-League Grand Final, Logan Rogerson’s 64th-minute goal at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium put Auckland in pole position ahead of the return next weekend.

“Going into the home leg next week, we want more of the same,” said Corica, who led Sydney FC to Grand Final success in 2019 and 2020.

“They are 90 minutes away from getting into a Grand Final, which no New Zealand team has ever done.

“We’ve created a lot of history throughout the year and this is another piece we want to add to it. It’s the goal they set at the start of the year, to win the Grand Final.

“That might’ve been a little bit silly, or people might have thought back then, but we knew we had a good team, we knew we were going to get better during the season and by winning the Premiership it shows we’re the most consistent team.”

Auckland joined the A-League at the start of this campaign and have enjoyed a hugely successful debut, topping the table at the end of the regular season to claim the Premiership.

The team’s run to the semi-finals has been met by a spike in interest, prompting the club to add to the capacity of Mount Smart Stadium ahead of the return meeting with Melbourne Victory.

The winner across the two legs will set up a Grand Final meeting with either Melbourne City or Western United, with Auckland due to host the season’s finale should they progress.

“There’s going to be 30,000 next week, we’ve had more seats put in,” said Corica. “That’s how popular it is at the moment, and we want to make sure we give our fans what they deserve and that’s a final. And a home final as well.”

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