Auckland FC and Wellington Phoenix – Jason Pine ranks the respective teams

Wellington Phoenix: Josh Oluwayemi, Alby Kelly-Heald, Dublin Boon

Paulsen’s departure was compounded by the additional loss of his very capable substitute Jack Duncan to Melbourne Victory. Last season’s third signing, Kelly-Heald (twin brother of defender Lukas), is still in the works, so the Nix team have resorted to the import of former Tottenham youth goalkeeper, English-Nigerian Oluwayemi. Early reports suggest impressive physical fitness and the ability to play with the ball at his feet, which is a hallmark of coach Giancarlo Italiano’s tactics. Scholarship player Boon, who spent last year playing in the Netherlands, completes the trio.

Rating: 7/10

Defenders

Auckland FC: Hiroki Sakai, Callan Elliot, Francis de Vries, Scott Galloway

A highly decorated, 75-time Japan international, Sakai was the first signing from Auckland and brings experience from three FIFA World Cups and two Olympic Games to the team. His status is not in dispute, and if necessary, he will also be able to play in midfield. On the left, de Vries will be keen to add to his six New Zealand appearances and will bring pace and precision attacking from wide positions, while two-time A-League champion Galloway will bring 211 caps to the squad, gaining experience in the competition and the ability to play in both side of the rear four. Former Phoenix and All Whites right-back Elliot also emerged after 18 months in the footballing wilderness to back up his claims.

Rating: 8/10

Wellington Phoenix: Tim Payne, Matt Sheridan, Sam Sutton, Lukas Kelly-Heald

Payne is a first-choice right-back for both club and country and has quickly become one of the most renowned full-backs in the A-League, while also being able to cover for a central defender when needed. Sutton will be looking to fill the left-back spot in his fifth year in the A-League after sharing duties with Kelly-Heald last season. Kelly-Heald continues to develop and may even be used in the centre-forward position following the departure of Finn Surman, while Sheridan impressed in his limited capacity last season and is performing at his level there despite his relative inexperience.

Rating: 7/10

Central defenders

Auckland FC: Dan Hall, Nando Pijnaker, Tommy Smith

Hall arrives after the A-League Championship with Central Coast Mariners and was a constant presence alongside Brian Kaltak last season. Pijnaker has been a regular starter for the All Whites in recent years, and after five years in Europe he returns to New Zealand, most recently playing for Ireland’s Sligo Rovers. Smith’s vast experience and positive impact on the team will be invaluable, even if his starting minutes are limited.

Rating: 8/10

Wellington Phoenix: Scott Wootton, Isaac Hughes, Corban Piper

Englishman Wootton played every minute of last season and was the unsung hero of Wellington’s team until the play-offs. However, the departure of Finn Surman has left a sizeable gap and Hughes will likely be given the first opportunity to fill it after impressing in 11 appearances last season, while Kelly-Heald could also be an option to play in central defence. Newly arrived Piper played mainly as a midfielder for Birkenhead, but is very comfortable in defense and would be more keen to play there than in Wellington’s engine room.

Rating: 7/10

Defensive midfielders

Auckland FC: Cam Howieson, Louis Verstraete, Luis Felipe Gallegos, Finn McKenlay, Adama Coulibaly, Oliver Middleton

Howieson has long been considered New Zealand’s best domestic player, and the 20-time All White will finally get the chance to play professionally in his home country. He will have a battle on his hands for a few minutes, however, with highly talented Chilean Gallegos and Belgian age group representatives Verstraete favored to start, despite being relatively unknown on these shores. McKenlay, Coulibaly and Middleton scholarship recipients will continue their soccer education and pursue new opportunities.

Rating: 7/10

Wellington Phoenix: Alex Rufer, Mohammad Al-Taay, Paulo Retre, Fin Conchie

Rufer was one of Wellington’s best players last season, leading the team in word and action and playing a key role in his team’s finals run, while also earning a call-up to the All White team and playing in New Zealand’s last seven international matches, including the first match against the United States. Retre is a great signing, bringing almost 200 A-League appearances and two league titles from his time with Melbourne City and Sydney FC. Iraqi international Al-Taay had a solid first season in Wellington, playing in all but two of the team’s 29 games, while Conchie was a capable substitute, adding solidity when needed.

Rating: 8/10

Attacking midfielders

Auckland FC: Jake Brimmer, Jesse Randall, Joey Champness, Luis Toomey, Liam Gillion

Brimmer won the Johnny Warren Medal for A-League Player of the Year for the 2021-22 season and has long been regarded as one of the best midfielders in the competition, with his tenacity, driving, passing range and eye for goal setting him apart from most others. Nine-time All White champion Champness is outstanding on his day but has been surprisingly inconsistent throughout his career, while Gillion, Toomey and Randall have been national standouts and hope to progress.

Rating: 7/10

Wellington Phoenix: Marco Rojas, Hideki Ishige, Kazuki Nagasawa

Rojas returns to the club where he made his name as a teenager, before winning the Johnny Warren Medal with Melbourne Victory and earning the nickname “Kiwi Messi”. His A-League appearances have been staggered in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Chile and although he is now 32, there is no doubt that he has class. The versatile Japanese pair of Ishige and Nagasawa are relatively unknown but have a strong pedigree, with each having played over 300 professional matches in their homeland. Both impressed the club’s coaching staff with their technical skills during their pre-season performances.

Rating: 8/10

Attackers

Auckland FC: Guillermo May, Logan Rogerson, Max Mata, Jonty Bidois

Leading the pack will be Uruguayan sniper May, who played in the top leagues of Uruguay and Argentina, and also played in Spain at the beginning of his career. Depending on coach Steve Corica’s squad, which may only feature one striker, recent Mata and Rogerson and All Whites scholarship signing Bidois will have to be patient or look for opportunities in wide positions.

Rating: 7/10

Wellington Phoenix: Kosta Barbarouses, David Ball, Oskar van Hattum, Luke Supyk, Gabriel Sloane-Rodrigues, Luke Brooke-Smith

Barbarouses scoffed at the suggestion that his best days were behind him, with his outstanding 2023-2024 season scoring 13 goals, winning Player of the Year and returning to the national team. Ball’s goalscoring drought is well-publicized, but he continues to add enormous value on and off the pitch, with players such as Ben Waine and Ben Old crediting him with their development. Van Hattum is looking to take it to the next level after excelling as a striker last season, while young goalscorers Supyk, Sloane-Rodrigues and Brooke-Smith have attracted attention for their energy and fearlessness in pre-season.

Rating: 8/10

Coaching staff

Auckland FC: Steve Corica, Danny Hay, Jonathan Gould

The man widely known as “Bimbi” won two A-League championships with Sydney FC and brought nearly 150 games of managerial experience across the Tasman, aided by one of New Zealand’s greatest ever players and former All Whites head coach Hay, with his deep knowledge and understanding of local talent. Former Scotland international Gould spent three years as a goalkeeping coach at Phoenix and also had extensive experience in the UK.

Rating: 8/10

Wellington Phoenix: Giancarlo Italiano, Adam Griffiths, Ruben Parker

Italiano – or ‘Chief’ as most know him – led Wellington to their best campaign in his first season as a professional head coach, combining unwavering belief in his system with a willingness to trust younger players to implement it. Griffiths was an A-League champion at Newcastle and is widely credited with developing and overseeing the defensive system that saw Phoenix concede fewer goals than anyone else last season, while Parker played a key role in Paulsen’s rise from academic to A-League star.

Rating: 8/10

SUM:

Auckland FC: 54

Wellington Phoenix: 53