HONIARA, Solomon Islands - Auckland City FC cruised to a 15-0 win over Tupapa Maraerenga to all but book themselves a place in the last eight of the OFC Champions League today.
The margin of victory is third in the all-time list of biggest wins in the Oceania club showpiece with Central United's 16-0 win over Lotoha'apai on September 20, 1999, and Wollongong Wolves 16-0 win over the same team on January 9, 2001, in top spot.
The Navy Blues made six changes from the team that scraped by AS Magenta with Reid Drake, Omar Guardiola, Ruben Parker, Darren White, Yousif Ali and Alfie Rogers brought in for Albert Riera, Enaut Zubikarai, Te Atawhai Hudson-Wihongi, Micah Lea'alafa, Jordan Vale and David Browne.
FULL TIME - The #NavyBlues have run rampant to defeat Tupapa Maraerenga by a record breaking 15 goals to nil in OFC Champions League Group D action in Honiara this afternoon
— Auckland City FC (@AucklandCity_FC) February 27, 2019
#TUPAUC
#OFCCL 0-15 pic.twitter.com/80Tt1oa7FS
With Tupapa Maraerenga hopelessly outclassed 10-1 by the Solomon Warriors on Sunday there was unlikely to ever be any threat to an Auckland City FC win and that proved to be the case in a one-sided encounter.
Guardiola, who has had to be patient for first team opportunities since signing from Southern United in January, made a big impact in the first half scoring twice either side of a Fabrizio Tavano strike.
But if Auckland City FC's first half was conservative in front of goal, the second was brutal.
Guardiola, Tavano and substitute Maro Bonsu-Maro each netted hat-tricks with the latter notching four goals.
Another substitute, David Browne helped himself to a brace with Dan Morgan chiming in with another goal to go with the one he scored against AS Magenta last week.
Tupapa Maraerenga were restricted to one chance when just before halftime the Cook Islands champions saw an attacking free-kick drift wide.
Saturday's game assumes major importance with the Navy Blues chasing a win that would ensure they get home advantage for the one-off quarter-final clash.
The win gave Auckland City FC it's 27th consecutive match without defeat in the OFC Champions League, equalling the competition record also set by the Navy Blues between March 28, 2008 and March 31, 2012.
Ends
Match Result
OFC Champions League - Group D
Wednesday 27 February 2019
Tupapa Maraerenga 0
Auckland City FC 15 (Omar GUARDIOLA 20', 40', 57' Fabrizio TAVANO 28', 63', 85', David BROWNE 53', 82', Micah LEA'ALAFA 62', 84, Maro BONSU-MARO 65', 68', 73', 90+2', Dan MORGAN 72')
HT: 0-3.
AC: 18. Ruben PARKER (GK), 2. Darren WHITE, 5. Angel BERLANGA (c), 7. Cam HOWIESON (19. David BROWNE 46'), 11. Fabrizio TAVANO, 12. Dylan MANICKUM (10. Micah LEA'ALAFA 56'), 15. Dan MORGAN, 16. Yousif ALI, 17. Reid DRAKE, 22. Omar GUARDIOLA (21. Maro BONSU-MARO 65'), 23. Alfie ROGERS.
SUBS NOT USED: 1. Enaut ZUBIKARAI (GK), 8. Albert RIERA, 14. Jordan VALE, 20. Te Atawhai HUDSON-WIHONGI.
COACH: Ramon TRIBULIETX.
Monday 1 April 2024, Kiwitea Street, 3.00pm
Position | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | TC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 3 | |
2 | AC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
3 | MN | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | |
4 | BO | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
5 | WS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | |
6 | ES | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
7 | WC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
8 | BU | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | |
9 | ES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
10 | AU | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
11 | EB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |
12 | ME | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |