ALEXANDRIA, Virginia - Auckland City FC have wrapped up their preparations for the FIFA Club World Cup with a narrow 1-0 defeat to UAE giants Al Ain FC in Virginia.
10 June 2025
The opening 45 minutes saw Al Ain enjoy more of the ball, but the Navy Blues held their shape well and remained defensively solid for much of the half.
Despite their dominance in possession, Al Ain struggled to carve out many clear-cut chances, with Conor Tracey largely untroubled between the sticks.
Auckland City’s backline dealt well with the pressure, forcing their opponents wide and limiting them to crosses—most of which were confidently claimed by Tracey.
However, in the 24th minute, Al Ain made a breakthrough. A quality delivery from the right found Kodjo Laba, who finished smartly to give his side the lead.
The Emirati side nearly doubled their advantage before the break, but Tracey was again up to the task, producing an excellent save to keep the deficit at one.
After the interval, the Navy Blues began to see more of the ball and threatened with several promising attacks early in the second half.
But following the scheduled hydration break, one held in each half, Al Ain regained control and created three clear chances, all of which were superbly denied by Tracey, who had an outstanding afternoon in goal.
With just one week remaining until the highly anticipated clash with Bayern Munich, there were positives to take from the performance.
Facing a quality opponent also bound for the Club World Cup, Auckland City proved once again how difficult they are to break down.
Standout performers included Tracey, whose sharp reflexes kept his side in the contest, and a disciplined defensive unit that made life difficult for Al Ain throughout the match.
Auckland City FC now head to Chattanooga, Tennessee, where they’ll be based throughout their FIFA Club World Cup campaign.
Ends.
Match Details
Prestige Friendly
Monday 9 June 2025
Al Ain FC 1 (Kodjo LABA 24’)
Auckland City FC 0
HT: 1-0
AC: 1. Conor TRACEY (GK), 2. Mario ILICH (c), 3. Adam MITCHELL, 5. Nikko BOXALL, 7. Myer BEVAN, 8. Gerard GARRIGA, 10. Dylan MANICKUM, 13. Nathan LOBO, 16. Joe LEE, 21. Adam BELL, 25. Michael DEN HEIJER.
SUBSTITUTES: 4. Christian GRAY, 6. Jackson MANUEL, 9. Angus KILKOLLY, 11. Ryan DE VRIES, 12. Regont MURATI, 14. Jordan VALE, 15. Jeremy FOO, 17. Jerson LAGOS, 18. Sebastian CIGANDA (GK), 19. Dylan CONNOLLY, 20. Matt ELLIS, 22. Tong ZHOU, 23. Alfie ROGERS, 24. Nathan GARROW (GK), 27. Haris ZEB.
HEAD COACH (Interim): Ivan VICELICH
ASSISTANT COACH: Adria CASALS
ASSISTANT COACH: Daewook KIM
GOALKEEPER COACH: Jonas HOFFMANN
TECHNICAL ANALYST: Malte THESENVITZ
PHYSIO: Matt PAYNE
PHYSIO: Zara ELLIS
PHYSIO: Natalia KOSINSKA
TEAM DOCTOR: Craig PANTHER
TEAM MANAGER: Keith COTON
