The defending champions suffered a domestic blow after losing a thrilling ASB Premiership grand final to arch rivals Waitakere United on March 17, but coach Ramon Tribulietx is eager for the navy blues to put that loss behind them and focus on the future.
“We just have to leave the ASB Premiership final behind us and move on,” he says. “We’ll take some positives out of it and try to learn a few things for the future. This first game against Mont-Dore is now our next target.”
Tribulietx has boosted the side by re-signing two-cap All White Adam McGeorge from Team Wellington, while Canterbury United’s Darren White has also signed on for the OFC Champions League season.
McGeorge, a Kiwitea Street favourite, said returning to the club was an easy choice.
“It was a very tough decision to leave Auckland City after so long, but at the time I felt it was the right decision,” he says.
“I learnt a lot from moving down to Wellington. It was a huge honour to be asked to be captain at Team Wellington and I was naturally very grateful for that opportunity. But when I heard there was a chance there might be an OFC Champions League spot available at Auckland, I jumped at the chance,” he adds.
“I have a lot of good mates in the team and at the club so it’s good to be a part of it again.”
Another player champing at the bit for another crack at the OFC Champions League is youngster Simon Arms.
Arms, who was sent off in the ASB Premiership final, is currently involved with the Junior All Whites at the OFC U-20 Championship in Fiji and has helped guide the Chris Milicich-coached side to qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey.
The young defender is keen to get back to winning ways with Auckland City and put his own memories of the defeat to Waitakere United firmly in the past.
“The final was obviously a very disappointing experience for me personally, especially in the circumstances that it ended up in,” he says.
“But I think getting back into the Junior All Whites camp, seeing the boys and preparing for the OFC U-20 Championship was a good way to mentally get over it.”
Arms is named in Auckland’s Champions League squad alongside another newcomer in Matthew Ridenton.
Released from last season’s ASB Premiership group are goalkeeper Liam Anderson, defender Daniel Saric, veterans Riki van Steeden and Greg Uhlmann, and former Waikato FC midfielder Jason Hicks.
The winner of the OFC Champions League will represent Oceania at the FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2013.

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