Auckland FC head coach Steve Corica said the reigning Isuzu UTE A-League premiers are ready to exact “revenge” on Melbourne Victory in their Round 1 showdown on Saturday night.
Auckland will kick-off their season away to 2024-25 runners-up Victory at AAMI Park, five months on from the Black Knights’ heart-breaking Semi-Final defeat to the Melbourne club.
It was a history-making season for Auckland in their inaugural campaign as they became the first New Zealand club to get their hands on the Premiers Plate, however, Corica’s men narrowly lost out to Victory for a spot in decider.
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Looking ahead to the season-opener, Corica told reporters: “It’s always exciting, the first game of the season, I think, being away from home, there is a little bit less pressure on us. I’m looking forward to the challenge.
“Obviously there’s a bit of revenge we can hopefully take care of down there and come back with three points.”
Auckland trumped Victory in the Semi-Final first leg at AAMI Park last season before going down to the four-time champions at Go Media Stadium in the return fixture.
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Corica is planning to draw on that losing feeling.
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“I’ll bring that up a little bit closer to the game. Just before the game starts,” he said.
“It is a reminder. You have to feel that emotion as well and how you felt when we lost that final. Hopefully that drives them forward.”
Auckland have bolstered their squad for 2025-26, bringing in Lachlan Brook, Oli Sail, Sam Cosgrove and Jake Girdwood-Reich (loan).
Uruguayan star Guillermo May is still at the club and sharing the same mindset as Corica ahead of their Victory reunion.
“We have to be better ourselves to win that game. This season, we are going to beat [them],” May told reporters.
“We beat them twice there, so we know we can win at that stadium.
“We are here to be the best team in the league, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
