Fred de Jong: Former All White on Auckland FC's win over Adelaide United to secure grand final spot

Auckland FC have reached the grand final in their second A-League season. 

The Black Knights picked a great time to record their first-ever win in Adelaide, downing United 3-nil to win the tie 4-1 overall. 

Former All White Fred de Jong joined D’Arcy to unpack the team’s victory. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Dancy
Waldgrave from News Talk.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Sedb Let's party, Let's celebrate and Fred Deyong thanks very
much for joining us. We probably shouldn't celebrate too early
because the job hasn't been done completely yet. Fred of
course former All White, and he joins us now to
break down that out rageous game three to one over
Adelaide United at their house at Cooper's Stadium. You still slack,

(00:35):
George Brow and welcome.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Good morning mate, Good morning nah made. I think you
celebrate hard. You get out and you take the one,
and you celebrate the one quickly, and then you and
then obviously you're in for the final. But you've got
to enjoy these moments because I think going into the game,
no one, no one expected to blow out like that,
you know. So yeah, I thought everyone was expecting a

(01:01):
very tight game and it was until you would right
blew the game open with his goal just before half time.
And yeah, there's from then on, I think Adelaide always
on the backboard, always struggling, and Auckland the Seeds do
what they do really well. They just throttle the opposition
and hit him on the counter, so fantastic result and

(01:24):
now to New Zealand teams in both finals.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
But you like the way they weathered the first well
fifteen to twenty minutes or so, when Adelaide basically had
it all over them, some really good shots and they
blew a couple of opportunities themselves Auckland, but they didn't relent.
Although formation wise, what Steve Corika put out there, you
won't say it was a bus but they were definitely thinking, yeah,

(01:51):
we're going to get a bit of hammer, We're going
to put five out back.

Speaker 3 (01:55):
Yeah, exactly, And I think I think the attitude that
the coaching staff went into from Auckland the Sea was
if we don't concede, we're a good shout to win this.
And that's exactly exactly how it was. You know. I
mean Adelaide are very easy on the eye. It's you know,
they stroke the ball around. They played very well in
very tighty areas. Then they extricate themselves and hit you

(02:18):
on the on the on the counter, on the on
the other side of the page. I think when sack
I got yellow carded in the fourth minute, I think
at that point, you know, there's some worrying signs because uh,
he's had to defend against one of the trickiest guys
in the competition, you know, for nineteen minutes, basically sitting

(02:41):
on a yellow card. And I think that's where Adelaide
didn't make the most of you know, the cattle that
they've got and in the end that cost him.

Speaker 2 (02:53):
When when you look at the that first goal, that header,
what was pretty much in the shadow of halftime there,
that corner Lucky Brook that was textbook, wasn't it. Wouldn't
you like to a better put that down every time
you took a spot like that?

Speaker 3 (03:10):
Yeah, I mean, good, right, just popped out from a
massive players. Everyone's thinking the balls, you know, going to
be hitded towards Sam Cosgrove. They drop it in a
little bit shorter and he comes round unmarked. And but
again you're still you've still got a not the easiest
hitter in the world. And he's done a really good

(03:31):
job there. He got up really well and then got
a lot of power on the hitter. So yeah, he's
I mean, great goal. I mean, if you're if you're
the set place coach there, you are just high fiving
in the in the dugout because that worked absolutely true.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
I love the way the ball kind of curled and
it was kind of put on. It was a great strike,
great head from Gerbert Wright, but it just it fit
so nice into what he was doing, was going in
the right direction, and he just gave it that extra
sting as he said, textbook.

Speaker 3 (04:06):
Yeah. I mean, but I mean, yeah, he's he's attacked
the ball and the defense hasn't. And if you're Adelaide,
you're livid about the fact that he's got up at
a freeheater and no one in your in your defensive
line is attacking the ball, and uh and that, you know,
so you suffer from you get you get anyways, we're

(04:30):
not doing that, and your one mill down and now
you really are on the back foot against an Auckland
team that you know, in the last two seasons has
shown that they can defend. They can defend very very
well when they want to. And so you know, from that,
from that point on, I think Adelaide they pushed and
they tried, and and then the second half I think
I was watching at one point and it's like ten
shots to one, and uh, you know, they were they were,

(04:53):
they were pushing hard. But you Auckland get Once you
get double back in the box, it's actually very it's
tough to break that open and they don't have the
didn't have the quality Adelaide to do that and suffered
for it.

Speaker 2 (05:10):
And one last thing for you, Fred Young and looking
at the results that Auckland f C Have had this season,
it's almost like we don't want to have a final.
I'm sure the fans would love to have it, but
we're better off playing away. So maybe we don't want
Sydney to beat the Jets tonight, right? Is that a
cruel thing to say?

Speaker 3 (05:33):
Yeah? I think I think from a results perspective, the
away form has been very very good, as it was
last year as well. You know they've got they've got
the travel thing that previous New Zealand side has struggled
with getting over across the Tasman seems have nailed that
and uh, their away form is very very good. But

(05:56):
you right, Nickpicker, the CEO.

Speaker 2 (05:59):
I'm talking to you. You're laughing because you know I'm right.
I've got to say what Orkand FC apparently been staying
at hotels and their home games to try and replicate
the away game feel. So if you're out there and
you see Auckland at home because the home final is
going to be here. Just give them a bit of

(06:19):
abuse and so they can really pretend they are away
from home. Former All White Fred de Yong, thanks so
much for your time. Love to hear you laughing and smiling.

Speaker 3 (06:29):
Mate. You look after yourself, oh good mate.

Speaker 1 (06:31):
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