Soccer: City coach keeps players on edge

Albert Riera Vidal is under an injury cloud. Photo / Getty Images

Auckland City coach Ramon Tribulietx will keep his selection cards close to his chest for the warm-up match with Ryutsu Keizai University at Saitama Stadium in Tokyo tonight.

The Ryutsu club present Auckland City with their first taste of Japanese football ahead of the Club World Cup playoff with the as-yet uncrowned J-League champions on December 8.

"We're going to rotate players and get a feeling of what playing a Japanese side is like,'' Tribulietx said. "We have a few injuries to consider with Chad Coombes, Manel Exposito and Albert Riera Vidal, so we'll need to protect those players ahead of the game on the eighth.''

Despite their status as a university club, Ryutsu Keizai are viewed as a nursery for aspiring professional footballers.

In the past two yeas, the club have produced 26 graduates who have secured fulltime professional contracts in the J-League - or Japan Football League.

Ryutsu Keizai also sport two Japan under-22 internationals in defender Yusuke Higa and goalkeeper Tukuya Masuda.

"Ryutsu are a young team and play regular friendlies with the Japan national team, so we expect a very tough match,'' Tribulietx said. "But the result is secondary. What's important is we get a feel for what to expect at the Club World Cup.''

Auckland's starting 11 is unlikely to resemble the one that will take the field in Nagoya in a week's time.

"We'll field a competitive team but the starting 11 will be mixed and matched - gaining experience of a match environment is our goal,'' Tribulietx said.

With a week to go before Auckland City face the J-League winners in what amounts to a US$1 million match, Tribulietx said an opportunity still exists for fringe players to stake their claim for a starting berth, but the door is closing.

"Our starting 11 is usually quite clear but in football you have to be prepared for a player to step up and make you think,'' he said.

"However, this is not a one-off game. This is part of a much bigger process we've been working toward since September. Positions are decided by a process rather than a one off game.''

Skipper Ivan Vicelich, who joined the squad late yesterday, is expected to feature in the warm-up match at some stage.

- APNZ