Match report from aucklandcityfc.com

For 45 steamy minutes, Auckland City dared to dream.

Beneath the heavy Florida air, at Orlando’s Inter&Co Stadium, the Oceania champions summoned a gutsy, defiant performance that stymied Benfica’s stars, until Angel Di María’s stoppage-time penalty at the end of the first half pried the lid off what had been a tightly sealed jar. 

What followed after a two-hour lightning delay was a flood, on and off the pitch, as the Portuguese giants ran out 6–0 winners and eliminated the New Zealanders from the FIFA Club World Cup™.

Still, for those backing the Navy Blues, there were moments of pride and progress. Nathan Garrow, handed his tournament debut in goal, turned away waves of Benfica pressure in the first half with the bravado of a veteran.

“The experience is crazy,” the 20-year-old said afterward. “I just thought I’d give my all. Nearly kept it 0–0 for halftime, and then… questionable penalty. But it is what it is.”

The “what it is,” unfortunately for City, was a turning point. Haris Zeb’s challenge on Gianluca Prestianni offered Di María a chance to break the deadlock, and he didn’t blink, stroking a composed effort down the middle as Garrow committed to his right.

City headed to the changing room ruing missed moments and debating the decision, but the weather had other plans. Lightning rolled through the Orlando sky, delaying the restart by two hours and draining momentum from the underdogs. When play resumed, Benfica returned with renewed focus and fclinical determination.

Pavlidis doubled the lead in the 53rd minute. Renato Sanches, then Leandro Barreiro, twice in two minutes, piled on the pressure and the goals. Di María, mercilessly, added his second spot-kick in stoppage time after a VAR review, sealing a brace that bookended the game and crushed Auckland’s resolve.

 

“We can take some pride from the first half and some of the moments in the game,” said defender Michael den Heijer. “I think we battled well.”

They did. Garrow’s saves, knee here, fingertip there, kept Benfica at bay longer than many had expected. The high defensive line still bent under pressure, and the counters looked sharper than they had against Bayern Munich. 

“Today was a small improvement,” Den Heijer noted. “Everyone’s probably hurting at the moment, but we showed more confidence.”

That improvement will give City confidence as they head to Nashville for their final Group C fixture against Boca Juniors. With nothing to play for but pride, the Navy Blues will look to write one last note of resistance. 

“We just gotta try and do it within that first half, do it for 90 minutes,” Garrow said. “Hopefully we can pull some result.

Article added: Saturday 21 June 2025