Auckland FC beats Sydney FC 1-0 to become 1st New Zealand team to win Australian league title

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AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Auckland FC became the first New Zealand team to win Australian soccer's A-League title when it beat Sydney FC 1-0 on Saturday in the first grand final held outside Australia.

Cameron Howieson's first A-League goal — a low, left-footed strike in the 60th minute — proved to be the winner in front of 28,000 fans who packed Auckland's home ground to see the club claim the title in just its second season in the league.

"I’m just over the moon for the boys. We have such a great group here,” Howieson said. “It’s amazing to be part of it and to be champions and a great time to score my first goal.

“It means the world to me. I think a lot of people know I spent a lot of time out of the professional game and to come back into it at 30 years of age just tops it off.”

The 31-year-old Howieson played briefly for Burnley in England and St Mirren in Scotland before returning to New Zealand’s semi-professional national league in 2016.

The victory gives coach Steve Corica his third A-League title. He had won the title with Sydney FC in 2020 and '21.

The grand final hadn't previously been played outside Australia in the 49-year history of the A-League and its predecessor, the Australian National League.

Auckland FC's success has been credited with creating a surge of interest in soccer in New Zealand, where rugby is the national game.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer