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Auckland City celebrates - Source: Photosport -
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Auckland City coach Paul Posa is backing the professional attitude of his amateur side as they look to outdo their own history-making exploits at the Fifa Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi on Sunday morning (NZT).
With Thursday morning's 2-0 win over host club Al Ahli still sinking in with many fans at Fifa's competition for continental champions, Auckland take on Mexican giants Atlante who reached the global club showpiece after defeating fellow Mexicans Cruz Azul in the final of the Concacaf (North and Central America) Champions League.
Posa knows Atlante will be a step up from Al Ahli, and while keen to manage the expectations of a footballing public increasingly use to New Zealand teams causing upsets, he is confident his side will get themselves up for the quarterfinal.
"I'm confident the boys will put in a good performance and give their best," Posa said.
"Outside Barcelona and Estudiantes, Atlante are the best and most classy team at this tournament.
"If we're organised, play well and work really hard again maybe we can upset their rhythm. It's a much harder ask but we'll give it our best shot and we have to go into it believing we can pinch something out of the game."
As the only amateur side in the seven-team competition, Auckland head into Sunday's match as even bigger underdogs than they were on Sunday, but Posa talked down the perceived gap between the teams in one area at least.
"A professional attitude costs nothing," Posa said.
"We're not in a position in New Zealand to have a professional league but we have a professional attitude with this group of players because they have been determined to do well since day one."
Fullback James Pritchett was a last minute withdrawal on Thursday, although the reshuffle worked wonders for Auckland with midfielder-cum-fullback Chad Coombes scoring a sensational long-range goal to seal the win, and Jason Hayne making the most of his unexpected start to set up Adam Dickinson for Auckland's first.
Pritchett's hamstring injury will be closely monitored by Auckland medical staff and if fully fit, the sometimes All Whites defender will pose a healthy selection dilemma for Posa.
"James Pritchett is very much an important player for us. It's a race against time but if he's back and right, then he'll come back into contention for a starting place. He's been an instrumental part of our success."
`'Chad Coombes, who stood in for him, would have played up front but we were very happy with the result. Chad's goal was class."
Atlante boasts a number of Mexican and South American internationals but one of its biggest stars, goalkeeper Federico Vila, could be a menace at both ends of the pitch. The gloveman has already earned a call up to the full national side of his native Argentina, but possesses a lethal strike and has been used in the past as a free-kick specialist in attack.
