Tottenham Hotspur battled through absolutely miserable conditions in Auckland on Sunday, July 26, 2026, earning a 2-0 victory over A-League Champions Auckland FC. The win came thanks to tap-in goals from Dane Scarlett and Richarlison, but man, it felt like a real grinder given everything these young Spurs had to endure.
Auckland Threw Everything At Them, Including the Kitchen Sink (and Lots of Rain)
Let’s talk about the vibe in Auckland, because it was wild. A huge crowd turned out, some players looked genuinely surprised by the reception, and they even got a traditional powhiri welcome onto the pitch. That’s a cool culture shock, right? But then the other shock hit: the weather. It was damp from the jump, then just started absolutely pouring down. You could see players slipping, fumbling touches, just struggling to keep control. The sun did make a brief appearance, giving everyone a moment of peace, but nope! The rain came back in the second half. It was a proper washout, making an already tough preseason fixture even more challenging.
De Zerbi’s Youth Movement Had Its Ups and Downs
Manager Roberto De Zerbi was clearly playing chess with his squad selection. Coming off 30 hours of travel and a game just days before, with two more matches this week, he opted for an extremely young squad against Auckland FC. There were tons of youth players in the starting XI and barely any senior squad members, which probably stung for the Kiwi fans who hadn’t seen Spurs in 50 years. This meant some makeshift selections, like attacking midfielders Luca Williams-Barnett and Jamie Donley lining up in central midfield alongside Archie Gray. Gray played as a single pivot, with Donley and Williams-Barnett more advanced. This setup gave Spurs a numerical advantage for central buildup, which worked to get the ball wide. However, when Spurs turned the ball over, Auckland FC found huge amounts of space to counter, exposing the Lilywhites repeatedly. It was a risky strategy, and it showed.
The slow start to the match was definitely a consequence of this approach and the conditions. Auckland FC looked like the better team for the first ten minutes, and honestly, Spurs were lucky not to concede early because of some really poor turnovers. But hey, they found a way. Dane Scarlett bagged the first tap-in from a saved shot, and Richarlison got the second after a slick Mathys Tel cutback. Two goals, two tap-ins. Sometimes, that’s just how you get it done in a messy game. These kids got a huge experience, and that’s what preseason is all about for a manager like De Zerbi.
With two more matches on the docket this week, you gotta wonder if De Zerbi will roll out the youth brigade again or give some senior guys a run. Either way, Tottenham’s got more work to do, and fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply