CNN
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It’s not often the iconic Argentine club that the legendary Diego Maradona once played for gets “schooled” yet it happened and it’s a lesson we can all learn from.
As some of the biggest names in soccer gather this week in New Jersey for the semifinals and final of the FIFA Club World Cup, watching on from over 8,000 miles away in New Zealand will be very one interested spectator.
Christian Gray is a defender with Auckland City FC, the only amateur side to play in the tournament hosted in the United States. Christian is a trainee physical education teacher who just happens to have scored what he’s calling the goal of his life – a thundering header against the mighty Boca Juniors which counts Uruguayan icon Edinson Cavani amongst its ranks. It was one of just six goals Gray has scored in four years for the Kiwi side.
“It literally felt like a dream. You know, I don’t often score goals, but to score in that game was like a surreal moment. Boca Juniors, as we know, are a massive, a massive club and we’re obviously a small little club from New Zealand,” Gray told CNN Sports.
“It was a surreal feeling, a little bit of disbelief. It’s hard to believe it was me that scored the goal. But I think by the time I processed it, my teammate Myer Bevan was on my back, jumped on my back, and we were having a big group hug.”
Christian’s goal earned his team a shock 1-1 draw against the South American giant with both teams ultimately exiting the tournament after failing to advance to the last-16.
After such a historic result for last year’s Oceania Champions League winners, there was some time for celebration – though not a lot.
“We had a couple of nights to enjoy with the team and with the supporters. We then had a 30-hour trip all the way back to New Zealand. And I’ve been straight back into my assignments and my study. Fortunately, it’s a school holiday, so there’s no school, but I still have my assignments to do,” Gray said.
Gray returns to his day job July 14 at Auckland Grammar School where a hero’s welcome awaits him.
“From what I’ve heard, the school was buzzing for me. They were very happy for me. I’ve had a few messages from staff. I know the boys and how passionate they are about their sport and their football, so I’m sure they’ll be pretty happy,” he said to CNN Sports.
“There’s a lot of learnings from this tournament, I think. You know, the whole underdog story and anything’s possible if you believe in yourself, these kinds of things. So, I think there’s a lot of lessons in there that I, maybe I can share with the boys.”
For Auckland City, the headline-grabbing draw with Boca Juniors was especially satisfying given a 10-0 defeat to European heavyweight Bayern Munich then a 6-0 loss to Portugal’s Benfica earlier in the tournament. The double-digit loss at the hands of the Bavarian giant was especially tough to take.
“We realized it’s Bayern Munich, one of the best teams in the world. But, you know, the club has a proud and successful history. We did feel a sense of shame and disappointment at that result, but I think deep down we knew that we could do better, so I’m glad we showed that in the last game against Boca,” the 28-year-old reflected.
A world away from some of the multi-millionaire professionals they faced at the Club World Cup, Auckland City’s squad comprises real estate agents, other teachers, soda salesmen and a barber.
A typical day for Christian can begin at around 6:30 a.m. and end after 9 p.m. once teaching duties, coaching the school’s senior soccer squad and his own training and fitness are taken care of. As a player, he’s overcome much along the way, including foot and hip injuries as well as vertigo last year. Missing out on the Club World Cup though was simply not an option.
“A lot of the boys and I have taken unpaid leave to travel, and saying that, we’re fortunate to have these opportunities. I think all the hard work and sacrifice, paid off, I think it’s fair to say,” he said.
The total prize money at this year’s newly revamped 32-team Club World Cup is $1 billion. By qualifying for the tournament and securing a draw against Boca Juniors, Auckland earned over $4.5 million, yet it remains to be seen to what extent the club itself will benefit from a boost in finances.
“We don’t know. Currently there is a dispute between our club and New Zealand Football on the subject,” Auckland City General Manager Gordon Watson told CNN Sports. “I don’t have a crystal ball, unfortunately, so I can’t provide a satisfying answer to your question.”
New Zealand Football told CNN in a statement: “While the exact amounts are commercially sensitive, a portion of the FIFA Club World Cup prize money goes to Auckland City FC and an amount is also allocated to support the sustainability of clubs in our National League system.”
One thing Watson does take immense pride in is the resilience and dedication of the team and its players, whatever the future holds for the club.
“99 percent of players and clubs on this planet are amateur, and we felt that in many ways we represented all of them. This has been our message ever since we qualified. It looks unlikely that we will be back due to the changes in football in Oceania – the advent of the OFC Pro League – so it was vital that we gave the best account of ourselves as possible,” he said.
As for Gray’s history-making goal?
“Firstly, Christian is such an understated person, the attention he’s garnered must be uncomfortable for him to a degree. That said, what else can you say about the quality and bravery of the goal itself? It was a tremendous header. We’re all very proud of him.”
“We were favorites to finish 32nd out of 32, but there were five professional clubs that each finished below us, which when you think of their resources versus ours, is incredible. The profile of the club is now at an all-time high and I hope we can take the opportunity to grow even further from it,” Watson added.
As for Gray, he says he’s dedicating his goal to the wider Auckland City FC community and all who support the team. And keep this in mind: We could well be hearing his name mentioned for years to come. After all, not only are his exploits against Boca Juniors sure to live long in the memory, they’re also worthy of trivia nights too.
“I mean, it’s cool, to be honest. I actually quite like that. I love my pub quizzes and, I guess, sports knowledge. So, to have my name as one of them, potentially, it would be pretty cool!”
