Christian Gray, a student teacher by day, etched his name into Auckland City folklore with a powerful second-half header that secured a 1-1 draw against Boca Juniors, bringing an end to the New Zealand club’s eight-match losing run in FIFA Club World Cup history.
Overmatched on paper and already eliminated before kick-off, Auckland City were expected to roll over against a Boca side needing an unlikely seven-goal win to have any hope of progressing.
The Argentinians dominated early on and eventually took the lead through Lautaro Di Lollo, whose header rebounded off the post and in via goalkeeper Nathan Garrow.
Boca struck the woodwork twice more before the break, but couldn’t shake off the spirited Oceania champions.
Then came the moment: a simple corner delivery from Jerson Esteban Lagos Giraldo found Gray unmarked, and the part-time footballer rose to glance in the equaliser and send the Auckland bench into raptures.
A lengthy weather delay briefly halted play in the second half, and although Boca had another goal chalked off for handball, they couldn’t summon the urgency needed to find a winner.
While Boca crash out on the back of a seven-match winless run, Auckland City exit with heads held high, their players returning to everyday life with a memory to last a lifetime.
See also:
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