Corica: Referees ‘Got It Wrong’ as Auckland FC Exit A-League Finals

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — A furious Steve Corica says Auckland FC were denied a fair shot at the A-League Grand Final due to what he called “poor refereeing decisions” in Saturday night’s semi-final loss to Melbourne Victory.

Corica lashed out during his post-match press conference, expressing disbelief over a disallowed 69th-minute goal by Logan Rogerson that would have tied the two-legged semi-final 2-2 on aggregate.

“I think we all saw the replay—the ball’s in play,” Corica said. “For me, the referee made a bad decision. The linesman has, and so has the VAR, whoever’s in charge up there. That would’ve obviously helped us get back into the game.”

Rogerson rose at the far post to nod in a cross from Guillermo May, but assistant referee Kearney Robinson flagged that the ball had curled out of bounds before the delivery. Television replays suggested the ball touched the byline but had not completely crossed it.

Instead of leveling the tie, Auckland went on to lose 2-0 in front of a record 29,148 fans at Go Media Stadium, ending their dream season.

“They got it wrong,” Corica said. “That could’ve cost us getting back into the game—and getting into a final.”

Despite the setback, Corica reserved praise for his players and the Auckland faithful.

“The atmosphere was amazing again tonight,” he added. “Our supporters have been sensational all year. I’m more disappointed for them. It’s hard to accept that we don’t get to host a grand final next week because of decisions like that.”

In contrast, Melbourne Victory head coach Arthur Diles offered a measured response to the officiating controversy.

“Over the course of the year, your luck comes and goes,” Diles said. “It usually balances out. We’ve had decisions go against us too.”

Victory now advance to an all-Melbourne Grand Final against Melbourne City, set to be held at AAMI Park.