There are shades of Auckland FC coach Steve Corica in A-League Men grand final hero Cam Howieson.
A Sydney FC great, Corica etched himself into ALM history by scoring the match-winning and lone goal in the inaugural 2005 grand final to gift the Sky Blues victory over Central Coast.
Now 21 seasons on, Howieson paralleled his coach on Saturday, with his 60th-minute goal firing Auckland to a 1-0 decider triumph over Sydney FC.
Just like inaugural Sydney player Corica, Howieson was one of four inaugural signings for Auckland.
But Howieson had to bide his time, once believing he'd never play professional football, before Auckland came knocking in 2024 at age 29.
The New Zealand international sent a 28,374-strong crowd at Go Media Stadium berserk on Saturday, winning the Joe Marston Medal for his man-of-the-match performance.
