The New Zealand club are the only amateur side in the tournament and will face Bayern Munich and Boca Juniors.
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00:00They'll learn to love us. We're definitely the underdogs here.
00:06I think it's hard to explain. Who could think as a young New Zealand lad that you're going to be playing as the world's best?
00:11It's a massive opportunity, really a once in a lifetime. It's going to be crazy.
00:21Auckland City FC has been competing in the Oceania Champions League now for 20 years
00:28and the impression that we like to leave in the Pacific is always one of positivity and possibility.
00:36To realise the dream of reaching the US consolidates these ideas.
00:41We've been to Club World Cups in the past and those have been great from a learning point of view
00:47and a great experience and we've benefited because of those experiences.
00:53But this is a whole new level and I think we're just going to have to try and bridge the gap.
00:59Our club is the only amateur club in the entire competition and so therefore the players, they work, they have jobs.
01:06You have to get up, go to work, pay the rent, pay the mortgage but you also have dreams.
01:11It's a big challenge for a lot of us. Some of the boys have kids so you don't get to see your kids as often
01:16because you see them in the morning and then you sort of get home 9, 30, 10 and then you've got to do it all over again.
01:22But it's a sacrifice that we make as players to achieve things.
01:28Playing Bayern Munich, I don't really know what to say.
01:30We get a chance to test ourselves against the very best players in the world at a club that's done it all
01:36at the highest level for over 100 years probably.
01:39Probably a one-off opportunity we're going to be able to play against Harry Kane and those sorts of players.
01:43Boca Juniors as well, another massive club in Argentina and in their region.
01:49We do expect another tough game. We're under no illusions, we're the underdogs in every game.
01:54We intend to give it our absolute best shot both on and off the pitch.
01:58Football is a funny game.
02:00We're going to dream big, we're going to give our absolute best so yeah, 100% get on board and come support us.
02:05The world's our oyster really. It's just you go and you give it 110% and what football gives you, gives you.
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