Auckland City are no strangers to the Club World Cup and on the eve of their seventh appearance in the tournament, coach Ramon Tribulietx is under no illusions about the size of the task in front of them.
"It's massive. We have to play against a team that's probably 10 times bigger although I'm hearing probably more than that," Tribulietx said.
They take on Japan's Sanfrecce Hiroshima, an opponent they know well. City lost to Sanfrecce in the opening game of the Club World Cup in 2012.
"It's a very similar team, same coach, same ideas, a lot of similar players so I'm expecting a similar game. We've looked at that game a few times."
But to reel in one of Asia's big fish this time around, they'll need to make history.
Every year, the Oceania champion faces a playoff with the champion of the host nation to enter the knockout stages of the Club World Cup.
City's best performances came in the United Arab Emirates in 2009 and last year's competition in Morocco.
But no New Zealand side has ever made it past the first hurdle when the tournament has been hosted in Japan.
While their opponents may not have changed much, Tribulietx is confident his side has progressed since City's last meeting with Sanfrecce.
"We're more experienced, we're more mature. I'm hoping the team will be more composed this time around. I think we're a different team."
A different team hoping for a different result come Thursday.
3 News
