Winner hosts Roy Krishna's ISL club Odisha on 7th March (1st leg), and then travels to India for the 2nd leg 14th March.
Unfortunately Nix don't play either Bulls or Mariners around those dates. Nix have benefited from recently playing both those sides, coming off shorter turnarounds. CCM playing Welly in Waitangi Day, a few days after blitzing Adelaide. Then MAC playing Sabah in AFC Cup midweek before hosting the Nix.
Going to be different playing the Glory who stay at home, having had a week off.
Barcellos pinches a 3-2 win for CCM in the last minute of extra time. Both teams visibly exhausted by the end and will surely struggle in this weekend's ALM games.
Barcellos pinches a 3-2 win for CCM in the last minute of extra time. Both teams visibly exhausted by the end and will surely struggle in this weekend's ALM games.
Davila with MAC's first goal. Lewis off at 71 mins (0-0). Tony Smith on at 90 mins (1-1). Storm Roux off at HT for the Mariners.
Keep an eye out for CCM hosting Odisha on 7th March.
Be very interesting to see how Krishna looks against ALM opposition these days. Though he maybe a bit of a lone ranger without much support from his team mates. A bit like when he plays for Fiji.
Barcellos pinches a 3-2 win for CCM in the last minute of extra time. Both teams visibly exhausted by the end and will surely struggle in this weekend's ALM games.
CCM having to deal with Asia helps us. Playing 120 mins isn't ideal with them playing Victory on Sunday tho.
Here's hoping for a good Mariners win, to take on the 30 hour trip to India next week for 2nd leg. Odisha do have the benefit of no ISL game this weekend, whilst CCM have to juggle a game verus Macarthur, before flying out.
Wonder if Roy is still looking to play for Auckland AFC?
On the other side of the AFC Cup draw, Abdysh-Ata (Kyrgyzstan) beat Taichung Futuro from Taiwan 5-0 in their first leg overnight. So if the Mariners get past Odisha, it would then next likely be a 2 leg tie against the Kyrgyz club in April. All good news for the Nix!
Fun to see Krishna in action again but I'm not sure about this weird role he's being asked to play. Doing way too much tracking back and defending deep in his own box, and as that really clumsy tackle shows it's not his bag at all.
You'd think that 4th goal (Barcellos) kills off the 2 legged tie. So now it's getting interesting for the Mariners. Provided Krishna & Odisha can't perform a miracle in India, seems CCM to next have a 2 legged AFC playoff against the Kyrgyz team in April.
Get past that and it's into the AFC Cup final. Prizemoney $USD750K for losing finalist & $USD1.5M the winners. But zero prize for winning ALM Championship or Grand Final!! Given the Mariners won the ALM GF very recently last season, it wouldn't surprise in Gosford if they behind closed doors, decide the AFC Cup is now the priority.
Presumably CCM would get Australia's sole spot in the next edition of AFC Champions League (ACL - which is due to start in Sept 2024) - if they were 2nd behind the not eligible Nix. So Mariners main ALM driver may now be finish at least 2nd, rather than 1st, ie making sure no Aussie club like SFC overtakes them.
AFC Cup playoff 2nd leg, Mariners (4-0 up after 1st leg) in India to play Roy Krishna's Odisha. Hopefully CCM get the job done. APL have rescheduled their ALM game that was down for this weekend, so CCM can focus on this big trip and the AFC Cup financial rewards.
They get past Odisha and the next 2 legged playoff is against Abdysh-Ata from Kyrgyzstan (8-1 winners in their 2 legged playoff). 1st leg in Kyrgyzstan 17th April, and 2nd leg likely at Gosford 24th April.
Mariners get past the Kyrgz club, and it's a min $USD750K payday for making AFC Cup final ($USD1.5M the winners).
Anyway CCM are facing a congested match calendar now, with some long travel. They host the Nix 6th April in a biggie. Nix need just a draw against SFC this weekend to stay atop the ALM, until 30th March when it resumes after the international break.
Just three games stand between @ccmariners and AFC Cup glory 🏆👀
This is the path Mark Jackson’s side have to take to lift silverware and secure $2.3 million in prize money, starting with an Inter-Zone Playoff final against Kyrgyzstan side Abdysh-Ata FC.
I'd still like them to do well in this comp. But yes a close loss probably works best for us, so they have to go out and chase the game next week with there strongest team on the park. A 2-0 loss perhaps in this game would mean they couldn't really afford to rest players in the return fixture next week, before they play there final game against The Jets that weekend.
I'd still like them to do well in this comp. But yes a close loss probably works best for us, so they have to go out and chase the game next week with there strongest team on the park. A 2-0 loss perhaps in this game would mean they couldn't really afford to rest players in the return fixture next week, before they play there final game against The Jets that weekend.
With min $USD750K at stake, any loss tonight makes next week's return AFC Cup 2nd leg the most important game of their season to date.
Remembering you get nothing for winning the ALM, and they have already qualified for this year's richer AFC Elite Champions League as Australia's representative, ie finishing 1st on the ALM ladder doesn't give them any more dosh.
Note the AFC Cup final will be hosted by the West Zone winner, so in either Oman or Lebanon/Iraq. Final is scheduled for 5th May, weekend of ALM Elimination finals. So hopefully that weekend it's the Nix players feet up resting, whilst the Mariners fly all the way to the Middle East.
If CCM can pull off double of winning ALM Grand final & AFC Cup - much respect it won't have been an easy journey!
The Kyrgyz FA are certainly helping their opponents Abdysh-Ata. They ain't playing any Kyrgyz league games during this 2 legged H&A AFC Cup tie. So keeping rested. Meanwhile the Mariners are playing 2 ALM games in the same period.
Tomorrow CCM host Abdysh-Ata in their 2nd leg AFC Cup game. 1-1 after the first leg.
Ideal scenario for the Nix, Mariners win & then have to travel to Oman or Lebanon (more likely Iraq given Lebanon unsafe currently) for the AFC Cup final. Al Ahed from Lebanon hosted Al Nahda from Oman, in Karbala, Iraq last week in their 1st leg. 2nd leg tomorrow in Oman
As somone else pointed out, if the Mariners make the AFC Cup final with it's long haul to the Middle East, they will be higher chance of losing their 2 legged ALM semi series. And if CCM finish 1st ahead of the Nix, we want them to lose their semi final series, so that if the Nix win theirs, it's a ALM Final in Welly as top ranked finalists.
So Al Ahed from Lebanon drew 2-2 with Al Nahda in Oman. winning the semi final/playoff 3-2 on aggregate and they get to host the AFC Final.
Given they held the 1st leg (Al Ahed home game) at a neutral venue in Karbala, Iraq - it's going to be an interesting trip to the Middle East for Central Coast for the May 5th (next Sunday our time) Final. That's if the Mariners get past Abdish Ata tonight, which they are favourites to do.
Before any AFC Final of course CCM play Newcastle this Saturday, and Adelaide next Wednesday.
Al Ahed with a Syrian coach & 3 Syrian starters last night
I get it that the financial payoff for the AFC comp is pretty good, and if I were a CCM gaffer I would put priority on that one. But in all fairness CCM are good enough to fancy their chances for the AFC and for the premiership.
