So Eastern Suburbs into the finals, dramatic final round unfortunately effected by the delay.
Semifinals on this Saturday, who do we fancy going into them?
Team Wellington are on great form right now but maybe Auckland will have the upper hand over them in terms of head to head... certainly appears to be between those two once again.
It's hard to see anything else other than ACFC v TeeDubs final. Eastern Suburbs are awful, expect Auckland City to win that easily. Hamilton will try to lump their way into the final, but TeeDubs should be ready for it plus they should also have Schrijvers back this time around.
It's hard to see anything else other than ACFC v TeeDubs final. Eastern Suburbs are awful, expect Auckland City to win that easily. Hamilton will try to lump their way into the final, but TeeDubs should be ready for it plus they should also have Schrijvers back this time around.
OTOH, before the final two rounds where Auckland City rested key players, Eastern Suburbs were the only team to take points off Auckland City during a seven-round stretch and even led until late on in that fixture.
Auckland City still the favourites, especially as Eastern Suburbs have a short turnaround to deal with.
Team Wellington the favourites in the other match, though Hamilton Wanderers should get four missing starters back (but lose one to suspension) from the final round-robin clash.
Have to agree with el grapadura, Eastern Suburbs are awful. Without Adam Thurston they have no creative players so give them no chance against Auckland City.
Auckland's ground looks to be in a terrible state for semi finals football. Maybe looks worse on TV. Hope the venue for the final is better than this., presume it will a neutral ground?
Auckland's ground looks to be in a terrible state for semi finals football. Maybe looks worse on TV. Hope the venue for the final is better than this., presume it will a neutral ground?
So who all on here will be at NHS on Sunday? I'm taking my little girl because she's never been to a match in a stadium, and we'll sit with whomever seems cooler out of the ACFC and TW fans :D
Ramming liberal dribble down your throat since 2009 This forum needs less angst and more Kate Bush threads
This game is exactly why NZF should not have fudgeed with our domestic league. It's not perfect by any stretch, but I cannot see how a 'super league' is going to increase overall quality in our domestic game. Also, go TeeDubs!
Thought Team Wellington were owed another penalty for Adam Mitchell heading through Watson.
ACFCs substitution choices were nuts.
Probably the third Wellington game I’ve seen this year. Well done Wellington.
Won’t be everyone’s choice but Ollie Whyte (pink boots yeah?) player of match for me.
Good game though.
Thought Team Wellington were deserved winners and Auckland City looked nowhere near their best, and would have been more if not for more Cam Brown saves (also unlucky on the penalty).
Tade for me didn’t look his best and, even outside the panenka fail, I thought he was a downgrade from Manickum in the false 9 role. Rogerson missing was huge for AC as Manickum wasn’t as direct at running at players and in behind.
Credit to Team Wellington, agree Whyte was good, Bevin brace and Gulley, Schrijvers and Midgely shut down Tade.
Also note that the league MVP went to Alex Paulsen which I find surprising at the least. He was mostly good, but finished last and with a considerable number of goals conceded, and in my opinion wasn’t even the best goalkeeper in the league. Award could’ve gone to any of Rogerson, Watson, Kaltak, Howieson etc
Thought Team Wellington were owed another penalty for Adam Mitchell heading through Watson.
ACFCs substitution choices were nuts.
Probably the third Wellington game I’ve seen this year. Well done Wellington.
Won’t be everyone’s choice but Ollie Whyte (pink boots yeah?) player of match for me.
Good game though.
Thought Team Wellington were deserved winners and Auckland City looked nowhere near their best, and would have been more if not for more Cam Brown saves (also unlucky on the penalty).
Tade for me didn’t look his best and, even outside the panenka fail, I thought he was a downgrade from Manickum in the false 9 role. Rogerson missing was huge for AC as Manickum wasn’t as direct at running at players and in behind.
Credit to Team Wellington, agree Whyte was good, Bevin brace and Gulley, Schrijvers and Midgely shut down Tade.
Also note that the league MVP went to Alex Paulsen which I find surprising at the least. He was mostly good, but finished last and with a considerable number of goals conceded, and in my opinion wasn’t even the best goalkeeper in the league. Award could’ve gone to any of Rogerson, Watson, Kaltak, Howieson etc
These kind of awards are always awkward. It's awarded based on opposition coaches picking best players for the other teams.
So a team is getting drilled each week and they have to pick a player from the other team... probably going to be the keeper lots of those weeks as long as they've made a couple of decent saves.
The ACFC fans behind me were spitting tacks at Tade (when they weren't spitting tacks at the referee for letting TW get away with "thuggery")
Anyway, a moment of silence for our old friends, the "Knitting Circle" - the Phoenix have now officially outlasted ACFC, the embodiment of "Kiwi coalface football" which was in fact a franchise propped up by pokie money.
Ramming liberal dribble down your throat since 2009 This forum needs less angst and more Kate Bush threads
The ACFC fans behind me were spitting tacks at Tade (when they weren't spitting tacks at the referee for letting TW get away with "thuggery")
Anyway, a moment of silence for our old friends, the "Knitting Circle" - the Phoenix have now officially outlasted ACFC, the embodiment of "Kiwi coalface football" which was in fact a franchise propped up by pokie money.
Auckland City have confirmed that going forward in the new system they will take Central’s place in NRFL Prem so will continue in the new format the same as Hamilton Wanderers and Eastern Suburbs, so they’re not quite dead yet
The ACFC fans behind me were spitting tacks at Tade (when they weren't spitting tacks at the referee for letting TW get away with "thuggery")
Anyway, a moment of silence for our old friends, the "Knitting Circle" - the Phoenix have now officially outlasted ACFC, the embodiment of "Kiwi coalface football" which was in fact a franchise propped up by pokie money.
Auckland City have confirmed that going forward in the new system they will take Central’s place in NRFL Prem so will continue in the new format the same as Hamilton Wanderers and Eastern Suburbs, so they’re not quite dead yet
That's the big unanswered question about the new National League, though - will the amateur regulations mean anything, or will ACFC/Central just continue to rort the Trillian Trust like they used to?
If ACFC/Central becomes just a NRFL club like other clubs - neither better nor worse than Auckland United, Northern Rovers or Western Springs - then my resentment towards the Knitting Circle types who gloated when Terry S went bankrupt may die away.
Ramming liberal dribble down your throat since 2009 This forum needs less angst and more Kate Bush threads
Thoroughly enjoyed this game! Absolutely quality. I didn't like Auckland City's commentators much though, especially that guy who took five minutes to make each point.
Wry smile, Doloras, at Auckland City (2004) supplanting Central United (1962) due to the ACFC brand being too strong - which is the most Modern Football thing possible. All the other clubs are folding, except the ones who were already established clubs pre-dating 2004 - which means the only *franchise* to survive is Auckland.
Central will go on, no doubt about it, but it certainly says something about the power of branding etc.
The isps handa premiership should produce its own content and on sell it to Paramount NZ instead of each club paying $20k to Skysports for 1 game a week.
