Hong Kong Lunar Cup for Auckland City:
That's going to contribute to Auckland packing in a lot of games in February and March which could be their undoing, especially if they get hit by injuries.
I noticed that they were missing a few regulars like Iwata and White vs. Canterbury on Sunday. Were they resting them or were they injured?
"Auckland City FC were scheduled to face Southern United on January 29 at Kiwitea Street then Hamilton Wanderers away on February 1 midweek.
With the Navy Blues now headed to Hong Kong for the third time in just two months those fixtures have now been rescheduled to Wednesday February 15 (Hamilton Wanderers) and Wednesday February 22 (Southern United).
This creates something of a fixture logjam for the club with no less than nine games in the next 29 days."
Auckland City already were scheduled to complete their regular season earlier than the other clubs (on March 5) to accommodate the OFC Champions League where the group stage for Auckland runs March 11 to March 18 in Auckland (three group games)
SS Premiership semis: 25, 26 March
SS Premiership Final: April 2
OFC Champions League semis (two legs): April 8, April 15
In the 21 days from February 26 (AFC's second-to-last SS Premiership match) to March 18 (their last game of the OFC Champions group round) Auckland will play five games.
From 26 February to April 15 (OFC Champions second semi) Auckland will play nine games (if they make the semis of both comps and the SS Premiership final).
Surely there must be a reasonable amount of prize money on offer in the Hong Kong tournament with all expenses paid, or why jam up your fixture schedule to the possible detriment of your club?