Kate Sheppard Cup 2024

Auckland United score in the 90th minute to make it 1-0

Great goal scored by Charlotte Roche


- It ends 1-0, Auckland United win the Kate Sheppard Cup 

Congrats!

By any rights, given the absolute dominance they enjoyed in the first 20 minutes or so, AU should have won by 3 or 4. But the last ten minutes were insane, with a disallowed goal and 2 shots off the crossbar for WS.

Fun day in the stands, the Littlest Hooligan got green-and-white facepaint.

Don't want to seem churlish but it really was a poor game with low technical standards.Really thought the womens game at club level had developed more than that and recall previous finals had been of a higher standard.
Had to check the composition of the NZ U20's to see how many players missing but only one from Western Springs from what I can tell.
As Doloras said it could have been 3 or 4 nil to Auckland United  in the first 20 minutes so Kudos to Springs for hanging in there and pushing it right to the bitter end. 
It is great to see teams attempt to play out from the back but Springs persisting with that for the first 20 minutes and placing themselves under immense pressure. Someone should have just got them to play more of the game further up the pitch for a while and settle it down. They were fortunate it didn't result in absolute carnage.
Yes it was an insane last 10 minutes and the wry smile on the Springs players face after the crossbar intervened in injury time was priceless
Not sure about the plans for a womens Club world Cup but if Auckland United went there as Oceania reps then I would be very fearful.
Reasonable crowd - about the same as the later Chatham Cup Final. Springs were well represented

Does anyone know why the WS goal in injury time was disallowed? Someone was saying "foul on the keeper" but no-one seems to know for sure

Doloras

Does anyone know why the WS goal in injury time was disallowed? Someone was saying "foul on the keeper" but no-one seems to know for sure

Foul on the keeper by #14.  She does have eyes on the ball and jumps but is a foot too short to be getting close to the ball, and the body angle baking in does not look great either so I think it was the right decision.

chubbs

Don't want to seem churlish but it really was a poor game with low technical standards.Really thought the womens game at club level had developed more than that and recall previous finals had been of a higher standard.
Had to check the composition of the NZ U20's to see how many players missing but only one from Western Springs from what I can tell.
As Doloras said it could have been 3 or 4 nil to Auckland United  in the first 20 minutes so Kudos to Springs for hanging in there and pushing it right to the bitter end. 
It is great to see teams attempt to play out from the back but Springs persisting with that for the first 20 minutes and placing themselves under immense pressure. Someone should have just got them to play more of the game further up the pitch for a while and settle it down. They were fortunate it didn't result in absolute carnage.
Yes it was an insane last 10 minutes and the wry smile on the Springs players face after the crossbar intervened in injury time was priceless
Not sure about the plans for a womens Club world Cup but if Auckland United went there as Oceania reps then I would be very fearful.
Reasonable crowd - about the same as the later Chatham Cup Final. Springs were well represented

Re: player availability , also have to consider NZSS during the week impacts the available squads as well.  

In terms of level, for AU this is their 31st game, for WS, their 26th game, and they still have another 9 or 10 to go!  For AU I think their intensity has dropped off, less running off the ball than what there was earlier in the season, and too much shooting from distance.  Even their winning goal, as good as it was for the player to hit with their weaker foot on the run, there was a simple ball that was onto Wasi that would have been the higher value option.  

Also the ex A-league (3), ex-NZ players (2), and the various overseas players don't stand out as head and shoulders above the rest.  I think that with every game in the NRFL being videoed and made available to coaches, this is leading to better defensive organisation and the team in possession being under more pressure every time they have the ball, and this is leading to hurried touches etc

So I was practicing down at Grafton cricket last night and the following conversation took place:

A young lady: "What football club do you play for?"
Me: "Western Springs."
AYL: "Oh, Charli who was here before plays for them."
Me: "Really, what grade?"
AYL: "The very top one."
Me: "So... I was watching her on Saturday night, huh?"

I don't know how I ended up in a training session alongside someone who plays KS Cup finals and Auckland U17 in cricket. I guess women's cricket really *is* hurting for players.

Charli Dunn?  Looks like she's also in the NZ U17s for football.

Cool thing about growing up in a country like NZ, you can try many sports. But talented young Charli will likely need to choose one over the other soon.

https://theniche-cache.com/football/2024/9/8/auckland-united-are-the-2024-kate-sheppard-cup-champions

As for Western Springs, they had Amberley Hollis in goal who, coincidentally, started the season with Auckland United. She even won the Golden Gloves at the OFC Champions League (yes, Auckland United won that trophy too). Tiana Hill and Arisa Takeda gave them great energy and experience at fullback, while Megan Lee and Charli Dunn made for a funky central defensive pairing. Lee is 29yo and got a few caps for the Football Ferns a decade ago. In contrast, Dunn is probably going to the U17 World Cup later this year.