OFC Men’s Champions League 2024

[amenina]

https://x.com/ofcfootball/status/176595 ... 13064?s=46

Watch the first leg of the OFC Men's Champions League - National Playoff in New Zealand between Auckland City FC and Wellington Olympic AFC tomorrow at 2pm (NZT).

LIVE and FREE on FIFA+

#OMCL
fifa.fans/43aNEuk

[amenina]

National Playoffs, result on 9 March

New Zealand, first leg
Auckland City FC 1-0 Wellington Olympic

Second leg on 16 March

https://www.oceaniafootball.com/ukich-g ... l-playoff/

[amenina]

National Playoffs, result on 12 March

Tahiti, first leg
AS Pirae 1-1 AS Tefana

Second leg on 15 March

https://www.oceaniafootball.com/all-to- ... first-leg/

[amenina]

https://x.com/ofcfootball/status/176877 ... 94856?s=46

The OFC Men's Champions League - National Playoffs come to a conclusion today, with the second legs in New Zealand and Tahiti.

Wellington Olympic AFC v Auckland City FC (2pm NZT)
AS Tefana v AS Pirae (7pm NZT)

Watch LIVE and FREE on FIFA+
bit.ly/49RX9QS

#OMCL

[amenina]

National Playoffs, result on 16 March

New Zealand, second leg
Wellington Olympic 3-3 Auckland City FC
Auckland City FC won 4-3 on aggregate.

https://www.oceaniafootball.com/second- ... ns-league/

Group A:
1. Solomon Warriors FC (Solomon Islands)
2. Hekari United FC (Papua New Guinea)
3. Rewa FC (Fiji)
4. Auckland City FC (New Zealand)

Group B:
1. AS Tefana or AS Pirae (Tahiti)
2. Vaivase-tai FC (Samoa)
3. Ifira Black Bird FC (Vanuatu)
4. AS Magenta FC (New Caledonia)

[amenina]

National Playoffs, result on 15 March

(Note: Due to the time zone difference, the match on 15 March in Tahiti was played after the match on 16 March in New Zealand.)

AS Tefana 1-1 (5-6 pen) AS Pirae
(After extra time, 0-0 after 90 minutes)
2-2 on aggregate, AS Pirae won on penalties.

https://www.oceaniafootball.com/as-pira ... t-victory/

The National Playoffs have been completed.

Group A:
1. Solomon Warriors FC (Solomon Islands)
2. Hekari United FC (Papua New Guinea)
3. Rewa FC (Fiji)
4. Auckland City FC (New Zealand)

Group B:
1. AS Pirae (Tahiti)
2. Vaivase-tai FC (Samoa)
3. Ifira Black Bird FC (Vanuatu)
4. AS Magenta FC (New Caledonia)

[MercedesBenz240]

With Auckland City's domination in OFC you would think they would demolish most of their opponents, yet last year they went to pens against Vanuatuan opposition and this year they barely qualified. Wonder what the implications of them receving them sweet millions from the WC will be like.

[amenina]

With Auckland City's domination in OFC you would think they would demolish most of their opponents, yet last year they went to pens against Vanuatuan opposition and this year they barely qualified. Wonder what the implications of them receving them sweet millions from the WC will be like.

It was actually even more dramatic in last season's National Playoffs, where Auckland City were facing the same opponents. Midway through the second half of the second leg, Wellington Olympic were leading by two goals on aggregate, but Auckland City then scored four goals to win the tie. https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2023/ ... c/4037008/

Of course Auckland City did the same thing in the semi-final against Ifira Black Bird of Vanuatu. They trailed two goals midway through the second half, but after the hosts had a player sent off, scored two goals to tie the match, and after a goalless extra time, won the match on penalties. https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2023/ ... c/4058695/

And then in the final, it was a bit of role reversal. They were leading Suva of Fiji by two goals, but had a player sent off, and Suva tied the match. But in extra time, Suva also had a player sent off, and Auckland City scored two goals to seal the title, and in effect won the OFC place for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2023/ ... a/4058697/

In this season's National Playoffs, Auckland City were only trailing by one goal on aggregate at half time of the second leg, and scored two goals in the second half to win the tie. The difference with last season was that this season they were playing away for the second leg, while last season they were playing at home for the second leg. https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2024/ ... c/4302725/

The reason they were not hosting the second leg of the this season's National Playoffs was that they finished as league runners-up last season. Wellington Olympic won the regular season of the National League, and then beat Auckland City in the championship final between the top two teams. They also lost in the round of 16 of their domestic cup. So the OCL was the only title they won last season, if you do not count the regional Northern League (and even that one they did not win by much). https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nz2023.html#nat

So as you can see, in terms of results on the field in the last year or so, Auckland City are hardly a great team that beat everybody convincingly. Yet, every time they are playing in the OFC Champions League, they just go into "unbeatable" mode no matter the circumstances. Between 2015 and 2024, Auckland City only lost one OCL match, the 2019 semi-final against Magenta of New Caledonia 1-2, although in 2018 they were eliminated by Team Wellington in the semi-finals by the away goals rule (which are no longer used) after drawing both legs. But that's the only two times the 11-time OCL champions did not win the title in the last 11 editions. So we will see whether they can keep their Oceania dominance alive, and prior to the Club World Cup next year, whether they will bring in reinforcements to strengthen the squad.

[MercedesBenz240]

With Auckland City's domination in OFC you would think they would demolish most of their opponents, yet last year they went to pens against Vanuatuan opposition and this year they barely qualified. Wonder what the implications of them receving them sweet millions from the WC will be like.

It was actually even more dramatic in last season's National Playoffs, where Auckland City were facing the same opponents. Midway through the second half of the second leg, Wellington Olympic were leading by two goals on aggregate, but Auckland City then scored four goals to win the tie. https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2023/ ... c/4037008/

Of course Auckland City did the same thing in the semi-final against Ifira Black Bird of Vanuatu. They trailed two goals midway through the second half, but after the hosts had a player sent off, scored two goals to tie the match, and after a goalless extra time, won the match on penalties. https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2023/ ... c/4058695/

And then in the final, it was a bit of role reversal. They were leading Suva of Fiji by two goals, but had a player sent off, and Suva tied the match. But in extra time, Suva also had a player sent off, and Auckland City scored two goals to seal the title, and in effect won the OFC place for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2023/ ... a/4058697/

In this season's National Playoffs, Auckland City were only trailing by one goal on aggregate at half time of the second leg, and scored two goals in the second half to win the tie. The difference with last season was that this season they were playing away for the second leg, while last season they were playing at home for the second leg. https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2024/ ... c/4302725/

The reason they were not hosting the second leg of the this season's National Playoffs was that they finished as league runners-up last season. Wellington Olympic won the regular season of the National League, and then beat Auckland City in the championship final between the top two teams. They also lost in the round of 16 of their domestic cup. So the OCL was the only title they won last season, if you do not count the regional Northern League (and even that one they did not win by much). https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nz2023.html#nat

So as you can see, in terms of results on the field in the last year or so, Auckland City are hardly a great team that beat everybody convincingly. Yet, every time they are playing in the OFC Champions League, they just go into "unbeatable" mode no matter the circumstances. Between 2015 and 2024, Auckland City only lost one OCL match, the 2019 semi-final against Magenta of New Caledonia 1-2, although in 2018 they were eliminated by Team Wellington in the semi-finals by the away goals rule (which are no longer used) after drawing both legs. But that's the only two times the 11-time OCL champions did not win the title in the last 11 editions. So we will see whether they can keep their Oceania dominance alive, and prior to the Club World Cup next year, whether they will bring in reinforcements to strengthen the squad.

Thanks for the recap, crazy how they always pull through