AUCKLAND – The semi finals of the New Zealand Football Championship are delicately poised heading into the return legs this weekend.
League runners-up Auckland City started their tie against YoungHeart Manawatu as favourites, but will begin Sunday’s televised match with a two-goal handicap after the first leg in Palmerston North.
Auckland have home advantage and a crucial away goal in their favour, however, and will take some comfort from the absence of Manawatu’s influential playmaker Raf de Gregorio who misses the return leg through suspension along with first-leg goal scorer Gustavo Saralegui.
But Manawatu have played their best football this season when written off, and showed both attacking flair and defensive grit in the 3-1 win at home despite playing most of the second half with just nine men.
With Auckland eyeing a 2-0 win to take them through on away goals, will Manawatu’s Bob Sova set up his team to defend the lead or seek a match-turning away goal?
Defending champions Waitakere United have a slender one-goal lead over Team Wellington as they return home to Douglas Field on Saturday, and with an unblemished home record stretching back almost two full seasons, the odds are in favour of Waitakere at least preserving that lead.
Wellington were the form team at the back-end of the regular season and despite a loss at home, or maybe because it was so close, the boys from the capital still fancy their chances of an upset.
They’ll need to win, as a draw is good enough for Waitakere to progress to their third straight NZFC Grand Final.
A 1-0 Wellington win would send the game to extra time while a higher scoring win would hand them the tie on away goals or aggregate.
Key players Andy Barron and Luis Corrales will need to fire if Wellington are to unlock Waitakere’s miserly defence, but shutting down Waitakere’s match winners will be equally important.
The Lion Foundation Youth League clash between Waitakere and Hawke’s Bay United will now be a curtain raiser for Saturday’s NZFC semi-final, while Auckland-Manukau face runaway leaders Auckland City in the final match of league action on Sunday.
Story and photo courtesy of NZF Media
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New Zealand Football Championship Semi Finals (second leg)
Match: Waitakere United (1) v Team Wellington (0)
Date: Saturday 21 March, 2009
Venue: Douglas Field, Henderson
Kickoff: 15h00 (local time)
Referee: Matt Conger (Palmerston North)
Match: Auckland City (1) v YoungHeart Manawatu (3)
Date: Sunday 22 March, 2009
Venue: Kiwitea Street, Sandringham
Kickoff: 14h05 (local time) – Live on Sky Sport 2 from 2pm
Referee: Peter O’Leary (Hamilton)