After a great opening round in the new National League: South Central Series, what can we expect from Round 2? 


1. Interregional games

As a Covid related precaution for Round 1, every team was drawn to play their closest neighbor. For Round 2 interregional games are fully back on the menu with only one match in the same city. 

The longest trip goes to Central Football who’ll be travelling 900km from Palmerston North to Dunedin to face Southern United


2. Clash of last year’s top two women’s teams

This weekend sees a rematch of the 2020 women’s Final as Capital Football play Canterbury United Pride. It will be Capital who will be looking to regain some pride having lost 4-0 to the Christchurch side in December. 

The Pride suffered a shock 2-1 home defeat in the opening round against Southern United so will be looking to bounce back on their trip to Wellington. 


3. Young goalkeeping talent on display

There were plenty of impressive young talents in the National League regional phase but two stood out between the sticks. 

Western Suburbs’s Kees Sims started every minute of every game in the Central League at just 18. Wests condeed the third lowest number of goals in the league and will be hoping to continue that form in the South Central Series. 



Kees Sims in goal for Western Suburbs | Photosport NZ

Filling the boots of ISPS Handa Men’s Premiership MVP Alex Paulsen is a tough ask but at just 16 Henry Gray has stepped up well, playing every game for Lower Hutt City after Paulsen was called up to the Olympic side and full Wellington Phoenix team. He starts the season as Wellington Phoenix Reserves Number 1. 


4. Football Fern vs Football Fern

One of the interesting side plots of the Capital v Pride game sees a clash of two experienced Football Ferns, as 78-cap Anna Green faces-off against 124-cap Annalie Longo. 

The pair were last together in Japan as part of the The NZ Team Olympic squad but this time they’ll be on opposite sides of the pitch. 



Annalie Longo and Anna Green training at the Olympics


5. Rematch of the Chatham Cup Semi-Final

The last fixture that was possible to be played in the Chatham Cup this year saw Cashmere Technical beat Western Suburbs 1-0 in a tight semi-final. 

This weekend Wests will be looking for revenge as they travel back to Christchurch to face Tech at English Park. 

Article added: Friday 12 November 2021