Tomorrow, starting at 4:00pm, the first of the finals kicks off as Western Springs aims to defend their title against Auckland United for the Kate Sheppard Cup at North Harbour Stadium. Immediately following that match, Wellington Olympic and Auckland City FC will face off in the Chatham Cup final, beginning at 7:00pm.

In the first final, the reigning Kate Sheppard Cup champions will square off against the current National League champions.

Western Springs, who qualified for the National League Championship after finishing fourth in the NRFL Women’s Premiership, reached the final after eliminating four teams along the way. Having won the Cup last year, Maia Vink’s side advanced directly to the second round without having to play.

Their first match was in the second round against FC Tauranga Moana, which they won 3-1 with goals from Rhee Morrison, Maia Lythe, and Megan Lee.

They played as hosts only once throughout the competition, and that was in the third round when they convincingly defeated Hibiscus Coast 5-0.

In the quarterfinals, they were away again, this time against Franklin United, and replicated their second-round result. Despite starting off behind, Megan Lee quickly equalized, and then Rina Hirano and Maia Lythe sealed a 3-1 victory.

Western Springs had to travel the farthest in the semifinals, facing Dunedin City Royals in Dunedin, but avoided two of the strongest rivals, Auckland United and Wellington Phoenix Reserves, before reaching the final. Maia Vink’s team swiftly settled the match in the first half with goals from Rina Hirano, Liz Savage, and Rebecca Burrows, winning 3-0 to advance to another final.

The team arrives at the final having scored 14 goals and conceded only two, with Maia Lythe as the current top scorer in the competition with three goals.

On the other hand, Auckland United comes into the final in great form and is likely the favorite to win the title. The current National League champions went unbeaten in the NRFL Women’s Premiership with 59 points and claimed the OFC Champions League title earlier this year.

Auckland United won 7-0 against Cambridge FC in their first match in the Cup (also starting in the second round) and then eliminated Eastern Suburbs and Western Coast Rangers with categorical victories of 4-0 and 5-1, respectively.

Although they comfortably advanced to the semifinals, they faced a tough challenge in their last match against Wellington Phoenix Reserves. They initially fell behind, and when it seemed they might be knocked out of the Cup, Saskia Vosper managed to equalize, giving Auckland's team hope. It looked like the game might go to extra time, but in the final play of the match, Estelle Harrison scored the 2-1 winner to send Auckland United to the final.

The OFC Champions League champions scored 18 goals in just four matches and conceded only two. Tomorrow at 4:00 PM, they will seek to win their third title of the year.

The Chatham Cup final, also to be held at North Harbour Stadium, will kick off at 7:00 PM and will feature the top two teams in the country in recent years.

Wellington Olympic, who began their Cup journey in the second round, reached the quarterfinals by defeating all their central region opponents decisively. They first won 4-0 against Seatoun AFC, then 5-0 against Western Suburbs, and 8-0 against Stop Out.

In the quarterfinals, they faced Northern League side Manurewa AFC, which seemed like a good test, and won comfortably 4-0 to advance to the semifinals.

They traveled to Christchurch in the semifinals to play against Coastal Spirit, who had only lost one match all year by that time, and once again 'The Greeks' won by a wide margin, this time 5-1.

Wellington Olympic scored 26 goals in just five Cup matches and will look to exploit their attacking potential against Auckland City FC tomorrow. Managed by Paul Ifill, they are well-acquainted with playing important matches against the Navy Blues, having faced them in several finals in recent years, and will seek to repeat their success from last year’s National League Championship final.

However, despite Wellington Olympic’s impressive numbers, they will face none other than Auckland City FC, arguably the strongest team in the country in recent years.

Although Auckland City FC has performed well throughout the Cup, their path to the final has been somewhat tougher. They defeated Metro FC, Hamilton Wanderers, Cambridge FC, and Otago University but needed extra time to overcome a formidable Birkenhead United.

Additionally, Albert Riera’s side has had to play several midweek matches in recent weeks to catch up on fixtures missed due to the OFC Champions League. Although they have played more matches this year, the Navy Blues have a large squad accustomed to these types of finals.

The objective is clear: to win their second Chatham Cup and secure their third title of the year before heading to the Intercontinental Cup in just over a week.

Tomorrow promises excellent football in both finals, and North Harbour Stadium will be the place to be on Saturday.

Don’t miss the finals and get your tickets now at Ticketek: https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/shows/show.aspx?sh=CUPFINAL24&fbclid=IwY2xjawFB6jpleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHX7B9etZJ8l10-ohowMronrpEYxiNrFo0lThg6IeO7_QMmVEoTNZ9pUNCg_aem_iHaj6avPAKSa0ydBiTbDDw

Article added: Friday 06 September 2024