Tomorrow marks the start of the final round of the National Leagues, and there are still four teams in contention for a place in the men’s Grand Final.

Last weekend in the Women’s National League, Auckland United and CF-Waterside Karori both secured their spots in the women’s Grand Final. However, on the men’s side, those two golden spots are still up for grabs. All eyes will be on the pitches this weekend, with fans eager to see which teams can make the cut. As a reminder, both finals will be played on Sunday December 1^st at North Harbour Stadium.

The team with the highest chance of qualifying is Birkenhead United. Coached by Paul Hobson, they will play the first match of the round this Saturday at 2:00 PM when they visit Cashmere Technical. “Birko” are in control of their own destiny and they enter the final round as the sole leader of the league, so a victory will guarantee their qualification. Even if they fail to win and only manage a draw, they will still have several chances to qualify, depending on the outcomes in other matches e.g. Birko will still qualify with a draw if:

- Western Springs don’t win their match, or

- Western Springs win but don’t overtake Birkenhead in goals scored in the league, or

- Auckland City FC don’t win.

As they are currently at the top of the table, they can also still qualify with a loss, but only if two of the teams in the top four don’t win.

Thus, it goes without saying, they are one of the strong contenders for the title.

In second place is Auckland City FC. Coached by Albert Riera, technically they can qualify by achieving any result (win, draw or loss); however, the only certain way for them to secure a spot in the final on December 1^st is by winning their match on Sunday at Kiwitea Street against Coastal Spirit. If they draw, they could still qualify if one of the following outcomes occur:

- If neither Western Springs nor Napier City Rovers win, or

- If Birkenhead United lose and Western Springs or Napier City Rovers don’t win.

Should Coastal Spirit pull off an upset and win away at Kiwitea, Auckland City FC would only qualify for the final if neither Western Springs nor Napier City Rovers win their matches.

In third place is Western Springs and, understandably, their chances are slimmer. The team led by Scott Hales must secure a win to qualify for the Grand Final. However, even if they can pull off a defeat against Wellington Phoenix Reserves in their last match, they will still need one of the following scenarios to unfold:

- Birkenhead United lose their match, or

- If Birkenhead United draw, Western Springs must win by three goals or more, or

- If Birkenhead United draw and Western Springs win by two goals, Western Springs must have scored more goals overall than Birkenhead throughout the season. Note that if they end up with the same goal difference, same goals scored, and same goals conceded, Paul Hobson's team will qualify for the final, as they beat Western Springs 3-1 in the National League Championship, or

- Auckland City FC don’t win their match.

The team facing the toughest challenge is Napier City Rovers, currently sitting in fourth place. Bill Robertson's team must defeat Wellington Olympic to have a chance of making it to the final; however, even if they get the three points, they will not be in control of their own destiny. They have only two possible routes to the national title, which will occur if Auckland City FC and Western Springs don’t win their matches, or if Birkenhead United lose and either Auckland City FC or Western Springs don’t win.

One thing is for certain: there will be a new National League winner. Wellington Olympic, the champions from last year, can no longer contend for a top-two finish in the tournament. With just one round left to play everything remains open and you can watch all the matches free and live on FIFA+.

The Grand Finals will take place on Sunday December 1^st at North Harbour Stadium. The first final will kick off at 1:00 PM on the women’s side between Auckland United and CF-Waterside Karori, followed by the men's final at 4:00 PM.

Don't miss out and get your tickets on Ticketek now: https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/shows/show.aspx?sh=NZFNLGF24&fbclid=IwY2xjawGlG-hleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHV6lhiSALxZq-OC9enFqI2XOzwwIJugyV6bchdFGEiICtbC7XFR4_RQYQw_aem_iy3Lc0h-1Z-sQUudvvAqXA

Article added: Friday 22 November 2024