17th edition of the Oceanic club championship sees new format change, good one. After implementing various hosts scheme last year, which was great, OFC brings in the quarterfinal - unlike last few seasons, group runner-up will from now on also qualify to the elimination stage. It all starts on January 20 in Pago Pago where Pago Youth (American Samoa), Veitongo (Tonga), Lupe o le Soaga (Samoa) and Tupapa (Cook Islands) will face each other in Qualifying round in fight for two group stage spots. Matches are played on January 20, 23, 26. All group teams are also known. Group A, Vanuatu, February 10-18 Lae City Dwellers (Papua New Guinea) Naikutan (Vanuatu) Ba (Fiji) Qualifying round winner Group B, Tahiti, February 10-18 Solomon Warriors (Solomon Islands) Dragon (Tahiti) Lossi (New Caledonia) Erakor Golden Star (Vanuatu) Group C, New Zealand, February 24 - March 4 Auckland City (New Zealand, title holder) Lautoka (Fiji) Madang (Papua New Guinea) Venus (Tahiti) Group D, Solomon Islands, February 24 - March 4 Team Wellington (New Zealand) Magenta (New Caledonia) Qualifying round runner-up Marist Honiara (Solomon Islands) Notable absences are Hekari United (2010 winners), who left Papuan league, and there are no two biggest clubs from Vanuatu - Amicale (two time finalist) and Tafea (one final). Top two teams from each group qualify to quarter-final followed by semi-final and final. Each of three rounds are played in home-away format. Auckland City is seven-times title holder.
This is a good format. More teams by way of the top two teams makes for more competition within the national domestic leagues and allows for more variation of playing styles. At the end it makes the champions league a more robust league. The travelling home and away is always tough which is why teams need depth and may use their loan scheme to recruit players which will give experience to bring back to other local domestic club. Plus most other teams in champion league are in the same boat in terms of depth, player availability, travel time, extra expenses, etc. admittedly the most further away teams has to grow a thick skin in this league.
And it kicked off today. Tupapa - Lupe o le Soaga 1-0 Veitongo - Pago Youth 1-1 Next matchday is scheduled for Wednesday, Veitongo faces Tupapa and hosts Pago Youth faces Lupe o le Soaga. Pago is likely to qualify if they defeat Lupe and could become first ever team from American Samoa to take part in main stage of the Champions League. That country, along with Tonga, is the only that did not have team in the main round of the competition.
Veitongo - Tupapa 2-9 Pago Youth - Lupe o le Soaga 1-13 Goal galore today, 25 goals in two matches. I think nobody expected this to happen. Tupapa Maraerenga qualified and will likely travel to Vanuatu to take part in group A. Lupe and Veitongo will play for second spot, Lupe qualifies with a draw.
Lupe o le Soaga - Veitongo 6-0 Pago Youth - Tupapa 0-5 Samoan champion joins Tupapa in the group stage in what will be their third appearance (six matches, 0-1-5 record). They will take part in group D in Honiara, Solomon Islands, with Team Wellington, Magenta and home side Marist. Tupapa will mark their debut. Also, Papuan side Lae City Dwellers is named Toti City Dwellers since last week. Group stage starts with groups A and B on February 10.
http://www.fifa.com/live-scores/ofcchampionsleague/news/newsid/292/928/0/index.html is titled "Pacific challengers seek to end Auckland's hegemony."
After matchday 1 in group A: Tupapa - Toti City 2-7 Nalkutan (host) - Ba 1-0 and group B: Erakor Golden Star - Solomon Warriors 2-0 Dragon (host) - Lossi 4-0 Perfect start for Vanuatu clubs while Fijian giant Ba find themselves in tough position. I see they have new stadium in Port Vila, now under floodlights. Nice.
Group A Toti City - Ba 1-0 Tupapa - Nalkutan (host) 0-4 Nalkutan faces Toti in a match that will decide what team wins the group and home-field advantage in quarterfinal. Ba and Tupapa are eliminated. Group B Solomon Warriors - Lossi 6-1 Erakor Golden Star - Dragon (host) 3-4 Dragon, lead by the great Marama Vahirua, scored twice in added time to secure three points, but not yet qualification to next round. Before last matchday: Dragon 6 Erakor Golden Star 3 (better h2h with Solomon Warriors) Solomon Warriors 3 Lossi 0 Dragon plays Warriors and qualifies with win/draw/loss, Warriors need to win by two goals to qualify (if Erakor wins what is likely).
First two groups are now concluded. In group A home side Nalkutan defeated Toti City 4-1 to claim #1, Toti finisheds second. In the other group team with easiest job failed to qualify - Erakor needed to defeat worst team of the group, Lossi, but game ended in a 2-2 draw. In the other game Solomon Warriors defeated home side Dragon 2-1 and qualified to quarterfinal. Dragon finishes first, seems like first tiebreaker is GD then goals scored, not h2h as I first tought. Nalkutan and Dragon will host quarterfinal matches while Toti and Solo Warriors will play away - quarterfinal is played on single game basis, semifinal and final on home-away basis. Groups C and D will kick-off next weekend in Auckland and Honiara.
http://www.fifa.com/live-scores/ofcchampionsleague/news/newsid/293/163/1/index.html is titled "Eight remain on road to Oceanian glory." It mistakenly says "the quarter-finals will take place on 7 & 8 March" when it should say April. https://www.flashscore.com/football/australia-oceania/ofc-champions-league/fixtures/ has the fixtures.
The Quarterfinals were one game at the clubs I listed first: Team Wellington (New Zealand) 11-0 Poti City (Papua New Guinea) Auckland City (New Zealand) 2-0 Solomon Warriors (Solomon Islands) Dragon (Tahiti) 1-2 Lautoka (Fiji) Nalkutan (Vanuatu) 1-2 Marist (Solomon Islands) The Semifinals and Final will be two legs. The New Zealand clubs will meet in the Semifinals. Team Wellington and Lautoka will host first legs. If you go by the score in this round, Team Wellington could be Auckland City. Wikipedia says the games will be April 21 to 29, followed by the Finals from May 12 to 20. They have not announced which day of the weekend will be used.
http://www.fifa.com/live-scores/ofcchampionsleague/news/newsid/294/559/8/index.html is titled "New king to be crowned as Auckland’s long reign ends."
Team Wellington will host the first leg against Lautoka of Fiji. It starts in about one-and-a-half hours.
It was only 1-0 at halftime. While down 4-0 in the 64th minute, Praneel Naidu got a straight red card.
http://www.fifa.com/live-scores/ofcchampionsleague/news/newsid/294/921/3/index.html is titled "Duo eye breakthrough continental glory." It was written before the first leg.
http://www.fifa.com/clubworldcup/ne...tinental-kings-earn-club-world-cup-berth.html is titled "Team Wellington crowned continental kings, earn Club World Cup berth." Team Wellington won 4-3 to reach double-digits on aggregate.
http://www.fifa.com/news/y=2018/m=5/news=seven-year-hegemony-ended-as-new-pacific-kings-crowned.html is titled "Seven-year hegemony ended as new Pacific kings crowned."
Well Team Wellington nearly lost that leg by taking the foot off the acceleration. They are going to find it hard in the CWC.