Auckland United claim national title after unbeaten year delivers four ...

Defending champions Auckland United have won the grand final of the Women’s National League, beating CF Waterside Karori 3-1.

The victory means a clean sweep for United in 2024, who add the National League trophy to the OFC Champions League, the Kate Sheppard Cup and the Lotto NRFL Women’s Premiership.

Head coach Ben Bate’s squad finished the 2024 calendar year unbeaten in 41 outings, and they have now gone 49 games without defeat in a run that stretches back to the 2023 season.

The win at Albany’s North Harbour Stadium means United get the chance to defend their OFC Women’s Champions League title next year.

Main photo: Auckland United … four trophies and unbeaten in 2024.

The defending champions got off to a flying start in the grand final when age group international Pia Vlok struck after only 90 seconds.

Vlok (16) created space for a long-range shot that goalkeeper Annie Foote reached but could not control, and the ball dropped into the Wellington side’s goal.

Striker Charlotte Roche, who scored United’s winner in September’s Kate Sheppard Cup final, doubled her side’s lead after 11 minutes, when a defensive lapse left her in the clear and able to shoot into an empty net.

Charlotte Roche charges down the ball which she then shot into an empty net for her first goal.

Midway through the first half, United defender Chelsea Elliott hammered a direct free kick past the defensive wall, but Foote was well-placed to make the save.

In the 25th minute, Rene Wasi almost made it 3-0 when her shot from the edge of the area was tipped onto the post by Foote, and the ball ran agonisingly across the face of the goal.

After half an hour, CF Waterside Karori finally started to get into the game, and looked dangerous on a couple of quick breaks.

A couple of injuries disrupted the flow, and the half finished with United 2-0 ahead.

CF Waterside Karori started the second half with high energy and looked dangerous on the break.

But United hit back with a third goal in the 51st minute when Wasi fired the ball into the danger zone, and Foote’s save fell into the path of Roche, who fired the ball high into the net.

Nikki Furukawa … pulled back a goal for CF Waterside Karori.

A minute after the restart, the Wellingtonians gave themselves hope when Nikki Furukawa scored from a corner, dinking her shot over the heads of defenders.

Vlok almost scored her second of the final when she hit the post with a well-controlled shot from the edge of the area in the 64th minute.

Four minutes later, Auckland’s Danielle Canham shaved the top of the crossbar with a looping shot.

CF Waterside Karori ‘keeper Foote kept her team in the game with a triple save in the 75th minute, saving from Wasi and then twice denying substitute Kaley Ward.

United head coach Ben Bate went to his bench for the latter stages of the game as his team managed the game.

He rested the game’s MVP, Vlok, and striker Roche whose goals clinched for her the League’s Golden Boot, with 10 for the season.

The only late scare came in stoppage time when Kendall Pollock headed a corner goalwards, for United ‘keeper Hannah Mitchell to scramble the ball off the line.

Referee Beth Rattray, who had an excellent game, ended the final seven minutes into added time, sparking celebrations in the United camp.

*Prior to the kick-off, the teams and spectators observed a minute’s silence in honour of legendary referee Les Coffman who died on November 22, aged 95.

READ MORE: Football farewells much-decorated and respected referee, Les Coffman >>>>

What the win means

Auckland United will represent New Zealand at the 2025 OFC Women’s Champions League tournament in Tahiti, from May 4-17.

United will defend the OFC title they won this year in the Solomon Islands.

FIFA plan to introduce a FIFA Women’s Club World Cup, to match the revamped 32-team men’s competition due to start in the United States next year, and it’s likely Oceania’s first representative will be based on which club has the best record in the seasons leading up to its launch.

Result

Game played on Sunday December 1, 2024

Auckland United 3 (Pia Vlok 2′, Charlotte Roche 12′, 51′) CF Waterside Karori 1 (Nikki Furukawa 53′)

Line-ups Auckland United

Hannah Mitchell, Talisha Green (captain), Greer MacIntosh, Chelsea Elliott (Jess Philpot, 89′), Pia Vlok (Penny Brill 77′), Danielle Canham (Alaina Granger 89′), Charlotte Roche (Kaley Ward, 61′), Rene Wasi, Alexis Cook (Paige Satchell 61′), Saskia Vosper, Yume Harashima.

Subs not used: Kate McConnell, Poppy O’Brien.

Staff

Head coach: Ben Bate Assistant coaches: Juliana Los, Craig McGinlay Goalkeeper coach: Isaac Tetteh Physio: Olivia Sprott Team manager: Brian Haycock

CF Waterside Karori … 2024 runners-up. CF Waterside Karori

Annie Foote, Tupelo Dugan, Daphne Ranta, Renee Bacon, Sarah Morton (captain), Kendall Pollock, Emma Starr, Mei Burden (Jessica Shilton 53′), Tessa McPherson (Lizzie Ingham 68′), Nikki Furukawa, Nicola Ross (Emma Kruszona 90+1′).

Subs not used: Ariana Gray, Rhianna Houghton, Kate Marra, Molly Newton-Smith.

Staff

Coaches: Tomas Ignacio Fouquet, Tory Schiltgen Assistant coach: Brent Windelburn Goalkeeper coach: Crawford Plenderleith Physio: Lachlan O’Connor Team manager: Susan Baikie

Officials

Referee: Beth Rattray Assistant referees: Allys Clipsham, Heloise Welch Fourth official: Sarah Jones.

READ MORE: Meet the fifth team who’ll take the pitch for the National League grand finals >>>>

Past champions

*The league moved to its current format in 2022. Previous iterations involved teams representing federations, rather than club teams.

This story was first published on December 1, 2024.

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