As it was previously reported, Galaxy FC were supposed to play a friendly match against Port Vila squad in order to keep their preparation for 2020 OFC Champions League. Port Vila squad counted on some important players from other Port Vila Premier League teams like Tafea, Erakor Golden Star and Ifira Black Bird. You can check the full Port Vila squad by clicking here.
It was the first match of English striker Terence Carter who recently arrived in Vanuatu to sign with Galaxy FC and he did not disappoint the fans. He scored a hat-trick to show everyone his power to help in the 5-0 win.
The other two goals were scored by Alphonse Lency and Diego Máximo. Galaxy FC will be in 2020 OFC Champions League Group A alongside with Hienghène Sport, Hekari United and Eastern Suburbs. You can check the group stage schedule by clicking here.
Wellington Phoenix faced Western Sydney Wanderers at Sky Stadium in Wellington, New Zealand. The WeeNix were trying to remain unbeaten for the ninth straight match to tie the club-record unbeaten run of nine matches – and they did it.
David Ball was not available due to a hip flexor injury while Reno Piscopo missed the match because he is at AFC U23 Tournament in Thailand. Jaushua Sotirio and Callum McCowatt came up to the starting eleven to face Wanderers.
It was an special match because Wellington Phoenix announced that they will donate $2 for every ticket purchased for this match in order to raise funds in support of relief and recovery efforts for victims of the bushfire. The fans really helped as it was the highest home attendance at Sky Stadium in the 2019-20 A-League season.
Phoenix started very well and Mexican Ulises Dávila hit the post with a long shot. After some minutes he opened the scoreboard with another long shot from the same region of the pitch he hit the post.
Ulises Dávila against Western Sydney Wanderers. Source: FFA Media
The half time arrived with Phoenix leading by 1-0. Second half was not a good one for WeeNix but they managed to hold Western Sydney Wanderers attack in a good defensive performance of Ufuk Talay’s squad.
One of the biggest news came up in the middle of the second half when Wellington Phoenix Reserves captain Sam Sutton replaced Jaushua Sotirio in the 67th minute. Sutton is a very talented 18 years old attacking midfielder and it was his second ever appearence in Hyundai A-League. His first appearence was on December 21 against Sydney FC but he did not play more than five minutes so the match against Wanderers was the first opportunity to watch him playing for a considerable amount of time.
Despite the bad performance in the second half, Wellington Phoenix scored the second goal after an outstanding effort by Liberato Cacace to seal the 2-0 win with a nice goal in the 88th minute. You can check the full highlights by clicking here.
Phoenix players celebrating Cacace’s goal. Source: Wellington Phoenix Media
It was Cacace’s first goal of the season and his second ever goal for Wellington Phoenix in 45 matches. The important win took the Nix to the third position in A-League’s table with 21 points in thirteen matches. Phoenix come back to pitch on January 18 against Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium.
Cook Islander Maro Bonsu-Maro scored his first goal of the season for Auckland City in the 6-2 win against Waitakere United in the Super City Derby.
Bonsu-Maro playing for Auckland City. Source: NZF Media
Bonsu-Maro came from the bench to replace Mario Ilich in the 69th minute to score Navy Blues‘ sixth goal. It was his first goal of the season and his 11th for Auckland City. The Navy Blues remain on top with 21 points in nine matches.
The 2019-20 Telekom S-League is getting closer to its end. Solomon Warriors and Henderson Eels are already qualified for 2020 OFC Champions League. However both teams will face troubles to strengthen their squads for the continental championship.
According to local sources the transfer window of Solomon Islands closed on November 8 and it will not open before the upcoming edition of OFC Champions League. It means that Warriors and Eels can not bring foreign players. The situation gets even worse because they can not even sign players from other S-League teams so they can only sign players from lower leagues or youth teams.
Warriors (left) and Eels (right) will face some difficulties to strengthen their squads for 2020 OFC Champions League. Source: SIFF Media
These strange rules damage the possibility of a team from Solomon Islands reach the later rounds of the tournament. Solomon Islands Football Federation should think twice about it in order to help local teams.
The upcoming edition of Fijian Champion vs Champion will be contested by Labasa and Ba. It was previously reported that the first match would be played on January 19 and the second on January 26.
However the Fiji FA released a statement on this Saturday announcing that the first match was postponed to January 24. The match will be played at Churchill Park at 7pm.
Champion vs Champion official picture. Source: FFA Media
The second match will be played at Ratu Cakobau Park on January 26 at 3pm.
The PNG National Soccer League is back after three weeks off. Five matches will be played this Saturday for the third matchweek of the league. You can check them in the picture below:
You can check the full schedule of the league by clicking here. Oceania Football Center wish good luck to all teams.
The eight games in a row without a defeat for Wellington Phoenix can turn into nine when they enter the pitch to face Western Sydney Wanderers in Wellington. Both sides already met this season in Wellington and the Nix emerged victorious.
After a hard fought win last weekend against Central Coast Mariners, Phoenix will not have an easy duty against the former AFC Champions League winners. Alex Rufer continues out due his knee injury and the English forward David Ball will be missing this match after sustaining an injury in the previous match. Reno Piscopo – that scored a belter for Australia U23 in the AFC Asian Cup – will be also missing the game. The option to sub Ball might be speedster Jaushua Sotirio.
David Ball will be missing the match against Wanderers – Newshub
Wanderers come from a 2-1 defeat at home against Brisbane Roar and sits only 8th in the A-League table. Certainly the strikers Mitchell Duke and Nicolai Müller might be a danger for the Phoenix defense.
If the New Zealand-based club grabs all points from this clash they may finish the round at 3rd position in the ladder, increasing the streak for nine matches in a row without a loss. Ulises Davila alongside Gary Hooper may be much influential in this game if Phoenix really wants to have a win.
Eight goals in the season so far for Ulises Davila – A-League Media
Phoenix enters the pitch of Sky Stadium at 4:45pm NZT to face the Western Sydney Wanders hoping for one more good result. The match will be telecasted by Sky Sport and streamed at YouTube channel of MyFootball for overseas fans.
The most important football league of New Zealand is back to action: the ISPS Handa Premiership starts 2020 in style with important matches, the main one is the Super City Derby between Waitakere United and Auckland City.
The first match of the round will see the Wellington Phoenix Reserves receive Southern United in Wellington at Sky Stadium. The WeeNix comes from a frustrating 2-2 against Eastern Suburbs in their last match of 2019 – they went 2-0 in the first half and allowed the opponent to level the match in the final 45 minutes. Southern had a result that they can be proud of, as they hold the powerhouse Auckland City to a 0-0 draw in Dunedin.
Southern will travel to face Phonix Reserves – Southern Media
The Super City Derby will be the most entertaining match of the round: with a long history of rivalry, Waitakere United will be playing at home against Auckland City. Waitak is doing a fine season so far, but dissapointed in their previous game as they suffered a last-minute equalizer against Team Wellington and dropped two points.
Auckland City comes stronger for the new year as they signed two very important player for the rest of the season. Myer Bevan continues his run as top goalscorer, but in the last two matches either him or his team scored – two 0-0 draws in a row against Eastern Suburbs and Southern.
Waitakere will hope to get a famous win against Auckland City – Simon Harmer
Sunday will be the day for more three matches of the round. Canterbury United will play against Hamilton Wanderers in Christchurch – both sides come from important victories in their last round in 2019. Hamilton finally got back to their winning days with two wins in a row after a very frustrating start of season. Both sides have the same amount of points in the table – a clash that may decide who goes up and who sticks with the same nine points.
Aaron Clapham (center) scored one of Dragons goals against Tasman – NZF Media
After losing against Canterbury United, Tasman will receive the defending champions Eastern Suburbs in Nelson. The last placed team in the rankings with just two wins in the season so far really needs the three points against the Lilywhites. The team coached by Jess Ibrom comes from two defeats in a row.
Eastern Suburbs, currently at 4th in the table, will hope the likes of Martin Bueno and Reid Drake – who scored in their last match against WeeNix – continue the good momentum this time away from Auckland.
Jess Ibrom hopes his side can recover in the table – NZF Media
One of the most entertaining games of the round will take place in David Farrington Park as Team Wellington faces Hawke’s Bay United. Team Wellington after a 1-1 draw away from home against Waitakere United will be hoping to continue their chase on Auckland City in the table. The 2nd placed is three points away the current leaders, but they will not have an easy challenge as they face the good side of Hawke’s Bay United that is surprising in the season so far stading in the 3rd spot in the standings.
TW will hope Henry-Sinclair (center) continues his fine form – TW Media
Auckland City will hope to increase their points difference to the second and third placed teams and the mid-table placed clubs will battle hard to grab points to seek for a place into the top four. You can check the current standings of ISPS Handa Premiership here.
Kosta Barbarouses is one of the most successful players of all time in Hyundai A-League. The 29 years old winger has already built a bright career in Australia to become a true legend in the most important football league in the country.
Barbarouses won A-League Premiership twice (2011 and 2015) and A-League Championship for three times (2011, 2015 and 2018) for Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Victory. He also won 2015 FFA Cup for Victory and received the Mark Viduka Medal – an award given to the MVP of FFA Cup Final match. He was also named for PFA A-League team of the season in 2011 and 2016. Only two other New Zealanders were named twice for the team of the season: Shane Smeltz (2009 and 2010) and Marco Rojas (2013 and 2017).
Kosta Barbarouses is an idol at Melbourne Victory. Source: FFA Media
He is also one of the all-time top scorers (5th place of all time) of Hyundai A-League with 66 goals scored in 216 matches including regular season and play-offs. The Melbourne Victory’s idol is now playing his first season for Sydney FC. He has also played for Wellington Phoenix and Brisbane Roar.
His notable honours and awards make him one of the players that will be remembered for decades. The New Zealander footballer has not turned 30 yet so he can keep on building a huge history in Australia.
The 2020 OFC Nations Cup will be the 11th edition of the OFC Nations Cup, the quadrennial international men’s football championship of Oceania organised by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC). It is initially scheduled to be played from 6 to 20 June 2020.
OFC president Lambert Maltock confirmed in an interview that the next Nations Cup will be held in New Zealand for the third time (1973, 2002 and 2020).
Current champions New Zealand will host 2020 OFC Nations Cup. Source: OFC Media
Maltock has also confirmed the championship’s format: American Samoa, Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga will play a preliminary round to fight for a spot in the group stage as the other seven nations are already qualified.
