2015 OFC Champions League Final

The 2015 OFC Champions League Final was the final of the 2014–15 OFC Champions League, the 14th edition of the Oceania Cup, Oceania's premier club football tournament organized by the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC), and the 9th season under the current OFC Champions League name.

2015 OFC Champions League Final
Event2014–15 OFC Champions League
Auckland City Team Wellington
1 1
after extra time
Auckland City won 4–3 on penalties
Date26 April 2015
VenueNational Stadium, Suva
RefereeNorbert Hauata (Tahiti)

The final was played between two New Zealand teams, Auckland City and Team Wellington. It was played at the National Stadium in Suva on 26 April 2015.[1] The winner earned the right to represent the OFC at the 2015 FIFA Club World Cup, entering at the qualifying play-off round.

Auckland City defeated Team Wellington 4–3 on penalties (1–1 after extra time) to win their fifth consecutive and seventh overall OFC club title.[2]

Background

This was the second final to be played as a single match during the OFC Champions League era. The previous single-match final, in 2013, was also the only previous final to feature two New Zealand teams, where Auckland City defeated Waitakere United.

Auckland City were the four-time defending champions. They had played in six previous finals, winning all of them in 2006, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. For Team Wellington, this was the first time that they reach an OFC club final.

On 16 March 2014, Auckland City defeated Team Wellington 1–0 in the 2013–14 ASB Premiership grand final to be crowned domestic champions. Both teams qualified for the 2014–15 OFC Champions League as they also finished first and second in the regular season. On 19 October 2014, Team Wellington defeated Auckland City 4–3 on penalties (2–2 full-time) in the season-opening ASB Charity Cup. In the 2014–15 ASB Premiership, both teams again finished first and second in the regular season, with the two teams each winning their home match against their final opponent (Team Wellington 4–0 Auckland City on 29 November 2014; Auckland City 3–0 Team Wellington on 15 February 2015).

Road to final
Further information: 2014–15 OFC Champions League

The final stage of the 2014–15 OFC Champions League was played in Fiji.

Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first.

Auckland City Round Team Wellington
Opponent Result Group stage Opponent Result
Suva 3–0 Tefana 2–1
Western United 3–0 Hekari United 2–0
Tafea 3–0 Amicale 3–2
Group B winner
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Auckland City 3 3 0 0 9 0 +9 9 Advance to semi-finals
2 Amicale 3 2 0 1 4 5 −1 6
3 Suva 3 1 0 2 5 7 −2 3
4 Western United 3 0 0 3 1 7 −6 0
Source: OFC
 Group C winner
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Team Wellington 3 3 0 0 7 3 +4 9 Advance to semi-finals
2 Hekari United 3 2 0 1 6 6 0 6
3 Tafea 3 0 1 2 5 7 −2 1
4 Tefana 3 0 1 2 4 6 −2 1
Source: OFC
Gaïtcha 1–0 Semi-finals Ba 2–0

Rules

The final was played as a single match. If tied after regulation, extra time and, if necessary, penalty shoot-out would be used to decide the winner.

Match

Auckland City took the lead in the 14th minute through João Moreira's penalty, but Team Wellington equalized in the 79th minute, when Ian Hogg hammered in a loose ball after a free kick. The match went to extra time, and Auckland City missed the chance to retake the lead when Michael O'Keeffe saved Darren White's penalty, and the match ended 1–1, meaning the title had to be decided by a penalty shoot-out.

In the penalty shoot-out, both teams missed one penalty in the first four rounds, with Tamati Williams saving from Luis Corrales and O'Keeffe saving from Ángel Berlanga. In the fifth round, Hogg sent his penalty over the bar, and Kim Dae-wook converted his shot to give Auckland City the title.[2][3]

Auckland City 1–1 (a.e.t.) Team Wellington
Moreira  14' (pen.) Report Hogg  79'
Penalties
Đorđević
Berlanga
McGeorge
Browne
Kim 		4–3 Feneridis
Corrales
Peverley
Gulley
Hogg
Auckland City
Team Wellington
GK1 Tamati Williams
DF2 Marko Đorđević
DF3 Takuya Iwata
MF4 Mario Bilen 108'
DF5 Ángel Berlanga
DF9 Darren White
FW10 Ryan De Vries
MF13 Iván Carril 41' 89'
MF15 Ivan Vicelich (c) 98'
FW17 João Moreira 85'
FW19 David Browne 78'
Substitutes:
MF8 Anthony Hobbs
MF11 Cameron Lindsay
MF12 Adam McGeorge 98'
MF14 Colin Murphy
MF16 Kim Dae-wook 89'
GK18 Danyon Drake
FW20 Óscar García
FW21 Gustavo Souto 85'
DF22 Andrew Milne
MF23 Sam Burfoot
GK24 Jacob Spoonley
MF25 Michael den Heijer
Manager:
Ramon Tribulietx
GK1 Michael O'Keeffe
FW2 Tom Jackson 33'
DF3 Aaron Scott 78'
DF5 Bill Robertson
MF8 Cole Peverley (c)
FW10 Luis Corrales
MF11 Michael Gwyther 33'
DF12 Ian Hogg 73'
MF13 Alex Feneridis 38'
MF16 Justin Gulley
MF19 Chris Bale 112'
Substitutes:
FW6 Sean Lovemore 98' 33'
DF15 Tim Myers 78'
MF18 Mickaël Partodikromo
MF20 Adam Cowan
GK22 Daniel Clarke
GK23 Alex Carr
FW9 Jarrod Smith (injured)
MF17 Jake Butler (injured)
DF4 Tyler Lissette (absent)
MF7 Henry Fa'arodo (absent)
MF14 Cory Chettleburgh (absent)
DF21 Tamupiwa Dimairo (absent)
Manager:
Matt Calcott
National Stadium (also known as ANZ Stadium) in Suva, Fiji, hosted the final.

Assistant referees:
Tevita Makasini (Tonga)
Paul Ahupu (Tahiti)
Fourth official:
Robinson Banga (Vanuatu)

References
  1. "OFC Insider Magazine (2015 Fiji Airways OFC Champions League Special Edition)". Oceania Football Confederation.
  2. "Auckland City triumph in final thriller". Oceania Football Confederation. April 27, 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-04-27. Retrieved 2015-04-26.
  3. "Auckland City v Team Wellington Highlights". Youtube. April 28, 2015.
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