PREVIEW: How the Chatham Cup quarter-finals shape up this weekend

Travel and mid-season fatigue are factors as the last eight clubs head into this weekend’s quarter-finals of the Chatham Cup.

Luck of the draw kept apart teams from the same regions, to the delight, no doubt, of the national carrier, and potentially giving significant home advantage.

Hibiscus Coast and Otago University, the only two surviving teams from outside of the top regional leagues will be well supported at their home grounds.

All four games will be streamed live and free by FIFA+.

Here’s how the quarter-finals shape up …

Olympic need to overcome Northern League hoodoo

Wellington Olympic v Manurewa

For national champions Wellington Olympic, Northern League clubs have proved to be their nemeses in recent cup campaigns.

Olympic haven’t beaten a Northern League club in the competition since the 2009 final when they overcame Three Kings United 2-1 to lift the trophy.

This year, they host four-time cup holders Manurewa, from the Northern League.

Olympic statistician Steven Robertson says the Wellington club makes it more difficult for themselves against the northerners in the cup.

“In each of the last three meetings with Northern League sides in the cup, Olympic have conceded the first two goals of the match,” he says.

“Two of the matches, we got back to 2-2 but lost in extra time (we were actually 4-3 up against Onehunga Sports in 2019 at the end of the first period of extra time).”

For the record, Olympic’s horror starts against Northern League sides were:

• 0-2 v Onehunga Sports 2019 QF – eventually lost 4-5 AET
• 0-2 v Auckland City 2022 SF – eventually lost 1-3
• 0-2 v Eastern Suburbs 2023 QF – eventually lost 2-3 AET

“The Suburbs match was 0-2 by the 17th minute, and I seem to recall it was 0-2 even earlier against Onehunga, but I can’t find the details,” Robertson says.

Manurewa head to Wellington seeking 2024 glory in the competition they last won 40 years ago.

Unbeaten Coastal Spirit not taking northerners lightly

Hibiscus Coast v Coastal Spirit

Coastal Spirit striker Alejandro Steinwascher says though his side is unbeaten in league and cup this season, the Canterbury side won’t underestimate opponents Hibiscus Coast.

Steinwascher, who has scored 15 goals in 13 rounds of the Southern League, told NZ Football: “We know that Hibiscus Coast are going to be a tough side.

“We don’t know much about them, but they would not be playing at this point in the tournament if they did not deserve to be here.”

As for the long haul from Christchurch to Auckland, followed by an hour-long trip from airport to Coast’s Stanmore Bay Park, Steinwascher said: “I do think that the travel will be a bit difficult, but it definitely should not affect the way we play.

“I think it will be a good test to see how we compare to other teams in the country.”

Hibiscus Coast are mid-table in the Lotto NRFL Men’s Championship, having won promotion to the competition two years ago.

Auckland City face fixture congestion and long haul

Otago University v Auckland City

Northern League champions face their fifth match in two weeks when they make the longest trip of the round, to Dunedin where they’ll face Otago University.

Striker Angus Kilkolly told Auckland City’s website: “Yeah, it’s a hectic time of the season right now, next is another big game in Dunedin. The Chatham Cup is a competition we want to win.

“It’s important we recover well and we have to be at our best, we need to be focussed to get into the semifinals, so hopefully we go down there and get the job done.”

In-form teammate Regont Murati, who has scored four goals in his past five matches, said: “It’s a knockout match. It’s like a final.

“They’re going to be a good team, they are in the last eight of the competition. It’s a quarter-final, you never know what’s going to happen.”

University are third in the ODT Men’s Southern Premiership, and will cause a sensation if they upset the Oceania club champions.

Player to watch is University striker Sam Clegg who used to play for Auckland City’s U-23 side, and helped them to three Lotto NRFL U-23 Premiership titles.

Could this be the hardest fought of the quarter-finals?

Napier City Rovers v Birkenhead United

Napier City Rovers, who won the trophy in 2019, will be at home against Northern League side Birkenhead United, who are trying to win their third Chatham Cup in eight years.

Both clubs are vying for spots in this year’s Men’s National League but they know what cup success feels like, and this could be the hardest fought of the four quarter-finals.

Napier sit second in the Central League, and their attack is led by Swedish import Oscar Faulds who has scored 21 goals in 14 league rounds.

READ MORE: Swedish striker joins Napier City Rovers ahead of new Central League campaign >>>>

Rovers are no one-trick pony, though, and can produce goals from all over the park.

Check out this goal by Sam Lack, judged by NZ Football to be their most recent Goal of the Week:

 

Goal of the week

Birkenhead United are second in the Northern League and have a potent attack of their own.

They signed former All White Monty Paterson, from Manurewa, and Sam Philip, from last year’s Chatham Cup winners Christchurch United, over summer, and both are firing up front.

Midfielder Corban Piper makes his 50th first-team appearance for Birkenhead in the cup clash.

Fixtures

Games to be played on Saturday July 27, 2024

Chatham Cup

Wellington Olympic v Manurewa
Wakefield Park, Island Bay, 2pm

Hibiscus Coast v Coastal Spirit
Stanmore Bay, Whangaparaoa, 2pm

Otago University v Auckland City
Dunedin Artificial Turf, Dunedin, 6pm

Game to be played on Sunday July 28, 2024

Napier City Rovers v Birkenhead United
Bluewater Stadium, Napier, 2pm

Past rounds

RESULTS: Fourth round of 2024 Chatham Cup >>>>

RESULTS: Third round of 2024 Chatham Cup >>>>

RESULTS: Second round of 2024 Chatham Cup >>>>

RESULTS: First round of 2024 Chatham Cup >>>>

RESULTS: Preliminary round of 2024 Chatham Cup >>>>

Key dates

Semi-finals
Weekend of August 16-18, 2024

Final
Sunday September 8, 2024

READ MORE: History of the Chatham Cup >>>>

All the past winners — Chatham Cup

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