New Zealand Teams Triumph in OFC Pro League Matches

New Zealand clubs dominated their matches in the OFC Pro League on January 31, 2024, with both South Island United and Auckland City securing victories at North Harbour Stadium. South Island United recorded their first win of the tournament, defeating Vanuatu United 2-1, while Auckland City continued their winning streak with a 1-0 triumph over Fiji’s Bula FC.

South Island United bounced back from a previous loss to Auckland City, showcasing resilience and teamwork. The match began with an explosive start as Ryan Feutz opened the scoring just four minutes in, converting a pass from Ollie Van Rijssell. Shortly after, Haris Zeb extended the lead to 2-0, finishing a combination play initiated by Ry McLeod and David Yoo.

Despite trailing early, Vanuatu United did not relent. They made several changes to their lineup from their last match and started aggressively, forcing South Island goalkeeper Steven van Dijk to make crucial saves. His efforts included fending off a long-range shot from William Cardona and denying a one-on-one chance from Azariah Soromon.

In the 67th minute, substitute Alex Saniel scored for Vanuatu, narrowing the gap to 2-1. The team pressed for an equalizer but faced a setback when a potential equalizing goal by Owen Smith was disallowed by the video assistant referee (VAR) for a foul in the box. Vanuatu coach Lars Hopp expressed his frustration with the VAR decision and emphasized the need for his team to maintain consistent performance throughout the tournament.

“We need to improve our overall work rate,” Hopp stated after the match. “The second half was much better; this is a learning group.”

Auckland City maintained their perfect record in the league, now with three wins from three matches. Their victory over Bula FC was secured by an early goal from midfielder Daniel Normann, who found the net in the 12th minute after a corner kick from Reid Drake. Following the goal, Auckland adopted a defensive strategy, successfully thwarting Bula FC’s attempts to equalize.

Bula FC had their chances, including a close call from Fergus Gillion, who missed a scoring opportunity in the 30th minute. Another potential equalizer by Nabil Begg was ruled offside after review by VAR. Despite a strong effort, Bula FC could not convert their chances, leaving them with only one point from their opening matches.

“It’s tough to lose, but we will take the positives into the next match,” said Kaile Auvray of Bula FC, reflecting on their performance. “We had many chances but didn’t convert.”

As the tournament progresses, South Island United will look to build on their momentum, while Vanuatu United prepares for their next match against Tahiti United in Port Moresby. The competition continues to intensify, with teams vying for leadership as they head into the next round.

On the horizon, Saturday’s matches will feature Solomon Kings FC facing Tahiti United and PNG Hekari FC taking on South Melbourne FC, promising further action and excitement in the OFC Pro League.