New Zealand's hectic international programme has landed the country's knockout cup competitions with unprecedented, days-apart, semifinal draws.
The draws for the Chatham Cup and women's Knockout Cup final were made at New Zealand Football headquarters yesterday. In itself the names-out-of-the-hat process was simple enough. Finding suitable dates to
play the four games was anything but.
With the New Zealand women scheduled to play World Cup warm-up games in the US from August 6-15 and the New Zealand men's A team to play two games against Fiji on August 10 and 12 it was quickly obvious any hope of playing all matches on the same day, or at least weekend, was out of the question.
With just a two-week break after Sunday's quarter-final 2-1 extra time win over Eastern Suburbs, Central United, in the last four of the Chatham Cup for the eighth time in 11 years, have again been handed home advantage for their August 5 semifinal against North Shore United.
Shore, a six-time cup winner, will continue their chase for a record-equalling seventh cup triumph should they win at Kiwitea St.
In the other semifinal, to be played six days later at Dunedin's Tonga Park, cup-holders Western Suburbs travel to meet Caversham.
Auckland teams won home advantage in the two Knockout Cup semifinals. Glenfield Rovers will entertain Christchurch club Western at McFetridge Park on August 12 and, a week later, Wellington's Seatoun, in the semifinals for the fourth straight year, will have to travel to play last season's beaten finalists, Western Springs, at Seddon Fields.
Yet to be confirmed are dates and venues for the respective finals but it is likely the women will meet on the weekend of August 25-26, with the Chatham Cup final a week later on either September 1 or 2.
CHATHAM CUP
Semifinals
* Central United v North Shore United, Kiwitea St, August 5, 2pm.
* Caversham v Western Suburbs, Tonga Park (Dunedin), August 11, 2pm.
WOMEN'S KNOCKOUT CUP
* Glenfield Rovers v Western (Christchurch), McFetridge Park, August 12, 1pm.
* Western Springs v Seatoun, Seddon Fields, August 19, 1pm.
