Soccer: One-off grand final flawed way to find league winner

The merits of deciding a season-long league in a one-off, winner-take-all (but without any prize money) grand final - have long been debated.

New Zealand Football won't be drawn into the argument, insisting such a game is their big chance to showcase domestic soccer. And find their "champion".

Thankfully, they have now changed their thinking on how best to determine which team should take the first qualifying spot in the O-League.

In the earlier years, that honour went to the grand final victor. Now the minor premiers, rightfully, take that first spot (should Oceania in future trim New Zealand's representation to one team).

But should the winner of a one-off game be acclaimed as the "real" champion when, in a worst-case scenario, the team finishing fourth in the regular season could go on and win the sudden death final?

Would it not be better to play this "made for television game" as a stand-alone fixture with decent prize money on a winner-take-all basis?

That would at least recognise the regular season winner as the deserved champion.

The Chatham Cup is the place to decide a trophy in a one-off showpiece.

In the first six seasons of the now ASB Premiership, only three winners of the regular season league (either 21 or 14 games) have gone on to be crowned "champions".

Auckland City, who go into Sunday's final as warm favourites on the back of their outstanding recent record to claim their fifth title (they have never lost a final), will not be concerned as they played second fiddle to Waitakere United in the minor premiership finishing six points back.

No one can argue that City are the form team. In 19 games since losing 3-1 to Waitakere at Kiwitea St on November 7, they drew their next four, won 10 in a row, dropped an inconsequential game to Canterbury United, and bounced back to win their last four.

After that slow start under the new coaching pairing of Ramon Tribulietx and Aaron McFarland and with a vital stoppage time 1-1 O-League draw at Fred Taylor to turn it around, City have been impressive, capping their run with recent 5-0 and 5-1 wins over Tahitian champions AS Tefana and Team Wellington.

Last weekend's first leg O-League win in Vanuatu underlined their current form.

Yet, and somewhat tellingly, Tribulietx said this week that he does not regard his team as favourites, pointing to Waitakere as the best team.

"They won the league," he said.

Therein, surely, lies the answer.

PAST FINALS
* 2009-10: Waitakere 3 Canterbury 1
* 2008-09: Auckland City 3 Waitakere 1
* 2007-08: Waitakere 2 Team Wellington 0
* 2006-07: Auckland City 3 Waitakere 2
* 2005-06: Auckland 3 Canterbury 3 (Auckland 4-3 on pens)
* 05: Auckland City 3 Waitakere 2