Soccer: Pay day in sight for clubs as Manawatu make it to semis

New Zealand Football Championship clubs around the country would have been holding their breath as YoungHeart Manawatu eventually won through to join Auckland City in tomorrow's Oceania Club Championships semifinals.

The Manawatu side drew 3-3 with Tafea FC on Tuesday night, earning the vital point needed to take them to the semis.

At stake for the NZFC clubs is a big pay day - and they now have two chances in four of collecting. The franchises who did not make it to the play-offs for the World Club Championships will pocket about $65,000 each if a New Zealand team wins Sunday's North Harbour Stadium final.

Under the agreement with the NZFC clubs, the US$1 million ($1.6 million) guaranteed to all teams in December's finals in Japan will be split should either City or Manawatu make it through.

The successful club will take US$300,000, the players/staff from that club will share another US$300,000, the other seven franchises will split their US$300,000 and New Zealand Soccer will pick up US$100,000.

Now, with two New Zealand teams through and avoiding each other in the semifinals, there remains the chance of an all-New Zealand final.

City coach Allan Jones is not letting the money issue cloud his thinking as he prepares for tomorrow's semifinal with Fijian club Nokia Eagles.

He is more concerned with getting the best from the 17 players he has available.

He has lost Chad Coombes and Paul Vodanovich to one-match suspensions after being sent off in the 1-0 win over AS Pirae (Tahiti) on Tuesday.

"We will also be without Greg Uhlmann who rolled an ankle," said Jones.

Of his preference for a semifinal opponent, Jones said he did not have one.

But he was full of praise for the Fijian side.

"The Fijians are, on paper, probably the best of the island teams here," said Jones. "They are technically gifted and able to play a physically direct style."

He is well aware of the threat posed by roving defender Marika Namaqa who thumped long-range shots into opposing goals in the Eagles' first two matches.

"Those are the type of goals you can't do much about," said Jones.

Manawatu coach Colin Tuaa has no players out for the second semifinal clash with Tahitians AS Pirae.

"They are all on deck," said Tuaa.

In reflecting on the final round of pool matches, he said he and his players went through a variety of emotions going from "no chance" at 0-3 against Tafea FC to 3-3 at fulltime and a semifinal spot.

"It was bizarre," said Tuaa of the way the day panned out.

"We have to take heart from how we came back. Tafea played well but so have the other teams."

The Tahitians will be without Heirani Bennett who has landed a one-match suspension after being sent off for a studs-up tackle in the game against City.

His teammate Area Resopawiro copped a two-match ban for violent contact after an errant elbow left Graham Little with a battered nose and a bloodied face.

Semifinals

Tomorrow

Auckland City (NZ) v Nokia Eagles (Fiji) North Harbour Stadium outer oval 2.30pm

YoungHeart Manawatu (NZ) v AS Pirae (Tahiti) North Harbour Stadium No 1 6pm