After winning the OFC Women’s Champions League in the Solomon Islands, Auckland United’s young squad will get a brief chance to enjoy Honiara as tourists before heading home to New Zealand.
Alaina Granger (20), who won the Player of the Match award after United’s 1-0 win against Hekari United in the final, said she planned to celebrate with milkshakes and, maybe, a day at the beach.
“I think we’re lucky to get that goal when we did. I think coming into the second half, it would have been a lot tougher (otherwise),” she told OFC Media after the match.
Main photo: Alaina Granger … ‘player rotation helped us.’
Granger said a highlight of the tournament had been the way the squad had rotated, enabling players to play different roles.
This would help the squad — which has 10 teenagers — in their Lotto NRFL Women’s Premiership season.
United are scheduled to play Ellerslie on Thursday night at Michaels Ave in their first round game.
READ MORE: Auckland United crowned Oceania women’s champions after tight final >>>>
WATCH: Highlights from final of OFC Women’s Champions League >>>>
Result
Game played on Saturday March 23, 2024
Auckland United 1 (Bree Johnson 25′)
Hekari United 0
Auckland United
Goalkeeper
1 Amberley Hollis (26)
Defenders
2 Talisha Green (captain), (23)
4 Greer Macintosh (21)
6 Riley Sheldon (18)
13 Holly Rennell (17)
19 Kara McGillivray (15)
21 Kate McConnell (21)
Midfielders
8 Danielle Canham (18)
10 Pia Vlok (15)
12 Alaina Granger (20)
16 Yume Harashima (27)
17 Penny Brill (17)
25 Piper O’Neill (15)
Forwards
9 Bree Johnson (23)
11 Rene Wasi (21)
12 Alaina Granger (20)
14 Alexis Cook (18)
15 Charlotte Roche (19)
20 Poppy O’Brien (17)
Staff
Head coach: Ben Bate
Assistant coach: Jo Dawkins
Goalkeeper coach: Margaret Kofela
Physio: Margaret Takona
Team managers: Brian Haycock, Cath Beggs
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