Understanding the A-League Final Series and OFC Pro League Round 6

May is a massive month for Auckland FC!

Both A-League and OFC Pro League competitions are heading into their final stages, with champions being crowned in May, and with Auckland FC competing at the top of both competitions, it presents a great opportunity to pick up silverware.

Fans will be eager to support both teams, but there is potential for confusion with overlapping fixtures, different formats, multiple locations and varying stakes, so we want to make sure you know exactly what’s on and where to be.

There are also some important points to note at the bottom when it comes to ticketing – so here’s everything you need to know.

And finally, as soon as we know when tickets will be on sale, we’ll let you know.

A-LEAGUE FINALS FORMAT:

With the regular season complete, the top six teams enter the three-stage finals series to crown an A-League champion.

Stage 1: Elimination Finals

(Friday 1^st May – Sunday 3^rd May)

Teams finishing 3^rd to 6^th enter sudden-death knockout matches, with the winner progressing to the semi-finals and the loser being eliminated. The teams in 3^rd and 4^th place will host their respective elimination final.

The teams placed in 1^st and 2^nd will skip the elimination finals and automatically progress through to the semi-finals.

Stage 2: Two-legged Semi-Finals

(Friday 8^th May – Sunday 10^th May & Friday 15^th – Sunday 17^th May)

Each semi-final is played over two legs, one home and one away, with the aggregate score across both matches deciding who progresses. If the teams are tied after the second leg, extra time and penalties will determine the winner.

The teams that finished 1^st and 2^nd on the ladder will choose which leg they will host.

Stage 3: Grand Final

(Saturday 23^rd May – Sunday 24^th May)

The two semi-final winners progress to the grand final, with the winner of the match being crowned A-League Champion. Hosting rights to the grand final are awarded to the team that finished higher on the regular-season ladder:

1^st place would host 2^nd place

2^nd place would host 5^th place

5^th place would host 6^th place

OFC PRO LEAGUE ROUND 6 & FINALS FORMAT:

The OFC Pro League is now heading into its final stage, where the league table is split in half into the Leaders and the Challengers groups. The top four teams (leaders) will compete for three semi-final spots. The bottom four teams (challengers) will compete for the last semi-final spot. Auckland FC is competing in the leaders’ group.

Round 6 Leaders Group Format:

The Leaders group, which Auckland FC top, will consist of the top 4 teams from the Circuit Series Ladder competing in a round robin series. The top 3 teams will progress to the semi-finals. The 4^th place finishing team will progress to the semi-final playoff match.

Auckland FC OFC Pro League team will play:

Auckland FC vs. South Melbourne, Wednesday 6^th May, 7pm at Go Media Stadium

Auckland FC vs. Bula FC, Saturday 9^th May, 2:30pm at Eden Park

Auckland FC vs. South Island United, Tuesday 12^th May, 7:00pm at Eden Park

Round 6 Challengers Group Format:

The Challengers group will consist of the bottom 4 teams from the Circuit Series Ladder competing in a round robin series. The team that finishes top of the challenger’s group will progress to the semi-final playoff match.

Challengers group matches will be played on:

Thursday, 7^th May at Eden Park

Sunday, 10th May and Wednesday, 13^th May at Go Media Stadium

Finals Format:

Semi-final Playoff Match

The bottom-place finisher in the Leaders group and the first-place finisher in the Challengers group will play in the semi-final playoff match. The winner of this playoff will progress to the Semi-Final. The match will be played on Sunday, 17^th May at Go Media Stadium.

Semi Finals

The semi-finals will be played on Wednesday, 20th May, with the 1^st place side in the Leaders group hosting the winner of the semi-final playoff match.

The other semi-final will be contested by the teams that finished 2^nd and 3^rd in the Challengers group. The winner of each match will progress to the final. Unlike the A-League, these matches will be single-leg only.

Final

The OFC Pro League Final will be held on Sunday, 24^th May at Eden Park. The match will be contested by the winner of both semi-finals. The winner will be crowned champions of the OFC Pro League and will qualify for the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

INFORMATION FOR FANS

With both teams playing in Auckland in the finals, there is potential for confusion. Please always double-check the game you’re heading to, as well as the venue

Ticketing for both the OFC and A-League Finals is not controlled by Auckland FC, so please double-check your tickets before purchasing, as we cannot refund your tickets

For A-League finals, members will receive early access to tickets

All Auckland FC members will also receive a 20% discount on A-League finals tickets

Unfortunately, there is no same seat guarantee, so get in early to pick your favourite seats

Keep an eye out for emails and on the club socials for more information. We’ll announce more as soon as we can

KEY DATES

A-LEAGUE	OFC PRO-LEAGUE
Elimination Final: Friday 1^st May – Sunday 3^rdMay, TBC	Game 1: Auckland FC v South Melbourne, Wednesday 6^th May, 7pm at Go Media Stadium
Semi Final Leg 1: Friday 8^th May – Sunday 10^thMay, TBC	Game 2: Auckland FC v Bula FC, Saturday 9^th May, 2:30pm at Eden Park
Semi Final Leg 2: Friday 15^th May – Sunday 17^thMay, TBC	Game 3: Auckland FC v South Island United, Tuesday 12^th May, 7:00pm at Eden Park
Grand Final: Saturday 23^rd – Sunday 24^th May	Play-off Winner: Wednesday 20^th May, Go Media Stadium
	Grand Final: Sunday 24^th May, Eden Park