Following a historic first round in Auckland, South Island United has arrived in Papua New Guinea for the second round of fixtures in the OFC Pro League this weekend.
All eight clubs will play three matches across seven days at the Santos National Football Stadium in Port Moresby.
After suffering defeat to rivals Auckland FC in their opening game, South Island United responded with a victory, and head to Port Moresby with three points on the board from their opening two games of the competition.
“We’ve got a platform we can build on, and I’m pretty happy with the potential of the team,” says head coach Rob Sherman.
South Island United scored twice in the first ten minutes to beat Vanuatu United FC in Auckland, and will play South Melbourne FC, Solomon Kings FC, and hosts PNG Hekari FC, in what shapes as a tough second round schedule.
“We’re evolving, and I was very pleased with the first half performance of our second game in Auckland. We want more of that.”
Having had one of their opening round fixtures postponed, their opponents South Melbourne FC sit second behind Auckland FC on the ladder with two wins from two.
“We know confidence and performance are very important, but we also respect all our opponents,” says head coach Sinisa Cohadzic.
Just like Auckland FC, South Melbourne arrive without the familiarity of the hot and humid conditions present in the islands.
“We got to play a friendly game in 40 degrees heat a couple of days ago, so some of the players now have experience. But it will still be a challenge, and just like everybody else, we have to deal with it and adjust.”
Watch the match live on TVNZ+ this Sunday at 2:30pm
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