2004–05 New Zealand Football Championship

{{Location map+|New Zealand|width = 370|float = right|caption =Location of teams in the 2004–05 New Zealand Football Championship |places =

{{Location map~|New Zealand|label_size=90|marksize=12|lat=-36.8001 |long=174.5957|position=left|mark=waitakcolours.png|label={{nowrap|Waitakere United }}}}

{{location map~ |New Zealand |lat=-36.848270 |long= 174.762491 |label_size=90|marksize=12|label={{nowrap|Auckland City}}|mark=ACFCcolours.png|position=right}}

{{location map~ |New Zealand |lat=-37.756757 |long= 175.291134 |label_size=90|marksize=12|label=Waikato FC|mark=Waikatocolours.png|position=top}}

{{location map~ |New Zealand |lat=-41.292504 |long=174.778755 |label_size=90|marksize=12|label={{nowrap|Team Wellington}}|mark=WellingtonColours.png|position=right}}

{{Location map~|New Zealand|label_size=90|marksize=12|lat=-43.530459 |long= 172.635102|position=left|mark=Cantabcolours.png|label={{nowrap|Canterbury United}}}}

{{Location map~|New Zealand|label_size=90|marksize=12|lat=-39.508197 |long= 176.856895|position=right|mark=Colors del Napier City Rovers.svg|label=Napier City Rovers}}

{{Location map~|New Zealand|label_size=90|marksize=12|lat=-45.863274 |long= 170.526950|position=right|mark=Otagocolours.png|label={{nowrap|Otago United}}}}

{{Location map~|New Zealand|label_size=90|marksize=12|lat=-40.3464 |long=175.6346|position=bottom|mark=Yhmcolours.png|label={{nowrap|YoungHeart Manawatu}}}}

}}

The league kicked off on 15 October 2004, with a 3–1 victory for Auckland City at Napier City Rovers and it soon became clear that Auckland City, along with Waitakere United, were the class teams in the championship. Auckland lost only three games all year en route to be the first winners of the New Zealand Football Championship. Even though they were runners-up in both the regular season and Grand Final, Waitakere lost four times to Auckland City, including the thrilling 3–2 final in front of 3,800 spectators at Auckland City's home field, Kiwitea Street, where Auckland came back from 2-1 down to win in the last minutes of the game.

Waikato FC came out best of the rest to take the final playoff position in third, despite making a slow start to the season. Notables among the other teams were Napier City Rovers, who also came back from a slow start to have a chance of making the playoffs in the final week of the season. Otago United won five games all year, but did not win any of their last twelve games.

{{#invoke:sports table|main|style=WDL

|res_col_header=Q

|team1=AC|name_AC=Auckland City

|team2=WU|name_WU=Waitakere United

|team3=WFC|name_WFC=Waikato FC

|team4=CU|name_CU=Canterbury United

|team5=NCR|name_NCR=Napier City Rovers

|team6=TW|name_TW=Team Wellington

|team7=OU|name_OU=Otago United

|team8=YHM|name_YHM=YoungHeart Manawatu

|win_AC=14|draw_AC=4|loss_AC=3|gf_AC=53|ga_AC=24|status_AC=C

|win_WU=12|draw_WU=4|loss_WU=5|gf_WU=39|ga_WU=19

|win_WFC=9|draw_WFC=4|loss_WFC=8|gf_WFC=27|ga_WFC=25

|win_CU=7|draw_CU=6|loss_CU=8|gf_CU=31|ga_CU=38

|win_NCR=7|draw_NCR=5|loss_NCR=9|gf_NCR=39|ga_NCR=48

|win_TW=5|draw_TW=8|loss_TW=8|gf_TW=35|ga_TW=40

|win_OU=5|draw_OU=5|loss_OU=11|gf_OU=26|ga_OU=46

|win_YHM=4|draw_YHM=6|loss_YHM=11|gf_YHM=26|ga_YHM=36

|col_OCC=green1|text_OCC={{nowrap|Qualified for the finals and Club Championship}}

|result1=OCC

|col_ZFCF=yellow1|text_ZFCF=Qualified for the finals

|result2=ZFCF|result3=ZFCF

|update=complete|

}}

https://www.rsssf.org/tablesn/nz05.html

{{#invoke:sports results|main

|matches_style=FBR|solid_cell=grey

|legs=2

|team1=AC|name_AC=Auckland City

|team2=WU|name_WU=Waitakere United

|team3=WFC|name_WFC=Waikato FC

|team4=CU|name_CU=Canterbury United

|team5=NCR|name_NCR=Napier City Rovers

|team6=TW|name_TW=Team Wellington

|team7=OU|name_OU=Otago United

|team8=YHM|name_YHM=YoungHeart Manawatu

}}

Waitakere and Waikato play in the Elimination Final, the winner of which plays Auckland in Grand Final.

{{3TeamBracket-info

| seeds = yes

| bold_winner = high

| RD1-text1 =

| RD1 = Elimination final

| RD1-seed1 = 2

| RD1-seed2 = 3

| RD1-team1 = Waitakere United

| RD1-team2 = Waikato

| RD1-score1 = 4

| RD1-score2 = 1

| RD2-text1 =

| RD2 = Grand final

| RD2-seed1 = 1

| RD2-seed2 = 2

| RD2-team1 = Auckland City

| RD2-team2 = Waitakere United

| RD2-score1 = 3

| RD2-score2 = 2

}}

{{football box collapsible

| round =

| id =

| date = 6 March 2005

| time =

| team1 = Waitakere United

| goals1 =

• Ellensohn {{goal|9}}
• Wylie {{goal|37}}
• Jordan {{goal|54||82}}

| score = 4–1

| report =

| team2 = Waikato

| goals2 =

• Callinan {{goal|33|pen.}}

| stadium =

| location =

| attendance =

| referee =

}}

{{football box collapsible

| round =

| id =

| date = 12 March 2005

| time =

| team1 = Auckland City

| goals1 =

• Young {{goal|48||90}}
• Mulrooney {{goal|81}}

| score = 3–2

| report =

| team2 = Waitakere United

| goals2 =

• Ellensohn {{goal|31}}
• Jordan {{goal|70}}

| stadium =

| location = Kiwitea Street, Auckland

| attendance =

| referee =

}}

By winning the NZFC, Auckland City went on to represent New Zealand in the Oceania Club Championship in Tahiti. Auckland lost their first game to Australian representatives Sydney FC, 3–2 in the dying minutes. Their next game, against tournament hosts AS Pirae of Tahiti, was also a loss, this time by 1–0. Auckland City would take some consolation from finishing third in their group after defeating the champions of Papua New Guinea, Sobou FC, by 6–1.

• New Zealand Football Championship

{{reflist}}

{{S-start}}

{{Succession box |

before=National Soccer League|

title=New Zealand Football Championship |

years=2004-05|

after=2005–06|

}}

{{S-end}}

{{New Zealand Football Championship}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2004-05 New Zealand Football Championship}}

Category:New Zealand Football Championship seasons

1

New

New