News

United in knockout Semi- Final against the Jets

GOLD Coast United’s inaugural Hyundai A-League regular season is over, but our inaugural Finals Series is about to begin, starting this Saturday night (20 February) with a home semi-final against the Newcastle Jets at Skilled Park (7.00pm kick off).

After finishing third on the table every Finals game is do-or-die for United, meaning a loss results in elimination from this season’s competition. Extra time and penalties will determine the winner in all of Gold Coast’s matches if the score is tied after 90 minutes.

If United are to reach the Hyundai A-League 2010 Grand Final from third place then a minimum of three games must be played and won.

Firstly, we face sixth-placed Newcastle Jets this Saturday night at Skilled Park. If we are successful, we then play the winner of the other semi-final between Wellington Phoenix (4th) and Perth Glory (5th). Again we will be at home, with the game due to be played at Skilled Park on the weekend of 6/7 March.

If we are successful once again, we will then go head-to-head with the loser of the Major Semi-Final between Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC on Saturday 13 March. This will be an away fixture for Gold Coast and the winner will then proceed to the Grand Final on March 20.

Details of how the 2010 Hyundai A-League Finals Series is formatted can be found further down the page.

TICKETS FOR NEWCASTLE GAME

To view ticketing information for the Newcastle game, please click here

THE FORMAT

Expansion of the Hyundai A-League this season heralds a new and exciting format for the 2009/10 Finals Series with the top six sides all in contention for a place in the Grand Final.

The route of least resistance to the season’s showpiece is to finish the regular season in either first or second place, with the top two teams playing each other over two legs to determine the first Grand Finalist.

The loser of the 1st v 2nd Semi Final gets a ‘second bite of the cherry’ and will go on to play the eventual winner of the elimination semi-finals in a do-or-die match to determine the second Grand Finalist.

Apart from the 1st v 2nd Semi Final over two legs, all other matches are one game and straight knockout, with the winner progressing and the loser eliminated.

The first round of 2009/10 Finals Series matches are followed by a week’s break to allow for the international fixture between the Socceroos and Indonesia.

FINALS SERIES WEEK ONE – SEMI FINALS (all kick off times Qld time. Home team listed first)

Thursday 18 February
Match A: [1st v 2nd - 1st leg] Melbourne Victory v Sydney FC (Etihad Stadium, 6.30pm)

Saturday 20 February
Match B: [3rd v 6th] Gold Coast Utd v Newcastle Jets (Skilled Park, 7.00pm)

Sunday 21 February
Match C: [4th v 5th] Wellington Phoenix v Perth Glory (Westpac Stadium, 2.00pm)
.................................................................................................

FINALS SERIES WEEK TWO – SEMI FINALS

Weekend of 6/7 March
Match D: [1st v 2nd - 2nd leg] Sydney FC v Melbourne Victory (Sydney Football Stadium, kick off TBC)

Match E: Winner Match B v Winner Match C (straight knockout, loser eliminated)
.................................................................................................

FINALS SERIES WEEK THREE – PRELIMINARY FINAL

Saturday 13 March
Match F: Loser Matches A+D v Winner Match E
.................................................................................................

FINALS SERIES WEEK FOUR – GRAND FINAL

Saturday 20 March
Match G: Winner Matches A+D v Winner Match F