National Premier Leagues SA Finals Series – Week 3
Preliminary Final: Adelaide City Vs MetroStars
Venue: Adelaide City Park
Date: 25/08/2018
Kick-off: 6:00PM
Last time they met:
Round 8: Adelaide City 0 – 2 MetroStars
Round 22: MetroStars 1 – 2 Adelaide City
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWuIXtpYmI4
Listen: 5RTI Match of the Round – tune into Radio Italiana 531am or via the TuneIn App
Team Lists:
Adelaide City: 1. Ryan Veitch, 3. Bradley Corbo, 4. Scott Nagel, 5. Matthew Halliday, 7. Joel Allwright, 8. Joseph Costa, 9. Anthony Costa, 11. Nicholas Bucco, 12. Shannon Day, 14. Dominic Yuel, 18. Stefan Casalbore, 19. Ante Markulic, 20. Luke Ostbye, 23. Valentino Kuach Yuel, James Boffa, Matthew Jones, Yiannis Nestoras
Coaches: D.Mori, J.Smith
Team Staff: J.Verringer, D.Cavaiuolo, J.Evans
MetroStars: 1. Isaac Carmody, 2. Nicholas Menechella, 3. Cohan Morris, 4. Justin Davis, 5. Timothy Henderson, 6. Anthony Solagna, 7. Michael D’Aloisio (C), 8. Rocky Callisto, 9. Thomas Strain, 10. Liam Wooding, 11. Matthew Charalambous, 12. Benjamin Head, 16. Alexander Jakob, 17. Matthew Dawber, 18. Fabian Barbiero, 21. Lachlan Barr, 22. Hamish Gow, 23. Christian Esposito, 25. Jackson O'Donnell, 26. Stefan Cali
Coaches: R.Saraceno, K.Antoniou, T.Dodd
Team Staff: P.Terminello, J.Polisena, G.Laoutaris, D.Godley, G.Capoccia
Match Preview:
The Adelaide City and MetroStars rivalry will spark up again this weekend, with a place against Campbelltown City in the 2018 National Premier League South Australia Grand Final on the line.
The count sits at one win a piece from their two previous encounters this season, Metro getting the chocolates away from home back in Round 8, City claiming the 3 points in the latter of the two encounters, which secured Mori’s side second place on the table and a 2 leg play-off with Campbelltown for a spot straight in the Grand Final.
Unfortunately for the black and whites, despite giving it their all across the two ties, it was a 102nd minute Alex Mullen strike at Steve Woodcock Sports Centre last weekend that sees them feature in this DO or DIE clash.
City went down to ten men inside the first 15 minutes of last week’s 2nd leg tie against 2018 Premiers Campbelltown, frequent goal scorer Evan Kostopoulos shown his marching orders which will see him play no further part in City’s finals campaign. With ten men enduring the vast majority of a bruising 120 minute encounter, recovery would have been high on the agenda for the Adelaide City coaching staff this week.
MetroStars’ place in the preliminary final didn’t come without its own late drama. In an end to end spectacle against this year’s “dark horse”, it was a 93rd minute header from substitute Matthew Dawber that sent the Adelaide United Youth Team packing. Pezos’ troops pushed the home side for the duration of the game without managing to put the ball into the back of the net and should be proud of their efforts this season.
The respective sides boast solid experience at the back and significant attacking depth.
The always consistent Matthew Halliday will lead his side off the back of another impressive season, while his counterpart Michael D’Aloisio will hold the fort at the opposite end of the pitch.
The league’s two most prolific goal scorers in 2018 Golden Boot winner Christian Esposito, and 2016/2017 Golden Boot winner Anthony Costa, will look to continue their form from the regular season.
Will it be City, or Metro? Get down to Adelaide City Park Saturday night for what is sure to be a cracker!