Adelaide Comets vs Campbelltown City
Venue: SA Athletics Stadium
Date: Friday 28 May 8:15 PM
The blockbuster Grand Final rematch kicks off Round 6 of the NPL as Comets host Campbelltown in what promises to be an entertaining contest.
The home side were held last weekend by the Kings, but a Ninko Beric equaliser in the 96th minute sealed the most dramatic of draws to keep their unbeaten start to the season running into a sixth week.
Campbelltown’s winless run was finally broken last week as they produced a quality display to come from two goals down to overhaul MetroStars in a contest that finished 4-2.
The visitors have had the wood over Comets recently in big matches, with the last two Grand Finals ending in victory for the boys in red, but there are three points up for grabs that could go either way tonight.
Adelaide Comets line-up: 1. Julian Torresan (GK), 3. Manley Barnett, 4. Nathan Dimou, 5. Adam Le Cornu, 6. Jack Bladen, 7. John Karatzas, 8. Ryan Yates, 9. Andreas Wiens, 10. Anthony Mavrolambados, 11. Jayden LoBasso, 14. Nathan Andijanto, 16. Ninko Beric, 18. Thomas Giannakopoulos, 19. Jaiden Diamantis, 21. Nikolas Ikonomopoulos, 22. Allan Welsh, 23. Scott Nagel, 31. Daniel Vaughan, 77. Chris Christofilos
Coaches: Barney Smith, James Guffogg, Matthew Bates
Team Staff: Evangelo Katsambis, Emma Gericke, Elsie Kenny
Campbelltown City line-up: 1. Jamie Signorello, 2. Shaun Harvey (C), 3. Liam Miller, 5. Julian Oscar Ionni, 7. Joel Allwright, 8. Alexander Mullen, 9. Marc Marino, 10. Luigi Ditroia, 12. Nicholas Francese, 14. Adam Piscioneri, 15. Antony Piscioneri, 16. Daniel Mullen, 17. Adam De Ieso, 18. Trey Williams, 20. Nicholas Harpas (GK), 23. Jake Halliday
Coaches: Iain Fyfe, Leslie Pogliacomi, Corey Artone, Ali Sadick
Team Staff: Agelo Kapnistis, Ryan Hanlon
Cumberland United vs Croydon FC
Venue: A. A. Bailey Reserve
Date: Saturday 29 May 3:00 PM
Cumberland take on Croydon in a contest between sides who have experienced vastly different fortunes at both ends of the ground so far this season.
The home side bounced back from two straight losses with a big 3-0 win away from home over South which took their early season tally to three wins, the equal-most at this stage of the year.
A match that appeared to be heading in the direction of Croydon was cruelly snatched away by Comets at the death, consigning them to their third successive draw and leaving them with just one win.
Victory to Cumberland would see them claim another scalp and keep pace with the top sides, while a much-needed win for Croydon would be reward for effort that has eluded them over the past month.
Cumberland United line-up: Antoni Panagoulias, 1. Luke Schoen (GK), 2. Jack Schoen, 5. Sam Carmichael, 6. David Signore, 8. Harry Thannhauser, 9. JUAN GUTIERREZ, 10. Jumar Oakley, 11. Thomas Briscoe, 15. Ryan Wood, 17. Tom Dittmar, 19. Rocco Visconte, 20. Stavros Bakopanos, 25. Charlie Ince
Coaches: Neil Young, Mathew Balopitos, Matthew Prodanovski, Marijan Kolar
Team Staff: Jody Loomes, Sean Bushby
Croydon Kings line-up: 1. Gianni Tramontin, 2. John Panagaris, 3. Filimon Asefa, 4. Paul Pavlou, 5. Luke Klimek (C), 6. Christopher Vivian, 8. Adam Martinello, 9. Nathan Munro, 10. Antoni Trimboli, 11. Luis Benedetti, 12. Tatenda Nyaruwe, 13. Foribert Niyonkuru, 16. Kristos Stefanopoulos, 18. Jarrod Brazzale, 19. Chikondi NYIRENDA, 20. Jared Clark, 21. John Hall (GK), 23. Patrick Caraccia
Coaches: Travis Dodd, Latham Byfield, Adam Vizzari
Team Staff: Mario Catalano, Joshua Avery
South Adelaide vs Adelaide Croatia Raiders
Venue: O’Sullivan Beach Sports and Community Centre
Date: Saturday 29 May 3:00 PM
South enter their contest with Raiders hoping to snap their losing streak, with the visitors unable to string together consistent results so far this season.
Three straight losses have followed South’s victories in the opening two rounds, and they will be disappointed to back up their narrow losses to strong sides Comets and MetroStars with a 3-0 home defeat to Cumberland.
Raiders, meanwhile, fell to a narrow 1-0 home loss against Sturt last weekend, leaving them with two wins and a draw from five games without any result being replicated in successive weeks.
Despite their relatively spotty form lines, both sides have shown themselves capable of matching it with great sides this season and will be keen to bank a crucial three points here.
South Adelaide line-up: 1. Ryan Veitch (GK), 4. Robert Parker (C), 5. Declan Gray, 6. Liam Wooding, 8. Daniel Hosking, 9. Brett Rayner, 10. Jonathon Rideout, 11. Alexander Rideout, 13. Jai Conroy, 15. Jackson Stephens, 18. Blake Lindsay, 20. Jack Walker, 21. Jack Ellis, 25. Callum Nissen, 31. Masaya Sasaki, 39. Awal Dut
Coaches: Andrew Calderbank, Anthony Rideout, Mitchell Daly, Fraser McLean
Team Staff: Wayne Harrington, Jacqueline Wingate
Adelaide Croatia Raiders line-up: 1. Vincent Barbaro, 2. Jackson Walls, 5. Matthew Mullen, 6. Omari Didero, 7. Dylan Pickert, 8. Jagajeet shrestha Shrestha, 10. Dion Kirk, 11. David Carosi, 12. Jacob Williams, 13. Nicholas Munro (C) (GK), 17. Harley Gepp, 18. Julian Vella, 19. Vianne Kurikwimana, 20. Thanasis Lesi, 21. Jaxson Bullen, 22. Kelvin Kamburu, 23. Mark Ulaj, 28. Nathan Hancock
Coaches: Terry Westwood, Steven Hughes, Michael Paleka
Team Staff: Antonio Vella, Lisa Feleppa
MetroStars vs Adelaide Blue Eagles
Venue: TK Shutter Reserve
Date: Saturday 29 May 3:00 PM
MetroStars have the chance to rebound from their indifferent start to the season with victory tomorrow against bottom-of-the-table Blue Eagles, who themselves are in desperate need of points.
The home side will have been gutted to let a two-goal lead slip against a previously winless Campbelltown outfit, let alone to concede four unanswered goals, and now only sit above the drop zone on goal difference.
Blue Eagles have struggled so far this season to make things click with no points gathered and the most porous defence in the league with 12 goals conceded, ten of which have been shipped in their last three fixtures.
MetroStars must win to breathe life into their disappointing season thus far if they aim to challenge for higher honours, but there’s no side in more desperate need of a win now than Blue Eagles.
MetroStars line-up: 1. Isaac Carmody, 3. Luke Frangakis, 5. Timothy Henderson, 7. Michael Daloisio, 8. Rocky Callisto, 10. Anthony Solagna (C), 11. Ariath Piol, 12. Alessio Melisi, 14. Dylan Smith, 17. Matthew Dawber, 18. Fabian Barbiero, 20. Joshua Mori, 22. Hamish Gow, 23. Christian Esposito, 24. Gusmao Naidoo, 26. Stefan Cali, 45. Jackson O'Donnell (GK), 68. Kalilou Kamara
Coaches: Robert Saraceno, Nicholas Bouzalas, Adam Van Dommele, Michael Rende
Team Staff: Joseph Polisena, Patrick Pike, George Laoutaris
Adelaide Blue Eagles line-up: Christian Sotira, 1. Nikolas Harpas (GK), 2. Caleb Evans, 3. Aaron Bannister, 4. Anik Warnakulasuriya, 7. Liam Mccabe, 8. Stefan Gluscevic, 9. Hamish Anderson, 10. Hamish Mccabe (C), 12. Kody Maude, 14. Stanisa Velinov, 15. Christian D'Angelo, 17. Raffaele De Lucia, 18. Yohei Matsumoto, 19. Jake Tatarelli, 20. Isaac Mullen, 21. Alex Tsavalas, 25. Elias Mimidas
Coaches: VOJISLAV GLUSCEVIC, Steven Melling
Team Staff: james keating, Josh Smith, Henry Lambert
Adelaide Olympic vs Adelaide City
Venue: VALO Football Centre
Date: Saturday 29 May 3:00 PM
Olympic find themselves in the bottom two after five rounds and face another tough assignment in the form of City tomorrow afternoon.
It’s not all doom and gloom for Olympic, as they registered their first league win of 2021 in a 3-1 triumph over Blue Eagles to keep within a win of sixth-placed Raiders.
Conversely, City suffered their first loss of the league season last weekend as they were beaten on their home patch 3-2 by Adelaide United, although they retained their position in second thanks to results around them going their way.
City are rightly aiming for a title assault this year, so a win over Olympic will be firmly in their sights, but the hosts will be hoping to make it two wins in a row and rise further from the bottom two.
Adelaide Olympic line-up: Damian Ljujic, Rastko Ljujic, 1. Lewis Moss (GK), 2. chol wel, 3. Paul Wilson, 4. Benkert Abdija, 5. Michael Cittadini, 6. Kristin Konstandopoulos, 7. Jacob Jones, 8. Jason Konstandopoulos, 9. Christos Pounendis (C), 10. Hirofumi Kochi, 11. Tito Bontor, 14. Fausto Erba, 20. Clifford Maina, 22. Joshua Kavenagh, 24. Panagiotis Manidakis, 25. Will Hendon, 44. Ioannis Simosis
Coaches: Yianni Stamatelopoulos, George Konstandopoulos, Lansana Conneh, Pal Prengaj
Team Staff: Konstandinos Dimas, Sumin Kim
Adelaide City line-up: 1. Alexander Woodlands (GK), 4. Matthew Halliday, 5. Zakariah Waters, 8. Joseph Costa, 10. Nicholas Bucco, 11. Charlie Devereux, 12. Jonathon D'arrigo, 13. Lachlan Barr, 14. Aladin Irabona, 17. Thomas Brown, 20. Kur Kur, 22. Noah Benouzekri, 45. Markus Orchard, 77. Asad Kasumovic
Coaches: Paul Pezos, Stavros Gelekis, Angelo Paul, Edward Scalzi
Team Staff: Fabian Garuccio
Adelaide United vs Sturt Lions
Venue: Jack Smith Park
Date: Saturday 29 May 4:45 PM
United and Sturt have been two of the surprise packets this season and go head-to-head in the late kick-off tomorrow at Jack Smith Park in search of victory.
After a disappointing start that yielded zero points and no goals, United’s run of wins extended to three with a 3-2 triumph over City to now bring their goal tally to nine for the season.
Sturt continued their smooth start to life in the top tier with a 1-0 win over Raiders, marking their third in five matches and leaving them just a solitary point off top-of-the-table Comets.
With both sides impressing in the early stages of the season, this contest shapes as an entertaining one between clubs aiming to entrench themselves in the top half as early as possible.
Adelaide United FC line-up: Fergus Lynch, 15. Noah Smith, 17. Mohamed Toure, 34. Yared Abetew, 35. Alhassan Toure, 37. Jonny Yull, 40. Ethan Cox (GK), 41. Alexandar Popovic, 44. Arbi Mollas, 48. Bernardo Oliveira, 55. Ethan Alagich, 71. Nestor Irankunda, 73. Noah Mcnamara
Coaches: Airton Andrioli, Elvis Markov, Vlado Blazeka, Joe Verringer
Team Staff: Will Mockridge, Justin Graetz, Katrina Smith
Sturt Lions line-up: Daniel Guastella, Valentino Esposito, Cale Nagle, Bradley Davey, Akira Kobaishi, Brandon Centofanti, Samuel Voigt, Oliver Sigley, Samed Altundag, James Klappers (GK), Ben Woollard, Anthony Taylor, Luke Fusco, Michael Gravas, Jonathan Fusco (C), Gonzalo Rodriguez, Tom van der Hoeven, Toby Nelson, Daniel Snobl, Cooper Mullins, Jacob Atkinson, Jasper Donovan, Alexander Sortini, Daniel Solari, Caden Yates
Coaches: Lino Fusco, Frank Tibaldi, Gregory Videon, Michael Harkness
Team Staff: Ivan Piovesan, Dimitri Mitsioulis, Andrew Ross