Match of the Round
Adelaide Comets vs Croydon FC
3:00 pm | Saturday 21 April | State Centre for Football
Last Meeting: (7/8/21) Round 16 | Adelaide Comets 1 v Croydon FC 0
After dropping from second to fourth after their Round 10 defeat, Adelaide Comets will be eager to climb back up the RAA NPLSA ladder as they search for their first win since Round Eight. After starting the season eight games unbeaten which saw them win five and draw three, Adelaide Comets is now on a run of two defeats in a row, losing to rivals Campbelltown City and most recently to Adelaide United FC who recorded a 4-2 win. This marks the first time since Round 8 and 9 of the RAA NPLSA 2020 season that Adelaide Comets have lost two games in a row, with the team not losing three in a row since the 2019 season.
In their last fixture against Adelaide United FC, Adelaide Comets were forced to fight back early in their encounter as their opponents took a 2-0 lead within the first 22 minutes. First-half goals from Thomas Briscoe and Anthony Mavrolambados gave Adelaide Comets a glimmer of hope as they head into the half-time break only 3-2 down, however, a late second-half goal by Adelaide United FC killed any hope of gaining points, with the match finishing 4-2.
Now sitting four points from first place Adelaide City, Adelaide Comets will hope to return to winning ways as they look to regain their top two status after dropping out for the first time since Round Four. Adelaide Comets is eager to see Augustus Williams regain his early-season form which saw him score three in his first four games, with the attacker now without a goal in his last six appearances.
Their opponents Croydon FC will be looking to regain their early-season form, after winning only one of their last five matches. Currently, without a win since Round Seven, Croydon FC recorded a draw with South Adelaide and back-to-back losses against Adelaide Olympic and Campbelltown City since. In their last fixture against Campbelltown City, Croydon FC fell early as a defensive mistake led to a penalty which was put away giving their opponents the lead within the first six minutes. Young attacker Sebastian Goode's 13th minute equaliser was erased as Campbelltown City’s secured their second goal in the 28th minute. Croydon FC was unable to respond for the remainder of the encounter, marking their second week without a point.
After occupying third place from round five to eight with the possibility of entering the top two, Croydon FC’s sudden drop in form has seen them drop down to fifth, now seven points from top place Adelaide City. A loss this weekend could see them drop down to sixth, however, a win will see the team go level on points with their opponents in fourth, with a win by three goals seeing them overtake Adelaide Comets.
The return of Patrick Caraccia will provide great confidence for Croydon FC who will provide extra reinsurance in the midfielder and will provide that extra spark going forward in attack. The team will also hope to see attackers Antoni Trimboli and Dion Kirk return to their excellent early season form as they are now without a goal each since their Round Seven 4-0 win over Sturt Lions.
Adelaide Comets line-up: 1. Julian Torresan (GK), 3. Ross Hatzi, 4. Wian Soontiens, 5. Adam Le Cornu, 6. Anik Warnakulasuriya, 7. Dylan Smith, 8. Ryan Yates, 9. Ryan Cook, 10. Anthony Mavrolambados, 11. Thomas Briscoe, 12. Lukas Ikonomopoulos, 14. Nathan Andijanto, 16. Stelios Zacharakis, 18. Thomas Giannakopoulos, 19. Jaiden Diamantis, 21. Nikolas Ikonomopoulos, 22. Allan Welsh (C), 23. Scott Nagel, 24. Lachlan Stead, 31. Daniel Vaughan, 77. Augustus Williams
Coaches: Barney Smith, John Falidis, Peter Eleftherakis
Team Staff: Evangelo Katsambis, Andrew Furner, Emma Gericke, Andreas Wiens, Ilias Tsakiris
Croydon FC line-up: 1. Gianni Tramontin, 2. John Panagaris, 3. Raffaele De Lucia, 4. Lawand Hasan, 5. Luke Klimek (C), 7. Sebastian Goode, 8. Adam Martinello, 9. Dion Kirk, 10. Antoni Trimboli, 11. Luis Benedetti, 14. Peter Mercurio, 15. Froribert Niyonkuru, 16. Kristos Stefanopoulos, 17. Giuseppe Macheda, 18. Jarrod Brazzale, 19. Benson Nsegetse, 20. Jared Clark, 21. John Hall (GK), 23. patrick caraccia
Coaches: Travis Dodd, Latham Byfield, Adam Vizzari
Team Staff: Giuseppe Catalano, Joshua Avery
WT Birkalla vs Adelaide United FC
2:30 pm | Saturday 21 May | Jack Smith Park
Last Meeting: (22/7/21) Round 20 | WT Birkalla 0 v Adelaide United FC 3
WT Birkalla’s first half of the 2022 season has been one to forget, with the team currently sitting in last, four points away from eleventh. In their opening ten games this season, WT Birkalla have only won one game, drawing three and losing six. During this period, the team has scored only ten goals, currently averaging a goal per game, the current worst record in the league. WT Birkalla is now without a win since Round Two, which has seen the team lose three out of their last four matches, with their most recent loss coming against FK Beograd in Round 10. The team believed they had secured their second win of the season after Calvin Mbarga 76th minute goal gave WT Birkalla the 2-1 lead, however, an 86th & 90th minute FK Beograd double sunk all their hopes providing the team with a 3-2 loss and their sixth defeat of the season. WT Birkalla is in need of a win against Adelaide United FC to close the four-point gap between them and eleventh before entering the second half of the season.
Continuing to improve each week, Adelaide United FC look like one of the most exciting up and coming teams in the RAA NPLSA as they prepare for a big second half of the season. Adelaide United FC has won their last two matches in convincible fashion, scoring nine goals during this time, which has seen the team take the status as the highest goal scoring team with 26 goals scored in ten games. This run has seen the team knock off sixth-placed FK Beograd 5-2 and then most recently second place Adelaide Comets 4-2 in Round 10, providing their opponents with only their second defeat of the season. Striker Luka Jovanovic grabbed his sixth of the season in their Round 10 win, taking him to joint fourth in the golden boot race, while Asad Kasumovic double secured his third and fourth goals of the season, with Fabian Talladira scored his second in two weeks. A win for Adelaide United FC could see them enter the top six for the first time this season if Sturt Lions and FK Beograd draw this weekend.
WT Birkalla line-up: Lucas Tsaconas, 1. Charlie Yull, 3. james polli, 4. Christopher Ashwood (C), 6. Anthony Quici, 7. Stefan Simic, 9. Calvin Mbarga, 10. Austin Ayoubi, 11. jonathon d'arrigo, 13. Ethan Stevenson, 15. Christian D'Angelo, 17. David Makridis, 19. Nathan Munro, 20. Nicholas Harpas (GK), 21. Nicholas Harpas, 24. Noah Benouzekri, 91. Yasmin Sudic
Coaches: Jason Trimboli, George Katsaneris, Carmine Lauriello
Team Staff: Roger Williamson, Henry Lambert
Adelaide United FC line-up: 19. Yaya Dukuly, 37. Jonny Yull, 40. Ethan Cox (GK), 44. Arbi Mollas, 51. Panashe Madanha, 52. Giuseppe Bovalina, 53. Kane Vidmar, 54. Panagiotis Kikianis, 55. Ethan Alagich, 61. Bailey O'Neil, 77. Asad Kasumovic, 81. Mohamed Bility, 93. Jeanpaul Mbembe, 97. Luka Jovanovic
Coaches: Airton Andrioli, Elvis Markov, Vlado Blazeka, Joe Verringer
Team Staff: Will Mockridge, William Cutts, Jonathan Norodom, Katrina Smith
FK Beograd vs Sturt Lions
3:00 pm | Saturday 21 May | Frank Mitchell Park
Last Meeting: (10/12/20) State League One Grand Final, Sturt Lions 2 v FK Beograd 0
Sturt Lions and FK Beograd meet for the first time since their epic Grand Final clash in the 2020 State League One season, which saw Sturt Lions win 2-0 to get promoted back to the RAA NPLSA. Sturt Lions has a great record over their opponents in recent history, with FK Beograd without a win since their clash in Round 11 in the 2016 State League One season. Since then Sturt Lions have won six, drawing three during this period. However, since then, much has changed for both sides.
FK Beograd secured their fourth win of the season in dramatic fashion as they beat WT Birkalla 3-2 with two late goals taking them from ninth to sixth. Joshua Mori continued his incredible form in his Round 10 fixture scoring a double to take his tally of the season to eight goals, securing joint second in the golden boot race. This run of form has seen the attacker score seven in his last four games. His 86th-minute goal in their clash with WT Birkalla provided the equaliser, which then led to Jacob Butler-Bowden’s 90th-minute goal securing the three points and marking his first goal of the season. Although their tremendous ability in front of goals this season, FK Beograd has struggled to prevent goals with the team holding the second-worst defensive record in the competition thus far, conceding 25 in ten games. A win for FK Beograd could see them jump into fifth if Croydon FC is to drop points.
Sturt Lions are eager to regain their top-six status with a win over FK Beograd in round 11, as they search for their first points since their Round Eight 3-1 win over Cumberland United. Currently, on a run of only one win in their last five games, Sturt Lions are desperate to overturn this as they enter the second half of the season. Sturt Lions have now lost their last two matches including a 3-0 loss to Adelaide City and a 3-1 loss to MetroStars. Although Gonzalo Rodriguez 6th minute goal gave Sturt Lions the lead they were looking for, MetroStars strong second-half performance was too much for the Sturt Lions defence to handle with the opposition scoring three times in the second-half to win the game. A win over FK Beograd will see Sturt Lions re-enter the top six.
FK Beograd line-up: 2. Maksim Ivanic, 4. Brodie Barrow, 5. Jacob Butler-Bowdon, 6. Paul Radice, 9. Joshua Mori, 10. Thomas Love, 11. Evan Kounavelis, 12. Antonios Natsiopoulos, 13. Deale Chamberlain (GK), 16. Ninko Beric, 17. Chahine Noujaim, 18. Stanisa Velinov, 19. Filimon Asefa, 20. Jordan Pudler, 21. Nikola Jokic, 22. Akok Arok, 23. Cooper Nunn
Coaches: Damian Mori, Josh Smith, Scott Parr
Team Staff: Constantinos Tsaconas, Sachin Prakash Kumar
Sturt Lions line-up: 1. James Klappers (GK), 2. Michael Marrone, 3. Daniel Guastella, 4. Jacob Atkinson, 5. Lachlan Duffy, 6. Jack Dawson, 7. Ben Woollard, 8. Caden Yates, 9. Gonzalo Rodriguez, 10. Alexander Sortini, 11. Samed Altundag, 12. Tyreece Conway, 13. William Plush, 14. Zack Gomez, 15. Akira Kobaishi, 16. Samuel Voigt, 17. Jonathan Fusco (C), 18. Toby Nelson, 19. Luke Fusco, 20. Brandon Centofanti, 21. Jed Gauci, 22. Mitchell Keens, 23. Jack Locke
Coaches: Lino Fusco, Frank Tibaldi, Gregory Videon, Michael Harkness
Team Staff: Ivan Piovesan, Jakson Messent, Matthew Flounders
South Adelaide vs MetroStars
3:00 pm | Saturday 21 May | O’Sullivans Beach Sports and Community Centre
Last Meeting: (17/8/21) Round 14, MetroStars 0 v South Adelaide 1
South Adelaide search for their first win since Round Three as they host MetroStars at O’Sullivans Beach Sports and Community Centre. After experiencing a run of four losses between Round Four and Round Seven, South Adelaide began to regain form as they drew with Croydon FC and Adelaide City in recent weeks. However, taking only two points out of the available 21 in their last seven matches demonstrates the struggle that South Adelaide has felt in recent months. Declan Finney’s late goal assisted South Adelaide to their second draw of the season as they drew with Adelaide City 1-1. Although this poor form, there are currently only four points separating them and fifth, meaning a resurgence of form could see South Adelaide quickly jump back into the top six.
MetroStars season is now back on track, winning all their last three fixtures after experiencing a run of three games without a win between Round Five and Seven. In their last fixture MetroStars fought back from a goal behind at half-time to record a 3-1 win, with Hamish Gow and Ariath Piol scoring before Christian Esposito recorded his first goal of the season with a tremendous volley that earnt him a nomination for Goal of the Week. Last week’s win saw the team jump back into third, now only three points off first place Adelaide City. A win for MetroStars could see the team jump into second if Campbelltown City were to drop points.
South Adelaide line-up: 1. Ryan Veitch (GK), 4. Robert Parker (C), 6. Liam Wooding, 7. Melad Ahmad, 8. Brett Rayner, 10. Jonathon Rideout, 11. Alexander Rideout, 13. Jai Conroy, 15. Jackson Stephens, 16. Declan Finney, 18. Jack Rudge, 24. Daniel Evans, 40. Taine Muscroft
Coaches: Anthony Rideout, Christopher Reed, Fraser McLean
Team Staff: Benjamin Mcdougall, Jacqueline Wingate
MetroStars line-up: 1. Isaac Carmody, 2. Connor O'rielly, 4. Justin Davis, 5. Timothy Henderson, 6. Paul Blefari, 7. Hamish Gow, 8. Rocky Callisto, 10. Anthony Solagna (C), 11. Ariath Piol, 12. Alessio Melisi, 14. Philip Cash, 15. Nicholas Pedicini, 16. Francesco Schimizzi, 17. Jackson Fortunatow, 18. Fabian Barbiero, 19. Cooper O'donnell, 20. Luke Ostbye (GK), 21. Cameron Woodfin, 22. Jackson Walls, 23. Christian Esposito, 26. Ren Nagamatsu
Coaches: Robert Saraceno, Nicholas Bouzalas, Adam Van Dommele, Michael Rende
Team Staff: Giorgio Capoccia, Joseph Polisena, Patrick Pike, George Laoutaris
Campbelltown City vs Cumberland United
3:00 pm | Saturday 21 May | Steve Woodcock Sports Centre
Last Meeting: (21/8/21) Round 18, Campbelltown City 1 v Cumberland United 1
Campbelltown City’s winning streak continues, marking four consecutive wins after their 2-1 victory over Croydon FC in Round 10. Michael Matricciani’s side has not looked back since their opening two-game defeats, winning six and drawing two since, while holding a place in the Quarter Finals of the Australia Cup SA Preliminary Rounds. Alex Mullen has been the star of the show for Campbelltown City to start the season with the midfielder contributing nine goals in ten matches, scoring just less than half of his team’s goals thus far. Alex contributed to both goals in their team’s win over Croydon FC last Friday night. With the team’s great goal-scoring ability, Campbelltown City’s defence has also been extremely strong, only conceding three goals in their last six games. Can anyone stop Campbelltown City in their current form?
Cumberland United will hope to be that team as they search for their third win in a row. Starting the season with five losses and a draw in their opening six matches, Cumberland United have now found their form in recent weeks, winning three out of their last four games, which has seen them remove themselves from the bottom of the RAA NPLSA ladder and now sit only three points off the top six. A win for Cumberland United will be a real statement of intent in their ambitions in the second half of the season. Currently holding a four-point gap between them and WT Birkalla in last, a win could prove extremely important for Cumberland United in their ambitions to distance themselves and the bottom two.
Campbelltown City line-up: 1. Alexander Woodlands (GK), 2. Shaun Harvey (C), 5. James Boffa, 6. Adam D'Agostino, 7. Joel Allwright, 8. Alexander Mullen, 9. Marc Marino, 10. Luigi Ditroia, 12. Nicholas Francese, 14. Adam Piscioneri, 15. Antony Piscioneri, 16. Daniel Mullen, 18. Yohei Matsumoto, 19. Joshua Barresi, 20. Matthew Centofanti, 21. Jordan Maricic, 23. Jake Halliday
Coaches: Michael Matricciani, Adrian DAloia, brenton hiern, Edward Scalzi
Team Staff: Agelo Kapnistis, Liam Oates, Corey Artone
Cumberland United line-up: 1. Luke Schoen (GK), 2. Jack Schoen, 4. Tom Dittmar, 5. Sam Carmichael, 7. Rocco Visconte, 8. Harry Thannhauser, 9. Yuya Taguchi, 16. Brayden Micallef, 20. Stavros Bakopanos, 22. Minsung Park, 24. Amir Ibrahim, 27. Harry Thomas, 35. Thomas Visser
Adelaide Olympic vs Adelaide City
6:00 pm | Saturday 21 May | VALO Football Centre
Last Meeting: (14/8/21) Round 17, Adelaide City 2 v Adelaide Olympic 0
Currently sitting in 10th, Adelaide Olympic are desperate to pick up their fourth win of the season as they attempt to distance themselves from the current bottom two and climb the ladder. Adelaide Olympic’s start to the 2022 season has been one to forget with Round 11 beginning to loom. However, the team is no stranger to picking up form after struggling early in the season, as Adelaide Olympic were sitting in 10th with only eleven points after Round 10 in 2021, which eventually led to them finishing in seventh only three points from the top six. In their last fixture, Adelaide Olympic failed to secure any points as Cumberland United won 3-2 in late dramatic fashion, with Christos Pounendis’s 97th-minute goal not being enough to spark any comeback. Adelaide Olympic will be devasted that they will be without three-star players heading into their clash with league leaders Adelaide City. Fausto Erba has departed the club to move back to Italy, while Christos Pounendis and Kristin Konstandopoulos both received late red cards in last week’s clash with Cumberland United.
Adelaide City’s reign of dominance felt a minor slipup in Round 10 after South Adelaide’s second-half goal delt the current league leaders a 1-1 draw cancelling Kur Kur’s first-half strike. This result could prove costly for Adelaide City, with there now only being a two-point gap separating themselves and second place Campbelltown City. However, Adelaide City will be confident that their talents can further assist their lead throughout the season and remain at the summit of the RAA NPLSA. This Adelaide City squad is the first team since Paul Pezos’s West Adelaide squad of the 2015 season to reach Round 10 undefeated and is eager to continue this trend leading into the second half of the season. A win for Adelaide City in Round 11 is vital, with their clash with their ever-important clash with Campbelltown City coming up next round.
Adelaide Olympic line-up: 1. Lewis Moss, 3. Paul Wilson, 4. Benkert Abdija, 5. Adam Leombruno, 7. Jason Konstandopoulos, 8. Damian Ljujic, 11. Tito Bontor, 12. George Katsigiannis, 13. Rastko Ljujic, 14. Fausto Erba (C), 15. Michael Cittadini, 20. Clifford Maina, 24. Panagiotis Manidakis, 44. Ioannis Simosis
Coaches: Yianni Stamatelopoulos, George Konstandopoulos, Bill Nastou
Team Staff: Robert Muscio, Marcus Gentile, Sumin Kim, Pal Prengaj
Adelaide City line-up: 4. Matthew Halliday (C), 5. Zakariah Waters, 6. Bradley Corbo, 7. Daniel Bressan, 10. Nicholas Bucco, 11. Kur Kur, 14. Aladin Irabona, 17. Thomas Brown, 20. Charlie Devereux, 23. Jai King-Byrne, 27. Matthew Dawber, 33. Dakota Ochsenham (GK), 99. Ayom Ayom Majok
Coaches: Paul Pezos, George Tsonis, Lewis Vallelonga
Team Staff: Fabian Garuccio, Nik Hagicostas, Luis Fernandez Astudillo
State League One
We have an exciting weekend of State League One action ahead. We take a quick look at some of the matches this weekend.
Adelaide Croatia Raiders host Para Hills Knights Saturday afternoon at Croatian Sports Centre in an exciting top six matchup. Currently sitting in fifth, a win for Adelaide Croatia Raiders in Round 11 is vital in their ambitions of closing the gap between themselves and the current top two. The team is currently in reasonably good form, winning two and drawing two of their last five games, while only losing once. Adelaide Croatia Raiders would be devasted to have dropped points in Round 10 after holding a 2-0 half-time lead against Adelaide University, before conceding twice in the second half to share the points. Adelaide Croatia Raiders will hope that James Odenwalder can continue from his great performance last week after recording his first goal of the season and assisting the team second. Para Hills Knights are eager to return to winning ways after dropping points to Adelaide Victory in Round 10 as both teams finished the encounter scoreless. The team remains in the second place heading Round 11 with a great opportunity to close the three-point gap with league leaders Modbury Jets, however, a loss to Adelaide Croatia Raiders could potentially prove costly in their title hopes. Para Hills Knights continue to remain one of the premier defensive outfits in State League One for the 2022 season, with the side holding four clean sheets thus far, while only conceding nine in ten games. Both teams have a lot to play for in Round 11
When you talk about defensive specialists, you can’t look past Adelaide Victory who stands as the league’s top defensive side, with only eight goals conceded in nine games, holding three clean sheets in their last four matches. This was highlighted in their 0-0 draw with second-place Para Hills Knights in Round 10, as Adelaide Victory recorded their seventh draw of the season, their third in a row. In their last two matches, Adelaide Victory has taken points off the current top two as they continue to be one of the toughest teams to play in State League One. Although only losing once this season, Adelaide Victory sit five points out of the top six with a game in hand, meaning a win in Round 11 is vital in their ambitions of gaining top-six status in the second half of the season. They now face one of the most informed teams in the league in Adelaide Blue Eagles. Currently, on a run of four consecutive wins, Adelaide Blue Eagles are looking to make it five in a row and continue their unbeaten run, with a win potentially seeing them enter the top three. Adelaide Blue Eagles had the privilege of being the first team in season 2022 to beat league leaders Modbury Jets, as they secured a 4-2 win in impressive fashion. David Signore opened the scoring for his side with a Goal of the Week contender, with Caleb Evans topping it with what could be the Goal of the Year with a long-range strike into the top corner. The inform Dante Isla Cacciavillani finalised the result in the 90th minute, securing his eighth goal of the season and his fourth in three games. Can Adelaide Blue Eagles become only the second team to beat Adelaide Victory this season?
State League One football continues as Playford City faces Adelaide Hills at Hawks Nest, while Fulham United FC travels to Ngarrpadla (Taperoo Reserve) to take on Port Adelaide, league leaders Modbury Jets takes on Eastern United and West Adelaide battle with Adelaide University SC at West Beach Parks Football Centre.
State League Two
Adelaide Cobras look to continue their three-game winning streak as they take on Modbury Vista at Pro Paint & Panel Oval – Weigall Oval. Currently holding a four-point lead at the top of State League Two, Adelaide Cobras is excited with the prospect of expanding this lead heading into the second half of the season. In their last fixture, Adelaide Cobras beat Gawler Eagles FC 4-0 with Andrew Orphanou and Perry Mitris both recording doubles on the day, which has seen Perry take his tally for the season to seven, earning him joint third in the current Golden Boot race. Modbury Vista is however looking to earn access into the top six with a win this weekend. Continuously improving each week, Modbury Vista have been a reasonably good form in recent weeks, winning two out of their last three, including a 4-1 win over Noarlunga United in Round 10 with Tyson Linsenmeier securing his first of the season, while Alexei Essex and Callum McKay recorded their third goals of the season with Chad Bugeja securing his sixth of the season. They must be strong in attack to try and beat an Adelaide Cobras defence that has only been beaten nine times this season.
It’s third vs fourth in Round 11 as Cove FC host Vipers FC at Southern Soccer Facility Saturday night in an important matchup. Cove FC will want to regain their form after experiencing their first defeat of the season as Seaford Rangers beat them 5-0 in Round 10. Spending the first nine matches undefeated, Cove FC will look to brush off that loss quickly and continue their great start to the season as they search to secure a place in the top three. Vipers FC has continued to impress each week as they are now eight matches unbeaten with the prospect of potentially moving into the top two with a win. In their last match, Vipers FC dropped points as they drew 0-0 with Western Strikers, marking the first match since Round Seven that they had dropped any points. Three points for both clubs in this fixture is extremely important with both clubs currently sitting level on points on 17.
In other State League Two action sees Northern Demons battle Mount Braker United SC, Western Strikers host Pontian Eagles SC at Carnegie Reserve, Gawler Eagles FC travels to Steve Jarvis Park – Burton to face Salisbury United and Noarlunga United face Seaford Rangers at Wilfred Taylor Reserve.