WT Birkalla vs Campbelltown City
8:15 pm | Friday 24 June | Jack Smith Park
Last Meeting: (25/3/22) Round Five | Campbelltown City 3 v WT Birkalla 0
Searching for only their fourth win of the season, WT Birkalla faces a difficult challenge as they battle Campbelltown City in Friday night action.
WT Birkalla missed a perfect opportunity to clear themselves from the league's bottom two last week, however, dropped valuable points against the current eleventh place Adelaide Olympic in a goalless draw. The team is currently experiencing their best run of the season which has seen them go two games without a defeat. With a win and a draw in their last two games, WT Birkalla now sits outside the league's bottom two by one point, however, could potentially see a drop back down into the relegation zone if Adelaide Olympic are to win their game in hand. Their 0-0 draw with Adelaide Olympic in Round 15 marked WT Birkalla’s first goalless result since Round Nine, demonstrating their resurrection within the forward line that has seen them score twelve goals in their last five games prior to the last round.
When WT Birkalla met their Round 16 opponents earlier in the season, they were blown off the park by a strong performance from Campbelltown City who secured the three points in a 3-0 win. The league was treated to another Marc Marino masterclass on this night as last season’s golden boot winner recorded a brace which included potentially one of the goals of the season as he caught former teammate Nick Harpas off guard with his shot from the halfway line going in. Alex Mullen also chimed in with another strong performance which saw him open the scoring on the night with a perfectly placed strike from outside the box.
After facing consecutive defeats, Campbelltown City’s season is now back on track after securing back-to-back 2-1 win, with their most recent win coming against Adelaide United FC last Sunday. Conceding within the first four minutes against Adelaide United FC, it seemed like it was going to be a long day for Campbelltown City. However, the early goal did not faze this Campbelltown City team as they fought back to secure two goals before half-time with Josh Barresi and Lui Ditroia both getting their names on the scoresheet, with the team dominating proceedings. Still sitting in fourth, Campbelltown City has a perfect opportunity to jump back into the top three and potentially into second, with only one point separating them and second place Adelaide Comets. Currently, level on points with MetroStars in third, three points could see Campbelltown City overtake them, with MetroStars set to face the current undefeated league leaders Adelaide City.
WT Birkalla line-up: 4. Christopher Ashwood (C), 5. Lucas Tsaconas, 7. Stefan Simic, 8. Jake Monaco, 9. Calvin Mbarga, 10. Austin Ayoubi, 13. Ethan Stevenson, 15. Christian D'Angelo, 17. David Makridis, 19. Nathan Munro, 20. Nicholas Harpas (GK), 21. Nicholas Harpas, 24. Liam Conway, 34. Zac Becker, 91. Yasmin Sudic
Coaches: Jason Trimboli, George Katsaneris, Carmine Lauriello
Team Staff: Carol Goddard, Roger Williamson
Campbelltown City line-up: 1. Alexander Woodlands (GK), 2. Shaun Harvey (C), 3. Mario Orrico, 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, 35. Luca Meggetto
Coaches: Michael Matricciani, Adrian DAloia, brenton hiern, Edward Scalzi
Team Staff: Agelo Kapnistis, Chris Carter, Corey Artone
Cumberland United vs FK Beograd
3:00 pm | Saturday 25 June | A.A Bailey Reserve
Last Meeting: (26/3/22) Round Five, FK Beograd 2 v Cumberland United 0
Cumberland United search to remove themselves from the bottom of the RAA NPLSA as they face fifth-placed FK Beograd in Round 16 action. After facing four consecutive defeats, Cumberland United recorded their first points since Round 10 as they produced a strong performance to steal points against the top two hopefuls MetroStars in a 1-1 result. Taking the lead through Lansana Smith in the 69th minute, Cumberland United were devasted to see their lead erased soon after as MetroStars found an equaliser only four minutes later. Currently sitting at the bottom of the league with only two points separating them and tenth, a win against FK Beograd could see Cumberland United remove themselves from the relegation zone heading into the final rounds of the season.
FK Beograd secured a convincing 2-0 win earlier in the season when they met Cumberland United, with Josh Mori opening the scoring in the 32nd minute, while Filimon Asefa secured the victory with a goal in the 96th minute of the match. Cumberland United was down to ten men for almost the entirety of the second half after captain Jack Schoen received a red card in the 53rd minute.
After four rounds without recording a win which saw them draw three and lose once, FK Beograd returned to winning ways as they beat Croydon FC 1-0. Antonios Natsiopoulos marked his first goal of the season with the Goal of the Week as his long-range strike in the 82nd minute secured the three points for his team, which saw them jump from eighth to fifth. With there currently being a ten-point gap between themselves and fourth place Campbelltown City, FK Beograd’s biggest focus now is to try and distance themselves from the teams outside the six as they search to make an appearance in the Final Series in their first season back in the RAA NPLSA. With only three points separating them and ninth, three points is a must in Round 16 for FK Beograd if they want to secure a top-six finish this season.
Cumberland United line-up: Charlie Ince, 4. Tom Dittmar, 5. Sam Carmichael, 7. Rocco Visconte, 8. Harry Thannhauser, 9. Yuya Taguchi, 16. Brayden Micallef, 19. Lansana Smith, 22. Minsung Park, 24. Amir Ibrahim, 29. Sam Styles, 35. Thomas Visser, 37. Roger Vivian Lopez Sanchez, 40. Peter Tsitsinaris
FK Beograd line-up: 7. Yusuf Ahmed, 9. Joshua Mori, 10. Thomas Love, 11. Evan Kounavelis, 12. Antonios Natsiopoulos, 13. Deale Chamberlain (GK), 15. Massimo Falco, 16. Ninko Beric, 17. Chahine Noujaim, 18. Stanisa Velinov, 19. Filimon Asefa, 20. Jordan Pudler, 22. Akok Arok, 23. Cooper Nunn
Coaches: Damian Mori, Joshua Smith, Scott Parr
Team Staff: Constantinos Tsaconas, Sachin Prakash Kumar
Sturt Lions vs Adelaide Olympic
3:00 pm | Saturday 25 June | Karinya Reserve
Last Meeting: (26/3/22) Round Five, Adelaide Olympic 3 v Sturt Lions 4
Two teams who are desperate for a win face-off as top-six hopefuls Sturt Lions host Adelaide Olympic who search to remove themselves from the bottom two.
Sturt Lions have experienced a rough last couple of months, which has seen them win only one of their last seven matches, with their most recent fixture being a 3-1 loss to a then-struggling South Adelaide side. Going down to ten men, with Daniel Guastella being sent off saw South Adelaide take the lead from the penalty spot in the 60th minute. Although being a man down, this did not faze Sturt Lions as they fought hard to restore the deficit as Will Plush secured his second of the season in the 73rd minute to bring the score to 1-1. Two late goals by South Adelaide saw Sturt Lions lose the encounter and miss out on an opportunity to jump into the top six. Only one point separates them and fifth place now, with a win almost guaranteeing a return to the top six.
When both sides met in Round Five action earlier in the season, we were treated to one of the comebacks of the season, as Sturt Lions came from three goals behind to record a 4-3 win. Adelaide Olympic was confident to have secured the three points as they took a 3-0 lead with Michael Cittadini and Panagiotis Manidakis scoring in the first half and Ioannis Simosis scoring the third in the 50th minute. Although looking down and out, Sturt Lions began their comeback in the 55th minute as Alex Sortini shot found the back of the net to put the score at 3-1. Sturt Lions were unable to capitalise on numerous chances and with the clock slowly ticking down a comeback was looking unlikely. However, after another Sortini goal in the 80th minute and 87th-minute finish by Jacob Atkinson, Sturt Lions had restored the deficit with the game sitting at 3-3. Adelaide Olympic’s night got even worse as Michael Marrone’s 90th-minute finish gave Sturt Lions the 4-3.
Adelaide Olympic have struggled thus far this season which has seen them now drop into the bottom two. The team is currently on a run of one win in their last eight games, with their last three points coming against Croydon FC in Round Nine. Adelaide Olympic was unable to capitalise on a perfect opportunity to remove themselves from the bottom two after they drew 0-0 with the current tenth-placed side WT Birkalla who are only one point ahead of them. Currently holding a game in hand over WT Birkalla, Adelaide Olympic have the advantage to jump into tenth if they win their rescheduled match next Wednesday. With a difficult end of the season ahead for Adelaide Olympic which will see them face three of the current top four in their final six matches, a win for Adelaide Olympic is vital for their ambitions of survival this season.
Sturt Lions line-up: 1. James Klappers (GK), 2. Michael Marrone, 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. Mitchell Keens, 21. Jed Gauci, 22. Jack Locke, 23. Isaac Jordaan
Coaches: Lino Fusco, Frank Tibaldi, Gregory Videon
Team Staff: Ivan Piovesan, Jakson Messent, Matthew Flounders
Adelaide Olympic line-up: 1. Lewis Moss, 3. Paul Wilson, 4. Benkert Abdija, 5. Adam Leombruno, 6. Kristin Konstandopoulos, 7. Jason Konstandopoulos, 8. Damian Ljujic, 9. Christos Pounendis, 10. Dylan D'Agostino, 11. Tito Bontor, 12. Jacob Jones, 13. Rastko Ljujic, 15. Michael Cittadini, 20. Clifford Maina, 24. Panagiotis Manidakis, 44. Ioannis Simosis
Coaches: Yianni Stamatelopoulos, George Konstandopoulos, Bill Nastou, Pal Prengaj
Team Staff: Robert Muscio, Marcus Gentile, Sumin Kim
Adelaide Comets vs South Adelaide
3:00 pm | Saturday 25 June | State Centre for Football
Last Meeting: (26/3/22) Round Five, South Adelaide 0 v Adelaide Comets 3
Adelaide Comets missed a perfect opportunity to close the gap between league leaders Adelaide City last week, however, their 3-0 loss to their opponents has now seen them drop to seven points away from the top spot. Their loss to Adelaide City marked the first time since Round Ten that the team had dropped any points, with Adelaide Comets experiencing a run of four consecutive wins. Their loss to Adelaide City also marked the first time this season that Adelaide Comets were unable to score in a match. With a chance of catching the current league leaders looking continuously unlikely, Adelaide Comets will be hoping to regain a good run of form as they search to secure a top-two spot, with only one point separating themselves and fourth.
Adelaide Comets won comfortably when they met South Adelaide away in Round Five as they secured a 3-0 win. Ryan Yates, Thomas Briscoe and Allan Welsh were all on the scoresheet for Adelaide Comets that day with that win taking them to the top of the RAA NPLSA ladder after Round Five.
South Adelaide’s season is back on track after they recorded an important three points with a 3-1 win over fellow top-six hunters Sturt Lions last week. After facing consecutive heavy defeats where they conceded 13 goals in just two games, a rejuvenated South Adelaide now sits a place off the top six. Jonathon Rideout was the saviour once again as his last-minute double gave his side the win, assisted by Donovan Pollock’s opening goal from the penalty spot in the 60th minute. With the top six tightly contested this season with only three points separating fifth and ninth, three points are vital for South Adelaide this round, with a win over Adelaide Comets being a real statement.
Adelaide Comets line-up: 1. Julian Torresan, 3. Ross Hatzi, 5. Adam Le Cornu, 6. Boris Glushkov, 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 (GK), 77. Augustus Williams
Coaches: Barney Smith, John Falidis, Peter Eleftherakis
Team Staff: Evangelo Katsambis, Andrew Furner, Emma Gericke, Andreas Wiens, Ilias Tsakiris
South Adelaide line-up: 1. Ryan Veitch (C) (GK), 6. Liam Wooding, 7. Melad Ahmad, 10. Jonathon Rideout, 11. Alexander Rideout, 13. Jai Conroy, 14. Donovan Pollock, 15. Jackson Stephens, 16. Declan Finney, 18. Jack Rudge, 24. Daniel Evans, 26. Divan Verdoorn, 40. Taine Muscroft, 41. Thomas Sills
Coaches: Anthony Rideout, Daniel Milovanovic, Christopher Reed, Fraser McLean
Team Staff: Ronnie Sills, Jacqueline Wingate
Adelaide City vs MetroStars
5:00 pm | Saturday 25 June | Adelaide City Park
Last Meeting: (5/4/22) Round Five, MetroStars 0 v Adelaide City 3
Currently on a high after booking their second consecutive Australia Cup Round of 32 appearances with a 5-0 win over State League One Side Eastern United, Adelaide City are eager to continue this form as they search to keep their undefeated streak alive. Currently, on a five-game winning streak and 15 league games undefeated, Adelaide City is the team to be feared this season as they cause numerous threats to all opposition. Adelaide City is currently one of the league’s highest-scoring teams and holds the best defensive record. This was highlighted in their emphatic 3-0 win over second-placed Adelaide Comets where Aladin Irabona stole the show to secure his first hattrick of the season. With a seven-point gap at the top of the RAA NPLSA, Adelaide City would like to extend this margin as they search to further distance themselves from all competition as they look to secure the Premiership in 2022.
Adelaide City won with ease last time they met MetroStars in action earlier in the season, as they secured a 3-0 win. Aladin Irabona, Thomas Brown and Kur Kur were all on the scoresheet that night to give Adelaide City the three points.
MetroStars has been in great form in recent months which has seen them win six of their last eight matches. They will be disappointed to miss a perfect opportunity to have jumped into second last week after they drew 1-1 with bottom side Cumberland United. Tim Henderson rescued a point for his team only four minutes after they fell behind to an opening Cumberland United goal. Currently sitting one point off second place and with Campbelltown City currently looking to overtake them, MetroStars need a big win to stay within the top three. Can MetroStars be the first team to beat Adelaide City in 2022?
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, 22. JUAN GUTIERREZ, 25. Mohammad Mekawir, 27. Matthew Dawber, 33. Dakota Ochsenham (GK), 44. Henry Filsell
Coaches: Paul Pezos, George Tsonis, Lewis Vallelonga
Team Staff: Fabian Garuccio, Nik Hagicostas, Luis Fernandez Astudillo
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, 9. Thomas Strain, 10. Anthony Solagna (C), 11. Ariath Piol, 12. Alessio Melisi, 14. Philip Cash, 15. Nicholas Pedicini, 16. Francesco Schimizzi, 17. Cameron Dix, 18. Fabian Barbiero, 19. Cooper O'donnell, 20. Luke Ostbye (GK), 21. Cameron Woodfin, 22. Jackson Walls, 23. Christian Esposito, 26. Ren Nagamatsu, 27. Jackson Fortunatow
Coaches: Robert Saraceno, Nicholas Bouzalas, Adam Van Dommele, Michael Rende
Team Staff: Giorgio Capoccia, Joseph Polisena, Patrick Pike, George Laoutaris
Croydon FC vs Adelaide United FC
7:45 pm | Saturday 25 June | Jack Smith Park
Last Meeting: (26/3/22) Round Five, Adelaide United FC 3 v Croydon FC 4
Since their Round Seven 4-0 win against Sturt Lions, Croydon FC has been in struggling form which has seen them win only one of their last eight matches, including six losses in their last seven. It has been a hard run for Croydon FC, but their great form to start the 2022 season has seen them accumulate enough points to stay within the top six. Croydon FC will be devasted to have not gained a point from their matchup with FK Beograd after a late strike from their opponents saw them lose the match 1-0. With how tight the current top six race is at the moment, Croydon FC needs to start to find their early season form if they are to secure a place in the Finals Series this season.
The last time they met Adelaide United FC, Croydon FC came out victors after securing a 4-3 win in a highly contested matchup. Adelaide United’s Panashe Madanha opened the scoring, while Yaya Dukuly secured a brace on his first appearance of the season. Croydon FC had four various goal scorers that day who helped contribute to the win with Dion Kirk, Patrick Caraccia and Luke Klimek all scoring, including a 70th-minute Antoni Trimboli winner.
Prior to Round 15, Adelaide United FC had been in great form, with the team losing only one of their last five games which included an 8-0 win over South Adelaide. However, their top-six hopes felt a minor slipup in Round 15 as they recorded a 2-1 loss to Campbelltown City. Starting the game against Campbelltown City extremely strong with Ethan Alagich opening the scoring within the first four-minute through a smartly played freekick, Adelaide United FC couldn’t make their dominance in the opening 20 minutes count. Conceding two goals just before half-time saw Adelaide United FC unable to respond which prevented them from achieving three points. Currently three points off fifth place with a game in hand, the team has a good opportunity of securing a top-six place in the coming weeks with two big victories.
Croydon Kings line-up: 1. Gianni Tramontin, 2. John Panagaris, 3. Inthavanh Thongsisavat, 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
Adelaide United FC line-up: 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, 58. Musa Toure, 62. Fabian Talladira, 66. Nestor Irankunda, 77. Asad Kasumovic, 97. Luka Jovanovic
Coaches: Airton Andrioli, Elvis Markov, Vlado Blazeka, Joe Verringer
Team Staff: Jonathan Norodom, Katrina Smith
State League One
The race for the top two in State League One continues to heat up. Two teams who are looking to break into the top two are set to face off as Adelaide Blue Eagles host Para Hills Knights at Marden Sports Complex. After spending two weeks without a win, Adelaide Blue Eagles got their top two hopes back on track as they secured an emphatic 5-0 win over Adelaide University SC. With that win, Adelaide Blue Eagles now sit only four points off second-place West Adelaide and are eager to close that gap this weekend. Para Hills Knights enter this match in great spirits after they became only the second team this season to beat league leaders Modbury Jets after Isaac Handley’s 89th minute secured the three points in a 2-1 victory. Para Hills Knights are now on a three-game winning streak that now sees them sit only one point off second, with a win over Adelaide Blue Eagles seeing them go six points clear from fourth. With the gap between themselves and Modbury Jets closed to five points after their victory last week, their hunt for the top spot will still be alive with a win over Adelaide Blue Eagles this weekend.
From a game that could determine the top two, to a game that could determine the bottom two as Adelaide Hills face Adelaide Victory. Currently sitting at the bottom of State League One with a four-point gap between them tenth, three points this weekend is vital for Adelaide Hills with a loss potentially seeing them go six points away from current eleventh placed Adelaide Victory. Adelaide Hills is currently on a four-game losing streak, with their last coming against West Adelaide where they lost 2-1 with Daniel Pauli’s 36th-minute goal not being enough to spark any comeback. Adelaide Victory’s form has not been any better with the team being without a win since Round Six, which was the week after they faced Adelaide Hills the first time. Having only won one game all season, Adelaide Victory’s form can be pointed to their struggles going forward which has seen them score three goals in their last seven games. Although their struggles in front of goals, Adelaide Victory have been very strong in defence which has seen them hold the joint third-best defensive record in the competition with only 18 goals conceded. A win for Adelaide Victory could potentially remove them from the bottom two, however, a loss could be detrimental as Adelaide Hills will go level on points with them heading into the final six games of the season.
State League One football continues as Adelaide University faces Eastern United at APEX Football Stadium, while West Adelaide travels to Ngarrpadla (Taperoo Reserve) to face Port Adelaide. League leaders and Modbury Jets look to continue their great run after qualifying for the Australia Cup Round of 32 as they face Adelaide Croatia Raiders. While Fulham United FC is set to take on Playford City at West Beach Parks Football Centre.
State League Two
Salisbury United are looking to get their season back on track, however, must overcome a strong Western Strikers squad. After spending the opening 12 rounds of the season as one of the most feared teams in the competition, Salisbury United have dropped off dramatically in recent week as they have now lost two and drawn one in their last three games. In their last match, they faced a 1-0 defeat to Pontian Eagles SC where a late-minute goal from the opposition saw Salisbury United drop out of the top two, with there now being a two-point gap between themselves and Vipers FC and a five-points between them and the league leaders Adelaide Cobras. Western Strikers would be pleased with Salisbury United’s result last week, as in addition to their own fantastic form, they now sit only one point behind them in fourth. Currently, on a run of seven games unbeaten, Western Strikers are one of the inform teams in the competition. This was demonstrated in their 1-0 win over league leaders Adelaide Cobras last week where Jacob Lavery’s 85th-minute header gave Western Strikers the three points. Wanting to close the three-point gap between them and second-placed Vipers FC, three points are needed in Round 16 for Western Strikers.
In other State League Two action sees Modbury Vista battle Seaford Rangers, league leaders Adelaide Cobras host Cove FC, Gawler Eagles FC travel to St Clair Oval to face Vipers FC, Noarlunga United will face Northern Demons and Mount Barker United SC host Pontian Eagles SC.