WT Birkalla vs FK Beograd
2:30 pm | Saturday 6 August | Jack Smith Park
Last Meeting: (14/5/22) Round Ten | FK Beograd 3 v WT Birkalla 2
2021 State League One rivals WT Birkalla and FK Beograd are set to face off in the opening match of Round 21 at Jack Smith Park on Saturday afternoon. Last season’s State League One Grand Finalists have experienced very different first seasons back in the RAA NPLSA, with FK Beograd currently fighting for a place in the Finals Series, while WT Birkalla has already found their fate with the team now relegated back to State League One in 2023.
With two games remaining, WT Birkalla is now unable to recover the RAA NPLSA status in 2023 with the team now seven points away from survival. After a difficult season, WT Birkalla’s relegation was sealed last round as the team experienced their sixth consecutive loss and their 13th of the season as MetroStars beat them 3-0 win.
It was a tightly contested encounter in their last meeting in Round Ten as FK Beograd secured a late 3-2 win in a dramatic fashion. After a goalless first 45 minutes, WT Birkalla came out the break firing, with Ethan Stevenson firing home the first of the encounter, while Joshua Mori restored the deficit a couple of minutes later from the penalty spot. A 76th-minute Calvin Mbarga for WT Birkalla saw the team confident about securing the victory, however, an 86th-minute second from Joshua Mori and a 90th-minute Jacob Butler-Bowdon goal gave FK Beograd the victory.
Having impressed throughout the second half of the RAA NPLSA season, FK Beograd’s first season back in the RAA NPLSA has almost been a major success, with the team now a couple of points off a place in this season's Finals Series. After cementing their place in the top six throughout Rounds 15 and 18, FK Beograd’s status amongst a Finals Series place has slowly faded away after recording back-to-back 2-1 losses to Adelaide Comets and top six rivals Adelaide United FC, with goals by the current league-leading scorer Joshua Mori unable to rescue any points. Currently only one point off the sixth, FK Beograd need a big victory this round.
WT Birkalla line-up: 3. james polli, 8. Jake Monaco, 9. Calvin Mbarga, 10. Austin Ayoubi, 11. jonathon d'arrigo, 15. Christian D'Angelo, 17. David Makridis, 20. Nicholas Harpas (GK), 21. Nicholas Harpas, 27. Brody Burkitt, 29. Ethan Stevenson, 31. Hugo Rimington, 33. Lucas Tsaconas, 80. John-Paul Cirillo, 91. Yasmin Sudic
Coaches: Daniel Paterson, Christopher Goddard, Carmine Lauriello
Team Staff: Henry Lambert, Roger Williamson
FK Beograd line-up: 2. Brian Kaltak, 4. Maksim Ivanic, 5. Jacob Butler-Bowdon, 7. Yusuf Ahmed, 8. Christian Sotira, 9. Joshua Mori, 12. Antonios Natsiopoulos, 13. Deale Chamberlain (GK), 14. Isaac Mullen, 15. Massimo Falco, 17. Chahine Noujaim, 18. Stanisa Velinov, 19. Filimon Asefa, 20. Jordan Pudler, 22. Akok Arok
Coaches: Damian Mori, Joshua Smith, Scott Parr
Team Staff: Constantinos Tsaconas, Sachin Prakash Kumar
Sturt Lions vs MetroStars
3:00 pm | Saturday 6 August | Karinya Reserve
Last Meeting: (14/5/22) Round Ten, MetroStars 3 v Sturt Lions 1
Sturt Lion's top six hopes are still alive, however, must hope for a miracle to achieve this with the current ninth-placed team needing to secure two victories in their last two games, while need all teams still in contention for the top six to lose their last two games. It was a devasting outcome for Sturt Lions in their last fixture as Adelaide City secured a 4-1 victory, with Tyreece Conway’s ninth-minute penalty unable to spark a strong performance for his team. With only two games remaining, Sturt Lion's ambitions this season relies on a victory this round.
It was a strong second-half performance that earned MetroStars the three points in their last encounter with Sturt Lions. Gonzalo Rodriguez gave Sturt Lions an early lead in this encounter, with his sixth-minute strike providing his team with a 1-0 lead. However, late goals by Hamish Gow, Ariath Piol and Christian Esposito served MetroStars the 3-1 victory.
After three consecutive losses, MetroStars regained their winning form after an impressive 3-0 win over WT Birkalla with goals by Jackson Walls, Ariath Piol and a spectacular scorpion kick by Timothy Henderson earning the team the victory. With Top Six secured and no way of securing third place, MetroStars will hope to continue gaining great momentum heading into their Finals Series campaign.
Sturt Lions line-up: 1. James Klappers (GK), 2. Michael Marrone (C), 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. Mitchell Keens, 14. Zack Gomez, 15. Akira Kobaishi, 16. Samuel Voigt, 17. Jonathan Fusco, 18. Toby Nelson, 19. Luke Fusco, 20. Jack Locke, 21. Michael Giorgines, 22. Isaac Jordaan
Coaches: Lino Fusco, Frank Tibaldi, Gregory Videon, Mirza Sljivo
Team Staff: Ivan Piovesan, Logan Stevens, Matthew Flounders
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, 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, Patrick Pike, Joseph Polisena, George Laoutaris
South Adelaide vs Adelaide City
3:00 pm | Saturday 6 August | O’Sullivans Beach Sports and Community Centre
Last Meeting: (13/5/22) Round Ten, Adelaide City 1 v South Adelaide 1
Round 20 saw South Adelaide participate in one of the top performances of the 2022 RAA NPLSA season as they secured a 7-0 win over Cumberland United. It was an Alexander Rideout masterclass in that encounter, with the talented attacker putting in a performance to remember as he secured four assists and two goals, including one directly from a corner. The game also saw goals by Jack Rudge, Donovan Pollock, Jackson Stephens, Chol Wel and Jonathon Rideout’s 14th goal of the season as he continues his push for the golden boot. With their survival confirmed, South Adelaide now looks to put their attention on a late push for a place in the top six, with only five points currently separating them.
Honours were even in South Adelaide’s last meeting with Adelaide City, as they took important points off the current league leaders. A first-half goal by Kur Kur was cancelled out by a 60th-minute Declan Finney goal.
Adelaide City’s Premiership hopes continue on for another week as the current league leaders hold only a one-point lead at the top of the RAA NPLSA. After falling behind only nine minutes into their encounter with Sturt Lions last week, Adelaide City's fears of losing the first-placed status were quickly erased as goals by Ayom Ayom Majok, Nicholas Bucco, Thomas Brown and Jai King-Byrne provided the team with a 4-1 victory. Having lost only once thus far this season, Adelaide City hopes on continuing their quest for more silverware after already securing the Federation Cup continues as they search for this season's Premiership. A win for Adelaide City and a loss for Campbelltown City and Adelaide Comets will see Adelaide City crowned Premiers with a game remaining.
South Adelaide line-up: 1. Ryan Veitch (GK), 2. Michael Goode, 4. Robert Parker (C), 7. Melad Ahmad, 10. Jonathon Rideout, 11. Alexander Rideout, 13. Jai Conroy, 14. Donovan Pollock, 15. Jackson Stephens, 17. Chol Wel, 18. Jack Rudge, 23. Jack Ellis, 24. Daniel Evans, 40. Taine Muscroft
Coaches: Anthony Rideout, Gary Craggs, Daniel Milovanovic
Team Staff: Jacqueline Wingate
Adelaide City line-up: Mohammad Mekawir, Isaac Martini, 4. Matthew Halliday, 5. Zakariah Waters, 6. Bradley Corbo, 7. Daniel Bressan, 10. Nicholas Bucco, 14. Aladin Irabona, 15. Darcy Dawber, 17. Thomas Brown, 20. Charlie Devereux, 22. JUAN GUTIERREZ, 23. Jai King-Byrne, 33. Dakota Ochsenham (GK), 44. Henry Filsell, 99. Ayom Ayom Majok
Coaches: Paul Pezos, George Tsonis, Lewis Vallelonga
Team Staff: Fabian Garuccio, Nik Hagicostas, Luis Fernandez Astudillo
Adelaide Comets vs Adelaide United FC
3:00 pm | Saturday 6 August | ServiceFM Stadium
Last Meeting: (14/5/22) Round Ten, Adelaide United FC 4 v Adelaide Comets 2
Adelaide Comets' hopes of winning their third consecutive Premiership gradually faded away last round, as they felt a devasting 3-2 loss to rivals Campbelltown City. In what was a strong performance where goals by Anthony Mavrolambados and Thomas Briscoe saw Adelaide Comets hold a 2-2 score line away at Steve Woodcock Sports Centre, another 90th-minute Campbelltown City goal saw the home team take all three points. Dropping down to third, Adelaide Comets now sits three points off the top spot and two points off second. To obtain the Premiership Adelaide Comets will need a perfect end to the season, while will need the current top two drop points in their next two games.
Adelaide United FC served Adelaide Comets only their second loss of the season in their last meeting in Round 10 as they secured a 4-2 win. It was a goals fest in the first 45 minutes as goals by Luka Jovanovic, Yaya Dukuly and Asad Kasumovic were answered back by goals by Anthony Mavrolambados and Thomas Briscoe, ending the half at 3-2. Adelaide United FC sealed the victory in the second half as Kasumovic found his second of the match in the 82nd minute.
Adelaide United FC’s quest for a place in this season's Finals Series has almost been achieved with the team now only a few points off confirmation. It has been an extremely strong end to the season for the team as they enter Round 21 on the back of a four-game unbeaten run where they’ve beaten the likes of MetroStars, FK Beograd and taken points off league leaders Adelaide City. It was a 2-1 victory over FK Beograd last week which saw Adelaide United FC cement a three-point gap inside the top six as second-half goals by Luka Jovanovic and Musa Toure secured the points. If Adelaide United FC is to secure a top six place, they will hope to continue their great run as one of the most feared teams in the competition.
Adelaide Comets line-up: 1. Julian Torresan, 4. Logan Marley-McFall, 5. Adam Le Cornu, 6. Boris Glushkov, 7. Augustus Williams, 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), 66. Jayden LoBasso
Coaches: Barney Smith, John Falidis, Peter Eleftherakis
Team Staff: Evangelo Katsambis, Andrew Furner, Emma Gericke, Andreas Wiens, Ilias Tsakiris
Adelaide United FC line-up: Ashton Rinaldo, Panashe Madanha, Ethan Alagich, 42. Fergus Lynch, 44. Arbi Mollas, 52. Giuseppe Bovalina, 53. Kane Vidmar, 54. Panagiotis Kikianis, 57. Luka Jovanovic, 58. Musa Toure, 62. Fabian Talladira, 63. Patrick Mcgregor, 68. Jeanpaul Mbembe}
Coaches: Airton Andrioli, Elvis Markov, Vlado Blazeka, Joe Verringer
Team Staff: Jonathan Norodom, Katrina Smith
Campbelltown City vs Croydon FC
3:00 pm | Saturday 6 August | Steve Woodcock Sports Centre
Last Meeting: (13/5/22) Round Ten, Croydon FC 1 v Campbelltown City 2
It was late drama once more for Campbelltown City as they secured another memorable win over rivals Adelaide Comets. Starting the game on the back foot last round, Campbelltown City fell behind early with an early Adelaide Comets goal. Alex Mullen was the main man once more as he bought the score level only minutes before half-time. A second-half Yohei Matsumoto goal and another by their opponents saw the game remain level at 2-2 heading into the final minutes of the game, however, Alex Mullen was there once again to save his team as his towering header in the dying moments of the game gave his team the three points and a place amongst the top two. Still only one point off top spot, Campbelltown City will be hoping for an Adelaide City slip-up in the coming weeks as they look to secure the Premiership.
Alex Mullen was once again the saviour in Campbelltown City’s last meeting with Croydon FC, as his first-half double was enough for his team to secure the three points, cancelling Sebastian Goode’s 13th-minute goal.
Although remaining in the top six, Croydon FC experienced a minor slipup on their quest for the Finals Series as they fell to a 1-0 defeat to Adelaide Olympic. Fortunate for Croydon FC, an FK Beograd loss saw Croydon FC retain their top six status for another week, however, they now hold only one point lead. With the team set to face two of the current top three in the final two fixtures, Croydon FC will be hoping to pull off a big victory this week as they search to secure their place in the top six.
Campbelltown City line-up: 1. Alexander Woodlands (GK), 2. Shaun Harvey (C), 3. Mario Orrico, 4. Connor Centofanti, 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, 17. Nicholas Graves, 18. Yohei Matsumoto, 19. Joshua Barresi, 21. Jordan Maricic, 23. Jake Halliday, 35. Luca Meggetto
Coaches: Michael Matricciani, Adrian DAloia, brenton hiern, Edward Scalzi
Team Staff: Agelo Kapnistis, Liam Oates, Corey Artone
Croydon FC 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, 12. Shaun Nelson, 14. Peter Mercurio, 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 Olympic vs Cumberland United
6:00 pm | Saturday 6 August | APEX Football Stadium
Last Meeting: (14/5/22) Round Ten, Cumberland United 3 v Adelaide Olympic 2
Adelaide Olympic’s fight for survival is almost complete, with the team now only a point from regaining their RAA NPLSA status in 2023. It was a 28th-minute Ioannis Simosis goal that almost secured the team’s survival, as his finish earned his team the three points in their 1-0 victory over the top six hopefuls Croydon FC. That win took Adelaide Olympic to six points clear of the relegation zone, with the team now only needing to secure a point in their next two games to achieve survival.
It was a 3-2 win for Cumberland United last time they met Adelaide Olympic, with the game ending in chaos. Two first-half goals by Harry Thannhauser and Sam Carmichael saw Cumberland United hold an early lead, while Fausto Erba got one back for Adelaide Olympic in the 66th minute. A Yuya Taguchi 94th-minute goal saw Cumberland United take a 3-1 lead, with the three points looking destined to go to his team. However, a 97th-minute goal by Christos Pounendis saw the game end in commotion, as the goal led to two red cards to Adelaide Olympic in the final minutes of the match.
Cumberland United’s hopes of survival are slowly being erased, as the current eleventh placed team need to secure two wins in their final two games, while needing Adelaide Olympic to lose big in both of their games. Currently, six points separate Cumberland United and Adelaide Olympic, with the current relegation battlers needing to rescue a 23-goal difference deficit in their final two games. With next week being the final round of the season, Cumberland United must win to keep their survival hopes alive, with a loss or draw seeing them relegated to State League One in 2023.
Adelaide Olympic line-up: 4. Benkert Abdija, 6. Kristin Konstandopoulos, 7. Jason Konstandopoulos, 9. Christos Pounendis, 10. Dylan D'Agostino, 11. Tito Bontor, 12. Jacob Jones, 14. Tzoi Tsarkani, 15. Michael Cittadini, 20. Clifford Maina, 22. Joshua Kavenagh, 24. Panagiotis Manidakis, 44. Ioannis Simosis
Coaches: Yianni Stamatelopoulos, Michael Jakobsen, Bill Nastou
Team Staff: Robert Muscio, Marcus Gentile, Sumin Kim
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, 11. Charlie Ince, 14. Cohan Morris, 20. Stavros Bakopanos, 21. Alex Redman, 22. Minsung Park, 24. Amir Ibrahim, 27. Harry Thomas, 35. Thomas Visser, 53. Ned Styles
State League One
With the season coming into its final weeks, West Adelaide's search for a place in the top two has almost been secured with the team now only a couple of points from securing this glory. Currently, on the back of four consecutive draws, West Adelaide has now only taken four points out of a possible twelve, which has seen Modbury Jets secure promotion and the premiership, while have seen Adelaide Blue Eagles and Para Hills Knights close the gap for second place to only one point. A win for West Adelaide and a loss to Adelaide Blue Eagles and Para Hills Knights will secure second place for them, while a loss or draw could be extremely detrimental. Their opponents Playford City are currently still fighting for a place amongst the top six, as they search to make another appearance in the Finals Series. After facing a 5-2 defeat to Adelaide Croatia Raiders last week, Playford City missed an opportunity to jump back into the top six, with now only one point separating them from sixth-placed Fulham United FC. With five teams still fighting for a place in the top six, Playford City needs to secure wins in their final two games.
Another matchup that could shape the top six race this weekend sees Eastern United take on Port Adelaide. Currently, both are level on points, with Eastern United in eighth and Port Adelaide in ninth, both teams now only sit two points off a place in the top six. With next weekend being the final round of the season, three points are vital for both clubs if they are to see their season continue past Round 22. Eastern United head into this encounter in good form after securing a draw with West Adelaide and a 4-2 win over Adelaide Hills, while Port Adelaide head into the match on the back of two losses.
State League One football continues as Premiers Modbury Jets face top two hopefuls Adelaide Blue Eagles at Smith Partners Stadium, Adelaide University SC travels to Croatian Sports Centre to face Adelaide Croatia Raiders, Adelaide Victory face Para Hills Knights while Adelaide Hills host Fulham United FC at Summit Sport and Recreation Park.
State League Two
It’s second versus third in State League Two action, as Vipers FC face Western Strikers with both clubs heading into the match with much to play for. A win or draw for Vipers FC will see them finish the season in the top two, however, their season ambition of achieving automatic promotion could be over Saturday night as an Adelaide Cobras win will secure promotion and the premiership for the current league leaders. Western Strikers were left devasted last round as they dropped valuable points to Seaford Rangers in a 3-2 loss, which took them five points off second place. A win for Western Strikers will see them go only two points off second with one game to go, while a loss or a draw will take them out of contention leaving them at the risk of dropping to fourth if Cove FC secure a victory.
In other State League Two action sees Cove FC face Seaford Rangers, Salisbury United take on Mount Barker United SC, Modbury Vista travel to Wilfred Taylor Reserve to face Noarlunga United, Northern Demons host Pontian Eagles SC and Adelaide Cobras search to secure the Premiership as they face Gawler Eagles at home.