Round 21 Preview – NPL NSW Men’s
There are only two rounds to go for the 2022 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s season there is so much excitement!
The finals race still has seven teams fighting for a spot while the Premiership is also within reach for several teams.
Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC v Sydney Olympic FC
8:00pm, Friday 22nd July, Popondetta Park
Third placed Sydney Olympic will be fighting to stay in the top five to secure finals football when they head out to Popondetta Park to take on Mt Druitt Town Rangers on Friday night.
Coming off a 1-0 win over APIA in the Inner West Derby last week, the blues will be flying high as they head into the clash but will be looking for maximum points to put themselves in the best possible place for finals.
The Premiership is still on the table for Olympic, a feat they last achieved in 2018, but they will have to hope other results fall their way for this to happen.
Roy O’Donovan was the lone goal-scorer for Olympic in Round 20 and will need to net a few more as he races for the league’s golden boot.
While the Premiership and finals football are not on the table for Mt Druitt, they would surely get some satisfaction from causing an upset and foiling their opponent’s chances at glory.
Sutherland Sharks FC v Northbridge Bulls FC
5pm, Saturday 23rd July, Seymour Shaw
An in-form Northbridge Bulls will be looking to continue their form as they come to the end of the season.
Their 2-1 win over Rockdale Ilinden saw them upset the hopes of a finals contender and secure their third win in a row and they’ll be hoping for another win over Sutherland to try to jump over Wollongong on the league ladder.
Sutherland’s last win came against Northbridge in Round 10 so will be desperate to get another win as their season wraps up.
With both teams looking forward to the 2023 season, this should be an interesting match up as they don’t have the pressure of finals football influencing their game.
Blacktown City FC v Wollongong Wolves FC
3:00pm, Sunday 24th July, Blacktown City Sports Centre
As Blacktown City make a charge for the Premiership they will be a force to be reckoned with when they face up against the Wollongong Wolves.
While Wollongong aren’t in the best position on the ladder they have held out some of the league’s heavyweights in recent weeks.
Draws with Sydney FC, Sydney Olympic, APIA Leichhardt, Manly United and Marconi have shown that they have the team to challenge the best in the league and they will face what is arguably their biggest challenge yet on Sunday.
Blacktown, who are now nine games undefeated, will be looking to get maximum points as they battle it out with Marconi for the Premiership title.
Travis Major has been a huge asset to Blacktown since he rejoined the team and will be one to watch in the match as he looks to bring his side one step closer to silverware.
Sydney United 58 FC v Manly United FC
3:00pm, Sunday 24th July, Sydney United Sports Centre
With both teams coming off wins it should be an entertaining match as Manly United travel out to Edensor Park to try to secure their place in the finals.
In fourth spot on the ladder and only two points behind Blacktown in the top spot, the Northern Beaches outfit will need to gain maximum points from this match if they have any chance at the Premiership title and to keep out Sydney FC, APIA Leichhardt and Rockdale Ilinden, who are hot on their heels.
Sydney United 58 had their first win in five matches over Sydney FC last week and will be looking to cause another upset to a finals contender before their 2022 campaign comes to a close.
With plenty of talent and experience across both teams there will be plenty for football fans to appreciate as these two teams head into battle in the penultimate round of the season.
Rockdale Ilinden FC v Sydney FC
4:00pm, Sunday 24th July, Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre
It’s do-or-die for both these teams as they face up on Sunday afternoon at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre.
Both fighting for a hotly contested finals place and tied on points, they must take all three points in this battle.
As they both take to their home ground they lose the advantage but there will likely be plenty of support for both teams, giving them some extra momentum.
Alec Urosevski will be fighting for the golden boot and will be fighting against his rival Jaiden Kucharski if he returns to the team for Sydney FC.
It’s going to be an entertaining clash and a must-see for football fans as the fate of both teams’ 2022 seasons hangs in the balance.
APIA Leichhardt FC v Marconi Stallions FC
5:15pm, Sunday 24th July, Lambert Park
In the Italian derby, APIA Leichhardt will be looking to stop Marconi’s chances of Premiership glory and secure themselves a finals place in the process.
With two of the most experienced teams in the competition there will be plenty of quality football in the match.
APIA Leichhardt are looking to bounce back after five games without a win heading into Round 21, while Marconi’s draw with Wollongong will surely have them hungry to prove themselves and keep silverware within reach.
Without the attacking prowess of Charles Lokolingoy, Marconi will be looking to Domenic Costanzo, Marko Jesic and Chris Hatfield, while APIA have the talent of Diego Celis and Jason Romero in their forward line to rustle the Marconi defence.
In one of the tightest finals battles in years, there is so much on the line for two historic teams with a history of high-calibre, intense battles and this will surely be no exception.
