Round 1 Elimination Semi-Finals Preview – NPL Men’s NSW
The hotly-anticipated 2024 NPL Men’s NSW finals series will get underway on Wednesday night, with two elimination finals set to feature an abundance of excitement and intrigue.
APIA Leichhardt FC vs Sydney United 58 FC
7:00pm, Wednesday 28 August, Lambert Park
APIA Leichhardt, after finishing third in the regular season, will host sixth-place Sydney United 58 at Lambert Park in a crunch-clash between two heated rivals.
Both sides secured 1-0 victories in their Round 30 clashes with late winners in the 91st minute, with Nicholas Azzone for APIA and Adrian Vlastelica for Sydney United 58 giving their teams three points.
United 58 will go into this match believing they have an edge on their opponents, having beaten APIA in both of their regular season fixtures.
In Round 10, United 58 secured a stunning 5-1 victory over their rivals, with goals from Aidan Milicevic, Matthew Hatch, Shunta Nakamura and a brace from Patrick Antelmi secured a memorable win away from home.
They then backed that up with a gutsy 2-0 win at home, with Nakamura joined by Alessandro Lacalandra on the scoresheet.
This, combined with their loss to United 58 in the 2023 Waratah Cup final, will give APIA plenty of motivation to eliminate their bitter rivals and advance through to the semi-finals.
For APIA, their attacking quartet – as usual – will be key on Wednesday, with Rory Jordan, Jack Armson, Jack Stewart and Ben Gibson providing great variety in how they can create and finish chances all over the field.
Sydney United 58, meanwhile, will threaten through the likes of Patrick Antelmi, Stephen De Robillard and Matthew Hatch, while goalkeeper Oliver Kalac could be key considering his strong performance in their last matchup with APIA.
It’s set to be a nailbiting, crunch clash at Lambert Park, as two sides with plenty of recent history battle to remain in the NPL Men’s NSW finals series and move one step closer towards a cherished Championship.
Tony Tannous will be calling this match on Football NSW’s official YouTube channel
Blacktown City FC vs St George City FA
7:30pm, Wednesday 28 August, Landen Stadium
Blacktown City will come up against St George City FA in what is set to be a highly exciting elimination final at Landen Stadium.
The home side for this match will be coming into this game in strong form, having won four of their last five in the league.
With their only points dropped in a 4-2 defeat to NWS Spirit FC, Blacktown will be confident heading into this fixture after following a statement 2-1 victory over Marconi Stallions with a 4-0 thrashing of Hills United.
However, they’ll be facing a quality St George City team that has been in similarly good form, only losing one of their last five matches – a late defeat to Sydney United 58 last weekend.
In the two regular season fixtures between Blacktown and St George, the sides won one match apiece, with Blacktown first prevailing in a 2-0 win before St George followed up with a 2-1 victory in Round 22.
The two rivals have also played a knockout match against each other in 2024, where Blacktown City prevailed 2-1 in the Australia Cup Preliminary Rounds.
With the sides closely matched throughout the season, it could be individual brilliance that decides this Elimination Final on Wednesday night.
Attacking talent is something both sides possess in abundance, with Blacktown boasting one of the most dangerous attacking squads in the league, featuring Danny Choi, Travis Major, Mitchell Mallia, Martin Fernandez and Joey Gibbs among others.
With one of the five likely to start on the bench, Blacktown’s substitutions could play a major role in a potential win at Landen Stadium.
But St George aren’t without threat of their own, with the away side possessing quality all over the park.
The likes of Kosta Petratos, Jesse Photi and Fumoto Kamada could prove crucial for St George on Wednesday, in what is sent to be a high-quality, intense match at Landen Stadium.
Nikola Pozder will be calling this match on Football NSW’s official YouTube channel.
Don’t miss a game! Subscribe to Football NSW’s YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/footballnsw
Remaining Finals Series Fixtures
Sunday 1st September
Preliminary Final 1
1pm – Rockdale Ilinden v Lowest Ranked Winner from Round 1
Preliminary Final 2
5pm – Marconi Stallions v Highest Ranked Winner from Round 1
Grand Final
Saturday 7th September
Winner PF1 v Winner PF 2
By Jack George (@JackGeorge0004)
