Round 22 – NPL NSW Preview
The Premiership race all comes down to 90 minutes with this week’s Round 22 fixtures set to be a scintillating end to the National Premier Leagues NSW regular season.
All 12 matches will take place simultaneously making for a huge afternoon of action this Sunday.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers and Sydney Olympic FC go into the final game locked on 45 points a piece but with APIA’s superior goal difference giving them the upper hand in the race for the Premiership trophy.
A win for the Tigers on Sunday will be enough for them to take home the title for the second straight year, however if they slip up the door will be wide open for Olympic to pip them to the finish line in first place.
The last finals spot is also on the line with Rockdale City Suns and Marconi Stallions fighting to keep their season alive.
The two teams are locked on 30 points but Marconi has a narrow goal difference advantage of three goals.
A win for Marconi against Wollongong Wolves should be enough for them to snap up fifth spot but Rockdale will be out to put as many goals as they can past bottom side Sydney FC to ensure their place in the playoffs.
Sydney Olympic v Sydney United 58, 3pm Sunday at Belmore Sports Ground – Live streamed on Facebook.
It all comes down to this for Sydney Olympic with their hopes of premiership glory on the line as they host Sydney United 58 FC on Sunday.
While their fate is not entirely in their hands, Olympic will be doing everything they can to secure a historic premiership win for the club.
They come into the game on the back of a comprehensive 4-0 thrashing of Wollongong Wolves and will be more determined than before to secure all three points.
Their opponents Sydney United 58 were also victorious in Round 21 with a 1-0 triumph against reigning Championship holders Manly United FC.
United 58 have tied up third place and a spot in the finals with the result in Sunday’s game making no impact on their final placing.
Alejandro Sanchez has scored 17 goals this season for Olympic and once again the responsibility will be on the shoulders of the Spaniard to find the back of the net for his side.
Despite a brief slump towards the back end of the season, Olympic have been the pace setters this year and willl be hurting that they are not in complete control of their Premiership title chances.
United 58 have little to play for in this game but that doesn’t mean they are going to take it easy against one of their biggest rivals.
It would be no surprise to see coach Miro Valstelica rest one or two of his main stars for this match and potentially blood young talent from United 58’s Under 20’s squad.
Nevertheless they are sure to put up a fight and will be looking to go into the finals with momentum.
This game could be a historic moment for Olympic fans and is sure to be an exciting contest.
Manly United FC v Bonnyrigg White Eagles FC, 3pm Sunday at Cromer Park
Manly United will be out to end a disappointing season on a high note when they host Bonnyrigg White Eagles on Sunday.
The Paul Dee coached side suffered a 1-0 loss to Sydney United 58 last round ending their slim hopes of making the finals.
Bonnyrigg come into this game with a heavy heart as it is more than likely their last in the NSW state league top flight for the foreseeable future ahead of their expected relegation to NPL 2 for next season.
A heartbreaking 6-3 loss to APIA Leichhardt Tigers, despite leading 3-0 only 30 minutes into the contest, was a tragic result for the club in Round 21 all but cementing their relegation fate.
The storied club will be determined for one final swan song this sunday.
Jeewook Woo has been the main man for Bonnyrigg this season with his nine goals leading the scoring charts for his side. Expect him to reach double figures with a goal against Manly.
Manly have struggled for goals this season with no one player truly standing out as their go to player in the 18 yard box.
Scott Balderson, Nikola Taneski and Dylan Macallister all pose a solid threat in attack and will be the most likely to unlock an unpredictable Bonnyrigg defence.
The White Eagles will be without Sam Gallaway, David Vrankovi and Bradie Smith for this match after the trio were sent off last round.
With pride on the line this game could prove to be one of the surprise matches of the round.
Rockdale City Suns v Sydney FC, 3pm Sunday at Ilinden Sports Centre
Finals football is on the line for Rockdale City Suns as they host Sydney FC on Sunday afternoon.
The Suns need a win against the Young Sky Blues to be in with a shot of finishing the season in fifth place but must also rely on Wollongong Wolves to at least draw with Marconi Stallions.
They come into the game on the back of a shock 1-0 loss to Hakoah Sydney City East and will be hurting that they are not in control of their finals fate.
Sydney FC were surprise winners in round 21 as they shocked Blacktown City 1-0 at Lambert Park last Saturday night.
Expect Rockdale to race out of the blocks in this match as the look to score early and often in hope of cutting their slim goal difference deficit.
Alec Urosevski has been their primary source of goals so far this season and that won’t change for this match.
Sydney FC’s young squad have shown plenty of bright sparks this campaign despite their lowly place on the ladder and will be determined to end the season with back to back wins.
This game could feature plenty of goals and is one not to miss for fans of attacking football.
APIA Leichhardt Tigers v Hakoah Sydney City East, 3pm Sunday at Lambert Park- Live streamed on Facebook.
APiA Leichhardt Tigers have reached the final hurdle in their race for a second National Premier Leagues NSW Premiership as they host Hakoah Sydney City East on Sunday afternoon.
Billy McColl’s side are 90 minutes away from making history with victory ensuring they lift the trophy for the second straight year.
They come into the match flying high after an incredible 6-3 victory against Bonnyrigg White Eagles last round despite trailing 3-0 early in the match,
Their opponents Hakoah were also winners in Round 21 as they shocked Rockdale City Suns 1-0.
APIA proved with last week’s result that they will not be struggling for goals after the departure of record breaking striker Jordan Murray who was signed by A-League side Central Coast Mariners last week.
His 23 goals in 19 games this campaign was an incredible return and set a new make for most goals in a National Premier Leagues NSW season.
Hist strike partner Tasuku Sekiya has proven to be the heir apparent to Murray and will take on much of the goalscoring responsibility throughout the finals.
Murray’s departure has also opened the door for veteran midfielder Franco Parisi to play a larger role than his usual super-sub appearances.
Hakoah’s Anthony Frangie has had a breakout season and will be the man APIA need to watch to ensure the visitors don’t spoil the party.
This game has plenty riding on it and is not to be missed.
Blacktown City FC v Sutherland Sharks FC, 3pm Sunday at Lily Homes Stadium
Blacktown City are in need of a boost heading into the finals and victory against Sutherland Sharks might be the perfect formula to cure their recent inconsistent form.
A loss to bottom side Sydney FC was an embarrassing result for the Mark Crittenden coached outfit who are now resigned to finishing the season in fourth spot.
Sutherland also suffered defeat last week as they went down 3-2 to Marconi Stallions.
Young winger Mason Versi has been a strong performer for Blacktown the past few weeks and could be the surprise packet the home side need to get the win against the Sharks.
Versi’s volley to win the game in Round 20 proved he has the mettle to perform when the heat is on and it may prove valuable in this contest.
Sutherland have failed to reach the heights of their early season form but coach Grant Lee will want his troops to finish the campaign with a reason to smile.
Veteran attacker Hristijan Tanoski has been mostly on the peripheral for the Sharks this season but demonstrated he still has plenty to offer with a goal during a rare start for the club last week.
His experience could be the difference against a tough Blacktown defence which has conceded the least goals of any team this season.
Blacktown will want to put on a show for their home fans ahead of the finals so it is sure to be an entertaining fixture.
Marconi Stallions v Wollongong Wolves, 3pm Sunday at Marconi Stadium
Marconi Stallions have the chance of securing finals football in their first season back in the National Premier Leagues NSW with a win against Wollongong Wolves the Sunday all that stands in their way.
Peter Tsekenis’ team have found form in the later stages of the season as shown in their 3-2 win against Sutherland Sharks last week.
Their opponents Wollongong Wolves were easily swept away last round as they suffered a 4-0 loss to Sydney Olympic.
Marconi will look to Sean Rooney and Marko Jesic in attack to break down Wollongong’s experienced midfield.
The Wolves have had another underwhelming season and will be eyeing a win to close out the season.
The match could potentially be a swan song for a number of their veteran players so their will be inspiration for the Jacob Timpano coached side despite no longer being in finals contention.
A win should be enough for Marconi to wrap up a fifth placed finish but they will keep a close eye on the scoreline in Rockdale’s match against Sydney FC as the Suns will try to close their three goal goal difference deficit.
It is sure to be a huge game to close out what has been a massive season for both teams.
