The final round is here!
After 21 weeks of excitement and action, it has come down to the last week for the Premiership title and for finals football selection.
Manly United FC v Rockdale Ilinden FC
3:00pm, Sunday 31st July, Cromer Park
With plenty riding on this match, this is a must-win for both sides as they wrap up their 2022 seasons.
A win for Manly could mean the Premiership title, depending on the outcome of the Blacktown City v Sydney Olympic match, while Rockdale need to take maximum points from the clash to have any hope of finals football.
Both sides have impressed throughout the season and have shown their ability to play their particular style of football.
Manly skipper Jimmy Oates has guided his team through the season well, and even nabbed an applaudable number of goals, and will be a source of leadership for the Northern Beaches outfit as they put everything on the line.
Rockdale’s Alec Urosevski will have extra motivation to score goals and get the win as he looks to secure the league’s golden boot.
With plenty to play for, this one will be an action-packed clash.
APIA Leichhardt FC v Sydney United 58 FC
3:00pm, Sunday 31st July, Lambert Park
APIA Leichhardt will look to secure their spot in the finals with a win over Sydney United 58 FC, whose season will come to a close at the completion of Round 22.
Danial Cummins credited the ability of Miro Vlastelica’s side in his post-match comments in Round 21 and indicated that despite them not qualifying for finals football, United 58 are a force to be reckoned with.
The attacking duo of Jason Romero and Diego Celis will likely be the feature of APIA’s game plan, with the support of their experienced team behind them.
The two historic teams have always put on a good show and with plenty of experience across the park, this match should be a good display of high-calibre football.
The motivation of finals football was enough to buoy APIA to a win over Marconi, will they be able to back it up and gain some crucial momentum for finals?
Wollongong Wolves FC v Sutherland Sharks FC
3:00pm, Sunday 31st July, WIN Stadium
With both teams out of the finals race, this match will be all about pride as these two clubs look to close out the season on a high.
Wollongong will be eager to give their home fans some hope for next season, while Sutherland will be hungry to prove that they have some quality within their team after a huge recruitment drive in the off-season gave fans high hopes for this year.
With both teams bringing in new leadership for the 2023 season, the pressure to impress will be apparent for both sides as they fight to keep their position within their squad’s next season.
Sydney Olympic FC v Blacktown City FC
3:00pm, Sunday 31st July, Belmore Sportsground
The biggest matchup of the season will take place at Belmore Sportsground as two league heavyweights come head-to-head in the fight for the Premiership.
A win for Blacktown will give them the title, while Olympic will need to win and maintain a stronger goal difference than Manly to secure the silverware.
Both teams have had impressive seasons and have shown they’re capable of taking out the crown.
Olympic’s strong defence has been a source of power for the Belmore boys, and they will need to be in their best form to hold out the dynamic attacking force that is Travis Major for Blacktown.
Blacktown’s experienced back line will have the tough task of holding out Roy O’Donovan, who is just one goal behind Urosevski in the race for the golden boot.
If you’re going to watch one match this week, this must be it as the title hangs in the balance.
Northbridge Bulls FC v Marconi Stallions FC
3:00pm, Sunday 31st July, Sydney United Sports Centre
After slipping out of Premiership contention last week, Marconi will still have to put in a good performance against the young Bulls in order to qualify for finals football.
Having lost Charles Lokolingoy at a less than ideal time in the season, the Stallions need their attackers to find the back of the net in the final round of the season.
The visitors will be without defender Roberto Speranza for the match after he received a red card last weekend, but Peter Tsekenis will have several options from his bench to bolster his team.
Northbridge have been in their best form of the season in recent weeks and, despite their season being certain to come to a close after this match, they’ve shown plenty of drive to prove themselves within their club.
Tsekenis’ team will be looking to get the win and gain momentum after a few tough results and will be hoping to secure their place within the top five to go for the Championship.
Sydney FC v Mt Druitt Town Rangers FC – POSTPONED