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Sydney Olympic ready for Perth SC test

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Lambert Park is set to host a cracking NPL Finals Series fixture this Sunday as duel Premiership and Championship winners Sydney Olympic entertain the best from the West, Perth SC in what promises to be a mouth-watering Elimination Final match-up.

Abbas Saad’s men are still reeling from a season of highs having taken out the prestigious double and will be using their recent 3-1 NPL NSW Men’s Grand Final victory against APIA Leichhardt Tigers as inspiration when they tackle Ramon Falzon’s men.

Their opponents will by no means be a push over as Perth SC, nicknamed the ‘Azzurri’, will also be full of confidence as they too took out the double in Western Australia.

Perth SC stole the Premiership off Perth Glory by one solitary point while they convincingly defeated the same outfit in the McInerney Ford Top Four Cup four goals to one thanks to a stunning hat-trick by Paul Zimarino.

Celebrating their 70th year anniversary, Zimarino is hoping that his boys can give the NPL Finals Series a fair shake-up starting with Olympic.

“It really will be a great match-up when you think about it, Western Australia’s best versus NSW’s best.

“We all know how strong the NPL NSW Men’s competition is and what a great club Sydney Olympic is and has been so all the players are really looking forward to this challenge.”

The 20-year-old attacking midfielder stated that his chargers will keep a close eye on Blues’ Spanish star Alejandro Sanchez and lynch-pin midfielder Max Burgess as key targets.

“We have watched a few video highlights and have identified both Alejandro and Max as threats, but we also know that they have proven big game players all across the park, so we will need to be at our very best come Sunday.”

One player the Blues need to focus on will be a red-hot Brazilian in ace striker Gustavo Catarcione.

“Gustavo brings so much to the team and I believe he is and has been one of the best players ever to play in the NPL for the last several seasons.

“He has also been amongst the goals in W.A., has won himself a number of Golden Boot awards and he always gives our team that extra edge.”

One player the Azzurri will miss however, will be former Socceroos defender Adrian Madaschi who will not be traveling to Sydney.

“Adrian will be a big loss for us as he is a good leader on the pitch.

“Although he hasn’t had much game time this year, each time he has stepped onto the pitch, he has always offered us that extra strength in defence.”

Perth SC do boost a pretty young squad with the team averaging the age of 25, something that could well prove a good sign for the visitors.

One aspect the travelling squad will need to come to terms with though, is the match being played on artificial surface at Lambert Park.

Although Perth SC’s spiritual home ground Dorrien Gardens is a grass pitch, the club does boast artificial training pitches which has assisted in the team’s lead-up to this match against the Blues.

“All pitches in the Western Australian NPL are grass pitches so we lose out on that.

“In saying that though, we do train twice a week on our artificial training surface that we have on site along with training on our normal ground so we will be ready for this.”

Olympic will have other ideas and will be fully focused on the tough job at hand with club stalwart Will Angel ready for the big test.

Angel has been with the Blues for an amazing 15 years now, and at the age of 29, cannot wait for the big match on Sunday.

“The boys are buzzing, its business as usual at training with everybody focused on the next game at hand in the NPL Finals Series.

“The squad is very motivated to win the treble for the club which would cap off a tremendous season.

“We know how important the NPL Finals Series is and we want to make a good account for ourselves and our fans.

“We understand Perth SC have had a very successful season and have quality players across the park but we are confident we can do the job at Lambert Park in front of our amazing home fans.”

Angel will no doubt bring his experience and his energy along with his love for the club to will the Sydney Olympic boys to a hopeful win and a chance to play either Canberra FC or Campbelltown City in the NPL Finals Series Semi Finals to be played on the 22nd/23rd of September with the big final set for September 29th or 30th.

Match Details

NPL Finals Series 2018 Elimination Final

Sunday 16th September

Lambert Park

Sydney Olympic v Perth SC

*Tickets to be sold at the gates

*Match to be livestreamed on www.nationalpremierleagues.com.au

Click here to view the official Match Day Program

 

NPL NSW Men’s Grand Final 2018 Preview

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The biggest game of the National Premier Leagues NSW season has arrived and months of blood sweat and tears will culminate in a blockbuster clash of the titans.

Premiers Sydney Olympic FC will go head to head with APIA Leichhardt Tigers to see who will be crowned champion for the 2018 season.

Olympic and APIA finished the season in first and second place respectively and are fitting combatants for this year’s decider.

It has been historic seasons for both clubs with Olympic winning their first premiership in seven years, while APIA return to the decider for the second straight year breaking a number of goal scoring records on the way.

Adding a little extra flavour to the fixture is the fact Olympic pinched the title from APIA’s grasp on the final day of the regular season and are now playing for a league double.

This combined with the Tigers determination to atone for their heartbreaking penalty shootout loss to Manly in last year’s grand final shows that neither side will be struggling to find inspiration for this marquee match-up.

With the pain of that grand final defeat in the back of their mind, APIA raced out of the blocks this season to deliver a season of thrilling attacking football.

No team in the NPL NSW has been as prolific as the Billy McColl coached APIA team with their haul of 62 goals in the regular season setting a new league record.

Olympic on the other hand has been an example of consistency with their impressive form helping them to a run of nine games unbeaten during the first half of the campaign. It was the longest streak of its type by any team this season.

Their 4-0 drubbing of Sydney United 58 in the major semi-final was a warning that they won’t be stopped on their endeavour to take home the premiership and championship double.

On the park both teams have squads bristling with talent.

Olympic have the best defence in the competition conceding only 19 goals. Their attack was also not to be sneezed at as they netted 40 goals – the second best tally in the league.

Spanish striker Alex Sanchez has been a revelation for the Abbas Saad coached Olympic scoring 17 goals in the regular season and followed it up with a hat trick in his one finals match.

Central defender Tom Whiteside has become a solid force in the heart of the Belmore based side’s back line and has only improved since the departure of established stopper George Timotheou mid way through the campaign.

While Olympic is prominently a team of young talent, established veterans Will Angel and Paul Henderson provide the team with experience and composure.

The fact APIA have made it through to the grand final is proof of the fluidity and flexibility of their squad.

The mid-year transfer window featured the departure of a number of players from Lambert Park, including Olympic midfielder Zach Mackenzie, while star striker Jordan Murray was snapped up by Central Coast Mariners after his haul of 22 goals broke the regular season scoring record.

It has meant plenty of shuffling the deck for McColl and the way his players have been able to step up into different roles in the team as well as play more minutes than usual has been a big part of their success.

APIA club legend Franco Parisi has been one of the biggest examples of this with the midfield maestro experiencing somewhat of a renaissance during the past two months as he has taken on a more central role in the Tigers attack.

Defensively APIA has struggled to keep their opposition scoreless, but on their day are tough to break down.

Themba Muata-Marlow is a monster in the heart of APIA’s back line with his athleticism and eye for the game making him a nightmare for strikers.

This game presents a number of key match-ups with some of the competition’s most talented players going head to head.

Can Olympic’s defence be able to stop APIA’s record setting attack?

Will Alex Sanchez be too much for APIA’s back line to handle?

Will the scars from last year’s grand final penalty shoot out loss and this year’s final day premiership capitulation weigh too heavily on APIA?

Does Olympic have the fortitude to beat Olympic on the biggest stage?

The two sides have faced off three times this season in all competition’s with APIA winning two and one match ending in a draw.

While Olympic will have the mental edge as premiers, APIA’s good results against their grand final opponents and recent comeback wins could give them a slight advantage.

Whatever the outcome this afternoon, goals, excitement and entertainment are sure to be on the menu.

However, when it’s all said and done, only one team can be crowned champion.

Probable Starting Line-ups

Sydney Olympic: Henderson, Whiteside, Mackenzie, Woodcock, An, Angel, D Burgess, M Burgess, Madonis, Pavicevic, Sanchez

APIA Leichhardt Tigers: Necevski, Muata-Marlow, Millgate, Galimi, Ucchino, J Symons, S Symons, Parisi, Sekiya, Fondyke, Lundy

Don’t Forget

Tickets are on sale for the 2018 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s Grand Final between Premiers Sydney Olympic v APIA Leichhardt Tigers.

The pinnacle event will be held on Sunday September 9th at Leichhardt Oval, Leichhardt.

Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets online  to avoid queues at the gate.

Gates will open for the U18’s Grand Final at 9am while sales for tickets will commence at 10:30am.

Get in early for the Adults Early Bird Special of $10 with the offer ending on Wednesday 5th of September at 11:45pm.

Purchase tickets to the NPL NSW Men’s Grand Final

 

NPL NSW Men’s Under 20’s Grand Final Preview

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Few would have picked Sydney FC as Champions elect after their 6-1 defeat to Sutherland Sharks in the competition’s second round.

But the tables have well and truly reversed ahead of Sunday’s Grand Final, a fact rammed home by Sydney’s 5-0 hammering of the Sharks a fortnight ago.

Sydney have come a long way according to coach Giancarlo Italiano.

“We got absolutely bullied in that game,” he said.

“They really gave us a touch up and it was a real big slap in the face for us.”

The response of Italiano’s squad has been one of the stories of the season. The Sky Blues have notched an incredible 70 goals this season – 22 more than opponents Sutherland.

What makes their achievement all the more remarkable has been Sydney’s defensive record, which is only outranked by bottom pair Sydney Olympic and Rockdale City Suns.

It’s an approach that has seen some skewed results and performances across the year, including a 5-5 draw with Bonnyrigg White Eagles. But Italiano says Sydney FC would be foolish to alter their approach on Grand Final day.

“The 20’s competition is a very weird mix of teams, we’ve got a lot of young boys and sometimes you’re playing against men.

“If we were to go out and defend against some of these guys we would probably lose these battles over a long period of time. That fact we promote an attacking style and try to entertain helps the boys move further along.

“The question is, and the test that I’ll be giving to all the players is – do we want to win the Grand Final by being a negative team, or by being the team that we’ve been all year?

“Whether we win or lose, we’re going to go out and try to entertain as much as we can and play the best football we can.”

Sydney’s unflinching commitment to attacking football is a story only equalled by Sutherland’s quest to reach back to back Championships.

Sutherland are out to repeat what would be a historic triumph, particularly after a season that has seen injuries, suspensions and departures culminate in a horror run of form heading into the finals.

That saw Blacktown City steal Sutherland’s Premiership crown, and the Sharks ability to regroup in the finals has been testament to the side’s belief.

“We’ve had to remain positive and upbeat,” says Sharks coach Nick Dimovski.

“I’m proud of the boys to be in this position. We were probably written by certain pundits at the back end of the year.

“And the 5-0 loss to Sydney in the first final was a bitter pill to swallow but we took our medicine and bounced back.”

It might have looked unlikely in the final weeks of the regular season but Sutherland are now well poised to clinch consecutive Championship trophies.

Dimovski says belief among the Sutherland squad has been restored and they’re daring to dream.

“We’re going to focus on our game. We’re coming into this game as the defending champions and we want to play that way.

“The boys have been fantastic and they’ve proven yet again that the most impressive young talent is coming out of the Shire way.”

-By Jacob Windon 

NPL NSW Men’s Under 18’s Grand Final Preview

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Rockdale City Suns coach Steve Zoric hopes it will be seventh time lucky when his side meet Sydney FC in the Grand Final this Sunday.

The Suns arrive into the clash at Leichhardt Oval as underdogs having been beaten in their last six fixtures with the NPL NSW Men’s 18’s Premiers.

But the pieces are slowly coming together for Zoric to plot what would be a massive upset.

“We’re going to throw the dice at them. I think that’s the only way you can approach it on Grand Final day – anything can happen,” said Zoric.

“Sydney FC have been the competition benchmark and my bogey side.

“I’ve not beaten them yet in two years so we’re trying to pull this one off with a sweet one in the Grand Final!”

If Rockdale and Zoric can pull it off, it would be a result two years in the making. The Suns were unable to find the back of the net in their three matches against Sydney in 2017, with their campaign eventually culled by the Sky Blues in the semi-finals.

This year has brought improvement beyond sight. And while Sydney FC’s entry into the NPL NSW has been the ultimate gauntlet throw-down for some, Zoric says it’s forced Rockdale to improve their standards.

“It’s a great challenge because you have to improve as a coach. You have to find ways to beat them and you start looking at extra things.

“When they’re the most dangerous is on the transition and the counter attack – one little error and they pounce on it. I’ve never seen a better team at it at this level.

“I’ll have to balance the transitional moments and have a few players ready to fill in the spaces while they have the ball and urge them to be very proactive in their defensive position.

While Zoric has spent the first week of September scheming Sydney’s downfall, Sydney coach Jim van Weeren is eyeing off Sydney’s fourth trophy in two years.

The Sky Blues are one step away from back to back doubles, but van Weeren is urging his side not to be complacent.

“A lot of teams that finished in the top five have a lot of quality,” he said.

“We were fortunate in some of those games to convert more of our chances than some of them and it’s rewarding for the boys that they took chances and put some away.”

Van Weeren will also hope this Grand Final goes smoother than the last. Sydney FC did it the hard way in 2017, ultimately prevailing 3-2 over Sydney United 58.

It was a result and performance that underlines Sydney’s commitment to attractive attacking football – a philosophy that ensures their matches are always entertaining to watch.

“As a club we believe in scoring more goals than the opponent and that’s probably reflected in a lot of our games where sometimes we leave ourselves somewhat vulnerable to opposition counter.

“But we believe in producing goal-scoring players as a club for the first team hopefully one day and beyond and that’s definitely translated into the playing style.”

U18s NPL NSW Men’s Grand Final 

Sunday 9th September 2018

Sydney FC v Rockdale City Suns

10am kick-off

Leichhardt Oval

-By Jacob Windon

NPL NSW Men’s Preliminary Final Preview

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A rematch of the finals week one epic between Sydney United 58 and APIA Leichhardt Tigers will decide who will take on Sydney Olympic in this season’s National Premier Leagues NSW Grand Final on Sunday September 9.

It will all go on the line on Saturday night at Sydney United Sports Centre with defeat signalling the end of the season for either APIA or United 58.

These proud clubs have their eyes focused on grand final glory, but first they must make it through what is set to be a grueling contest.

Preliminary Final

Sydney United 58 v APIA Leichhardt Tigers, 7.30pm at Sydney United Sports Centre

There are no more second chances as Sydney United 58 and APIA Leichhardt Tigers fight it out for the last spot in this season’s National Premier Leagues NSW grand final.

There won’t be any love lost as these fierce rivals go head to head in a rematch of their clash from week one of the finals series.

United 58 come into this game after a one sided 4-0 thumping at the hands of Premiership winners Sydney Olympic and will need a big bounce back performance to return to the winners circle.

APIA on the other hand are in inspired form thrashing Rockdale 8-2 in last week’s minor semi-final only days after their shock 3-2 win against A-League Champions Melbourne Victory in the FFA Cup.

After their penalty shootout win against APIA in week one of the finals, United 58 were given a swift reality check by Olympic.

The 4-0 loss would’ve not impressed coach Miro Vlastelica who now has to find a way to get his team firing on all cylinders once again.

Reds shot stopper Thomas Manos was almost unbeatable in his last game against APIA but had a hard day at the office last week.

How the young keeper rebounds will have a big say in his side’s chances against a rejuvenated APIA attack.

Chris Payne was free to play last week after his red card was rescinded for a case of mistaken identity and he will be once again free to play.

The striker’s ability to press and challenge the APIA defence had them struggling in their last clash with Vlastelica sure to employ this strategy again.

Payne will need to be at his best in finishing off goalscoring opportunities, something he failed to do last week against Olympic so expect a big match from the tough attacker.

Two big wins on the trot have APIA beleiving in themselves again and it shows.

Japanese striker Tasuku Sekiya seems to have truly taken the weight of APIA’s attack and the midfield is once again firing on all cylinders.

The Tigers’ experienced midfield has shown both brute force and panache in recent performance which could be a far tougher challenge for United 58 to conquer this time around.

United 58 and APIA have met in the league three times this season including The Red’s 5-3 penalty shootout win from the preliminary semi-final.

That result went against APIA’s dominance during their two meetings in the regular season.

In Round 9 APIA claimed the victory with a 1-0 win before thrashing United 58 6-2 in the reverse fixture at Lambert Park in round 20.

Both sides are as hungry as ever to lift the Championship trophy so expect a fierce encounter that is set to go down to the wire.

Probable Line-ups

Sydney United 58: Manos, Gonzales, Roberts, Payne, Sim, Perkatis, Cole, Stavroulakis, Maia, Trifiro, Fragogiannis

APIA Leichhardt Tigers: Necevski, Millgate, Galimi, J Symons, Fondyke, Parisi, Muata-Marlow, S Symons, Ucchino, Sekiya, Guilisano