The first four matches of the PlayStation 4 (PS4) National Premier Leagues (NPL) 2017 Finals Series will be held this weekend with two games to be played on both Saturday and Sunday.
The PS4 NPL Finals Series brings together the eight teams who finished top of their respective PS4 NPL standings at the end of their regular seasons to determine Australia’s best PS4 NPL side.
2017 marks the fifth edition of the PS4 NPL Finals Series, which was last year won by Sydney United 58 FC from New South Wales.
Sydney United 58 FC also won the inaugural competition in 2013, while MetroStars SC from South Australia (2014) and Blacktown City FC from New South Wales (2015) have also been crowned Champions of the series in the past.
This year’s PS4 NPL Finals Series will kick off at Adelaide City Park in Oakden, South Australia when Adelaide City FC hosts APIA Leichhardt Tigers at 2:00pm local time (2:30pm AEST).
Saturday’s action will continue in the nation’s capital when Canberra Olympic hosts Northern New South Wales’ Edgeworth Eagles FC at Deakin Stadium from 5:00pm eastern.
On Sunday the focus of the series will shift south to Tasmania as South Hobart FC lines up against Queensland’s representative, Brisbane Strikers. Kick-off in this match at Darcy Street will be at 12:30pm eastern.
The final match in the first phase of the series will be held in Western Australia at 12:00pm local time (2:00pm AEST) on Sunday when Bayswater City welcomes Victoria’s Heidelberg United FC to Perth Plasterboard Centre Stadium in Inglewood.
The PS4 NPL Finals Series draw was conducted via live stream in February this year.
The winner of the PS4 NPL 2017 Finals Series will receive automatic entry into the Round of 32 of the Westfield FFA Cup 2018, providing an added incentive for the eight clubs taking part.
Every match in the PS4 NPL 2017 Finals Series will be streamed LIVE on www.nationalpremierleagues.com.au as well as via the official Hyundai A-League Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/aleague ). Games can also be accessed live via PS4 consoles.
The system, which can be compared to a tiebreak in tennis and is known as ‘ABBA’, is currently being trialled in English Football League (EFL) competitions, and has recently been used a variety of continental and international youth tournaments.
The PS4 NPL 2017 Finals Series schedule is as follows:
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PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues 2017 Elimination Finals
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Venue
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Kick-Off (local)
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Kick-Off (AEST)
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Match 1 – Saturday 16 September 2017
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Adelaide City FC (Football Federation SA)
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vs
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APIA Leichhardt Tigers (Football NSW)
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Adelaide City Park, Oakden, SA
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2:00pm
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2:30pm
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Match 2 – Sunday 17 September 2017
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Bayswater City (Football West)
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vs
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Heidelberg United FC (Football Federation Victoria)
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Perth Plasterboard Centre Stadium, Inglewood, WA
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12:00pm
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2:00pm
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Match 3 – Saturday 16 September 2017
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Canberra Olympic (Capital Football)
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vs
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Edgeworth Eagles FC (Northern NSW Football)
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Deakin Stadium, Deakin, ACT
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5:00pm
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5:00pm
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Match 4 – Sunday 17 September 2017
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South Hobart FC (Football Federation Tasmania)
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vs
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Brisbane Strikers (Football Queensland)
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Darcy St, South Hobart, TAS
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12:30pm
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12:30pm
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PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues 2016 Semi Finals
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Match 5 – 23/24 Sep 2017
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Winner of Match 1
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vs
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Winner of Match 2
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Host to be determined by points system
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Match 6 – 23/24 Sept 2017
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Winner of Match 3
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vs
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Winner of Match 4
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Host to be determined by points system
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PlayStation 4 National Premier Leagues 2016 Grand Final
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Match 7 – Sep 30/Oct 1 2017
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Winner of Match 5
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vs
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Winner of Match 6
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Host to be determined by points system
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To determine the host Member Federation clubs for the Semi Finals and Grand Final, the following points system will apply.
The host of the Grand Final will be determined by the club with the highest accumulation of points across the Elimination Finals and Semi Finals.