We look ahead to Round Seven of the RAA NPLSA, with Cumberland United and Adelaide United looking to maintain their good form at the top of the league.
Croydon FC vs South Adelaide
Venue: Jack Smith Park
Date: 4/06/2021 08:15 PM
Croydon and South kick off Round 7 of the NPL under lights at Jack Smith Park, with the hosts looking to earn a much-needed victory.
One win from their opening six matches has seen the Kings, finalists in 2020, slide to tenth on the ladder with a quarter of the season now gone, their most recent result a narrow 1-0 loss to Cumberland United.
South, on the other hand, rebounded from three straight losses to record a crucial 2-1 win over Raiders, with a late winner sealing all three points despite playing for well over an hour with ten men.
Despite the disappointing run of results, the hosts will be buoyed by their defensive stability, conceding two less goals than anyone else in the division, and will be hoping to hold off a free-scoring Panthers side tonight.
Croydon Kings line-up: 1. Gianni Tramontin, 2. John Panagaris, 3. Filimon Asefa, 5. Luke Klimek (C), 6. Christopher Vivian, 8. Adam Martinello, 9. Nathan Munro, 11. Luis Benedetti, 12. Tatenda Nyaruwe, 13. Foribert Niyonkuru, 14. Peter Mercurio, 16. Kristos Stefanopoulos, 18. Jarrod Brazzale, 19. Chikondi NYIRENDA, 20. Jared Clark, 21. John Hall (GK), 23. Patrick Caraccia
Coaches: Travis Dodd, Latham Byfield, Adam Vizzari
Team Staff: Mario Catalano, Joshua Avery
South Adelaide line-up: Jai Conroy, 1. Ryan Veitch (GK), 4. Robert Parker (C), 5. Declan Gray, 6. Liam Wooding, 8. Daniel Hosking, 9. Brett Rayner, 10. Jonathon Rideout, 11. Alexander Rideout, 18. Blake Lindsay, 20. Jack Walker, 21. Jack Ellis, 24. Daniel Evans, 25. Callum Nissen, 31. Masaya Sasaki, 39. Awal Dut
Coaches: Andrew Calderbank, Anthony Rideout, Mitchell Daly, Fraser McLean
Team Staff: Wayne Harrington, Jacqueline Wingate
Sturt Lions vs Adelaide Olympic
Venue: West Beach Parks Football Centre
Date: 5/06/2021 03:00 PM
Sturt host Olympic in the fourth match of the 3:00 pm kick-offs with both clubs hoping to start stringing together good results to build on throughout the year.
While Sturt hasn’t won in consecutive weeks so far, they’ve still picked up three wins, although their most recent result was a 3-1 defeat at the hands of United.
After breaking through for their first win of 2021 a fortnight ago, Olympic recorded a 1-1 draw with Adelaide City in another promising result for the side recovering from a slower start to the season.
Wins for both sides would carry different significance: three points for Olympic would throw them firmly back into the mid-table scrimmage, while a win to Sturt would see them keep touch with the sides at the top of the table.
Sturt Lions line-up: Jonathan Fusco, Tom van der Hoeven, Toby Nelson, Akira Kobaishi, Cooper Mullins, Jacob Atkinson, Oliver Sigley, Alexander Sortini, Daniel Solari, Caden Yates, Daniel Guastella, Valentino Esposito, Cale Nagle, Bradley Davey, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Brandon Centofanti, Samuel Voigt, Daniel Snobl, Samed Altundag, James Klappers, Ben Woollard, Anthony Taylor, Luke Fusco, Michael Gravas
Coaches: Lino Fusco, Frank Tibaldi, Gregory Videon, Michael Harkness
Team Staff: Ivan Piovesan, Jakson Messent, Andrew Ross
Adelaide Olympic line-up: 1. Lewis Moss (GK), 3. Paul Wilson, 4. Benkert Abdija, 5. Michael Cittadini, 6. Kristin Konstandopoulos, 7. Jacob Jones, 8. Jason Konstandopoulos, 9. Christos Pounendis, 10. Hirofumi Kochi, 11. Tito Bontor, 12. Damian Ljujic, 13. Rastko Ljujic, 14. Fausto Erba (C), 20. Clifford Maina, 22. Joshua Kavenagh, 24. Panagiotis Manidakis, 25. Will Hendon, 44. Ioannis Simosis
Coaches: Yianni Stamatelopoulos, George Konstandopoulos, Pal Prengaj, Lansana Conneh
Team Staff: Konstandinos Dimas, Sumin Kim
Adelaide Blue Eagles vs Adelaide Comets
Venue: Marden Sports Complex
Date: 5/06/2021 03:00 PM
It’s been a miserable start to the season for Blue Eagles and they face one of the toughest assignments in NPL football tomorrow, as Comets pay them a visit.
No side has conceded more than Blue Eagles this year, with only one having scored fewer goals, with the tight 1-0 loss to MetroStars representing an improvement on their recent defensive record but still leaving them without a point in 2021.
Comets also experienced defeat last weekend, a 1-0 loss to Campbelltown City their first of the season that saw them cede top spot on the ladder, a position they had held for most of the early season.
Blue Eagles will be desperate to break their duck and pull through with a result this weekend, but Comets will also be hoping to rebound after one point in their last two matches.
Adelaide Blue Eagles line-up: Caleb Evans, Christian Sotira, 1. Nikolas Harpas (GK), 3. Aaron Bannister, 4. Anik Warnakulasuriya, 7. Liam Mccabe, 8. Stefan Gluscevic, 9. Hamish Anderson, 10. Hamish Mccabe, 12. Kody Maude, 14. Stanisa Velinov, 15. Christian D'Angelo, 17. Raffaele De Lucia, 18. Yohei Matsumoto, 19. Jake Tatarelli, 20. Isaac Mullen, 21. Alex Tsavalas, 25. Elias Mimidas
Coaches: VOJISLAV GLUSCEVIC, Steven Melling
Team Staff: James Keating, Josh Smith, Henry Lambert
Adelaide Comets line-up: 1. Julian Torresan, 3. Manley Barnett, 4. Nathan Dimou, 5. Adam Le Cornu, 6. Jack Bladen, 7. John Karatzas, 8. Ryan Yates, 9. Andreas Wiens, 10. Anthony Mavrolambados, 11. Jayden LoBasso, 14. Nathan Andijanto, 16. Ninko Beric, 18. Thomas Giannakopoulos, 19. Jaiden Diamantis, 21. Nikolas Ikonomopoulos, 22. Allan Welsh, 23. Scott Nagel, 24. Lukas Ikonomopoulos, 31. Daniel Vaughan (GK), 77. Chris Christofilos
Coaches: James Guffogg, Konstandinos Antoniou, Matthew Bates
Team Staff: Evangelo Katsambis, Emma Gericke, Elsie Kenny
Adelaide Croatia Raiders vs Adelaide United FC
Venue: Croatian Sports Centre
Date: 5/06/2021 03:00 PM
Raiders host a revitalised United side tomorrow afternoon at the Croatian Sports Centre in what promises to be an entertaining encounter.
The home side lost to ten-man South last weekend in a disappointing result that saw their five-week record contain three defeats and just four points gained, sitting one point clear of the bottom two.
In contrast, United have had an excellent recent run, with their 3-1 victory over an impressive Sturt outfit their fourth win on the spin, having netted 12 times in that period at a rate of three goals per game.
The Young Reds will certainly take some beating and loom as one of the sides to watch throughout the season, but Raiders will be hopeful of shaking off their indifferent form and making a statement.
Adelaide Croatia Raiders line-up: 1. Vincent Barbaro, 2. Jackson Walls, 5. Matthew Mullen, 6. Omari Didero, 7. Dylan Pickert, 8. Jagajeet shrestha Shrestha, 10. Dion Kirk, 11. David Carosi, 12. Jacob Williams, 13. Nicholas Munro (GK), 17. Harley Gepp, 18. Julian Vella, 19. Vianne Kurikwimana, 20. Thanasis Lesi, 21. James Temelkovski, 22. Kelvin Kamburu, 23. Mark Ulaj, 28. Nathan Hancock
Coaches: Terry Westwood, Steven Hughes, Michael Paleka
Team Staff: Antonio Vella, Lisa Feleppa
Adelaide United FC line-up: Giuseppe Bovalina, 15. Noah Smith, 19. Yaya Dukuly, 24. Pacifique Niyongabire, 33. Dakota Ochsenham (GK), 34. Yared Abetew, 37. Jonny Yull, 41. Alexandar Popovic, 42. Fergus Lynch, 44. Arbi Mollas, 48. Bernardo Oliveira, 51. Binyam Kebede, 55. Ethan Alagich, 66. Nestor Irankunda
Coaches: Airton Andrioli, Elvis Markov, Vlado Blazeka, Joe Verringer
Team Staff: Will Mockridge, Justin Graetz, Katrina Smith
Campbelltown City vs Cumberland United
Venue: Steve Woodcock Sports Centre
Date: 5/06/2021 03:00 PM
The reigning premiers are starting to rediscover their mojo, but they face a Cumberland United side in strong early-season form in what shapes as one of the matches of the round.
After four matches that yielded just two points, Campbelltown took all three points away from their visit to SA Athletics Stadium against Comets to record their second win in as many matches.
Cumberland also rebounded from a disappointing result last month, a heavy defeat to Raiders, with back to back wins, the latest being a 1-0 triumph over the Kings that saw them reclaim top spot on the ladder.
Neither side has had trouble finding the back of the net this season, with 11 and 12 goals respectively, so those in attendance at Steve Woodcock Sports Centre will be hopeful of a spectacle for this contest.
Campbelltown City line-up: 1. Jamie Signorello, 2. Shaun Harvey (C), 3. Liam Miller, 5. Julian Oscar Ionni, 7. Joel Allwright, 8. Alexander Mullen, 9. Marc Marino, 10. Luigi Ditroia, 12. Nicholas Francese, 14. Adam Piscioneri, 15. Antony Piscioneri, 16. Daniel Mullen, 17. Adam De Ieso, 18. Trey Williams, 20. Nicholas Harpas (GK), 23. Jake Halliday
Coaches: Iain Fyfe, Leslie Pogliacomi, Corey Artone, Ali Sadick
Team Staff: Agelo Kapnistis, Ryan Hanlon
Cumberland United line-up: Ryan Wood, 1. Luke Schoen (GK), 2. Jack Schoen, 3. Joshua Harvey, 5. Sam Carmichael, 6. David Signore, 8. Harry Thannhauser, 9. JUAN GUTIERREZ, 10. Jumar Oakley, 11. Thomas Briscoe, 17. Tom Dittmar, 19. Rocco Visconte, 20. Stavros Bakopanos, 25. Charlie Ince
Coaches: Neil Young, Mathew Balopitos, Matthew Prodanovski, Marijan Kolar
Team Staff: Jody Loomes, Sean Bushby, Steven O'Donnell
Adelaide City vs MetroStars
Venue: Adelaide City Park
Date: 5/06/2021 05:00 PM
Adelaide City line-up: Zakariah Waters, Luka Chikwuba, Fabian Talladira, 1. Alexander Woodlands (GK), 4. Matthew Halliday, 5. Thomas Brown, 6. Bradley Corbo, 7. Nicholas Harpas, 8. Joseph Costa, 10. Nicholas Bucco, 11. Charlie Devereux, 13. Lachlan Barr, 14. Aladin Irabona, 16. Jonathon D'arrigo, 20. Kur Kur, 22. Noah Benouzekri, 23. Jai King-Byrne, 24. Sebastian Scalzi (GK), 30. Nicholas Robinson, 34. Cristian Aloisi, 39. Cosmo Groff (GK), 45. Markus Orchard, 77. Asad Kasumovic
Coaches: Paul Pezos, Stavros Gelekis, Angelo Paul, Edward Scalzi
Team Staff: Fabian Garuccio
MetroStars line-up: 1. Isaac Carmody (GK), 3. Luke Frangakis, 5. Timothy Henderson, 7. Michael Daloisio, 8. Rocky Callisto, 9. Thomas Strain, 10. Anthony Solagna (C), 11. Ariath Piol, 12. Alessio Melisi, 14. Dylan Smith, 16. Francesco Schimizzi, 17. Matthew Dawber, 18. Fabian Barbiero, 20. Joshua Mori, 22. Hamish Gow, 23. Christian Esposito, 24. Gusmao Naidoo, 25. Jayden Spruyt, 26. Stefan Cali, 45. Jackson O'Donnell, 68. Kalilou Kamara
Coaches: Robert Saraceno, Nicholas Bouzalas, Adam Van Dommele, Michael Rende
Team Staff: Joseph Polisena, Patrick Pike, George Laoutaris