Sturt Lions vs Adelaide Blue Eagles
Venue: West Beach Parks Football Centre
Date: Tuesday 17 August, 7:00 PM
The early kick-off tonight sees the in-form Lions tackle Blue Eagles, who are fresh off their first league win of 2021 at the 15th attempt.
The hosts claimed their fourth win in their last five matches with a come from behind 2-1 win over United, with two Samuel Voigt goals in five second-half minutes proving the difference between the two sides.
Blue Eagles also came from a goal down to produce one of the upsets of the season over high-flyers MetroStars, claiming a 2-1 victory thanks to a smart Hamish McCabe finish and an unbelievable long-range curler into the top corner by Raffaele De Lucia.
A win would see Sturt climb up to third on the ladder, leapfrogging both Comets and Campbelltown with their game in hand, while Blue Eagles’ win has the potential to breathe some much-needed life into their season.
Sturt Lions line-up: 1. James Klappers (GK), 2. Michael Marrone, 3. Daniel Guastella, 4. Jacob Atkinson, 7. Ben Woollard, 8. Jasper Donovan, 9. Gonzalo Rodriguez, 10. Alexander Sortini, 12. Michael Gravas, 13. Cooper Mullins, 15. Akira Kobaishi, 16. Samuel Voigt, 17. Jonathan Fusco (C), 19. Luke Fusco, 20. Brandon Centofanti
Coaches: Lino Fusco, Frank Tibaldi, Gregory Videon, Michael Harkness
Team Staff: Ivan Piovesan, Jakson Messent, Andrew Ross
Adelaide Blue Eagles line-up: Jai Esposito, Chol Wel, 1. Nikolas Harpas (GK), 2. Anik Warnakulasuriya, 4. Christian Sotira, 6. Agar Mawan, 7. Liam Mccabe, 8. Stefan Gluscevic, 9. Ryan Wood, 10. Hamish Mccabe, 13. Kurt Kouakou, 14. Stanisa Velinov, 15. Christian D'Angelo, 16. Raffaele De Lucia, 17. Frederick Ankumah-Sey, 18. Yohei Matsumoto, 20. Isaac Mullen, 21. Alex Tsavalas, 26. Richard Goss
Coaches: Nikica Kuzman, Larry Piscioneri
Team Staff: James Keating, Vojislav Gluscevic, Henry Lambert
MetroStars vs South Adelaide
Venue: TK Shutter Reserve
Date: Tuesday 17 August, 7:15 PM
MetroStars enter tonight’s match with a point to prove after missing a golden chance to consolidate a top two spot but come up against the extraordinary escape artists from the South.
Their loss to the previously winless Blue Eagles was their first since Round 7 and, crucially, prevented them from opening up a four-point buffer on Comets in third.
Seemingly dead and buried at 4-1 down entering added time, South produced one of the most remarkable comebacks of all time to snatch an impossible point as goalkeeper Ryan Veitch’s thumping shot rippled the back of the net in the 97th minute.
A second defeat in a row to the hosts could feasibly see them draw level on points with Sturt, who hold a game in hand, while victory to South would propel them above Olympic into the top six once again.
MetroStars line-up: 1. Isaac Carmody (GK), 2. Connor O'rielly, 3. Luke Frangakis, 4. Justin Davis, 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, 15. Francesco Schimizzi, 16. Kyle Crout, 17. Matthew Dawber, 18. Fabian Barbiero, 19. Cooper O’donnell, 20. Joshua Mori, 22. Hamish Gow, 23. Christian Esposito, 26. Stefan Cali, 35. Jackson O'Donnell, 68. Kalilou Kamara
Coaches: Robert Saraceno, Nicholas Bouzalas, Adam Van Dommele, Michael Rende
Team Staff: Joseph Polisena, Patrick Pike, George Laoutaris
South Adelaide line-up: 1. Ryan Veitch (GK), 4. Robert Parker (C), 5. Declan Gray, 8. Daniel Hosking, 9. Brett Rayner, 10. Jonathon Rideout, 11. Alexander Rideout, 13. Jai Conroy, 15. Jackson Stephens, 18. Blake Lindsay, 20. Jack Walker, 21. Jack Ellis, 24. Daniel Evans, 25. Callum Nissen, 31. Masaya Sasaki, 39. Awal Dut
Coaches: Anthony Rideout, Mitchell Daly, Fraser McLean
Team Staff: Wayne Harrington, Jacqueline Wingate, Aniket Dhabade
Adelaide City vs Adelaide Croatia Raiders
Venue: Adelaide City Park
Date: Tuesday 17 August, 7:30 PM
The round couldn’t have turned out better for City thanks to the results around them, but they face a Raiders side tonight still hurting from their unbelievable draw on the weekend.
Nice finishes from Matt Halliday and Aladin Irabona were enough to seal a 2-0 win over ten-man Olympic and, with MetroStars and Comets both losing, saw City open up a four-point lead at the top.
Conceding three goals in injury time proved catastrophic for Raiders, who were forced to settle for a 4-4 draw with South and miss out on a certain chance to push further clear of the bottom two.
If results go their way tonight, City’s lead at the top could be extended yet again with a win, while victory to Raiders would serve as much-needed revenge for their disastrous result last week and help them steer clear of the bottom two.
Adelaide City line-up: 1. Alexander Woodlands (GK), 4. Matthew Halliday, 7. Daniel Bressan, 8. Joseph Costa, 9. Luka Chikwuba, 10. Nicholas Bucco, 11. Charlie devereux, 13. Lachlan Barr, 14. Aladin Irabona, 17. Thomas Brown, 20. Kur Kur, 23. Jai King-Byrne, 42. Austin Ayoubi, 45. Markus Orchard, 77. Asad Kasumovic
Coaches: Paul Pezos, Stavros Gelekis, Angelo Paul, Edward Scalzi
Team Staff: Fabian Garuccio, Luis Fernandez Astudillo
Adelaide Croatia Raiders line-up: 1. Vincent Barbaro, 2. Jackson Walls, 5. Matthew Mullen, 6. Omari Didero, 7. Dylan Pickert, 8. Jagajeet Shrestha Shrestha, 9. Massimo Falco, 10. Dion Kirk, 11. David Carosi, 12. Jacob Williams, 13. Nicholas Munro (GK), 17. Harley Gepp, 20. Thanasis Lesi, 21. Jaxson Bullen, 23. Mark Ulaj, 28. Nathan Hancock, 38. James Temelkovski
Coaches: Terry Westwood, Steven Hughes, Michael Paleka
Team Staff: Antonio Vella, Lisa Feleppa
Adelaide Comets vs Cumberland United
Venue: SA Athletics Stadium
Date: Tuesday 17 August, 7:30 PM
The fourth and final match of the night sees two sides at opposite ends of the table duke it out for three points at SA Athletics Stadium.
Comets missed the chance to reclaim a top two spot as they were defeated by Campbelltown for the second time this season, stretching their losing streak against the club to three dating back to the 2020 Grand Final.
Cumberland, meanwhile, have now only picked up one point in their last seven outings, a dire stretch of results that has now seen them slip into the league’s bottom two for the first time this season.
If the favourites are to win tonight, they’ll stay in the hunt for a coveted double-chance, while three points to the visitors would represent a massive step in the right direction in the race to beat the drop.
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, 10. Anthony Mavrolambados, 11. Jayden LoBasso, 12. Lukas Ikonomopoulos, 14. Nathan Andijanto, 16. Ninko Beric, 18. Thomas Giannakopoulos, 19. Jaiden Diamantis, 21. Nikolas Ikonomopoulos, 22. Allan Welsh (C), 23. Scott Nagel, 24. Lachlan Stead, 31. Daniel Vaughan, 77. Chris Christofilos
Coaches: Barney Smith, James Guffogg, Dimitri Panagis, Matthew Bates
Team Staff: Evangelo Katsambis, Andrew Furner, Emma Gericke
Cumberland United line-up: 1. Luke Schoen (GK), 2. Jack Schoen (C), 3. Joshua Harvey, 6. David Signore, 8. Harry Thannhauser, 9. Juan Gutierrez, 10. Jumar Oakley, 11. Thomas Briscoe, 16. Brayden Micallef, 17. Tom Dittmar, 19. Rocco Visconte, 20. Stavros Bakopanos, 23. Matthew Charalambous, 25. Charlie Ince
Coaches: Neil Young, Mathew Balopitos, Matthew Prodanovski, Marijan Kolar
Team Staff: Jody Loomes, Sean Bushby, Steven O'Donnell
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Image: 80kms Photography