Finals Series Round 2 Preview – PS4 NPL 2 NSW Women’s
Two upsets last weekend have set up an intriguing preliminary final in the PlayStation® 4 National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Women’s 2016. The premiers Inter go up against 4th placed Sydney Olympic after both succumbed to their opponents last weekend.
Inter will need a better defensive display this weekend if they want to contest the grand final for 2016, while Olympic will be keen to unleash their forward line early on to put themselves in a position of strength from the outset.
Preliminary Final:
Inter Lions SC vs Sydney Olympic FC, 5pm Sunday September 4th at Valentine Sports Park NO.3
2016 Results:
Round 3:
Sydney Olympic 0 – 1 Inter Lions
Round 10:
Sydney Olympic 1 – 0 Inter Lions
Round 17:
Sydney Olympic 0 – 2 Inter Lions
Match Preview:
Inter can count themselves a little unlucky to be playing again this weekend. They played quite well, but were outdone by arguably the goal of the season and a superb piece of pickpocketing by one of the competition’s cleverest players.
The intensity form the Lions was excellent and if they’d converted the spot kick in the first half, they could have absorbed pressure and not given an inch to the Tigers from there on out.
As things stand though, they have to front up again this Sunday against Olympic, and you feel anything short of their best will see the premiers bow out of the finals in straight sets.
Inter have been vulnerable defensively in the absence of usual centre back Danielle Watson and they’ll be hopeful that she’s right to return this week at somewhere close to full fitness. They’ve lacked someone who reads a forward line to her level, and with the pace that Olympic have up front her sweeping abilities will be extremely important.
If not, the premiers will need to shut off the supply line to the strikers. Both Northern and Bankstown have been able to hurt the Lions with ease when their midfield played simple balls in behind the fullbacks. If they offer opportunities like that to Halaska, Calvi, and Costanzo then Pentecost could be in for a very busy afternoon.
Olympic have stepped things up over the past month, and 13 goals in their past 5 games shows the potency of their frontline. The multitude of options up front makes it supremely difficult to box them in, so they’ll back themselves to create the chances they need to go through to the grand final.
The thing that runs across all of their forward players is they don’t need a tonne of chances to get the job done. If Olympic can get their combinations going in the final third it’s hard to see them not troubling the scoreboard at some point.
With so many players looking to get on the scoresheet though, they’ll need to be wary of overcommitting. Inter don’t hesitate when it comes to the quick counter attack, and will look long into the channel for Sarah Mandile whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Negating Inter’s press is of huge importance to an Olympic win as well. They make things tight and contested in the centre of the park, but if Olympic can play through there’ll be moments of space to exploit. Both midfields have shown they’ve been up for the physical contest this season, and this shapes as the key battleground of the match.
Reserve Grade:
Preliminary Final:
Northern Tigers FC vs Sydney Olympic FC, 2.15pm Sunday September 4th at Valentine Sports Park NO.3
The minor premiers should have sealed things last week against Nepean well before extra time, but in the end they were hot with a sucker punch deep into the second extra period.
A little more composure in front of goal, and they should join their compatriots in first grade in the grand final.
-By Eamonn Warner, PS4 National Premier Leagues 2 NSW Women’s Reporter
