Round 3 Finals Series Preview – PS4 NPL 3 NSW Men’s
Dunbar Rovers season stuttered to a halt last weekend on the back of their second finals loss in successive weeks, leaving three clubs to fight out the PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues 3 NSW Men’s Championship.
Hills Brumbies are already in the Grand Final, and as a result, have the weekend off, with the other remaining spot to be filled by either Rydalmere Lions or Sydney University.
PRELIMINARY FINAL
Rydalmere Lions – Sydney University SFC
Sunday, September 18
Blacktown Football Park @ 3-00pm
A grand final berth awaits the winner of the Rydalmere Lions – Sydney University Preliminary Final, with the two combatants meeting at Blacktown Football Park on Sunday afternoon.
Courtesy of a late season flurry, Rydalmere Lions finished the competition proper in second position, and have endured a win and a loss in the Finals Series thus far.
In the first week of the Finals, the Lions downed Dunbar Rovers 5-3 in a comprehensive performance, attacking at will and winning in style. Rydalmere replicated some of that form in the second week of the Finals – without the goals – but succumbed to a solitary strike against Hills Brumbies.
Sydney University confirmed a 5th place finish on the competition ladder with a week to spare, and entered the Finals Series with confidence, but with historical stats telling everyone that winning from 5th is almost impossible.
Sydney University then went about ending the seasons of both Stanmore Hawks (2-1) and Dunbar Rovers (3-1) in two highly competitive elimination semi-finals, and moreso, they were good value and deserved both victories.
The match will be intriguing as it is a contrast of styles in many ways.
Rydalmere Lions play at a frenetic pace, pressing in numbers when not in possession, and attacking from all angles when going forward. Such is their eagerness in the front third, they often get in each other’s way as they search for openings in opposition defences.
Sydney University play at a much more composed pace, remaining structured as they look to soak up the pressure, but can be methodical and strategic in attack. The ‘students’ frustrate the opposition defensively, and are quick to use the flanks to get in behind and serve their strikers.
The midfield is an area where this match could be won or lost, because midfield domination means your team has more possession, which usually translates into more service to your strikers – a department where both sides can boast plenty of weaponry.
Rydalmere’s central midfield pairing of Shane Webb and Simon Zahra are very similar to Sydney University’s Gavin Wenyon and Daniel Mifsud – both partnerships are mobile, tenacious in the tackle, and focussed at the task at hand. Look out for an arm wrestle in this department with no quarter given.
It will be interesting to see how Sydney University approach this game, given they had the wood over both previous opponents during the Finals Series, Stanmore Hawks and Dunbar Rovers, beating them both times in the competition proper as well before building on that confidence by beating them again in their respective semi-finals.
This time it is Rydalmere who have the wood on Sydney University, because on both occasions when the two teams met this season, it was in fact the Lions who prevailed, and rather comfortably at that on the scoreboard.
Back on May 29th in Round Nine, Rydalmere beat Sydney University at the students’ Football Ground 3-0, returning to the winner’s list after having suffered a couple of losses in the weeks preceding. It took over an hour to break the deadlock, but Matthew Mayora did just that to put Rydalmere in front, before captain, Lloyd Owusu, grabbed a late brace to finish off proceedings.
In the return Round 20 fixture, played on a Saturday evening at Rydalmere Park on August 13, the Lions won 4-1. A Farres Aoun deflected shot put the home side in front, before Johnny Gowdy restored parity for Sydney Uni just before the break.
Three second half goals from Seijei Tarutani, Amary Gauthier, and Lloyd Owusu gave Rydalmere a comprehensive triumph.
Both teams have done remarkably well to reach the penultimate match of the 2016 season, but with a grand final spot beckoning, look out for that little bit extra from all the players come Sunday as both sides look to extend their season for another week.
