Waratah Cup Final spots up for grabs
The time has come as four teams will learn their fate this evening on who will take part in the 2018 Waratah Cup Final to be played on Sunday 15th of July with two mouthwatering clashes raring to go as Bonnyrigg White Eagles take on Hakoah Sydney City East while Marconi Stallions entertain APIA Leichhardt Tigers at neutral venues.
Valentine Sports Park will play host to the Bonnyrigg White Eagles v Hakoah Sydney City East clash in what will be an intriguing battle between two highly competitive clubs.
The ironic fact about this game is that both teams drew each other in the Round of 32 of the prestigious FFA Cup on Tuesday evening so you can be sure of fireworks tonight as well as mind games from both camps.
The White Eagles hit a purple patch when the second round of NPL NSW Men’s matches rolled after a disastrous start to the year however were brought back down to earth with a heart breaking 2-1 loss to Sydney FC last weekend albeit with the young Sky Blues outfit playing with ten men for the majority of the match.
Brian Brown, a man no stranger to winning silverware in NSW, will no doubt look at this opportunity as a an ideal chance for the proud club to play in a finals match and will rely heavily on the likes of South Korean import Jaewook Woo as well as captain fantastic Ray Miller for inspiration.
Club striker Shervin Adeli will be looking at adding to his tally for this year while the experience of goalkeeper James Chronopoulos could prove to be the difference in what will be a big match.
For the visitors, Hakoah Sydney City East have quietly gone on with their business and Gavin Rae will know the huge importance this Cup means to the club having won it in 2017 against the APIA Leichhardt Tigers.
Hurt by their last-minute loss to the Wollongong Wolves in round 16 of the NPL NSW Men’s competition last weekend, one player that has shone bright these past few weeks has been Anthony Frangie.
The energetic and technical attacker has been on a tremendous run scoring some of the best goals seen in the league in 2018 and will again will be one player Rae will look towards stepping up.
The ever-reliable Mitchell Stamatellis will marshal the ship in midfield while Kiwi International Andre De Jong continues to wow the audience with his razzling displays up-front.
Sydney United Sports Centre will host the cracking match between the Marconi Stallions and APIA Leichhardt Tigers.
The hungry Stallions, fresh from being promoted to the big league this year, will want to shove more silverware in its already packed trophy cabinet and by doing that knocking out its staunch rivals in the Tigers.
Coached by Peter Tsekenis who is no stranger to a trophy, you can expect fireworks from the former NSL giants.
Marko Jesic will again be the man that can cause major issues for the Tigers while the experience in the club’s back-line of Chris Nunes and Michael Beauchamp along with keeper Nenad Vekic will also be a huge plus for Tsekenis’ squad.
Injuries have hurt the Stallions but the quality has remained – one player that has really stood up in 2018 has been young gun Judah Cleur.
Add another whiz up-front in the shape of James Andrew and you have a pretty neat outfit.
The Tigers on the other hand are a club littered and spoiled with quality players across the pitch.
The talk of the year thus far has been centered around its striker, namely Jordan Murray.
Born in Woonona down the South Coast, the 22-year-old has been in red-hot form topping the goalscorer’s charts with 14 this year.
He is a man with a plan and one that the Stallions need to shut out.
It doesn’t stop there as Murray’s partner in crime isn’t too shabby also being the one, the only, Tasuku Sekiya.
The pocket rocket Japanese dynamo continues to break ankles in the NPL NSW Men’s competition and will be out to assist Murray up-front in bagging a goal or two.
2017 Player of the Year Sean Symons provides consistency each week so expect to see a big match from the big man while no stranger to big moments, keeper Ivan Necevski will use that inspiration to carry the team to a hopeful Finals birth.
Will it be a replay of the 2017 Waratah Cup Final when Hakoah met the APIA Leichhardt Tigers or will we have the White Eagles entertain the Stallions?
The answer will be known after tonight’s big match-ups.
2018 Waratah Cup Semi-Final Fixtures
Wednesday 27th June
Bonnyrigg White Eagles v Hakoah Sydney City East – Valentine Sports Park – 7:30pm
Marconi Stallions v APIA Leichhardt Tigers – Sydney United Sports Centre – 7:30pm
*Waratah Cup Final venue will be announced next week
