SELECT Futsal Premier League – Round 14 Open Men’s Preview

History beckons in the SELECT Futsal Premier League final round-14 Saturday matches.

Leaders Mountain Majik face Campbelltown Quake at Blacktown Leisure Centre (3.20pm), Inner West Magic tackle Mascot Vipers at Valentine Sports Park (6.20pm), UTS Northside face Enfield Allstars at PCYC Dee Why (6.30pm), and Eastern Suburbs Hakoah host Dural Warriors at All Sorts Indoor Sports Centre (8.50pm).

The fact the already postponed round-13 Campbelltown versus Dural match was washed out again tonight hasn’t helped the premiership + playoff + wooden-spoon math either.

As it stands Mountain (28 points) head Inner West (23), Dural (23, but the Quake game in tow), Enfield (22), back to Mascot (17), Northside (14), Easts (10) and Campbelltown (10).

The golden boot chart shows Majik’s Jordan Guerreiro (16), UTS’ Mason Ireland (15), Allstar supernova Shervin Adeli (15), Magician Daniel Fornito (12), Warrior Greg Giovenali (10), Allstar Luiz Lobo (10), Viper Jakov Radas (9), Majik’s Bradie Smith (8) and Magic’s Jonathan Barzel (8).

Inner West (184 points) took back  the club championship title, well ahead of Mascot (157), Mountain (147), Easts (120), Campbelltown (120) and UTS (113), so it’s all eyes on Enfield (103) and Dural (95, plus one game in hand) in their premier league survival.

Mountain Majik                          Campbelltown Quake     Blacktown Leisure Centre                       3.20pm Saturday 22 December

Inner West Magic                      Mascot Vipers               Valentine Sports Park                            6.20pm Saturday 22 December

UTS Northside                          Enfield Allstars              PCYC Dee Why                                    6.30pm Saturday 22 December

Eastern Subs Hakoah                Dural Warriors               All Sorts Indoor Sports Centre                8.50pm Saturday 22 December

Mountain Majik vs Campbelltown Quake

Mountain Majik versus Campbelltown Quake at Blacktown Leisure Centre will be a Saturday-afternoon sizzler!

Competition leaders Mountain are possibly fortunate they’re first cab off the rank as they wouldn’t relish any further pressure placed on them as they hunt down a maiden open men’s premiership.

A win against Campbelltown will seal the deal for Majik (a draw gives Dural an opening), but they can’t take anything granted against the cellar-dwellers.

‘The Purples’ got their dates all wrong this summer, a seven-game losing run as cold as it gets, yet last week they beat mighty Dural to lift the Futsal Cup trophy.

Only fate will see if Quake (who play the top-two) can elevate themselves form the basement as they might also rely on Easts repeating their Cup deeds and defeat Dural in the very last match of the year.

Campbelltown have a long-term edge winning six of nine Mountain meetings but Majik’s won the last two, including a 6-2 round-seven blitz.

Inner West Magic vs Mascot Vipers

Inner West Magic will be disappointed their Saturday-afternoon clash with Mascot Vipers at Valentine Sports Park doesn’t have more venom.

Mascot is fifth while Inner West can’t finish higher than second or lower than fourth, meaning this game only has a bearing on Magic’s semi-final place.

They’re the only two PL foundation clubs to have contested every season so there’s obviously plenty of history between the clubs, and it’s Inner West with all the glory (13 wins and three draws in 17 recorded contests) – the last time Mascot triumphed was in September 2011 when Rodrigo Barbosa scored four goals in a 9-5 slugfest.

Having said that, only twice has Magic won by more than three goals, a 7-3 round-seven demolition coming 10 years after a 7-2 victory in January 2009.

Magician Daniel Fornito’s scored six goals against Vipers, all of them in the last four meetings (a hat-trick in November’s clash).

UTS Northside vs Enfield Allstars

It’s still a little interesting in the Saturday-evening UTS Northside versus Enfield Allstars match at PCYC Dee Why.

Northside’s wrapped up sixth-spot while fourth-placed Enfield can only advance their position should Inner West and/or Dural stuff up – but will Allstars want to anyway?

Coach Christian Soares has steadily built his side into title-contenders, and now he has a choice on whether to face probable premiers Mountain Majik in the semi-finals or a knockout bout versus either Warriors or Magic.

Enfield have the wood on Northside winning six of nine fixtures, plenty of plaudits to a 10-goal haul from Shervin Adeli, but UTS were scintillating in a 5-2 round-seven defeat of Allstars and northern-gun Mason Ireland has bagged five goals in the last two encounters.

Eastern Suburbs Hakoah vs Dural Warriors

It all boils down to a Saturday-night cauldron at All Sorts Indoor Sports Centre where Eastern Suburbs Hakoah host Dural Warriors… or is it?

Debutants Easts are embroiled in a dungeon dogfight with Campbelltown (equal on points but ahead on goal-difference) and only success over Dural guarantees Hakoah won’t finish last – a draw or defeat gives Quake a chance to overtake them.

But how do you plan victory against a team that has six premierships and championships to their name, the league’s best winning percentage and highest goal average, best defensive record, most records and so on and so on…

The Warriors shut out Hakoah 3-0 in round seven following a 4-2 Futsal Cup triumph in October – but this fixture isn’t Dural’s only premiership puzzle-piece – there’s also the matter of their postponed round-13 Campbelltown clash (washed out again last night).

It’s all elementary should Mountain Majik win their final game (played earlier), but the Warriors need two wins for any last-ditch surprise – and they could also stumble into fourth place if they don’t beat either Hakoah or Quake and Enfield down Northside.

Epic!

– By Dan de Nardi