Round 14 Preview – Futsal Premier League Open Men’s
Men’s Futsal Premier League round-14 Saturday pits Mountain Majik take on Enfield Allstars, UTS Northside tackle Campbelltown Quake, Eastern Suburbs Hakoah play Inner West Magic, and Mascot Vipers face Boomerangs FS.
Heading into the final round the points table reads: Mascot (28), Inner West (25), Northside (23), Easts (21), Mountain (20) and Enfield (19) – only Vipers and Magic are assured of a place in the finals; the other four are trying to fit into two playoff spots.
The Golden Boot will also go down to the wire with Mascot’s Bruno Mendes (14) currently ahead of Mountain’s Jordan Guerreiro (12), Inner West’s Daniel Fogarty (11) and Enfield’s Luiz Lobo (10).
And don’t forget to tune into Wednesday night’s 2019 Futsal Cup final between Mountain Majik and Boomerangs, being streamed live through the Football NSW Futsal Facebook page from 8.30pm with commentary from Tony Tannous!
Mountain Majik Enfield Allstars Valentine Sports Park 3.20pm Saturday 14 December
UTS Northside Campbelltown Quake PCYC Dee Why 5.50pm Saturday 14 December
Eastern Subs Hakoah Inner West Magic All Sorts Indoor Sports Centre 6.30pm Saturday 14 December
Mascot Vipers Boomerangs FS Morris Iemma Sports Centre 7.50pm Saturday 14 December
Mountain Majik v Enfield Allstars
It’s all or nothing for both Mountain Majik and Enfield Allstars in their Sunday-afternoon clash at Valentine Sports Park.
Sitting in fifth and sixth spot respectively only victory will give either side a chance of breaking into a top-four position, but they also have to hope Easts lose to Inner West later in the day.
A draw will see the combatants miss out altogether, a tough proposition considering both teams have enjoyed pretty good seasons until recently.
For Enfield, three draws in their past five games has cost them a genuine playoff run, and Mountain hasn’t won in three weeks to also stutter outside the top-four.
Allstars hold the historical edge winning nine of 15 Majik meetings, including a 7-2 romp in round seven, but be prepared for fireworks as this fixture averages a whopping 8.1 goals-a-game.
UTS Northside v Campbelltown Quake
UTS Northside should cement their first-ever finals position against lowly Campbelltown Quake at PCYC Dee Why on Sunday evening.
The northerners would have to lose really badly to allow fifth-placed Mountain the chance to overtake them, but (if Inner West lose to Easts) a UTS victory could see them finish as high as second or slip to fourth should they slip up against Quake.
Campbelltown will be gunning hard to spoil the party and pick up their first win of a trying season and have beaten Northside six times in nine encounters.
UTS have held off Quake 3-2 in consecutive meetings to indicate this might also be a close call.
Eastern Suburbs v Hakoah Inner West Magic
There’s plenty at stake when Eastern Suburbs Hakoah tackle Inner West Magic at All Sorts Indoor Sports Centre on Sunday evening.
Second-placed Inner West are playing their 200th premier league match (the first club to reach this mark in senior men’s) and only victory this weekend will provide a premiership-winning avenue as they must also rely on leaders Mascots losing to Boomerangs.
Fourth-placed Hakoah are right in the firing line. They have Majik and Allstars breathing down their necks and only an Easts win will seal a playoff berth – they might even finish third if Quake beat UTS.
A draw in this match will swing the door wide open on both teams – Northside could overtake Inner West and either Mountain or Enfield could skip over Easts – as will a Hakoah defeat.
It’s been riveting between them this summer, a crazy 4-4 draw at Valentine Sports Park coming just four days after Inner West knocked Easts out of the Futsal Cup 2-1 at the same venue.
Mascot Vipers v Boomerangs FS
Mascot Vipers have one thing in mind when they face Boomerangs FS at Morris Iemma Indoor Sports Centre on Sunday night – just get one point.
A draw will be good enough for Mascot to secure this summer’s premiership, which would be a Vipers first and the sixth different club to win it.
Should Boomerangs spring an upset, which is totally possible, Mascot will have to rely on Easts beating or drawing with Inner West.
The Territorians hold a slender balance of power over the years winning four times to three to go with two crazy 5-5 draws, and Mascot’s Sydney performances versus Boomerangs are not overly convincing.
Boomerangs beat them 5-3 at Hawkesbury in late-2011, Mascot won a 6-5 thriller at All Sorts the following season before a 5-5 draw at the same venue a year later, and finally another tight 3-2 Vipers win in late-2016.
