Round 3 & 4 Preview – Futsal Premier League 2 Open Men’s
The long weekend brings a buffet of futsal in the Futsal Premier League 2 Open Mens competition which completes both Round 3 and 4. There is plenty of action to enjoy across the eight fixtures which will help shake out the ladder. Let’s get onto the preview.
Round 3
SD Raiders Futsal vs Phoenix Futsal Club, Saturday 1 October, 4:10pm, Fairfield Youth & Community Centre
SD Raiders Futsal look to keep their unbeaten start going when they take on Phoenix Futsal Club in Fairfield on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts kept up their good start to the year with a 4-3 win over Sydney City Eagles last Friday night in Penrith. Franco Maya has started the season in fine form with four goals in two games but he won’t feature in this contest due to his red card.
Phoenix Futsal Club had a stirring comeback but just fell short in the Match of the Round against West City Crusaders. Jordan Smylie leads the way in the scoring charts with five goals after his hat-trick and is the one to watch for the visitors.
Sydney City Eagles vs Boomerangs FS, Saturday 1 October, 4:20pm, Thomas Hassell Anglican College
Sydney City Eagles will take on Boomerangs FS in an interesting game at Thomas Hassell Anglican College on Saturday afternoon.
The Eagles will look to rebound after their closely fought loss against SD Raiders Futsal last weekend and will be missing Bruno Antelmi due to his red card. They do boast enough firepower to match up against Boomerangs FS on Saturday.
Boomerangs FS picked up their first points of the year in their 3-3 draw against Sydney Futsal Club in their first hit out for the 2022 campaign. Coach Nick Van Aalst was happy with the team and they can improve this week against the Eagles.
West City Crusaders vs Raiders Futsal Club, Saturday 1 October, 4:50pm, Hawkesbury PCYC
Playing their first home game, West City Crusaders welcome Raiders Futsal Club to PCYC Hawkesbury on Saturday afternoon.
Coming off their pulsating 4-3 win over Phoenix Futsal Club last weekend, West City Crusaders will be looking for a full performance on Saturday afternoon. Greg Kondek led the side well in the win and his combination with Kwadwo Boamah-Addai will be key on the weekend.
Raiders Futsal Club won their first game of the year in a 3-2 win over South Coast Taipans which will give them a springboard to build from. Luis Ferreira has been a solid performer to start the season with three goals and hungry for more.
Sydney Futsal Club vs South Coast Taipans, Saturday 1 October, 5:10pm, NC of Indigenous Excellence
Rounding out Round 3, Sydney Futsal Club face off against South Coast Taipans at NC of Indigenous Excellence on Saturday afternoon.
Sydney Futsal Club opened up their account with a 3-3 draw against Boomerangs FS which will be a big boost to the side headed into this long weekend. They have a pair of home games which could help them pick up maximum points.
For South Coast Taipans, they will want to start the game fast after the first two weeks where they have had to try to make a comeback. One positive is Matthew Mazevski is finding the back of the net regularly and will be the player to watch.
Round 4
Sydney Futsal Club vs SD Raiders Futsal, Sunday 2 October, 4:45pm, NC of Indigenous Excellence
Kicking off Round 4 is Sydney Futsal Club welcoming SD Raiders Futsal to the NC of Indigenous Excellence on Sunday afternoon.
The hosts showed great fight in both their games to start the season. They will be keen to pick up their first win of the year against an SD Raiders Futsal side that has been scoring for fun to start the year. Their defence will need to be on point.
SD Raiders Futsal attack has been getting rave reviews which is all deserved but they are so prolific going forward due to having a great custodian. Ryan Baldi has made some great saves already in the young season and will look to repel Sydney Futsal.
Raiders Futsal Club vs Boomerangs FS, Sunday 2 October, 4:50pm, Thomas Hassell Anglican College
Back at Thomas Hassell Anglican College, Raiders Futsal Club face off against Boomerangs FS on Sunday afternoon.
Raiders Futsal Club have had a mixed opening fortnight. They hope this weekend can act like a springboard for their hopes to make the top four. They are an experienced side so will be well prepared for any game and ready to go.
The visitors showed their attacking skill whilst working off the rust in their first game last week. Michael Rinaudo fired home a brace to kick off his campaign while they still deal with missing some players due to local football.
South Coast Taipans vs West City Crusaders, Monday 3 October, 4:50pm, UOW Sports Hub
Playing their first home game, South Coast Taipans host West City Crusaders at UOW Sports Hub on Monday afternoon.
The Taipans will enjoy being back at home after being on the road for the first three games of the FPL2 competition. Coach Bobby Mazevski said he was disappointed with their display in their last loss and hopefully they can rectify it back on home turf.
Crusaders were a bit wasteful in front of goal against Phoenix Futsal Club and it almost cost them so they will want to be more clinical down in Wollongong. Matthew Auld also showed good touch with his goal last weekend.
Sydney City Eagles vs Phoenix Futsal Club, Monday 3 October, 5:10pm, Thomas Hassell Anglican College
Finishing off the long weekend is Sydney City Eagles taking on Phoenix Futsal Club at Thomas Hassell Anglican College on Monday afternoon.
Both these two teams always have tightly fought and contested games and Monday afternoon will be similar as they seek to use this long weekend to surge up the ladder. Phoenix Futsal Club coach Cristian Berios hopes his side can replicate their second half against the Crusaders this weekend.
For the Eagles, they will hope to soar up the ladder after the long weekend and they have shown in their first two games, they can find the back of the net consistently. Coach Roy Perre will have them ready from the opening whistle as well.
By Justin Davies (@JustDavies90)
