Round 7 Preview – Futsal Premier League Open Women’s
We’ll be halfway through the season after this weekend! Time flies when you’re having fun. The top four clash in Riverwood between Hakoah and UTS catches our eye, but all four games in the next Open Women’s round are set to be compelling encounters.
Dural Warriors v Inner West; Saturday 22 October, 3:50pm @ The Centre Dural
One team is flying high and the other is still searching for their first victory, but this should be an evenly-matched contest.
Dural are coming off a convincing performance and will be hoping that home comforts help them extend their winning streak. Estelle Fragale has been an important contributor in recent weeks, winning more than her fair share of individual battles. The rules don’t allow you to build a wall in front of your goal, but Sarah Easthope is the next best thing and with her between the sticks, Dural have a chance in every game they play.
Don’t let Inner West’s position on the table fool you, they’ve been unlucky in games and have the talent to earn a result against anyone. The team in maroon have had periods during games where they have been on top, now it’s just a matter of stringing together a complete 50 minute performance. If Inner West do come out on top, the experienced pair of Courtney Halpin and Tara Pender will probably have played a key role.
Mascot Vipers v Enfield Allstars; Saturday 22 October, 4:30pm @ PCYC Hawkesbury
Third meets fifth in South Windsor and there’s plenty to play for here.
The Vipers are in a strong position and can move up the table if either of the top two falter on Saturday. Mascot top scorer Stephanie Augoustis may grab a lot of the attention, however they are far from a one woman team – seven different players have scored for them this season. The Vipers are surely keen to atone for their previous visit to PCYC Hawkesbury, where they were defeated by UTS Northside in Round 2.
Enfield also know what it’s like to encounter UTS, having lost to them last weekend. That scoreline wasn’t flattering for the Allstars, but Enfield had their moments during the game and this is definitely something for them to build upon. A goal was the very least Bianca Radman deserved after her performance on Saturday, so look for her to threaten in attack, helped by the likes of Renee Houliaras and Kaitlin Kiparizov.
Mountain Majik v Campbelltown City Quake; Saturday 22 October, 5pm @ Valentine Sports Park
The game in Glenwood provides a big opportunity for two teams looking to climb the ladder.
Majik won’t be short of motivation for this game – victory will see them move out of last place. While they lost on the weekend, Dural were particularly ruthless and Majik troubled the Warriors on a number of occasions, so there is certainly hope for the team in green. Clare Holder can do a lot of damage with her shooting and passing ability, while the lively pair of Breanna McCormack and Alyssa Janssen always work hard to create chances.
Meanwhile, Quake can move as high as fifth if they earn all three points. Their last outing was one of those frustrating games all teams have occasionally: they were leading against Mascot before being overrun in the second half. When Quake get it right, their teamwork is a pleasure to watch, and they can call upon many current and former Football NSW Institute players, which speaks to the levels of technical ability in the squad.
Eastern Suburbs Hakoah v UTS Northside; Saturday 22 October, 5:50pm @ Morris Iemma Indoor Sports Centre
UTS play at Riverwood for the second weekend in a row, this time against a Hakoah side in good goal-scoring form.
Hakoah put the frustration of their Round 5 loss to Dural behind them with a clinical performance on Saturday. Tamires Souza stole the show with three goals, and if she starts to fire consistently it could be a scary prospect for the other teams in the division. Souza can’t do it all by herself, but she doesn’t have to – players like Kiara Farquhar and Antonia Sharp will provide valuable support.
UTS gave us a five star performance last weekend, with five different scorers. Daisy Arrowsmith maintained her record of finding the net in every game this season, and also set up two goals in what was a brilliant all-round display. The club from the northern beaches have done an excellent job of bringing younger players into the team – Halle Smit is one example and she’s already scored three times this season.
By Eric Subijano (Twitter – @eric_subijano)
