Semi-Final Preview – Futsal Premier League 2 Open Women’s
Our two semi-finals in the Futsal Premier League 2 Open Womens look to be two entertaining encounters to open up the finals weekend. All four teams are keen to get stuck in and get their hands on the trophy at the end.
Let’s get onto the preview.
South Coast Taipans vs Sydney City Eagles, Saturday 17 December, 3:30pm, Morris Iemma Indoor SC
Our first semifinal sees South Coast Taipans and Sydney City Eagles head to Morris Iemma Indoor SC for a big clash on Saturday afternoon.
South Coast Taipans had an excellent season, finished in second spot on the FPL2 Open Womens ladder with 10 wins, a pair of draws and losses across 14 weeks. Coach Bobby Mazevski will have them primed for the game on Saturday afternoon.
The Taipans are a well oiled machine and will be a tough side for the Eagles to break down with the second best defence in the competition. One key aspect to that will be custodian Miriam Bartlett who will need a big game on Saturday.
Up top, the Taipans have some key goal scorers ready to fire on the weekend. Lulu Lozano and Megan Grew have made regular appearances on the scoresheet. Lozano has 14 goals while Grew has found the back of the net seven times.
Headed into this game, Taipans hold the advantage having swept the regular season clashes between the two sides. They won 4-1 on the opening weekend before they edged out a thriller 4-3 back at their home ground in Round eight.
Sydney City Eagles finished comfortably in third spot on the FPL2 Open Womens ladder and finished the regular season in fine form. They won 10 games this season alongside a trio of draws and five losses which is a fair return.
The Eagles have been the comeback queens in the competition which has left coach Anthony Tomelic pulling out his hair at times but also it shows remarkable fight and spirit in the team which will help them soar on Saturday.
They might not have the biggest squad of the four left in the finals but Sydney City Eagles are a close knit unit which will fight until the end. Melina Manna found the back of the net in their 3-3 draw last weekend and her combination with Montana Bolzan will be key.
Behind them is a key figure in the Eagles side. Keeper Isabella Sollecito has pulled out some fantastic saves which has kept the team in games across the season and might be called upon again on Saturday in what shapes up to be a big game.
Boomerangs FS vs Raiders Futsal Club, Saturday 17 December, 4pm, Valentine Sports Park
The dominant Boomerangs FS side face off against Raiders Futsal Club at Valentine Sports Park for a spot in the Grand Final on Saturday afternoon.
Boomerangs FS were runaway Minor Premiers in the FPL2 Open Womens competition after going through the season undefeated with the only blemish being a 3-3 draw against South Coast Taipans back in Round 5.
Looking at the numbers for Kristian Collins’ side is impressive and makes them a formidable opponent for any of the last their sides in the competition. 90 goals scored while they only conceded eight through 14 games which is a huge achievement especially in futsal.
It is hard to pick out just one star in the side who swept away everyone in the competition this season and helped their team gain promotion back to the Futsal Premier League. Olivia Gurney has been a strong performer all season with 14 goals in the back of the net.
They flexed their potency in the final round game where they piled 11 goals past Phoenix Futsal Club to mark their 13th win of the season. Stefanie Lejins had a hat-trick in the one-sided affair and look to do similar this weekend.
Raiders Futsal Club sealed their spot in the top four with a dramatic 3-3 draw against Sydney City Eagles which gave them the point they needed to finish fourth. They now aim to produce an upset against the top side on Saturday afternoon.
Despite needing that result last Saturday, Raiders Futsal Club had a solid run in the FPL2 Open Womens competition in 2022. They won six games, drew a pair of them and lost six other contests which saw them end up on 20 points.
The side have had a host of consistent performers which has helped carry them across the whole campaign and into Saturday afternoon. Nicole Ossio, Gemma Morgan and Ellie Smyth all had sparkling moments at times.
It will be a tough ask for Raiders Futsal Club to overturn the pair of results in the regular season against Boomerangs FS. They lost 5-1 in a Match of the Round back in Round 4 before a 6-1 loss in Canberra later in the season.
By Justin Davies (@JustDavies90)
