PlayStation® 4 NPL Victoria Preview

Picture: Steve Starek

NPL - Elimination Finals
 
South Melbourne (1) and Bentleigh Greens (2) have a first round finals bye. South Melbourne will play the lowest advancing seed in the semi-finals and Bentleigh Greens the other advancing team.
 
If finals are level at full time, matches will go to two 15-minute halves of extra time. If level after extra time, matches will be decided by penalty shoot-out.
 
Melbourne Knights (4) v Hume City (5)
7:30pm, Friday August 28, 2015
Knights Stadium, Sunshine
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria #MKvHC #PS4NPLVIC
 
Last Round:
Melbourne Knights 0-2 Port Melbourne Sharks - Match Report
Hume City 2-0 Pascoe Vale - Match Report

Form:
MK: WLWWL
HC: LLWLW

Last time they met:
Melbourne Knights 2-0 Hume City - Match Report
 
The recent meeting between the teams was a comfortable 2-0 win for Melbourne Knights, with mid-season acquisition Robbie Zadworny setting the tone with an early goal.
 
Knights slipped up in the final round of the season however, dropping from third to fourth with a 2-0 home defeat against Port Melbourne Sharks.
 
The strategy from Knights was to rest players and prepare for the elimination final regardless of ladder position or opponent.
 
Midfielder Tomislav Uskok (10 yellow cards) will miss the game with suspension.

"Both games were entertaining during the home and away season, and come finals time it's a do-or-die battle," Hume City coach Lou Acevski told Knights TV.
 
"If we progress we go on to a bigger challenge and be only one game away from a grand final."
 
Hume has not scored in the two matches against Knights this season and will be looking to talisman Nick Hegarty and strikers Daniel Clark and Theo Markelis to find a way to goal.
 
Heidelberg United (3) v Pascoe Vale (6)
3:00pm, Sunday August 30, 2015
Olympic Village, Heidelberg West
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria #HUvPV #PS4NPLVIC

Last Round:
Heidelberg United 5-2 Dandenong Thunder - Match Report
Hume City 2-0 Pascoe Vale - Match Report

Form:
HU: LDLDW
PV: LDDLL
 
Last time they met:
Pascoe Vale 1-2 Heidelberg United - Match Report

Heidelberg has two wins from two against Pascoe Vale this season, opening the year with a 3-0 win before completing the season double in May.
 
Coming off a short break after a mid-week Westfield FFA Cup tie, Heidelberg United has shown that a regular rhythm of catch-up games and cup ties has not sapped the squad.
 
Kenny Athiu's mid-week goal in the FFA Cup was also a welcome sign for Heidelberg, given it is widely expected that star striker Dan Heffernan will have signed for Central Coast Mariners by the time kick-off arrives on Sunday.
 
The strong form of centre backs Luke Byles and Steven Pace means Heidelberg will take some breaking down.
 
Pascoe Vale's form suggests a major turn-around will be necessary to spring a surprise here. Winless in five and scoring just two goals in that run, is a far cry from the mid-winter winning streak that secured Pascoe Vale's place in the top six.

Joseph Youssef (10 goals) and Davey van 't Schip (five) as Pacoe Vale's top scorers this season, and while neither has been prolific, both can prove a handful on their day.
 
NPL 1 Round 26 - Cross-Over Round
 
Melbourne Victory v Moreland City
3:00pm, Saturday August 29, 2015
Campbell Reserve, Coburg
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #MVCvMC #PS4NPLVIC

Sunshine George Cross v Richmond SC
3:00pm, Saturday August 29, 2015
Chaplin Reserve, Sunshine
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria, #SGCvRSC #PS4NPLVIC

Whittlesea Ranges v Springvale White Eagles
3:00pm, Saturday August 29, 2015
Epping Stadium, Epping
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria #WRvSWE #PS4NPLVIC

Dandenong City v Brunswick City
3:00pm, Saturday August 29, 2015
Frank Holahan Soccer Complex, Endeavour Hills
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria #DCvBC #PS4NPLVIC

Eastern Lions v Bendigo City FC
3:00pm, Saturday August 29, 2015
Gardiners Creek Reserve, Burwood
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria #ELvBFC #PS4NPLVIC

Box Hill United v Ballarat Red Devils
3:15pm, Saturday August 29, 2015
Wembley Park, Box Hill
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria #BHUvBRD #PS4NPLVIC

Moreland Zebras v Murray United
4:00pm, Saturday, August 29, 2015
CB Smith Reserve, Fawkner
Twitter: Live updates @nplvictoria #MZvMU #PS4NPLVIC

Goulburn Valley Suns v FC Bulleen Lions
6:30pm, Saturday, August 29, 2015
John McEwen Reserve, Shepparton
Twitter: Live updates, @nplvictoria, #GVSvBL #PS4NPLVIC

St Albans Saints v Nunawading City
3:00pm, Sunday August 30, 2015
Churchill Reserve, St Albans
Twitter: Live updates, @nplvictoria #SASvNUC #PS4NPLVIC

Kingston City v Melbourne City
8:30pm, Monday, August 31, 2015
The Grange Reserve, Clayton South
Twitter: Live updates, @nplvictoria #KCvMCY #PS4NPLVIC

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