Belconnen United v Canberra FC- Match of the Round – Live on BarTV Sports

 

Saturday 17th - 5:00pm at McKellar Park

The 2018 season will kick off with a blockbuster rematch of the 2017 Grand Final, with Belconnen United hosting Canberra FC on Saturday night at McKellar Park. Canberra FC pulled off a famous victory in the 2017 decider largely thanks to Chantel Jones’ heroics throughout, but Mark Risteski’s side will have to do it without her this time, with both Jones and Grace Gill absent from Saturday’s side.

Risteski has still retained the core of his side though, and there is enough experience in the ranks to still take the fight to Belconnen. It is hard to see Canberra FC storming out of the blocks to chase a win, but the side has enough talent to hurt United on the counter should the opportunity present itself.

For Antoni Jagarinec, the Grand Final will undoubtedly be in the back of his mind and the minds of his side when they run out, but with United still the best side in the competition going into the season Round one will merely be a barometer of where they are at.

The Blue Devils have kept much of their squad together and made some key additions, with Nat Lacey joining the side to play an experienced hand in goals, while Alex Martens comes across from Gungahlin to bolster the forward ranks following the departure of the excellent Chloe Callaghan.

United will likely dominate much of the ball with Gill and Jones both out, but will need to make sure they take their chances up front. Maddy Whittall returns after her sublime 2017 Golden Boot winning season, and will be keen to get off to a strong start in this matchup.

Belconnen United Squad: Nat LACEY (GK), Lauren KEIR, Karen CLARKE, Jordan BEATON, Bronte PYKE, May BAILEY, Katie WOODMAN, Caitlin MUNOZ, Michaela DAY, Nicole JALOCHA, Jessie RASSCHAERT, Sam PRICE, Gemma MURPHY, Amy READMAN, Emma HEANEY, Jasmine MAGUIRE, Maddy WHITTALL, Jessie WILLIAMS, Ellie RAYMOND, Alex MARTENS, Leah CARNEGIE, Brittany SMALE

Canberra FC Squad: Natasja VASTA (GK), Brigette WRIGHT, Ivana GALIC, Amy MCLACHLAN, Alice CHURCHILL, Grace GILL, Christina GRAUER-KOMPOS, Krista HAGEN, Chantel JONES, Jamie BERKELEY, Lily BARDSLEY, Marcia CAPORN, Hayley MCLACHLAN, Gabrielle RISTESKA, Dianne WILSON, Rachael GOLDSTEIN, Diarna GENOVESI, Milli MALLINSON

 

Monaro Panthers v Gungahlin United

Sunday 18th - 2:00pm at Riverside Stadium

A new look Gungahlin United squad will look to start off their season on the right foot when they take on Monaro Panthers on Sunday afternoon at Riverside Stadium. Diego Iglesias has seen a number of key figures leave across summer including Brittany & Ash Palombi, Grace Field, Alex Martens and more. He has recruited well though and will still be confident heading into this matchup. Nat McCann has made the move from Olympic for Season 2018 and will prove a handful for the opposition in the forward line. McCann and her fellow forwards will need to hit the ground running though, with United’s five top scorers leaving in the off-season.

Monaro head into the season looking to improve on their 2017 showing, where they picked up only two wins and conceded 100 goals across the year. A coaching change has seen a slight re-jig of the squad, and the pickup of Gungahlin United youngster Darby Whiteley will boost the ranks up front for a side that scored only 22 times. The Panthers have importantly retained both Zoe Szeremet and Alicia Meuronen who scored 17 of those goals between them last season, meaning that the most work will need to be done in defence. Solace can be taken from facing a Gungahlin side without some of it’s best scorers from last season, but the Panthers’ backline will still need to be at their best for their side to take points from this match.

Monaro Panthers Squad: Amy ABBEY, Jackie ALFERINK, Sophie ANDRIOLO, Cynthia BANGITA, Julia BEDIN, Laura BURDETT, Sienna FARRAR, Olivia FARRELL, Emma FINCH, Mia GIORGI, Liana HALL, Lauren HARPER, Ella HEMMINGS, Eleni IVES, Eleanor JONES, Imogen LAING, Alicia MEURONEN, Rebecca MORLING, Emily SPITERI, Zoe SZEREMET, Madeline TILLACK, Caitlin TRINICK, Darby WHITELEY, Jazmine ZABEL

Gungahlin United Squad: Kailey TONINI, Rachael CORBETT, Alex PATERSON, Ruby GAMBALE, Nat McCANN, Olivia MOORE, Maddie PERCEVAL, Erika PENNYFIELD, Ashlyn GARRITY, Tahlia STANLEY, Charlotte LYNCH, Freyja JACOBSON, Manessa HUMPHRIES, Mel BUNKER

 

Tuggeranong United v Woden-Weston

Sunday 18th - 3:00pm at Greenway Enclosed

Tuggeranong and Woden-Weston will both be out for a strong start in Round one ahead of tough early schedules in the league. United face the Academy, Olympic and Gungahlin in the following three rounds, so taking points against a team that they matched for large parts of 2017 will be important. The loss of Meg McLaughlin will hurt Michael Aldred’s side, particularly with no marquee forward coming in to offset the loss. Aldred will get the best out of the side though, and Tuggeranong still have strength across the rest of the park to grind out wins. One only needs to remember their early win over Belconnen United last season to see that this side is capable of results on their day.

For Woden-Weston, last year was something of a surprise as Diego Elmoudawar’s side charged towards the finals, only to go down narrowly to Canberra FC in their elimination final. Elmoudawar has kept his core together including exciting young players such as Ella Brown, and his side will be ready for another finals run with experience under their belt. Michele Tifan has arrived to fill the hole in goals left by Nat Lacey’s departure, but will not face too stern a test this weekend against a side missing their best forward from 2017. While the Wanderers claimed all three games over United last season they were largely tough encounters, but they will be hoping to put some more space between them this year.

Tuggeranong United Squad: Cristina ESPOSITO (GK), Sabrina SANCHEZ (GK), Steph COATES, Hannah COPPELL, Claire FALLS, Charlotte GRANDY, Amber HARVEY, Emily MADRID, Lara MUSTAINE, Chelsea SANCHEZ, Sonya SHEEDY, Zoe TERRY, Mackenzie ALCOCK, Sophie BARNSLEY, Chloe DAISLEY, Rhiannon DAISLEY, Sarah DAISLEY, Anna DIXON, Adriana ILHEO, Caterina TWARDOCHLEB, Kylie WEBBER, Beth WILLIAMS, Kristy HELMERS, Ashlyn LEWIS, Sophie BUI

Woden-Weston Squad: Michele TIFAN, Iesha DE ANDRADE, Alex NANCARROW, Sarah WHITFIELD, Maddie PAUL, Bridgit PLUMMER, Mica GUPTA, Kath CONROY, Sarah CRITTENDEN, Celina GAYER, Isobel D’AMICO, Jade BERNAT, Alison CARUJO, Jemima MILLAR-CARTON, Alex MACKENZIE, Ella BROWN, Lotta RAAP, Anna VANDENBROUCKE, Cassia MCGLASHAN, Geri LONGO

 

Canberra United Academy v Canberra Olympic

Sunday 18th - 5:00pm at Hawker Football Centre

Canberra Olympic will take to the field against the Academy on Sunday afternoon as a completely different outfit to the one that finished bottom of the table in 2017. New coach Eddie Senatore has overhauled the last season’s squad, bringing in an experienced spine full of W-League and Premier League experience. The key additions of Grace Field, Grace Maher and Bec Kiting add enormous steel to a team that struggled to keep other sides out of their half last season, and opens up avenues to goal as well. Field has the potential to be a bona fide striking option for Olympic, a side she netted a hat-trick against in a come from behind win with Gungahlin in 2017, and with a fresh midfield behind her there will be chances to finish as well.

The Academy will be tough opponents however, with a squad also possessing W-League experience and youthful talent. Ryan Grogan’s assembled cast has strength all over the pitch, but he will await the availability of Karly Roestbakken following Young Matildas duty on Friday. Laura Hughes was a midfield force in the competition last season and will look to be the same again this season, and despite their relative youth the Academy side should go into this match as favourites.

CUA Squad: Sharon CHAO, Isobel DAVY (GK), Emma ILIJOSKI, Hayley TAYLOR-YOUNG, Jaide TREWIN, Emily JENSEN, Stella DE MARCO, Courtney HALSE, Laura HUGHES, Molly LAWLESS, Cecilija MATIC, Sarah MORGAN, Isabel Mulhall, Karly ROESTBAKKEN, Demi NIKIAS, Aoife COLVILL, Isabella BARAC

Canberra Olympic Squad: Grace BASSER-SILK, Monica CERRO, Lily DAWSON, Grace FIELD, Alexia FORNER, Kiara GASPARI, Emma GUO, Eleni HARIDEMOS, Kirsten HURT, Victoria JAMIESON, Bec KITING, Grace MAHER, Sally ROJAHN, Celina VECCHI