Canberra Olympic v Belconnen United | Friday, 7pm @ Woden Park

Canberra Olympic are live in Friday Night football for the third week in a row this week when they host Belconnen United at Woden Park. Olympic triumphed in the FFA Cup during the week but will head into this match undermanned having lost a number of players leading up to and during round three. Nik Popovich was unavailable heading into that clash along with Angelo Konstantinou and Daniel Colbertaldo, and lost the Bobolas brothers and Roko Strika during the match as well. They prevailed 3-2 regardless and have picked up more momentum for this match after knocking out Tigers FC from the FFA Cup by a goal. It was a tough effort at the back to keep out Tigers midweek of which they will need more of to deny Belconnen attack that has arguably misfired to begin the season and will be raring to go.

For Belconnen, two straight losses have set them back early in their campaign to back up their 2017 Grand Final win and they will be wanting to rebound here. A loss to Tuggeranong on Saturday in a feisty clash was a rare defeat at McKellar Park, and they will return to Woden Park where they went down 4-2 to Woden-Weston just a couple of weeks ago. Peter Mazis may make changes or may stick with the formula he has and United will want to take advantage of a depleted Olympic in this clash against a team that they will likely face if they appear at the pointy end of the season. With a bye in round five, a loss here would mean Mazis’ side could be as many as 12 points off top spot by the time they take on Monaro in round six, so a result is vital to keep on pace.

 

Monaro Panthers v Riverina Rhinos | Saturday, 3pm @ Riverside LIVE on BarTV Sports

Monaro will aim to bounce back from a Round three loss to Canberra FC when they host the Riverina Rhinos at Riverside Stadium on Saturday afternoon. After impressing in round two against Canberra Olympic, the Panthers played more openly at home last weekend and were deconstructed by a dangerous-looking visiting side. There were still positives to take as Panthers challenged the momentum at times, but they will need a suitable improvement leading into this matchup. Sure to be a physical battle, Panthers have the tools to compete in it with some strong bodies in midfield, but will need to be stronger at the back to avoid the Rhinos breaking through too often. This clash is a battle of last years bottom two side who have surprised this year, and a quality match will ensue.

The Rhinos come in to this one off the back of the bye, allowing them to be fresh for both this clash and the ANZAC Day match they will play against the same opponents. The Rhinos have appeared very different this year to the 2017 iteration, and Gabriel Abdala has his side playing some strong football. A win and a loss after two matches is a strong spot, and a win here would likely keep the visitors entrenched in the top four, if not at least in touch with it. Jacob Donadel will miss the match after he was dismissed in the Rhinos win over Gungahlin United, but Abdala should be able to cover that with the squad he has. Both sides will see this as not only a chance for three points, but to get a good look at each other ahead of their cup tie on Wednesday.

 

Canberra FC v Gungahlin United | Sunday, 3pm @ Deakin Stadium

Canberra FC have the chance to make a statement on Sunday when they host Gungahlin United at Deakin Stadium in a rematch of the 2017 Elimination Final. United won that battle 3-0 in a convincing performance but have started 2018 with two losses while Canberra FC cruised to a strong victory over Monaro in their opening fixture last weekend. The hosts however played during the week as they went all the way to 120 minutes to defeat ANU 4-2 in their FFA Cup clash. Paul Macor will be hoping that his side pulls up without issue from that match, but there may be some concern over Kofi Danning after he was forced from the field early in that match holding the back of his leg.

Gungahlin had their match postponed last weekend so will come in having had almost two weeks off, but that can be the sort of break that can benefit or hurt a side. The break will have given a number of players the chance to recover from niggling injuries, and Marcial Munoz should have an almost entirely fit squad to pick from. This shapes as a massive clash for United, who need to get off the mark soon. When they visited Deakin last year they pulled off what was arguably an upset, but they had momentum coming into that match. Munoz will need to ensure his side are not lethargic to begin at all after the week off as they will face a side that many have tipped to go a long way this year.

 

Tuggeranong United v Woden-Weston | Sunday, 3pm @ Greenway Enclosed

Tuggeranong United will be looking for a fourth straight win in the league when they welcome midweek FFA Cup opponents Woden-Weston to Greenway once more on Sunday. United continued their stellar beginning in to their league campaign with a 2-0 win over Belconnen United at McKellar Park last Saturday, but came unstuck late during Wednesday’s FFA Cup clash as Woden-Weston scored twice to claim the win and move on to round five. Mitch Stevens will be without Regan Walsh after he was dismissed for two yellow cards in that matchup, so there will be some reshuffling in the backline for Tuggeranong. But they have been clinical up the other end so far, and Danny Crkovski got on the scoresheet once more on Wednesday after opening the scoring against Belconnen, and Woden-Weston will need to be wary of the man who lead their attack for much of last season.

Rey Castro’s side went down 3-2 to Canberra Olympic last Friday in a superb battle at Melrose, but had enough chances to steal a point or all three throughout the second half. Frederick Olaide Yinka-Kehinde pulled up short in that outing and missed the cup action as his side prevailed, and there is no indication yet as to whether or not he will be fit for Sunday’s match. The Wanderers have proved to be an exciting attacking side so far averaging just over three goals a game so far, and their pace will trouble United this week. But the side will need to shore up at the back having conceded at minimum two goals in every league match so far, and with Tuggeranong’s forward line hosting danger at every turn. This match is sure to be a cracker between two of the early season bolters, particularly if their midweek matchup is anything to go by.