National Premier Leagues: Capital Football
Semi-Finals Preview

Saturday 30th August
MAJOR SEMI-FINAL
Cooma Tigers v Belconnen United (McKellar Park, kick-off: 3pm)
The top two meet at McKellar Park on Saturday afternoon as Cooma Tigers plays Belconnen United in the National Premier Leagues: Capital Football Major Semi Final with a place in the Grand Final awaiting the winners. And, despite the Tigers impressive season to date, this match is a tough one to call. Going strictly on current form the League Champions, Cooma, would have to be installed as favourites particularly considering their emphatic 3-0 success over the Blue Devils at Nijong Oval a fortnight ago – a result that sealed their made league crown. However, the Blue Devils at McKellar are a different proposition and there is no doubt that they will be well prepared for this fixture and are likely to give a much better account of themselves than in the lethargic and lacklustre display in Cooma. 

Key players Dustin Wells and Taylor Beaton were rested in the Round 21 win over Monaro Panthers where some defensive frailties were exposed by the Panthers who led 2-0 before being crushed in a powerful second half showing. Cooma meanwhile warmed up for this tie in the best possible manner as they romped to an 8-0 win away to Canberra City. Stephen Domenici netted four at Gungahlin Enclosed last Sunday to emerge as Golden Boot winner for 2014. With Domenici, Robbie Cattanach and Goran Josifovski scoring 42 goals between them this term it’s easy to see where the Tigers are at their most dangerous. The key may well be out wide. The pace and skill of Cooma was too much for the Blue Devils full-backs, Milan Popovich and Cameron Reinhart, to handle at Nijong. This may mean that Dean Ugrinic assess his back-four options to counter this threat. Either way, we can expect plenty of goals and a match that will go to the wire. 

Sunday 1st September
MINOR SEMI-FINAL
Canberra Olympic v Canberra FC v (Deakin Stadium, kick-off: 3pm)
It’s make or break time at Deakin Stadium in the Minor Semi-Final as Canberra Olympic faces Canberra FC for a shot at the Preliminary Final next weekend with the defeated side heading home for the season. This fixture has all the ingredients to be an absolute belter with the pair having dished up a six-goal thriller in the final round of the National Premier Leagues: Capital Football competition last weekend. On that occasion Olympic came out 4-2 winners thanks, in large part, to their tremendous strike force that includes Mark Shields, Daniel Barac and Oliver Wiederkekr. The trio shared the goals between them at this venue seven days ago and will be out to ensure that lightning does strike twice. In order to do so they will need to overcome a Canberra FC side who have stumbled of late.

The 2013 League champions and Grand Finalists have lost their last four matches and are teetering on the brink of an early exit. The possible enforced absence of goalkeeper Jakob Cole, he injured his groin in a training session prior to the loss to Olympic in Round 21, meant that Shaun Burke had to fill in between the posts and the youngster may well be called upon again to make the difference at the back if, as is likely, Cole fails to make a recovery. Whenever Olympic meets Canberra FC there is usually plenty of talking points. Goals, cards and unusual incidences are the order of the day. With their season on the line both teams will be out to prove a point. Form wise the smart money would be on Olympic but Canberra FC are noted for their big-game ability and could pull off a result to keep their year alive. 

LEADING SCORERS 
16 Stephen DOMENICI (Cooma Tigers)
14 Mark SHIELDS (Canberra Olympic)
13 Robbie CATTANACH, Goran JOSIFOVSKI (Cooma Tigers)
12 Alex OLORIEGBE (Canberra FC)
11 Jason UGRINIC (Belconnen United)
10 Daniel BENNETT (Canberra FC)
8 Dustin WELLS (Belconnen United), Robbie DEELEY (Canberra Olympic), Jamal REINERS (FFA COE)
7 Tom McLACHLAN (Belconnen United), Daniel MASKIN (FFA COE), Own GOALS
6 Goran MUKEVSKI (Belconnen United), Misko NAUMOSKI (Canberra City), Philippe BERNABO-MADRID, Domenic GIAMPAOLO (Canberra FC)
5 Michael TAURASI (Belconnen United), Julian BORGNA (Cooma Tigers), Peter KEKERIS (FFA COE), Thomas JAMES (Monaro Panthers), Muad ZWED (Tuggeranong United)
4 Marty RAINES (Belconnen United), Gimale ESSACU (Canberra City), Aaron EVANS (Canberra FC), Daniel BARAC, Oliver WIEDERKEHR (Canberra Olympic), Jordan LANDO (Cooma Tigers), Josh CALABRIA, Martin DENG, Darian McGARRY-WATSON (Monaro Panthers), Daniel COLBERTALDO, Jon TOOLE, Matt MENSER (Tuggeranong United)
3 Adam SPALETA (Canberra FC), Callum SMITH (Canberra Olympic), Daniel ARZANI, Kosta PETRATOS (FFA COE), Pepe VARGA (Monaro Panthers), Michael JOHN (Tuggeranong United), Lukas COLE, Marco GAYER, Regan WALSH (Woden Valley)
2 Jack BLACKLEY, Jack GREEN, Aisosa IHEGIE (Belconnen United), Adam DOBELL, Sam McDONALD (Canberra City), James FIELD, Ian GRAHAM, Josip JADRIC (Canberra FC), Josh GASPARI, Michael REEVE (Canberra Olympic), Nicholas D’AGOSTINO, Jamie DIMITROFF (FFA COE), Deng PADIET (Monaro Panthers), Zac MUNSTER (Tuggeranong United), Rowan BLAKE, John GIBSON, Andrew SLAVICH (Woden Valley)
1 Taylor BEATON, David KEMP, Kieran MATTRESS, Cameron REINHART, Bernard RENE (Belconnen United), Deng Aleer DENG, Jeremy HEGARTY (Canberra City), Anthony GIORGI, Ryan KEIR (Canberra FC), Nick BOBOLAS, Daniel FULTON, Adam ROGIC, Nathan TIDMARSH (Canberra Olympic), Francois BANGWENI, Iain ELLIOTT, Lianel LAUPER (Cooma Tigers), Jackson BANDIERA, Charlie DEVEREUX, Cameron JOICE, Kye ROWLES, Zak WATERS (FFA COE), Kamal AHMED, Jacob CULLEN-RUA (Monaro Panthers), Sean KIDDEY, Harry PETTIT, Ethan MUNSTER (Tuggeranong United), David CARDER, Tom HIRST, Conor NOLAN, Mitch STEENBERGEN, Liam WALSH (Woden Valley)