Tuggeranong United v Canberra Olympic | 3pm Saturday | Kambah – LIVE on BarTV Sports

Canberra Olympic will be searching for a second win of the season against so-far winless Tuggeranong, when they visit Kambah on Saturday afternoon. Olympic’s Round two clash against Woden-Weston was rescheduled, meaning the revamped side have not played a league match in three weeks, and Eddie Senatore’s side will be raring to go. Their 5-3 win over the Academy in Round one likely came as a shock to everyone but Olympic, and the new look 2018 side appear strong enough on the small sample size to be involved at the pointy end of the season. They will prove a tough test for this United side who are still working themselves into the new season, after losses to Woden-Weston and the Academy.

Tuggeranong started strong against the Academy last round with a well taken goal on the counter attack, but ran out of steam as the game went on and a limited bench was exposed. On another hot afternoon here that fatigue could be a problem, and Michael Aldred will need to plan around that. Letting Olympic take the initiative could work in their favour or backfire, but United’s best work will likely be done on the counter attack, looking to expose wide areas that may be not as strong as an experienced spine. Another loss here would be a big setback for Tuggeranong, who would likely fall six points adrift of the top four.

 

Belconnen United v Woden-Weston FC | 5:15pm Saturday | McKellar Park

A third straight win will be on the cards for Belconnen United on Saturday evening when they welcome Woden-Weston to McKellar Park. The Blue Devils have cruised through their opening two matches, putting up nine unanswered goals in the process, with a number of players chipping in. Jessie Williams and Maddy Whittall both bagged braces last round, while Michaela Day is developing a knack for scoring in second half stoppage time. United had the wood over Woden in their matchups last season and Antoni Jagarinec will likely be confident heading into this match that his side can extend their perfect record.

The Wanderers have not played in the league since Round one after their Round two clash with Olympic was postponed and will come into this match needing to switch straight back on. Their 2-0 win over Tuggeranong in that first meeting was a good start to the year, and they will want to keep that form going into this match. That result was a product of disciplined play and smart counter-attacking, something they will have the chance to do against a Blue Devils side who are likely to control the match. Diego Elmoudawar’s team is young but smart, and this match is a great way for them to test themselves against the leagues benchmark side early on in the season.

Monaro Panthers v Canberra FC | 2pm Sunday | Riverside Stadium

Monaro Panthers will host Canberra FC on Sunday afternoon, aiming to pick up their first win of the 2018 season against a side who are still finding their rhythm this year. The Panthers have struggled so far, giving up a one-goal lead in Round one to fall to Gungahlin before shipping five to Belconnen United in Round two at home. This will be the Panthers third game in a row at home though, and the side need to begin making the most of their home outings before they head away more often. While on paper Canberra FC are the stronger side, they are yet to hit their stride this season and the Panthers have a good chance to further disrupt that by not allowing Mark Risteski’s side to play the match on their own terms.

The visitors this week scrapped out a win over Gungahlin in Round two, helping in some way to recover from their 4-0 loss in Round one at the hands of Belconnen United. Chantel Jones will be unavailable this week in a selection blow, but Canberra FC should have the quality across the park to see off Panthers regardless. This match precedes a tough stretch against Woden-Weston and the Academy, so picking up a win here is important. A draw or loss here if Belconnen win could see Canberra FC drop up to six points off the pace at the top after three weeks, which will prove a tough task to make up moving forward.

 

Gungahlin United v Canberra United Academy | 3pm Sunday | Kaleen Enclosed

After a sputtering start, Gungahlin United will be looking for a second win when they host the Canberra United Academy at Kaleen for a fourth vs fifth clash. United’s last outing ended in a scrappy one-nil defeat at the hands of Canberra FC, after a resolute effort for much of the match. This 2018 Gungahlin side is much younger than the 2017 iteration and down a bit on experience, but so far have shown capability to fight out matches for 90 minutes. That will be key this weekend against a plucky and talented Academy side, who have the capacity to break a game open quickly and harshly.

The Academy began slowly last round and fell behind early to Tuggeranong, before fighting back to take all three points. Karly Roestbakken showed off her class as one of the best players in the competition, and she will play a key role here with the Academy away from home and not on synthetic for the first time this season. Their fast style will need to adapt to the different surface of Kaleen, and Gungahlin have the chance to disrupt them by turning the match into a scrappier affair and cutting passing lanes. A winner in this match puts themselves in a great position just a couple of rounds in, and is one that really could go either way.