The 2019 National Premier Leagues Men’s Capital Football season kicks off this weekend with a huge slate of matches across the league.

Canberra FC host Canberra Olympic in a Friday night blockbuster at Deakin Stadium, before Monaro make the trip to face the Rhinos on Saturday evening and Woden-Weston welcome Belconnen United to Melrose later that night.

The round wraps up on Sunday afternoon when Tigers FC host Tuggeranong United in a rematch of the 2018 Elimination Final and Gungahlin United are the first team to get a week off.

Ahead of the weekend, check out the preview below for all the information you need.

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Belconnen United | Finished 5^th, Federation Cup semi-finalists

After winning the Grand Final in 2017, Belconnen United parted ways with new coach Peter Mazis early in 2018 before eventually missing the finals with a final day loss to Tigers FC in Cooma.

2019 sees a different looking squad under the tutelage of Steve Forshaw and he will be keen to put the side back where they have traditionally belonged, and that is in the top four.

Michael Taurasi is Belconnen’s only major addition from an outside club, and Forshaw will be looking to the former Canberra FC man for goals after seeing Jason Ugrinic and Daniel Barac both go the other way to Deakin over Summer.

An experienced backline remains, anchored by Finn Jurak in between the sticks and there is plenty of experience in the middle of the park as well with the likes of Adrian Macor, Daniel Sparrow, Brad Waters, Dustin Wells and Taylor Beaton still around.

Sparrow showed on Sunday that he can alleviate some of the concerns about scoring after netting a hat-trick in the 5-0 FFA Cup win against Weston Molonglo at McKellar Park.

Sam Whithear and Wells also added a goal apiece in a fine performance and Forshaw was pleased with the outing when he spoke in commentary later that day.

“It was just what we needed at the start of the season, because we go into our first three-pointer next week,” he said.

“So, from that point of view we had two specific aims, the first was to get through to the last eight and the second was to finish our preparation for next week and in both cases, we achieved exactly what we wanted to do with it.”

United will kick off their NPL season under lights at Melrose on Saturday night against Woden-Weston before a home clash with the Rhinos next Saturday and Forshaw will no doubt be hoping his side can take all six points from those two before a tough meeting with Tigers at Nijong after the Easter break.

Opening Game: Woden-Weston v Belconnen United – Saturday, 6^th April – 7:30pm @ Melrose Synthetic

2019 Belconnen United Squad |

Goalkeepers: Finn Jurak, Deakin Jewell, Jacob Quinn, Rhys Flissinger

Defenders: Zac Maybury, Izach Clements, Phil Borgeaud, Cam Reinhart, Jake Garner, Nelson Curley, Bailey Toscan, James Grandi, Tom Cochrane, Max Mellick

Midfielders: Luca Macor, Adrian Macor, Daniel Sparrow, Brad Waters, Dustin Wells, Taylor Beaton, Jono Leayr, Ethan Stamatis, Stefan Vucic, Jacob Scott, Joe Boke

Forwards: Jacob Bishop, Michael Taurasi, Nick Masters, Luca Flores, Leon Michl, Kyle Gallagher, Sam Withear

Canberra FC | 2019: Treble (Federation Cup, Premiership, Championship)

When you look at this squad on paper, it seems hard to envision anyone knocking off the club that completed the treble last season, scoring at will and keeping goals out with a similar deal of ease.

The departure of Golden Boot winner Thomas James leaves an obvious void to be filled but in Daniel Barac, Jason Ugrinic, Domenic Giampaolo among others Luka Udjur has not wasted any time in recruiting replacements, while Daniel Colbertaldo remains one of the best midfielders in the competition and will help tick things over in the engine room.

The loss of Jeremy Habtemariam is hard to gauge given he did not play in red last season after a move from Olympic, but Ross Costanzo leaves a gap at the back and the enigmatic Kofi Danning was a player who could turn a game on his day.

Overall though Udjur retained the bulk of a treble-winning squad and has strengthened up top in a high-scoring league, meaning they will not struggle to score. This group has the depth to compete in both the cup and league, so don’t expect many weakened line-ups in 2019.

Ujdur stressed ahead of the season that he won’t allow his team to rest on their laurels from last season, and they picked up an extra trophy to begin the season with a win in the Charity Shield last Friday.

Mauragis and Jadric were excellent in that game, and experienced players Mat Grbesa and Ian Graham only came on as substitutes as the hosts looked to control that game. Both sides arguably could have pushed harder in that outing and the first real look at Canberra FC will come as they take on Olympic in a blockbuster tonight at Deakin.

Opening Game: Canberra FC v Canberra Olympic – Friday, 5^th April – 7pm @ Deakin Stadium

2019 Canberra FC Squad |

Goalkeepers: Jordan Thurtell, Sam Brown

Defenders: Aiden Brunskill, Daniel Subasic, Mat Grbesa, Ivan Pavlak, Marko Vrkic, Christian Pratezina

Midfielders: Daniel Colbertaldo, Ian Graham, Ryan Keir, Nikola Jadric, Matthew Waters, Jordan Lamb

Forwards: Lucas Mauragis, Daniel Barac, Domenic Giampaolo, Jason Ugrinic

 

Canberra Olympic | Finished 2^nd, defeated by Canberra FC in Grand Final

It was a Summer of change at Canberra Olympic following a second consecutive Grand Final loss, with a host of first-grade players departing the club for a variety of reasons.

Colbertaldo’s move to Canberra FC was the one that arguably created the biggest headache for Frank Cachia, with the midfielder a tough talent to replace.

The loss of Angelo Konstantinou on the eve of the season to a serious Achilles injury was also a massive blow, but the club has acted quickly to fill the spot with Rory Larkin and ensure they have a No. 1 option between the sticks to begin the campaign.

Overall the club has said farewell to 16 players who tasted first-grade last season, but Cachia has filled gaps with capable players, and the pairing of Stephen Domenici with Kofi Danning up top, as well as a fit Nik Popovich could prove one of the more lethal forward lines in the competition.

Danning gave a glimpse of his talent with a stunning free-kick as Olympic saw off Queanbeyan City 2-1 in the FFA Cup on Sunday, while their backline held up well and will receive a boost with Nathen Megic expected to return for the Round One clash against Canberra FC.

Megic suffered a knee injury in Olympic’s friendly with the Olyroos during pre-season and has not played since, so Friday will be a good chance for him to show that he is ready to go.

Olympic have traditionally been a side that are up fighting for the title at the end of the season, but Cachia will have to make sure his side gel immediately from the outset this season to keep pace with the competitors around them.

Opening Game: Canberra FC v Canberra Olympic – Friday, 5^th April – 7pm @ Deakin Stadium

2019 Canberra Olympic Squad |

Goalkeepers: Rory Larkin, James Christis, Mason Interlandi

Defenders: Tim Bobolas, Nick Bobolas, Nathen Megic, Lasse Olrik, Sean Pateman, Amir Adam

Midfielders: Michael Reeve, Robbie Cattanach, David Carder, Andre Jancevski, Jay Kelly, Zedan Mutlu

Forwards: Stephen Domenici, Nik Popovich, Kofi Danning

 

Gungahlin United | Finished 6^th, Federation Cup Finalists

Gungahlin United charged to the finals in 2017 only to come unstuck in the Preliminary Final, before falling to 6^th in 2018 and missing out on the top four by 10 points. Marcial Munoz’s side had a better defensive record than three of the sides above them in the table but could not put it together going forward, scoring just 21 goals with only Riverina (17) and Monaro (19) scoring less than them across the season.

Munoz highlighted his side’s poor finishing throughout the season and this year has recruited well and looks to have signed a number of players capable of improving their scoring. They fell by a goal in the Charity Shield last Friday despite a confident performance and dispatched UC Pumas 4-1 on Wednesday night in their FFA Cup tie.

In the six matches ahead of the Charity Shield Munoz’s men poured in 24 goals, indicating that some of their scoring woes may now be behind them thanks to their acquisitions.

Michael John brings a raw combination of skill and power up front and will prove a dangerous addition with a strong midfield behind him, which has been bolstered by a number of signings to complement Antoni Timotheou who is fresh from captaining Canberra United in the NYL over the break.

In an interview ahead of the campaign Munoz made it very clear that a return to the top four is the expectation in 2019 as well as rewarding players for strong performances.

“We’ve got to make the environment competitive, everyone knows within the squad that places are up for grabs and they are all performance based,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve done in the past, the reality is if you’re performing, then you’ll be picked.”

Munoz also bemoaned the team beginning the NPL season with a bye, but a weekend off will give him a chance to scout Canberra Olympic at Deakin as they prepare to face them in Round Two.

Opening Game: Canberra Olympic v Gungahlin United – Sunday, 14^th April – 3pm @ O’Connor Enclosed

2019 GUFC Squad |

Yet to be supplied.

Monaro Panthers | Finished 9th

Following a cumulative total of 14 points across the past two NPL seasons, many had earmarked Monaro Panthers as potentially the first side to be relegated with the new competitions structure beginning in 2019.

Fast forward to the season beginning though, and Jimmy Kanaridis appears to have constructed a side that is set to push the top four all the way this year. Kanaridis had earmarked players over previous seasons and went shopping as soon as he had his appointment confirmed, locking players in early and making sure he had a squad that would buy in to the way he wanted to play.

“Colin [Stirton] and I have been planning this for about three years,” Kanaridis said ahead of the season.

“We have been putting players on our ‘wish list’, watching them develop and play.

“We got a lot of players that we really wanted, and we put together a group where everybody plays for each other.”

The first proper look at Monaro came on Sunday as they fell by a goal to Tigers in the FFA Cup, albeit with an understrength side through injuries. But the same youngsters who took to the park on Sunday are sure to get another crack this season, with Kanaridis keen to promote youth and ensure whatever group is on the park each week work as a team.

Rocking the top four is the ideal goal, and on paper the two coaches have put together a team capable of doing that with a number of signings.

The introduction of powerful forward Nikos Kalfas is sure to rattle a few backlines, while Joshua Gulevski returns to the league following a spell with the Western Sydney Wanderers in 2018.

At the back David Jenkins and Osman Daramy provide a boost to the defence that was too often breached in 2018, and strong pre-season results seem to be vindicating the choices.

Big wins against O’Connor Knights, Woden-Weston and Bellambi are results that have stood out, but Monaro have the chance to really put their foot down when they travel to face the Rhinos on Saturday.

Opening Game: Riverina Rhinos v Monaro Panthers – Saturday, 6^th April – 5pm @ Solar Mad Stadium

2019 Monaro Panthers Squad |

Goalkeeper: Nathan Alferink, Jamie Lee Guo, Kiel Zerner

Defenders: Dean Tomeski, David Jenkins, Osman Daramy, Sam Roestbakken, Robert Tkatchenko, Daniel Felizzi, Ed McCarthy, Ryan Gulevski, Stefan Todoroski

Midfielders: Nick Dahl, Amilo Kistas, Shaun Neuss, Mitch Jarvis, Josh Gulevski, Garret Matacale, Ben Basser, Nick Felizzi

Forwards: Michael Rinaudo, Sam Smith, Adam Neou, Lachlan Hunter, Nikos Kalfas, Jayde Ward

 

Riverina Rhinos | Finished 8th

After a tough inaugural NPL Capital Football season in 2017, the Riverina Rhinos improved last year with an extra three wins and six points better off under Gabriel Abdala. However they didn’t get off on the best foot for 2019, with a 3-0 loss at home to ANU Football Club in the FFA Cup Round Four clash last weekend courtesy of three goals Abdala described later as ‘coach-killers’.

The Rhinos lost a key part of their backline over the break in the commanding Darren Bailey who will instead ply his trade at Tigers FC this season, while the departures of Erkki Junolainen, Jone Ralulu and Artur Rattel will also be big losses.

Rattel was one of the best players in the competition last season as he ran the Rhinos’ midfield and the Estonian with Champions League experience will be a tough gap to replace for Abdala. Joe Preece remains despite overtures from NPL2 side Wagga City Wanderers and he will surely play a big role for the Rhinos once more, showing last year the ability to single-handedly turn games on his day.

Outside of their loss to ANU Abdala’s men have really only had one pre-season match, which was a 2-1 loss to NPL2 side Narrabundah as Roy Catanzariti netted for the Rhinos on a tough surface and with plenty of players missing.

Their defensive record improved by nearly 30 goals last season, but they still scored only 17, and in a league where the top four combined for almost 160 goals it is important the Rhinos solve their goal scoring woes this year if they are going to seriously compete.

Opening Game: Riverina Rhinos v Monaro Panthers – Saturday, 6^th April – 5pm @ Solar Mad Stadium

2019 Riverina Rhinos Squad |

Goalkeeper: Adrian Montagner, Mitchell Woods

Defenders: Luke Pandolfo, Ally Macleod, Michael Musitano, Gavin Wylie, Tony Agresta, Jordan Bavaresco

Midfielders: George Pavese, Andrew Vitucci, Joesph Preece, Luke Santolin, Jacob Donadel, Joesph Poli

Forwards: Roy Catanzariti, Nathan Battacchio, Mitch Bagiante, Michael Perre, Hudson Fanani, Keith Jackson, Grant Davidson

 

Tigers FC | Finished 3^rd, defeated by Canberra FC in Preliminary Final

Seemingly always a contender towards the end of the season, 2018 was no different for Tigers FC as they finished third before coming unstuck in a Preliminary Final thrashing.

Nico Villafane was their prime instigator throughout the season, with the Argentine quickly establishing himself as one of the form players in the competition after arriving from overseas and he may be missed this season after leaving immediately following the 2018 campaign.

Gaby Wilk has reinforced his squad with some quality signings though, none more so up top than Roko Strika and Nicolas Abot who add serious firepower to this squad. Strika was a key cog for Canberra Olympic last season and will prove vital as a creator in this Tigers team, while Abot was a genuine threat up front when he last played under Wilk in 2017.

The signing of Darren Bailey to play at the back cannot be understated, and Wilk will be hoping he can solidify a backline that was far from top four quality last season. Tigers conceded 38 goals across the regular season, good for third-highest in the league and if they can trim that while retaining their scoring then they can go some way to removing the six losses that hurt their campaign.

This is a side that can challenge for the Premiership on paper, and they showed a glimpse of their attacking prowess with a swift counter-attacking goal against Monaro in the FFA Cup on Sunday afternoon before seeing out the victory with some strong defending.

They will face a test on Sunday when they meet Tuggeranong United in a rematch of the Elimination Final from last season before a stretch of games that means they will not meet a side from the 2018 top four until Round Seven.

Opening Game: Tigers FC v Tuggeranong United – Sunday, 7^th April – 3pm @ Nijong Oval

2019 Tigers FC Squad |

Goalkeepers: Jakob Cole, Mitchell Kaye, Malcolm Murta

Defenders: Jared Tonini, Darren Bailey, Tony Spaseski, Laurence Redmond, Michael Gurney, Boyan Taseski, Michael Kita, Joshua Merkel

Midfielders: Jose Defilippi, Tony Madaffari, Dimitrios Parascos, Hussain Fureje, Martin Garcia, Samuel Vizy, Robbie Deeley, Babian Olivares, Domenick Colucciello

Forwards: Nicolas Abot, Mark Shields, Roko Strika, Kyle Ormeño, Esteban Barroso

 

Tuggeranong United | Finished 4^th, defeated by Tigers FC in Elimination Final shootout

2018 was something of a watershed moment for Tuggeranong United as they made a long-awaited appearance in Men’s top-flight finals for the first time since the early 2000’s.

Mitch Stevens lead his squad to the Elimination Final before a penalty shootout loss to Tigers saw them exit, and 2019 will see an almost unchanged squad look to go even further. The big loss for Stevens has been Shane Murray, with the gun midfielder departing for work, and forward Tom Pagett taking a step away from the game. Goran Mukevski is a big recruit in the middle of the park while Daniel Linstead adds steel to their backline and with one other addition in Hamid Pojohishgar this is a team that should retain plenty of their 2018 chemistry.

Ahead of the season Stevens stressed that while the monkey was off their back in terms of making finals, 2019 will still be taken one game at a time as the team look to build on a solid foundation. The mantra seemed to work on the weekend as they saw off O’Connor 4-1 in the FFA Cup with a strong performance, but this weekend will be a different test as they meet their 2018 vanquishers, Tigers FC, at Nijong Oval.

In this fixture last season United were beaten 3-1 with Aisosa Ihegie on the score sheet, and the dynamic youngster has a huge part to play in the success of United this season. Often amongst their best last season Ihegie remains one of the most talented players in the local competition, and Stevens worked with the forward on his consistency during last year but refused to put pressure on him this season.

This fixture will prove a good litmus test of where they sit as they enter a tough stretch of matches in the league.

Opening Game: Tigers FC v Tuggeranong United – Sunday, 7^th April – 3pm @ Nijong Oval

2019 Tuggeranong United Squad |

Goalkeepers: Tom Barton, Jakeb Wiseman

Defenders: Sean Kiddey, Daniel Linstead, Mitch Korda, Liam Highmore, Mitch Steinbergen, Marco Gayer, Cam Doherty

Midfielders: Andrew Slavich, Danny Roberts, Conor Nolan, Regan Walsh, Jono Turek, Jamie Vearncombe

Forwards: Aisosa Ihegie, Eddie Coggan, Hamid Pojohishgar

 

Woden-Weston FC | Finished 7^th, Federation Cup Semi-Finalists

Woden-Weston started 2018 with a bang, registering big wins early and looking to stamp their mark on the competition with a free-scoring, flowing style of football led by star forward Olaide Yinka-Kehinde.

But this year they will be without Yinka-Kehinde and will have to look elsewhere for their chief source of creativity and to replace the 12 league goals he netted last season. The signing of experienced campaigner Alex Oloriegbe may help to alleviate some of that but more pressing is shoring up a backline that too often brought them undone last season.

There were few signs of that changing during a tough pre-season campaign which included heavy losses to Tuggeranong United and Monaro Panthers, conceding 12 goals across those two fixtures.

But there are still positives for Rey Castro in the new season. The importance of keeping most of the squad, particularly one that showed such strong flashes of promise cannot be understated and Castro is at a club that prioritises development so he will have plenty of youth waiting in the wings should he require reinforcements.

This young side will face two big tests inside the next week, firstly as they meet Belconnen United on Saturday in the league and then as they host White Eagles during the week for a spot in the next round of the FFA Cup.

Having finished only six points off bottom in 2018 and with the prospect of relegation this season, Castro will be looking to get off to a strong start this time out.

Opening Game: Woden-Weston v Belconnen United – Saturday, 6^th April – 7:30pm @ Melrose

2019 WWFC Squad |

Goalkeepers: Wilem Lejeune, Ben Yeo, Joshua Stevenson

Defenders: Shae Thornton, Luke Dark, Adam Di Franceschi, Connor Bill

Midfielders: Phakedi Manda, Matthew Hess, Kendric Beauth, Elie Darwich, Deng Aleer Deng, Chris McEwan, Benjamin Townsley-Mann, Joe Lawless, Aaron Cashman

Forwards: Oliver Corbitt, Michael Adams, Martin Deng, Alex Oloriegbe

 

Watch the action LIVE this weekend |

Canberra FC v Canberra Olympic – 7pm Friday | Match of the Round

Riverina Rhinos v Monaro Panthers – 5pm Saturday

Woden-Weston v Belconnen United – 7:30pm Saturday

Tigers FC v Tuggeranong United – 3pm Sunday