Article: Jeremy Magan
Photo: Anthony Caffery Photography

Monaro Panthers vs Canberra Olympic | Saturday, 29^th August – 1pm @ Riverside Football Stadium
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The trip to Riverside Football Stadium poses as an important game for Canberra Olympic on Saturday afternoon. A win would almost guarantee them a spot in the Finals, a season after getting the wooden spoon. Andrew Woodman will most likely stress the importance of getting a result in Queanbeyan to take advantage of CUA having the BYE. On the other hand, the Panthers’ week has not started the best way, after a severe loss in Deakin on Tuesday. Paul Townsley will hope he can count on his full squad on Saturday. He will need the experience of Raechel Hardwicke to prevent Nicole Begg from organizing the game, a week after the skillful midfielder had four assists at Hawker. Both teams had won away in their duel in 2019 (3-2 in Riverside, 5-2 in O’Connor), but this season the game seems uneven on paper, and anything else than a victory for Canberra Olympic would be an amazing result for the Panthers.

Canberra Croatia vs Belconnen United | Sunday, 30^th August – 12:15pm @ Deakin Stadium
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The Match of the Week, the Match of the Year, the Capital Classico; the superlatives have all been used to describe the clash this Sunday in Deakin, the rematch of the 2019 NPLW Grand Final. Canberra Croatia is in the driving seat this season, getting their fifth win in five games on Tuesday against Monaro as well as their first clean sheet. Now two points ahead of Belconnen, Nik Brozinic’s team has got strength everywhere on the field, but their main threat resides in the ability for Grace Gill, Grace Field, Brittany Palombi, and Sharon Chao to score from any position.  Belconnen United also comes into this match on the back of a successful encounter, scoring eight goals past Wagga City Wanderers on Saturday afternoon. Ahmed Ugool’s players had without a doubt the match in Deakin marked in their calendar as the game they need to be ready for. The Blue Devils need a win if they want to finish on top of the table in this short season, and will count on their rock-solid defence – four clean sheets in five games, only one goal conceded – to get a result. It is advantage Belconnen after four match-ups between the two teams on 2019: three wins (2-0, 1-0, 1-0) and one draw (0-0), so expect a low scoring affair. 

Tuggeranong United vs Wagga City Wanderers | Sunday, 30^th August – 3:10pm @ Hawker Football Centre
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Tuggeranong and Wagga City, seventh and eighth on the ladder, meet on Sunday for a game that will be a tactical battle between Sam Gray and Michael Aldred. The two coaches are building interesting programs in their respective clubs with a lot of young talent. The Wanderers suffered a severe defeat against Belconnen on the weekend, a week after their first win in 2020. Suze Waia and co, despite conceding eight goals, have shown great intensity, tactical intelligence, and constant threat upfront and will want to build on that performance in Kambah. They split their results against Tuggies last year (0-2 and 4-1) so they know they have a chance against United at Hawker Football Centre. Meanwhile, Tuggeranong seems to improve game after game. Their second draw of the season, against Woden Weston last week, could have very well been their first win if Emma Stanbury had won her duel against Esposito, one of several opportunities she and Jacquelyn Freeman were able to create in Melrose. Michael Aldred can also thank his keeper Isabelle Sanzari, on top form this season. She will need to bring her A-Game again on Sunday, to help her team, before facing Canberra Croatia and Olympic in the last two games of 2020.

Woden Weston Wanderers vs Gungahlin United | Sunday, 30^th August – 3:15pm @ Melrose Synthetic 
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Woden Weston and Gungahlin is an interesting match-up in Melrose on Sunday to close the Round 7 of NPLW, between two teams who finished a point away from each other in 2019. This season, Mark Boyd’s players were not able to find similar success. They have, however, lost only one of their last four games and might try and ride that wave when they host the Gunners on Sunday. The Wanderers only have two games left this season, and although a top-four spot is almost too far out of reach, finishing on the high would be the best way to prepare 2021. Gungahlin lost their spot at the top of the table during their BYE week, with Canberra Croatia and Belconnen now ahead of them. They are still very much in the run for top-spot but will fancy getting six points out of their next two games (this week in Melrose, next week against Wagga) before facing Canberra Croatia in the last round, a game that could well be decisive. Provided they keep their defensive solidity (only two goals conceded in 2020), they are favourites to get the three points in a match-up they won twice last season (4-3, 3-0).