Gungahlin United v Monaro Panthers | Saturday, 3pm @ Gungahlin Enclosed

Gungahlin United will come into Saturday’s match off an extended break having played only once in a competition match since their win over Tuggeranong United on the 5^th May. Their 6-0 win over Gungahlin Juventus in the cup will have given them confidence, but they will now be without Mikey Katsoulis as the young star heads off to the Coast to link up with the Mariners. United and the Panthers sit level on points on the NPL table, both in desperate need of a win 14 points off the top. Marcial Munoz will be hoping that hitting Juventus for six will have been the return to form his side needed; their goal total in that match only one shy of their season tally through five matches in the league.

For Panthers, they head in on a short turnaround after going down in their FFA Cup clash on Thursday night to Woden-Weston and will be hoping to recover quickly for this outing. Their last league outing saw them surrender a 3-0 lead after going down to 10 men, but it also one of their best attacking outings yet. That clash and the 4-4 league draw with Woden-Weston showed off other avenues of attack, who will need to be ready to standup this weekend. If they can tighten things up down back it will be important here, with United's attacking group a very dangerous prospect if allowed too much time.

 

Woden-Weston v Riverina Rhinos | Saturday, 3pm @ Woden Park

The Rhinos will travel to Canberra to face Woden-Weston and try to break a run that has seen them not win a game since Round 4. They last faced Belconnen which ended in a goalless draw in Griffith and still sit in fourth place on the table, but eight points behind Olympic and Tuggeranong in second and third. They are only two points ahead of Saturday’s foes, and can feasibly be jumped by three different teams if results do not go their way across the weekend. It’s a busy period for the Rhinos as they face three straight weeks in Canberra before they get to the bye, and Gabriel Abdala will stress to his team the importance of beginning this stretch on the front foot.

For Woden-Weston, a busy week culminates in an important meeting with a chance to jump into the top four. They knocked over Monaro 4-2 in the FFA Cup on Thursday night, and will want to bring some of their momentum into this matchup. Wanderers are another side that have had no trouble scoring this season but there are issues keeping them out, and they will face the Rhinos for the first time knowing they are not facing an overly dangerous attack. The Rhinos have scored just nine times in their seven matches, and Rey Castro will back his side if the game becomes a shootout.

 

Belconnen United v Tigers FC | Saturday, 5:30pm @ McKellar Park LIVE on BarTV Sports

New coach, new start? That’s what Belconnen United will be looking for when they take on Tigers FC in their first match under Ulisses Da Silva and Steve Forshaw on Saturday night. Their last match was an 8-5 win over O’Connor Knights in the FFA Cup and while it appears they are having no issues scoring, their backline is a concern and will need to shape up for this outing. Jason Ugrinic said midweek that the side have had a couple of sessions with the new staff leading into this game, and how much of a style change we will see remains to be seen. If United can work efficiently as a team that will help them go a long way towards winning this outing, but must avoided becoming disjointed if adjusting to a new style.

Tigers lost to Canberra Olympic when they last took to the pitch in Round 8 and have had a couple of weeks off to nurse a number of injuries and work their way back into fitness for this match. Tigers struggled for fit numbers in that match and will pose a much greater threat if at 100% at McKellar Park. As always, Nicolas Villafane will post a threat through the midfield, but needs greater support from his forwards to finish what he creates. Niko Kalfas has struggled to impose himself on games so far and is a big boost when firing, so Gaby Wilk will be hoping that his forward line can click into gear for an important 4^th v 5^th meeting.

 

Tuggeranong United v Canberra FC | Sunday, 3pm @ Kambah 2.1

Canberra FC will be looking to keep their perfect start rolling on Sunday afternoon when they meet Tuggeranong United at Kambah. The ladder leaders have been in sublime form since the beginning of their season, and sit three points clear of their two nearest rivals, including their opponents this weekend. Thomas James continues to lead the side in brilliant form, showing no signs of slowing down having scored nine goals already, and will be a thorn in the side of Tuggeranong here. Paul Macor’s side have a game in hand on their opponents too, and that coupled with pushing themselves six points clear here could be massive. Macor will be hoping for a clinical, controlled performance ahead of a massive week featuring an FFA Cup tie against Belconnen United and a blockbuster with Canberra Olympic.

For Tuggeranong, their last outing was a thrilling come from behind victory over Monaro after going down by three goals early in the second half. Mitch Stevens was thrilled with the effort of his side to come back in that clash, but they can ill-afford to give this week’s opponents a head start of that magnitude. This clash begins a testing period for Tuggies as the season resets for the second round of matches, with the Rhinos, Tigers and Belconnen United all ahead in the coming rounds. A win here would pull them level in first with their opponents, and be immense as the league turns into the second half.