FC Bulleen Lions v Calder United SC Semi-Final Preview
SUMMARY
FC Bulleen Lions and Calder United will face off tomorrow afternoon in the first NPLW Semi-Final at the Veneto Club.
The Lions come into this clash winning three of these final five matches and in their final match of the season, they defeated Southern United 3-0 with Alana Jancevski, Maja Markovski and Rosie Rodger finding the back of the net.
Calder United are coming into this final full of confidence, claiming four victories from their past five matches. In the season's final round, the defending Champions defeated Bayside United 1-0 with Lucy Richards scoring the winner in the 21st minute.
Bullen are undefeated in their last 11 games at David Barro Stadium (W7, D5) including victories over Box Hill United and Southern United in their last two matches at the venue. Calder United won’t be intimidated by Bulleen’s home record as they have only lost two matches on the road this season (W4, 4D, 2L).
WHAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR?
Round 10: Bulleen Lions 1-1 Calder United
Goals: Ava Groba (CU) 16, Alana Jancevski (BL) 70
Round 21: Calder United 0-0 Bulleen Lions
Goals:
Nike F.C. Cup Final: Calder United 2-0 Bulleen Lions
Goals: Lucy Richards (CU) 78, Raquel Deralas (CU) 90
FC Bulleen Lions
Bulleen Lions head into this do-or-die final as the NPLW Premiers, finishing in first place after the home and away season with 40 points.
Caitlin Friend’s team had the best defensive record in the league with only 19 goals conceded from 20 matches, however, their attack ranks fifth for goals scored.
The Lions head into this weekend on the back of a convincing 3-0 victory against Southern United, a draw against Calder, and a 4-2 victory against Alamein.
A-League superstars Alana Jancevski (7 goals) and Maja Markovski (4 goals) have added more firepower to the Bulleen line-up since coming into the side mid-season, while Rosie Rodger, Alana Burn and Tiffany Eliadis are all capable of contributing in attack having scored three league goals this campaign.
Bulleen possesses one of the most lethal midfields in the competition with Paige Zois creating the most scoring chances from set pieces in the competition (23).
Caitlin Friend likes to send her team out with a 4-5-1 formation with Markovski spearheading the attack. Jancevski and Zois could be joined in midfield by Alana Burn, Beattie Goad, and captain Tiffany Eliadis, while Ahroa Little and Audrey Oastler could also feature during the match.
The Bulleen defence has been resolute all season and is pretty settled with established NPLW talent. American centre-back Katie Beck will marshall the defence, alongside AlexNatoli, Claudia Mihocic, and Faith Stephenson.
Calder United SC
Calder United managed to recover from a rocky start to finish in fourth and give themselves the opportunity to defend their 2022 Championship success.
In 2023, Calder won 10 matches (one behind Bulleen) to finish the season on 35 points, setting up a huge Nike F.C. Cup Final rematch this weekend.
Calder may have already had one of the best defensive lines in the league, however this season they have added another string to their bow, becoming the second-best attack in the competition.
A-League talent Raquel Deralas has been enormous since coming into the side mid-season with 10 goals to her name.
Keiwa Hieda has also found the back of the net 10 times and has made 94 take-ons throughout the season, the second-most of any player in the competition behind FV Emerging’s Alana Cortellino (105); Hieda has a 54% success rate from her 94 take-ons.
Lucy Richards, Isabella Sewards and Alyssa Smith provide the midfield with plenty of energy and strength while Ava Groba will provide added support on the right to Deralas and Hieda.
Calder will likely trust their back four which has been so reliable all season with Natasha Dakic, Alana Cerne, Annabel Haffenden and Montanna Matthews all entrusted in keeping the Bulleen attackers at bay.
NPLW Semi-Final
FC Bulleen Lions v Calder United SC
Date: Saturday, September 2
Venue: Veneto Club – David Barro Stadium
Kick-off Time: 4:00 pm (AEST)
Broadcast: NPL.TV