Friday, 12 December 2003 12:00 AM
By Michael Tsoukalis
The top of the table clash is always an enticing affair and this season’s version will be no different. Parramatta come to Bob Jane Stadium knowing that a positive result against South will go a long way into confirming their championship credentials whilst a win for South would no doubt firm Stuart Munro’s men as one of the major contenders.
Nick Theodorakopoulos’ Parramatta Power have unquestionably one of the, if not the most, talented-on-paper squads in the league. With an enormous amount of depth throughout the squad the Power possess a playing roster that can take apart any team in the NSL.
Leading marksmen Ante Milicic as always is a key player in the Power setup, Milicic has already reached double figures (10 goals at the time of print) and will command a great deal of attention from the South defensive line. Socceroo Simon Colosimo provides the steel and guile in the centre of the park whilst Andre Gumprecht adds a dimension of class to the line-up that only European experience can bring.
Conversely, under the stewardship off Stuart Munro South Melbourne have become one of the most formidable and cohesive line-ups in the NSL. South are playing an accountable brand of football having only conceded a handful of goals whilst at the same time managing to score quite heavily. Coach Munro has done a superb job in not only assembling a vastly new playing-roster, but also in managing to get his men to play an attractive brand of football.
The Lakesiders possess a squad that is littered with experience yet has a strong blend of up-and-coming youngsters. Usual suspects Con Boutsianis, Paul Trimboli and Vaughn Coveny highlight the level of experience in the South line-up whereas players such as Steve Laurie, Kristian Sarkies, Max Lohy and Simon Storey are great examples of astute and intuitive signings of younger players who have contributed a great deal to South’s plight so far.