Day: September 10, 2012

Monday, 10 September 2012 1:00 PM

South Melbourne Girl’s Soccer – Players Needed

If you know a girl 9 or 10 years old who would like to play soccer this season with the South Melbourne Football Club then please contact Quinton Smith on 0400 442020 or send an email to qsmfc@hotmail.com. South Melbourne junior girls are looking for players to complete their U/11 joey’s roster with a few places left. Training is at Princess Park on Bambra Road on Saturday afternoons, games are Sunday mornings, with home games at Princess Park. Costs have been reduced to  $290 which gets you the uniform (socks, shorts & top) rain jacket, training, game fees, and insurance.

South Melbourne FC recently launched its ambitious Youth Development Program that will form part of the club’s application to receive an ‘Elite Club’ licence and commence the transition to fulfil the criteria stipulated in the FFA National Competitions Review.

The club will be employing a full time Technical Director from Brazil who will arrive in Melbourne in October to commence overseeing the Youth Development Program. To assist the Technical Director, a team of full time primary coaching staff will train and implement the football curriculum. All primary coaching staff will hold UEFA or FIFA equivalent to B or C coaching licences. Each youth team will also be assigned an Assistant Coach. Medical and education support will also feature as part of the Youth Development Program.

Benefits of participation in the intensive SMFC Youth Development Program include:

• SMFC youth players to be trained in the latest training methods currently employed in Europe and South America
• Minimum of four training sessions for U12-18 age groups per week for 48 weeks
• Minimum of three training sessions for U9-11 age groups per week for 48 weeks
• Full time Technical Director and full time highly qualified coaching staff
• Education support to assist players with the provision of tutors to fulfil their academic commitments prior to training.
• Opportunity to participate in Exchange Program to train at overseas academies
• Provision of medical staff to oversee players and provide support, advice, medical attention and nutritional information

Trials for the new intensive SMFC Youth Development Program will commence in October 2012. The process of selection will involve a twelve-week trial period comprising of four training sessions per week.

As part of this development program, up to four South youth players will be afforded the opportunity to travel to and train at the Fragata FC Football Academy in Brazil for up to a period of two to four weeks at no cost to the player or their family.

Participants in the intensive SMFC Youth Development Program will be a part of the FFA youth development pathway and have the opportunity to participate in the Australian Premier League (APL). The APL is an important step to tie together and improve our code with the desired effect of developing youth and allowing clubs like ours to have the opportunity to again play at the highest national levels.

South Melbourne FC has a proud tradition of producing over 50 Socceroo players and was instrumental in the creation of the first truly national football competition in the late 1970s. Its success in Australian football was recognised when it received the prestigious award Oceania Confederation Club of the Century.

The Club has successfully implemented a youth development program, which will allow South Melbourne FC to be at the forefront of youth development as our program very much follows what is contemplated in the National Competition Review.

Trials for the Youth Development Program are scheduled to take place in early October.

To express your interest in reserving a place in the trial selection process, please contact Harry Gatsoulis on 0458 813 837 or Stav Sakalis on 0414 403 690.

For all media enquiries, please contact Tom Kalas on (03) 9645 9797 or media@smfc.com.au

Monday, 10 September 2012 12:06 PM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC hearts were broken on Sunday evening at Lakeside Stadium when the Blues conceded a second half injury time goal to draw 1-1 with the Bentleigh Greens. The result means that South mathematically can not challenge for the 2012 VPL finals series in the final round of the season next weekend and summed up what has been a horror season for the Blues.

With Green Gully losing 0-3 against the Dandenong Thunder and Southern Stars coming from behind to defeat Hume City 2-1, South went into the Bentleigh game knowing that a victory would see it climb to within 3 points of fourth-placed Gully and to within 2 points of fifth-placed Northcote City. With Gully and Northcote facing each other in the final round next week, a South win against Heidelberg in their final game would have seen the Blues more than likely finish in the five at either Gully or Northcote’s expense. However the first task was to defeat John Anastasiadis’ Bentleigh side that had not lost a League game since a 1-0 defeat against Richmond on Friday 6 July.

The home side dominated the first half but squandered chances as acting captain Fernando De Moraes and Joe Keenan both blasted shots over the crossbar. Bentleigh goalkeeper Griffin McMaster was counting himself lucky when he was caught out of his area and was nearly chipped from a fair distance by South youngster Andrew Cartanos. Luckily for the Greens custodian the ball landed on top of the goal instead of in it. McMaster then made a solid block to deny South striker Steve Burton as South got on top of their opponents. The Greens’ only real notable chance of the half came from a Luke Pilkington shot from the edge of the area that South goalkeeper Peter Gavalas comfortably saved.

South began the second half strongly as the home side knew that it had to score and win the game to have any chance of playing finals football. South should have had the lead when Keenan’s shot could only be parried by McMaster into the path of Burton, however despite an open goal the striker blasted wide in what was an absolutely golden opportunity wasted for the home side. Coach Peter Tsolakis needed to make changes to keep the side fresh and Shaun Kelly, Andy Vlahos and Phil Petreski were introduced into the game with under twenty minutes to go. The move paid off as Kelly began a move that culminated in Burton crossing in from the left for Vlahos to head past McMaster at the back post and give the home side a valuable 1-0 lead with only 12 minutes of normal time remaining.

South just needed to hold on to the lead and it would have been in a prime position next weekend to make the finals, however the final 10 minutes summed up what has truly been a season filled with unfortunate twists. Shortly after Vlahos’ goal. Glen Trifiro had to be carried off with what looked like a broken ankle following a tackle from a Greens player. With South having used up all three of its substitutes already, the home side had to defend its lead with only 10 men. It then went from bad to worse only minutes later when Dimi Tsiaras was given a straight red card for committing a foul as the last man. South now had to see the game out with only 9 men. Incredibly, Burton almost sealed the win for the home team but his low strike went narrowly wide of McMaster’s goal. South valiantly held on right up until the second minute of injury time when Bulloch found the back of the net with a neat finish despite a series of saves from Gavalas. It was a cruel way to end South’s finals hopes for 2012 but yet it was not surprising at the same time considering the lack of clean sheets and missed opportunities throughout the season.

South ends its season next Sunday against bottom-placed Heidelberg United at Olympic Village.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 1-1 BENTLEIGH GREENS (HT: 0-0)

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Andy Vlahos (78′)
1-1: Scott Bulloch (90+2′)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 2. Tom MATTHEWS, 3. Rhodri PAYNE (5. Phil PETRESKI 71′), 6. Dimi TSIARAS (sent off 86′), 7. Joe KEENAN, 10. Glen TRIFIRO, 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Steve BURTON, 13. Luke BYLES, 15. Fernando DE MORAES (19. Shaun KELLY 76’), 20. Andrew CARTANOS (14. Andy VLAHOS 71′).

Bentleigh Greens:
Griffin McMASTER (GK), Evan BATSIS, Nicholas CURTIS, Wayne WALLACE, Ryan DE VRIES, Paulo RETRE (Scott BULLOCH 83’), Aron WILFORD, Jack WEBSTER, Dominic D’ANGELO, Luke PILKINGTON, Steve HATZIKOSTAS (Andrija JUKIC 80’).

SMFC Man of the Match: Andrew Cartanos
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 9 September 2012