Author: SMFC Media

Monday, 3 June 2013 2:53 PM

By John Kyrou (Photo by Cindy Nitsos)

It was a case of two points dropped as South Melbourne FC was held to a 0-0 draw by a determined 10-man Pascoe Vale at Hosken Reserve on Saturday night. Despite playing with an extra man for 80 minutes, South could not break through a resolute Pascoe Vale defence and in the end had to settle for a point.

Both sides came into the match in winning form from last weekend, with Pascoe Vale having pulled off a stunning 0-2 victory against defending champions Dandenong Thunder at George Andrews Reserve and with South having defeated the Oakleigh Cannons 2-1 at Lakeside Stadium. Peter Tsolakis’ side arrived at Hosken Reserve wary of the fact that the newly-promoted Pascoe Vale side was no pushover, having won three of their past four Victorian Premier League matches that included a 2-1 win over traditional powerhouse side Green Gully.

The away side was given an advantage after only ten minutes when Luca Santilli head-butted Brad Norton right in front of the referee and was subsequently sent off, with Norton receiving a yellow card for his involvement. This meant the Pascoe Vale defence had to stand up and be counted and they did just that, with former South goalkeeper Stefaan Sardelic in fine form. South had numerous chances to open the scoring, with opportunities missed by Tyson Holmes and Rhys Meredith. Norton then came close but his shot was well saved by Sardelic.

South’s second half was poor, with Pascoe Vale’s centre-back pairing of Will Abbott and Tom Milardovic comfortably dealing with anything South put into the area. Despite the average performance, South did have more chances to win the match but Sardelic was there to save both Marinos Gasparis and then Joe Keenan’s free kicks. With the game into injury time, the home side could have snatched all three points when Daniel Chaabani caught South on the break and squared the ball for Mark Pistininzi but his shot was well blocked by Peter Gavalas, who had had nothing to do for the whole match. In the end, Pascoe Vale was delighted with the point and South were left ruing the two points dropped.

Tsolakis noted post-match that “we had enough chances to win two games but we just couldn’t put them away tonight.” The result keeps South in third spot on the ladder with a huge derby match coming up in two weeks time against the Melbourne Knights. On a more positive note, Alan Kearney came on as a second-half substitute, having not featured for South since sustaining an injury against Southern Stars on 13 April.

The Victorian Premier League breaks next weekend for the fifth round of the FFV State Knockout Cup, as South Melbourne FC hosts Northcote City at Lakeside Stadium. The match will be played on the Queens Birthday Monday (10 June) at 3PM.

FINAL SCORE: PASCOE VALE 0-0 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 0-0)

Pascoe Vale:
Stefaan SARDELIC (GK), Adrian TALARICO, Tom MILARDOVIC, Luca SANTILLI (sent off 10′), Gregory LOMBARDO, Mark PISTININZI, Marco SANTILLI (Daniel CHAABANI 67’), Matthew LAZARIDES (Liam FLYNN 26’ [Rylan SADLER 79’]), Jake VANDERMEY, William ABBOTT, Michael FERRANTE

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 2. Tom MATTHEWS, 7. Joe KEENAN, 9. Trent RIXON, 10. Tyson HOLMES (16. Alan KEARNEY 73′), 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Rhys MEREDITH, 13. Luke BYLES (C), 15. Dimi HATZIMOURATIS (14. Andy VLAHOS 71′), 18. Marinos GASPARIS, 19. Shaun KELLY

SMFC Man of the Match: Luke Byles
Venue: Hosken Reserve
Date: Saturday 1 June 2013

Friday, 31 May 2013 1:26 PM

South Melbourne FC wishes to advise that the Round 5 fixture of the FFV State Knockout Cup against Northcote City will be played on Monday 10th June. Kick off is scheduled at 3pm at Lakeside Stadium.

All 2013 South Melbourne FC members will be able to enter the match for FREE.

South Melbourne proceeded to the fifth round of the State Knockout Cup after the forfeit of the Oakleigh Cannons, and was awarded a 3-0 victory instead.

Friday, 31 May 2013 11:10 AM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC travels to Hosken Reserve to play promoted side Pascoe Vale on Saturday evening. It will be the first time that South has played Pascoe Vale in the Victorian Premier League as well as the first time South has played at Hosken Reserve.

South will go into the match on the back of a well deserved 2-1 victory against the Oakleigh Cannons at Lakeside Stadium last Sunday evening. A first half double from Dimi Hatzimouratis proved to be the difference as South won despite Alex Smith’s late consolation goal for the Cannons. South’s winning margin should have been much greater. However, the most important aim was winning the three points to keep the Club in outright third position on the Victorian Premier League ladder. Alan Kearney was close to playing against Oakleigh and must certainly be in contention for the Pascoe Vale match, whilst Renco Van Eeken did not feature against Oakleigh due to early signs of osteitis pubis that needs to be monitored closely.

Pascoe Vale also comes into Saturday night’s match in winning form, having scored a very impressive 0-2 victory against defending Champions Dandenong Thunder at George Andrews Reserve last Saturday. They currently have three wins (and nine points) from their opening seven Victorian Premier League matches and are in eighth spot on the ladder, ahead of Green Gully and Oakleigh. This shows that Pascoe Vale is certainly no pushover and will be tough opposition on Saturday night, especially due to the fact they have won three of their last four Victorian Premier League matches including defeating Green Gully at Hosken Reserve on 26 April as well as the victory against Dandenong last weekend. There are a host of former South players at Pascoe Vale, including Stefaan Sardelic, Jake Vandermey, Joseph Youssef and Marco Santilli.

The two clubs have not played each other in the Victorian Premier League proper but they did play each other in a pre-season friendly on 9 March that Pascoe Vale won convincingly 3-0. As a result, South coach Peter Tsolakis is wary of the opposition, noting that “they have a compact little ground, good coaching staff and a tight-knit group of players…it will be difficult but if we can get a win there on Saturday it will really set up our season nicely.” South can end the round in second place on the ladder with victory over Pascoe Vale and will remain in third place even if it loses on Saturday. A win will give South four victories from six away games in the Victorian Premier League this season.

Saturday night’s match kicks off at 7pm at Hosken Reserve.

Thursday, 30 May 2013 4:31 PM

South Melbourne FC is delighted to announce that it will be participating in the 2013 Sydney Youth Cup and 2013 Sydney Junior Cup at Sydney Olympic Park.

The 2013 Sydney Junior Cup and Sydney Youth Cup will run from June 30 to July 5 2013. The tournament will consist of a round robin style tournament ending with the top teams competing in a semi-final and grand final.

The Sydney Junior Cup is aimed at ages U8 – U11, where teams can be comprised of boys, girls or mixed teams. The Sydney Youth Cup is aimed at ages U12 – U18 (boys and girls), each age group will be split up into boys and girls competitions.

Sydney Youth Cup Tournament Manager, Anthony Lazarou indicated, “having youth teams from one of Australia’s most respected historical football clubs, South Melbourne, was a wonderful addition to our different age divisions at the Sydney Youth Cup”

Speaking to smfc.com.au, SMFC President Leo Athanasakis, said “South Melbourne is excited to be participating at the Sydney Youth Cup and taking on elite teams from all over Australia. Participating in strong tournaments and exposing our players against quality interstate opposition is an invaluable experience. We look forward to the challenge of competing and the opportunity to make new friends throughout the tournament”.

Please stay tuned to the Club’s social media and smfc.com.au for all news and progress updates on how our junior teams are performing.

Tuesday, 28 May 2013 11:01 AM

South Melbourne FC is delighted to advise that Lakeside Stadium will host the Socceroos in their preparation for the upcoming crucial World Cup qualifying match against Jordan.

An open training session will be held for football fans. To meet your Socceroo heroes, simply register by clicking here.

Lakeside Stadium has hosted the Socceroos on many occasions, as well being the base for touring nations such as former European Champions Greece.

Throughout the Club’s history, over 50 South Melbourne FC players have represented Australia.

Stay tuned to the Club’s social media as we cover the Socceroos training at Lakeside Stadium.

Click here to see the full list of South Melbourne FC’s Socceroos

Monday, 27 May 2013 11:21 AM

By John Kyrou (Photo by Cindy Nitsos)

South Melbourne FC defeated the Oakleigh Cannons 2-1 at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday evening to continue its 100% winning record at home in 2013. A first half double from Dimi Hatzimouratis was enough for a dominant South side to win the three points, despite a late scare when Oakleigh substitute Alex Smith scored a consolation goal in injury time.

South came into the match on the back of a disappointing 3-2 away loss against Hume City the previous Sunday, with some slack defending costing the Blues dearly. Oakleigh arrived at Lakeside Stadium in losing form as well, with Miron Bleiberg’s side having lost against Dandenong Thunder 0-1 at home the previous Friday. Right-back Tom Matthews started for the first time in 2013 for South as Renco Van Eeken missed the match due to soreness. With Matthews at right-back, Hatzimouratis was pushed further up the field, in a telling pre-game move by coach Peter Tsolakis.

Both sides started the match slowly, however, South eventually began to take control of proceedings as centre-forward Trent Rixon won everything in the air up front and Tyson Holmes ran amock. Oakleigh goalkeeper Lewis Italiano was kept busy trying to keep a clean sheet as South came close to scoring on numerous occassions. Hatzimouratis eventually opened the scoring after 24 minutes when he let fly with a vicious shot from 30 yards that had Italiano rooted to the spot.

The home side continued putting enormous pressure on the Oakleigh defence and eventually got a second goal when some good lead-up play from the left side saw Marinos Gasparis’ low centering ball in the six yard box flicked home by Hatzimouratis for his second of the night and third goal in two games. Oakleigh’s best chance of the half came when Hayden Doyle was put through on goal but Peter Gavalas made an excellent one-on-one save to deny the Cannons.

South had many chances to triple their lead in the second half but could not convert any of their opportunities. Hatzimouratis missed a golden opportunity to score a hat-trick when he found himself unmarked in the six yard box but headed Matthews’ cross over Italiano’s crossbar. The home side should have been at least three goals ahead but instead were left fearing the worst when Smith fired home in the second minute of injury time, however despite five minutes of injury time being played, South held on and recorded a well deserved victory. The result moves South to 15 points and back into third spot on the Victorian Premier League table. Oakleigh remain in tenth position with just five points.

South next travels to Hosken Reserve to play promoted side Pascoe Vale. Kick-off is next Saturday evening (1 June) at 7PM.

In the Under 21s match, an Anthony Giannopoulos penalty after 88 minutes gave South a 1-1 draw against Oakleigh.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 2-1 OAKLEIGH CANNONS (HT: 2-0)

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Dimi Hatzimouratis (24′)
2-0: Dimi Hatzimouratis (35′)
2-1: Alex Smith (90+2′)

Key Stats (provided by Steven Orchard):
Total shots: South Melbourne (19) – Oakleigh (9)
Shots on target: South Melbourne (8) – Oakleigh (5)
Corners: South Melbourne (4) – Oakleigh (5)
Saves made: South Melbourne (4) – Oakleigh (6)
Balls into the area: South Melbourne (42) – Oakleigh (21)
Shots blocked: South Melbourne (6) – Oakleigh (1)

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 2. Tom MATTHEWS, 7. Joe KEENAN, 9. Trent RIXON, 10. Tyson HOLMES, 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Rhys MEREDITH, 13. Luke BYLES (C), 15. Dimi HATZIMOURATIS, 18. Marinos GASPARIS (5. Phil PETRESKI 74′), 19. Shaun KELLY

Oakleigh Cannons:
1. Lewis ITALIANO (GK), 2. James CUMMING, 3. Michail BOXALL, 5. Casper ANDERSEN, 10. Ricky DIACO (Alex SMITH 38′), 11. Jesse KRNCEVIC, 17. Reece VITTIGLIA, 18. Steven GRAY, 19. Goran ZORIC (16. Frankie LAGANA 86′), 20. Ari DRAKOS (8. Dusan BOSNJAK 74′), 21. Hayden DOYLE

SMFC Man of the Match: Dimi Hatzimouratis
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
Date: Sunday 26 May 2013

Friday, 24 May 2013 9:14 AM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC hosts the Oakleigh Cannons at Lakeside Stadium on Sunday evening in what is a must-win game for the Club.

Peter Tsolakis’ men go into the game having suffered a 3-2 defeat against Hume City at Broadmeadows Valley Park last Sunday afternoon. Two quick goals from Turhan Sumbul and Atilla Ofli gave Hume an early 2-0 lead in the first half, however a first half injury time penalty by Dimi Hatzimouratis and a powerful header by centre-half Shaun Kelly on the hour mark drew South level, before substitute Sean Canham gave Hume the three points with a goal nine minutes from time. It was South’s second away defeat in a row. Oakleigh Cannons also head into Sunday’s match on the back of a defeat, having lost 0-1 against Dandenong Thunder at Jack Edwards Reserve last Friday night.

A major positive for South last week was the return of centre-forward Trent Rixon, who managed to play out the full game and win the penalty that got South back into the contest. Rixon had not played for the Club since coming on as a substitute in the final game of last season against Heidelberg United on Sunday 16 September 2012. Right-back Tom Matthews also appeared in the Senior side for the first time since that Heidelberg match, coming on as a substitute after 82 minutes last Sunday. South is sorely missing the services of Alan Kearney, who has not played since picking up an injury against Southern Stars on 13 April but there is a chance that he will play on Sunday. Dimi Tsiaras copped a few nasty challenges against Hume but is expected to be available for the Oakleigh match on Sunday, as will Renco Van Eeken, who came off the bench against Hume having pulled up sore from the Richmond game on 12 May.

Sunday evening’s match gives South an excellent opportunity to win its second home match in the Victorian Premier League this season as Oakleigh are currently struggling in ninth spot on the ladder. However new coach Miron Bleiberg has plenty of players capable of defeating South, with the likes of Lewis Italiano in goal as well as former South players Ricky Diaco, Goran Zoric and Jesse Krncevic. Italiano in particular has been outstanding since returning to the Victorian Premier League and will prove very difficult to get past on Sunday. In the 17 matches that the two sides have played against each other in the Victorian Premier League, South has won eight, Oakleigh has won six and there have been three draws. In the corresponding fixture at Lakeside Stadium last season on Sunday 8 July 2012, a superb Glen Trifiro free kick (13’) and a Tsiaras back post tap-in from Trifiro’s corner (62’) gave South a two goal lead before Diaco’s late free kick (89’) gave the home side a brief scare before it held on to deservedly win 2-1.

Sunday’s match kicks off at 5PM at Lakeside Stadium. Memberships and merchandise will be available for collection and purchase.

Last time we met

Monday, 20 May 2013 4:51 PM

By John Kyrou (Photo courtesy of Breathing Football)

Hume City defeated South Melbourne FC 3-2 at Broadmeadows Valley Park on Sunday in what was ultimately disappointing afternoon outing for the Club. First half goals by Turhan Sumbul and Atilla Ofli were cancelled out by a Dimi Hatzimouratis penalty and a Shaun Kelly header. However, the home side eventually secured the three points thanks to a winning goal from Sean Canham nine minutes from time. The result means that South has lost its last two away matches in the Victorian Premier League.

South travelled to Broadmeadows Valley Park in winning form, having come from 0-2 down to defeat the Richmond Eagles 3-2 at Lakeside Stadium last Sunday evening. In contrast, Hume entered the contest having lost their previous two Victorian Premier League matches by a combined total of eight goals; losing 1-4 at home against Bentleigh on 28 April and then losing 4-0 away against Dandenong Thunder on 11 May. Their record read two wins from five Victorian Premier League matches in contrast to South’s four wins from five, including three away wins.

Lou Acevski’s side took control of the match on the scoreboard with two quick goals in the first half. In the 25th minute, a long throw-in from the left side by Jarryd Barnes caught the South defence napping and Sumbul took advantage by heading the ball past Peter Gavalas’ near post. The home side then doubled its advantage only three minutes later, when Ofli smashed the ball into the back of the net following a scramble in the penalty area after Gavalas initially saved a shot. For the second week in a row, South was trailing by two goals and needed a quick response to get back into the match. That moment arrived in first half injury time when Trent Rixon – making his first Senior appearance in 2013 – was bundled over in the area by Naum Sekulovski and Hatzimouratis coolly dispatched the resulting spot kick.

The away side took control of proceedings in the second half as it searched for an equalising goal. South eventually equalised just before the hour mark, when Kelly rose highest to head home Marinos Gasparis’ corner from the right side. With half an hour to go and with all the momentum, South looked like they were going to pull off yet another come-from-behind victory. Andy Vlahos and Renco Van Eeken – who had pulled up sore from the Richmond match – were introduced to the match as South added more experienced firepower up front in search of a winning goal. However, Hume had other ideas and was proving to be dangerous on the counter-attack. The home side also came in with some bruising challenges on the South players, including one that forced Dimi Tsiaras to hobble off and be replaced by Tom Matthews.

With nine minutes of normal time remaining, a fast break forward by Hume caught the South players off-guard. Gavalas pulled down Sumbul in a challenge and may have conceded a penalty but the substitute Canham was on hand to score anyway to give the three points to the home side. With the match deep into injury time, Alan Mulcahy pulled down Tyson Holmes and received his marching orders after picking up a second yellow card. Hume managed to hold on though and the full-time whistle moments later confirmed that it had broken its two match losing streak in the Victorian Premier League.

There was more disappointment in the Under-21s this weekend, as Hume came from 0-1 down to defeat South 2-1. Andrew Cartanos scored South’s goal with a free kick.

South needs to pick itself up next week as it faces an out-of-sorts Oakleigh Cannons at Lakeside Stadium. Kick-off is at 5PM next Sunday 26 May.

FINAL SCORE: HUME CITY 3-2 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 2-1)

Goal Scorers:
1-0: Turhan Sumbul (25′)
2-0: Atilla Ofli (28′)
2-1: Dimi Hatzimouratis (45+1′ pk)
2-2: Shaun Kelly (58′)
3-2: Sean Canham (81′)

Hume City :
1. Chris OLDFIELD, 4. Isyan ERDOGAN (2. Shaun ROMEIN 69’), 6. Alan MULCAHY, 7. Atilla OFLI (13. Onder SIMSEK 50’), 8. Steven PACE, 10. Nick HEGARTY, 12. Jarryd BARNES (9. Sean CANHAM 80’), 16. Naum SEKULOVSKI, 18. Ersin KAYA, 21. Turhan SUMBUL, 28. Craig SIVES

South Melbourne FC:
1. Peter GAVALAS (GK), 6. Dimi TSIARAS (2. Tom MATTHEWS 82′), 7. Joe KEENAN (14. Andy VLAHOS 73′), 9. Trent RIXON, 10. Tyson HOLMES, 11. Brad NORTON, 12. Rhys MEREDITH (23. Renco VAN EEKEN 75′), 13. Luke BYLES (C), 15. Dimi HATZIMOURATIS, 18. Marinos GASPARIS, 19. Shaun KELLY

SMFC Man of the Match: Rhys Meredith
Venue: Broadmeadows Valley Park
Date: Sunday 19 May 2013

Friday, 17 May 2013 10:25 AM

By John Kyrou

South Melbourne FC is back on the road this weekend, as Peter Tsolakis’ side travel to Broadmeadows Valley Park to play Hume City. The match is South’s fifth away match in the opening six rounds of the Victorian Premier League season, with the side having already played at Green Gully, Southern Stars, Bentleigh and Dandenong. A win on Sunday would give South its fifth win from six Victorian Premier League matches.

South Melbourne goes into the match on the back of a thrilling 3-2 victory against Richmond at Lakeside Stadium last Sunday evening, with South winning despite going behind 0-2 early in the second half. A double from Tyson Holmes – including a wonder overhead kick – and a goal from Rhys Meredith secured all three points for South in its first home Victorian Premier League match in 2013. The goals were both Holmes and Meredith’s first for the Club, with the Queenslanders having moved to Melbourne over the summer.

Hume City goes into Sunday’s match having lost their last two Victorian Premier League matches and having been in inconsistent form throughout 2013. Lou Acevski’s side has a record of two wins and three losses from its opening five matches this season and desperately needs a win on Sunday, having lost their last two matches 1-4 at home against Bentleigh on 28 April and 4-0 away against Dandenong Thunder on 11 May. One thing that Hume can use as a positive going into Sunday’s game is that they defeated South 5-0 the last time the two sides played each other at Broadmeadows Valley Park. On that day (Sunday 17 April 2011), Jesse Krncevic and Ljubo Milicevic were both sent off in the first half and Carl Recchia badly rolled his ankle as South could do nothing to stop a rampant Hume scoring five goals. Former South played Steven Weir scored twice that day before joining South in the transfer window later on that season.

Alan Kearney trained during the week but is still 50-50 about selection this weekend. Trent Rixon and Tom Matthews may still be given game time in the Under-21s to get back to match fitness or could be included in the Senior squad. Hume City used Epping Stadium as their home ground in 2012 and in the corresponding fixture there last season (Friday 11 May 2012), a goal from former Captain Steven O’Dor after 87 minutes won the three points for South. Coach Tsolakis will gladly take the same result on Sunday afternoon.

Sunday’s match kicks off at 3PM at Broadmeadows Valley Park .

Last time we met

Friday, 17 May 2013 9:52 AM

Last Friday night saw South Melbourne FC hold its annual fundraising event, 2013 Player Auction Night at Beachcomber at the St Kilda Baths, which provided guests with picturesque views over Port Philip Bay with close to 200 guests in attendance. The event proved to be extremely successful with the frenzied bidding raising a significant sum of money. In fact, the player auction event was one of the most successful since the Club’s return to the Victorian Premier League.

There were a number of dignitaries and past players in attendance including Hall of Fame members such as Takis Mantarakis, Douggie Brown, Ulysses Kokkinos, and Michael Mandalis.

Club President Leo Athanasakis welcomed the guests and thanked the Principal Partners for their continued support, and invited everyone to get behind and support the Club. In addition, Mr Athanasakis also highlighted some of the Club’s great achievements over the past 12 months, and touched on the Club’s recent bid for the A League licence of the Melbourne Heart.

The MC for the evening was SBS journalist David Basheer. David spoke with both Head Coach Peter Tsolakis and Senior Technical Director Mehmet Durakovic and covered their playing careers with the Club and current challenges in their roles.

The main purpose of the event was a fundraising theme. The auctioneer for the evening, George Metax from Barry Plant Preston took over and sought to secure the highest bid for each player.

South Melbourne would particularly like to thank Steve and Jim Paraskevas, and Neil Stacey from Beachcomber for their tremendous support and warm hospitality in assisting the Club to hold this successful event. Furthermore, the Club would like to thank its corporate partners who contributed to the fundraising activities on the night, and all guests who were in attendance.

Click here to view a selection of photos of the event.

The following corporate partners which were successful in the auction are listed below:

Peter Gavalas – Holmesglen TAFE
Seb Mattei – Office Fix
Tom Matthews – Veale Partners
Rhodri Payne – Holmesglen TAFE
Matko Budimir – AIS Insurance
Phil Petreski – Blue Thunder Security
Dimitri Tsiaris – Holmesglen TAFE
Joe Keenan – GPZ Legal
Tyson Holmes – Star21
Dimitri Hatzimouratis – Moray Agnew
Trent Rixon – Mirabella Lighting
Rhys Meredith – Tom Kalas
Brad Norton – Office Fix
Luke Byles – K&A Accountants
Fernando De Moraes – Holmesglen TAFE
Marinos Gasparis – Star21
Andy Vlahos – Global Gypsum
Alan Kearney – Global Gypsum
Carl Recchia – Dandanis & Associates
Shaun Kelly – MW Group
Renco Van Eeken – George Leondis
Andrew Cartanos – Commercial & General
James Karvelis – Commercial & General
Baggio Yousif – Blue Thunder Security
Anthony Giannopoulos – Office Fix
Peter Tsolakis and Robert Graboski – Holmesglen TAFE
Mehmet Durakovic – Mirabella Lighting