Category: News

Thursday, 14 July 2011 11:59 PM

South Melbourne FC goes into this weekend’s match against Victorian Premier League leaders Hume City knowing that it simply must win to keep alive its quest for a finals appearance in 2011.

In better news for the Club, Jesse Krncevic returns to the squad having served his five match suspension following his send-off against Heidelberg United on Sunday 5th June. Krncevic will almost certainly link up with Steven Weir and Kyle Joryeff up front, with South having badly missed having a big target forward in recent weeks. Zaim Zeneli bore the full brunt of an accidental collision with Steven Topalovic in the Richmond match, however the custodian should be available for Sunday’s match. Captain Steven O’Dor missed the Richmond match due to hospitalisation mid-week last week but should hopefully be back in the line-up on Sunday afternoon.

Hume surprisingly come into the match in losing form despite leading the Victorian Premier League by two games outright. Hume had been undefeated since a 4-1 loss against Bentleigh on Friday 8 April and ironically it was the Greens who broke that winning streak last Saturday with a 2-1 away win at Broadmeadows Valley Park. Despite this minor setback, Hume City will be confident of beating South on Sunday and will almost certainly confirm a top two position should that occur. Richie Cardozo has been in outstanding form for Hume City in 2011 and has scored many wonderful goals including against South.

In the corresponding fixture between the two sides last season on Sunday 25 July, a late goal by Carl Recchia salvaged a valuable draw for South five minutes from time after Cardozo scored a double (43′, 70′) following Joe Keenan opening the scoring after 31 minutes. Earlier this season on Sunday 17 April, Krncevic and Ljubo Milicevic were sent off in the first half as a nine-man South crumbled 5-0 to Hume, with that loss knocking South from the top of the Victorian Premier League ladder in what seems a lifetime ago.

Sunday’s match kicks off at 15:00 at John Cain Memorial Park.

Tuesday, 12 July 2011 12:08 AM

On the twenty first episode of southRadio in 2011, we review the Round 19 clash against Richmond, and preview the upcoming game between South Melbourne FC and Hume City.

Should you have any ideas, suggestions or feedback for southRadio please email the club at multimedia@smfc.com.au

Click here to download episode 21 of southRadio (MP3) – Right Click and Save As

Click here to download the show directly from iTunes

Sunday, 10 July 2011 10:50 PM

South Melbourne FC threw away an excellent opportunity to cement a position in the top three on the Victorian Premier League ladder following a 1-0 away loss against Richmond on Saturday afternoon at Kevin Bartlett Reserve. A Ross Antoniadis goal after only five minutes ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides, with South blowing several opportunities in the second half following a disappointing first half performance.

The away side arrived at Richmond knowing that winning the three points would go a long way to not only cementing a finals position but also in finishing in the top three. However, there was bad news from before kick-off, with captain Steven O’Dor missing from the squad after being hospitalised during the week. The news went from bad to worse when Antoniadis pounced on the loose ball from a set piece and smashed a firm and hard shot across Zaim Zeneli and into the far corner to give the home side the lead. South was very flat in the first half and was fortunate to go into the break only a goal down as Nick Marinos proved difficult for the defence to handle. The away side had a chance to level just before the break but Steven Topalovic hit a weak left-footed shot at goalkeeper Stjepan Gal instead of cutting back for the waiting Steven Weir.

It was no coincidence that South improved dramatically following the introduction of Fernando De Moraes at the start of the second half. The away side dominated possession but could not convert any of it into goals on the scoreboard. Zeneli was kept quiet for most of the second half. At the other end, South had three glorious opportunities to level through Daniel Vasilevski and Carl Recchia. Vasilevski hit two wonderful free kicks from just outside the area, one deflecting off the wall and hitting the crossbar (with Gal beaten) and the other flying just wide of Gal’s goal. In injury time, Recchia missed a wonderful chance to salvage a point for the away side when he skied Daniel Dragicevic’s cut-back ball over the crossbar.

There was more positive news in the Under 21s, with South defeating Richmond 0-3.

The matches get no easier, with South hosting League leaders Hume City at John Cain Memorial Park on Sunday afternoon. Kick-off is at 3:00pm.

FINAL SCORE: RICHMOND EAGLES 1-0 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 1-0)

Goal Scorer:
1-0: Ross Antoniadis (5′)

Richmond Eagles:
1. Stjepan GAL (GK), 2. Andrew VIOLA, 3. Erhan KARAHAN, 4. Ross ANTONIADIS, 5. Mitchell BISSINGER, 7. Timmy PURCELL, 8. Scott MUIRHEAD (11. Mate ETEROVIC 80′), 9. Michael CATALANO (12. Devon BONNE 85′), 10. Nick MARINOS (6. Dimitri TSIARAS 70′), 13. Antun KOVACIC, 18. Michael FERRANTE

South Melbourne FC:
2. Tom MATTHEWS, 5. Daniel VASILEVSKI, 6. Steven TOPALOVIC, 8. Carl RECCHIA, 10. Kliment TASESKI, 14. Rhodri PAYNE, 16. Trent WATERSON (15. Fernando DE MORAES 46′), 17. Steven WEIR, 18. Marinos GASPARIS (25. Kyle JORYEFF 75′), 21. Zaim ZENELI (GK), 23. Sebastian PETROVIC (20. Daniel DRAGICEVIC 83′)

SMFC Man of the Match: Carl Recchia
Venue: Kevin Bartlett Reserve
Date: Saturday 9 July 2011

Thursday, 7 July 2011 10:53 PM

South Melbourne FC travels to the Kevin Bartlett Reserve this Saturday for the Round 19 fixture against the Richmond Eagles, knowing that a victory against the Eagles will maintain its hold onto third position on the Victorian Premier League ladder. On the other hand, the home side must win the three points on offer to give itself any realistic chance of making the finals.

South goes into this Round 19 fixture in indifferent form. In fact, over the last five matches, South has recorded three wins against the VTC Football, Oakleigh Cannons, and St Albans Saints, while it has recorded two losses to the Bentleigh Greens and cross town rival Melbourne Knights. The coaching staff are hoping for another win this week as the team looks to maintain its top 3 position on the ladder. In positive news, the coaching staff will have most of the playing squad available to choose from. Jesse Krncevic remains suspended, and is expected to return for the fixture against Hume City. Junior Camargo remains sidelined for a further two weeks with an injury sustained in the match against the Oakleigh Cannons.

On a positive note, this fixture represents Fernando De Moraes’ 150th appearance in the South shirt. His career statistics speak volumes for the quality and skill of this great club servant. In his distinguished seventh season at South, he has scored 52 Victorian Premier League goals, 6 goals in the Mirabella Cup, and 1 goal in the RHB Singapore Cup. In 2010, he was awarded the Theo Marmaras Player of the Year Award, along with the FFV Victorian Premier League Gold Medal Player of the Year Award as well. De Moraes was a member of the 2006 Victorian Premier League championship side and was awarded the Jimmy Rooney Player of the Match Award at the Grand Final. In addition, De Moraes has been awarded the SMFC Golden Boot for top goal scorer in the 2006, 2008, and 2010 seasons.

Richmond will no doubt prove difficult opposition on Saturday with the Eagles enjoying two victories in succession thanks to a 2-3 away win over the Bentleigh Greens last Friday night before a 2-0 victory over the Springvale White Eagles the previous week. This has moved Richmond away from the relegation zone and is only two games out of a finals position. Moreover, over the last five matches, Richmond have recorded three wins, one draw and a loss to Green Gully. In the corresponding fixture earlier this year at John Cain Memorial Park, a Carl Recchia goal in the 72nd minute was enough to give South the three points on the day in what was a tight contest.

Saturday’s match at the Kevin Bartlett Reserve kicks off at 3.00pm.

Monday, 4 July 2011 8:36 PM

On the twentienth episode of southRadio in 2011, we review the Round 18 clash against St Albans, and preview the upcoming game between South Melbourne FC and Richmond.

Should you have any ideas, suggestions or feedback for southRadio please email the club at multimedia@smfc.com.au

Click here to download episode 20 of southRadio (MP3) – Right Click and Save As

Click here to download the show directly from iTunes

Sunday, 3 July 2011 10:07 PM

South Melbourne FC maintained its hold of third position on the Victorian Premier League ladder with a scrappy 1-0 victory against St Albans at John Cain Memorial Park on Sunday afternoon. Steven Weir was the hero for the home side as he scored the winning goal in the second half. The win moves South to 34 points, two points behind second-placed Oakleigh and opens up a two point lead against fourth-placed Heidelberg United. The defeat leaves St Albans in 11th position on the ladder with 12 points, with the Saints still 12 points from safety with only four matches left.

Sunday’s fixture was always going to be a difficult one for South, with the team having struggled to beat the Saints 0-2 at Churchill Reserve earlier in the season on Sunday 3 April. On that occassion, Fernando De Moraes and Kyle Joryeff scored to give the away side the victory, however both started on the bench on Sunday. Weir began the match alone up front and could have scored his first goal in the first half but for the intervention of Saints goalkeeper Steven Pavlovic, who got his big frame down to make several important saves and keep the scoreline at 0-0. His best save came from a move that began with a chip ball from Carl Recchia that was nodded into Kliment Taseski’s path by Weir, with Taseski’s shot at the near post forcing him to make an excellent reflex save to keep the ball out. At the other end, Zaim Zeneli was hardly troubled but was lucky not to concede when Louis Fenton got between two South defenders to set up a one-on-one opportunity but let himself down by spraying his final shot well wide.

The game was won in the 57th minute when Kliment Taseski won the ball and played a wonderful through-ball for Weir to run onto. With Pavlovic advancing, the Scotsman beat the Saints custodian to the ball and poked the ball goalwards, where he followed through and tapped the ball into the back of the net after it rolled onto the post and stopped on the goal line. St Albans lifted their intensity and pressed forward searching for an equalising goal, however Zeneli was hardly tested despite having to deal with a couple of free kicks just outside the area. De Moraes and Joryeff were both subbed on during the half and their presense up forward not only helped Weir but also created several opportunities for the home side to finish the game as a contest, which they could not manage. St Albans won a corner in the fifth minute of injury time and Pavlovic charged up the field for the corner, which he very nearly got his head on to score what would have been a sensational equalising goal.

After the match, SMFC Assistant Coach Joe Montemurro remarked that “this was always going to be a difficult match as St Albans had nothing (and everything) to lose. We know we are under pressure and today was all about winning the three points.” On the injury front, he mentioned that “Junior (Camargo) may hopefully be ok in two weeks, apart from him and Jesse Krncevic (who serves one more match as a suspension) we almost have a full squad to choose from, which is great.”

Next Saturday 9 July, South travels to Kevin Bartlett Reserve to face the Richmond Eagles, knowing that a victory there could almost seal a finals place this season. Kick-off is at 3:00pm.

FINAL SCORE: SOUTH MELBOURNE 1-0 ST ALBANS SAINTS

Goal Scorer:
1-0: Steven Weir (57′)

South Melbourne FC:
2. Tom MATTHEWS, 3. Rhodri PAYNE, 4. Steven O’DOR, 5. Daniel VASILEVSKI (25. Kyle JORYEFF 72′), 6. Steven TOPALOVIC, 8. Carl RECCHIA, 10. Kliment TASESKI (18. Marinos GASPARIS 90+4′), 16. Trent WATERSON (15. Fernando DE MORAES 63′), 17. Steven WEIR, 21. Zaim ZENELI, 23. Sebastian PETROVIC

St Albans Saints:
1. Steven PAVLOVIC, 5. Brian CHEESSON, 13. Neven ANTIC, 23. Tomishu MILARDOVIC, 19. Michael GRGIC, 4. Maks CUZE, 18. Daniel PIOVESAN, 17. Reardo LUKA, 10. Daniel VISEVIC, 15. Louis FENTON, 9. Mathew DEMO Subs: 20. Frano SARIC, 8. Themistokies ANTHONY, 11. Oxan Oztemir, 32. Daniel DRAGOVIC, 21. Ivan LIJOVIC

SMFC Man of the Match: Kliment Taseski
Venue: John Cain Memorial Park
Date: Sunday 3 July 2011

Thursday, 30 June 2011 9:11 PM

South Melbourne FC welcomes St Albans Saints to John Cain Memorial Park on Sunday afternoon in a match that is simply must-win for both sides. The home side must win the three points on offer to give itself any realistic chance of challenging for a top two position on the ladder, whilst St Albans must win to maintain hope of avoiding relegation and remaining in the Victorian Premier League next season.

South was disappointing in its 1-0 derby defeat against the Melbourne Knights at Somers Street last Sunday. Captain Steven O’Dor and leaders Daniel Vasilevski and Fernando De Moraes expressed their disappointment and vowed for a much better performance against St Albans on Sunday on SMFC TV. South has gone through an incredibly inconsistent season, with disruptions to the team due to injuries, suspensions and the departure of players throughout 2011. The positive though is that despite all the problems that have arisen during the year, the side currently sits in third position with five matches left and are still well placed to play finals football.

Despite their lowly position on the ladder, St Albans will be a significant threat on Sunday afternoon. The Saints had a horrendous start to the season but in recent weeks have enjoyed several victories, including an excellent 0-2 win at rivals Springvale White Eagles. Whilst St Albans are still in the relegation zone, mathematically they are not relegated yet and will therefore be treating every match like a cup final in order to stay in the Victorian Premier League for at least another season. Experienced former Socceroo Danny Tiatto recently joined the Saints and will no doubt be keen to get one over South like in his playing days for the Melbourne Knights.

The last time South played St Albans in a ‘home’ fixture was on Sunday 6 February 2005, when a Vaughan Coveny power strike after 13 minutes was enough for South to triumph 1-0 in front of 3,000 supporters at Lakeside Stadium. The last time the two sides met was earlier this year on Sunday 3 April, when Fernando De Moraes (18′) and Kyle Joryeff (73′) sent South to the top of the ladder thanks to a 0-2 win at Churchill Reserve. Fernando’s goal was also his 50th League goal for the Club.

Sunday’s match kicks off at 3:00pm at John Cain Memorial Park. South fans are encouraged to attend and support their team in its quest to consolidate a top two spot on the ladder.

Tuesday, 28 June 2011 10:48 AM

On the nineteenth episode of southRadio in 2011, we review the Round 17 clash against the Melbourne Knights, and preview the upcoming game between South Melbourne FC and the St Albans.

Should you have any ideas, suggestions or feedback for southRadio please email the club at multimedia@smfc.com.au

Click here to download episode 19 of southRadio (MP3) – Right Click and Save As

Click here to download the show directly from iTunes

Monday, 27 June 2011 12:09 AM

One of Australian football’s great derbies was played on Sunday as the Melbourne Knights comfortably won the honours with a 1-0 victory over a disappointing South Melbourne FC at Somers Street. The victory almost assures the Knights safety from relegation danger whilst the loss has allowed other clubs to catch up to South’s third placed position on the Victorian Premier League ladder.

South travelled to Knights Stadium knowing it would not be an easy match. However, there was plenty of optimism considering South’s excellent record at the ground, especially in VPL competition where South had only lost there once in six years. There was also alot of added spice to this match considering the mid-season defections of Jean-Charles Dubois, Junior Camargo and Daniel Dragicevic from the Knights to South. Only Dragicevic was available for the game and he started the game on the substitutes bench.

Both sides began the match full of hunger and determination to get on the score sheet first. The Knights looked dangerous whenever they went forward and South had to rely on the excellent defensive work of Carl Recchia, Steven O’Dor and goalkeeper Zaim Zeneli to avert any danger, as well as luck when an unmarked header flashed just wide of the goal. At the other end, Steven Weir and Kyle Joryeff combined with some nice interpassing to expose the Knights down on the wings but unfortunately for the away side many of the subsequent crosses lacked penetration and were easy for Knights goalkeeper Aaron Romein and his defence to handle. South’s best chance came from Joryeff, who worked himself into space and hit a shot that hit Romein’s near post and stayed out.

The Knights scored the winning goal just after the half-hour mark, when a cross from the right could only be cleared as far as Craig Sweeney at the edge of the box. Sweeney hit a fantastic shot that gave Zeneli no chance and handed the home side the advantage. The goal shocked South, who had been under pressure from the Knights but had managed to comfortably deal with the danger up until that point. Sweeney’s goal gave the Knights a huge boost in confidence and they looked to double their advantage before the break. Just before half time, Steven Topalovic tried to play the ball out of his defence but was dispossessed and offered the Knights a shot at goal from just outside the area, however to Zeneli’s huge relief the subsequent shot went just wide of his goal.

South were expected to come out blazing in the second half but most disappointingly the away side offered little more than a whimper for the rest of the match. The home side had the advantage and were happy to play direct counter-attacking football to try and bury the game as a contest. South’s only golden chance in what was otherwise a dour second half showing was a Daniel Vasilevski run into the area that resulted in him cutting the ball back instead of taking a shot, with the ball subsequently cleared. At the other end, the Knights were denied a second goal many times through interceptions from Recchia and O’Dor as well as several offside infringements. The full-time whistle was met with loud cheers from the home supporters, who deservedly won the three points.

South hosts St Albans on Sunday afternoon at John Cain Memorial Park in yet another must-win game for the club.

FINAL SCORE: MELBOURNE KNIGHTS 1-0 SOUTH MELBOURNE (HT: 1-0)

Goal Scorer
1-0: Craig Sweeney (31′)

Melbourne Knights:
3. Ryan FILIPOVIC, 5. Leo SHIN, 6. Tomislav USKOK, 8. Josip MAGDIC, 10. Josip KOZIC, 11. Anthony COLOSIMO, 17. Joseph FRANJIC, 19. Adam ZILIC, 20. Jacob COLOSIMO, 21. Aaron ROMEIN (GK), 22. Craig SWEENEY
Subs: 7. Ridvam SAGLAM, 12. Shayan ALINEJAD, 16. James STEFANOU, 18. Brandon ZEZOVSKI, 1. Martin JOHN

South Melbourne FC:
2. Tom MATTHEWS, 4. Steven O’DOR, 5. Daniel VASILEVSKI, 6. Steven TOPALOVIC, 8. Carl RECCHIA, 10. Kliment TASESKI, 16. Trent WATERSON (15. Fernando DE MORAES 65′), 17. Steven WEIR, 18. Marinos GASPARIS, 21. ZAIM ZENELI (GK), 25. Kyle JORYEFF (20. Daniel DRAGICEVIC 77′)

SMFC Man of the Match: Carl Recchia
Venue: Knights Stadium
Date: Sunday 26 July 2011

Thursday, 23 June 2011 11:42 PM

The Melbourne Knights host South Melbourne FC at Somers Street on Sunday afternoon in what is shaping up to be a huge meeting between two of Australian football’s most successful clubs. Both the Knights and South have enjoyed a strong rivalry since the late 1980s and another chapter is about to be written on the weekend as both sides strive for the three points for contrasting reasons.

South could be on top of the Victorian Premier League table at the conclusion of Sunday’s game should it beat the Knights and both Hume City and Oakleigh lose their respective matches against Green Gully and Heidelberg. Failing that, three points will at the very minimum consolidate South in third spot on the table as the regular home & away season begins to reach its concluding rounds. South had a very good record at Knights Stadium throughout the National Soccer League and this has continued since both teams entered the VIctorian Premier League in 2005, with South managing three wins and two draws from six visits to the ground. South was boosted by the return of Carl Recchia and Fernando De Moraes last week, with Recchia the ‘super sub’ after scoring the winning goal against Oakleigh only six minutes after replacing Marinos Gasparis on the field. In injury news, Kyle Joryeff may be in doubt after going off injured against Oakleigh following an elbow to his forehead. Junior Camargo looks likely to be missing for a month after falling awkwardly on his back when challenging a set piece last Sunday and Rhodri Payne is still injured after hobbling off against Heidelberg on Sunday 5th June. Jesse Krncevic remains suspended.

The Knights are always difficult to beat at home despite South boasting a strong record at Somers Street. This proud club reached the pinnacle of Australian football in the early to mid 1990s with two National League championships as well as producing many champion footballers that went on to represent Australia and Croatia on the international stage. Presently the Knights are struggling in ninth position on the Victorian Premier League table and sit only six points clear of the relegation zone. Three points against their old rivals on Sunday will give the Knights significant breathing space from the drop zone considering its +2 goal difference in comparison to the teams underneath them who all sit on a minimum of -12 in goal difference. The Knights did themselves no favours last week in losing 4-0 against the Bentleigh Greens, however despite the lopsided scoreline the Knights were the better side on the night and conceded the final two goals after going down to 10 men following the dismissal of Shaun Romein.

In the corresponding fixture last year at Somers Street on Sunday 18th April, a fantastic Joe Keenan goal after 29 mintues was enough to give South a precious 0-1 win. In the match between the two sides earlier this year on Sunday 27th March, an early second half Josip Kozic penalty gave the Knights a deserved lead at John Cain Memorial Park before three late goals (Daniel Vasilevski 79′, Jesse Krncevic 81′ and Kyle Joryeff 90+3′) gave South a get-out-of-jail 3-1 victory.

Sunday’s derby kicks off at 3:00pm at Knights Stadium.