Category: News

Tuesday, 9 March 2004 12:00 AM

A return-match victory at Bob Jane stadium is all that is between South Melbourne and qualifying for the next round of the NSL finals when it takes on Marconi next Sunday at 7.00pm…and the fans may have a big say in what happens.

Bob Jane Stadium is traditionally a torrid place for visiting teams and the club is urging its loyal support base to really make it an intimidating home ground advantage by coming out in force and vocally supporting South Melbourne.

“The team has been working really hard through a lean patch but we believe we’re over that now and are a real chance to move on” said coach Stuart Munro. “The players are eager to win and reward the fans who have been so supportive all year. If the fans can create a favourable home ground atmosphere it will help the guys lift to a new level” he went on to say.

South Melbourne’s dour and solid performance in the scoreless draw with Marconi on Sunday indicated to Munro that the early season form, particularly in defence had returned and that a strong showing from the forwards is not far away. “Our early season form was all about our defence and we created opportunities and goals from this strength” he said.

The South Melbourne crowd can be a huge benefit to the home team and the club believes that if the supporters come out in droves it will create a very favourable environment for the players. “The team has performed well at home and particularly when the crowds have been strong” said club CEO Mark Patterson. “Not only are we representing South Melbourne, there is state pride on the line in this finals series with five States being represented” he went on to say. “Let’s encourage our friends and all soccer fans to get behind this game and make it hard for the visitors away from their home state” encouraged Patterson.

Tickets are on sale from the club at Bob Jane Stadium, the club website www.southmelbournesc.com.au and at the ground on match day.

Sunday, 7 March 2004 12:00 AM

By Michael Tsoukalis

South Melbourne has turned on a gritty defensive display to grind out a nil-all draw at Marconi Stadium. South now go into next week’s second leg assured that a home victory will secure their passage to the next round of the final’s series.

Coach Stuart Munro surprised with his tactics from the onset choosing to mirror Marconi’s 4-42 formation in the hope of numbing the presence of influential centre-man Nick Carle. Selection wise Munro also pulled a few surprises leaving the mercurial Con Boutsianis on the bench and preferring Massimo Murdocca and Scott Tunbridge to Kristian Sarkies and Michael Curcija.

From the onset it was clear that South would be happy to try and absorb pressure whilst limiting Marconi’s ability to get in behind their defence, a tactic that would force the Stallions to shoot from long range. Both sides started somewhat tentatively just happy to knock the ball around and settle into the game. 9 minutes in Marconi carved out their first opportunity when the dangerous Brendan Renaud whipped in a stinging near post cross from the left that Marconi starlet Alex Brosque headed over.

South failed to take notice of the first Renaud-Brosque linkage and where subject to similar interplay between the two after 15 minutes. Renaud again found space down the left but somewhat mishit his cross, the ball bobbled low to Brosque who fired a decent strike straight at South custodian Eugene Galekovic who saved easily.

Marconi dominated possession throughout the first half but continually failed to carve out a clear cut opportunity. Frustrated by his side’s lack of attacking menace, Marcus Stergiopoulos sent a booming – though always rising – strike from 25 yards just over Marconi keeper Michael Turnbull’s goalmouth. Stergiopoulos’s shot was a timely reminder to the Stallions that even though South was content to soak up the pressure, they were equally as keen to offer something going forward.

The 27th minute saw South go painstakingly close to scoring the opener, Stergiopoulos fired in a menacing corner from the right that eluded everyone right in the heart of the Marconi box, including a desperate lunging attempt from South defender Steve Lawrie, who just failed to get his toe onto the ball.

39 minutes in and South once again gave Marconi a scare after brilliant work down the left from wingback Simon Storey saw the ex-Green Gully defender skate away from his man, Storey then played a quick one-two with Michael Panopoulos that released Storey deep into the Marconi box, with Storey approaching the goalmouth a calm head and a fierce strike was needed but unfortunately for South Storey chose to try and square the ball, a decision that the Marconi defence were well placed to handle and subsequently cleared.

The 2nd stanza began with an aura of expectation coming out of the South dressing room, just before half time Stergiopoulos had been substituted after picking up in a knock during a 50/50 challenge and was replaced by Con Boutsianis. Boutsianis is renowned for being a big-game player and his influence in the 2nd half was immediate. The 49th minute saw “Boutsi” win the ball in the centre, the ball fell to South captain Vaughn Coveny who strode well towards the Marconi goal before firing a decent shot from just outside the box that Turnbull was quickly down to save.

Suddenly the game became more open with half chances consistently being created. Joe Spiteri who was being marked by ex-Melbourne Knights team-mate Ante Kovacevic turned sharply and fired a powerful low drive that whistled just past Galekovic’s right-hand post in the 60th minute. Galekovic appeared to be struggling and was thankful the ball wasn’t hit on target. Then a minute or so later, Spiteri was played in behind the South defence, just as Spiteri was about to unleash Scott Tunbridge produced an inspirational piece of defensive work by throwing his body into the path of Marconi Striker’s shot and subsequently deflecting it away. It was no doubt a moment which typified South’s commitment to get a result, that a Striker was willing to trek all the way to opposition’s box and throw himself at the ball was inspirational for the Albert Park based club.

Marconi sensed they needed to get a goal and in the 65th minute perhaps their best chance arrived. South midfielder Sam Poutakidis lost the ball near the middle of the park with the ball eventually breaking to Brosque who was bearing down on goal with South defender Levent Osman rapidly trailing him, Brosque attempted to lob South keeper Galekovic but his attempt was going wide the moment it was struck.

Then in the 68th minute a lovely piece of interplay by Nick Carle and Brosque saw Carle presented with a decent striking opportunity, unfortunately for the home side, under pressure, Carle fired wide.

Long range shooting seemed to dominate the crux of the chances throughout the game with South’s Michael Panopoulos seeing a well-hit 70th minute drive from a decent distance outside the box sail over.

83 minutes in Carle had his best effort on goal saved at the second attempt by Galekovic. After making space for himself on the edge of the South defensive area, Carle unleashed a stinging drive towards Galekovic that the South custodian fumbled at his first attempt but did well to quickly react and glove at his second.

With the sides destined to remain at a stalemate South nearly grabbed a winner at the death when the intuitive Con Boustianis unleashed a classy searching 86th minute ball from the centre of the park that Captain Coveny only needed to touch to steer home. Luckily for the Stallions Coveny’s outstretched foot just failed to make contact with the ball and one must also mention that the South skipper was under constant pressure from a Marconi defender.

So all in all a great result for South, a win next week will see the Lakesiders progress to the next stage of the finals and to no doubt maximise our chances of success the onus will be directed out our supporters to not only get out in force, but to also offer parochial support.

Saturday, 6 March 2004 12:00 AM

By Michael Tsoukalis

With the regular season over and the business end of the season about to begin, South Melbourne find themselves pitted against the in-form Marconi Stallions for the first round of the finals.

After opting to delay 3 regular season games due to Olyroo commitments, Marconi coach Jean Paul De Marigny was rewarded for his decision with a sterling end to the regular season. Marconi went on a barnstorming run that saw them skyrocket up the NSL ladder to finish the regular season in 4th place.

Conversely South’s end to the regular season was anything but eye-catching. In the last 5 matches of the season the Stuart Munro coached South dropped 4 consecutive games and finally stopped their rot with a disappointing nil-all draw away to Sydney Olympic in the final round of the season. Throughout their form slump the Albert Park based club has struggled for desire and passion resulting in a sharp fall from grace. At one point in the season South had topped the ladder, however, their late season form slump saw them finish a distant 5th. That said, it must be noted that out of the 4 consecutive late season losses, South’s best performance came against Marconi where a luckless South went down 1-0 after putting on a highly competitive performance.

The squads named reveal that both clubs will be fielding near full strength sides. Notable omissions for Marconi include inspirational Captain Brad Maloney who is out with a hamstring injury, whilst burly ex-Sydney Olympic forward Jeromy Harris will also miss due to an ankle complaint. For South, club legend Mehmet Durakovic – who announced his retirement during the week – will miss once again because of the hamstring injury that has kept him out for a number of games throughout the campaign. Youngster Carl Recchia has a foot injury that will also see him take no part in Sunday’s encounter.

Injuries aside, both teams have key players who can turn a game on its head. Marconi youngsters Nick Carle and Alex Brosque are two shining examples of the array of immense talent this country possesses; Carle in particular has had a superb season, scoring plenty of goals and providing regular assists. A great strength of the Stallions is the experience they possess all over the park, in Simon Bell, Luke Casserly, Dominic Longo, Angelo Costanzo, Chad Gibson, Brendan Renaud and Joe Spiteri Marconi have a squad littered with seasoned NSL professionals who have done the job at the highest level in Australia for many seasons.

Conversely, on paper, South appears to have a very strong squad, however, the South faithful will be desperately hoping for an injection of form from their players who have been well below their best for the past month. Crucial to South’s chances of a result will be the midfield presence of Michael Panopoulos, Panopoulos has shown glimpses of his European class but will now be offered the stage to truly showcase his ability. The past month has also coincided with South’s share of goals drying up. With 1 goal in their last 5 games, extra responsibility will rest on South’s attacking players. Players such as Vaughn Coveny, Michael Curcija, Scott Tunbridge and Con Boutsianis must step up and make significant contributions to South’s attack. Defensively, South’s backline performed solidly throughout the regular season campaign with Adelaide City recruit Ante Kovacevic a consistent standout throughout. Kovacevic will have to be at his commanding best in order to withstand the expected Marconi onslaught.

Friday, 5 March 2004 12:00 AM

South Melbourne legend, Mehmet Durakovic, yesterday announced his retirement at the end of this season. His NSL career has spanned five clubs and totalled 360 NSL games. He spent fours years in Malaysia – winning three Championships and has represented Australia on 64 occasions.

It is fitting that Durakovic is ending his career with South as he notes one his his career highlights as being named in South’s Team of the Century in 2000. His other most notable achievement was marking Maradonna in the Socceroos’ World Cup playoff against Argentina. “I’ve had a really good run and wouldn’t change one minute of it,” Durakovic said.

Despite battling a calf injury, Mehmet hopes to play in South’s second final against Marconi at Bob Jane Stadium on March 14th. While his place in the team is yet to be determined, he will be farewelled to the crowd prior to kickoff in what looms as a blockbuster game for South Melbourne. South CEO Mark Patterson said “Mehmet is a champion of this club and I hope a big crowd can turn out to show their appreciation for a true Australian soccer legend”.

South’s home final will be held at Bob Jane Stadium on Sunday 14th March at 7:00pm. Tickets are available online or through the club from Tuesday 9th March.

Wednesday, 3 March 2004 12:00 AM

The two oldest clubs still remaining in the National Soccer League competition – Marconi Stallions and South Melbourne – will go head to head this weekend and will kick-start what is shaping as one of the most intriguing Championship series for years.

To show how truly national the NSL competition is, five states are represented in the six-team finals series, with NSW having two representatives. That means the vast majority of soccer supporters will be able to witness the cream of the crop in Australian domestic soccer, in what will be an intriguing and very hard fought series.

While Perth Glory and Parramatta Power have lived up to its early season favouritism by finishing first and second respectively, the battle for the final four places has ebbed and flowed throughout the home and away premiership season. Only four weeks from the end of the season did we get any indication as to whom they might be and it is fair to say that every team deserves to be there.

This weekend starts off with the 1st Leg’s of the Elimination Finals, with the Stallions (4th) and South (5th) facing off in Sydney, while later on Sunday night, Adelaide United will be hoping for another packed Hindmarsh Stadium when it takes on the surprise of the finalists – Brisbane Strikers.

It is only fitting that Marconi and South should make it to the last NSL finals series as we know it, as they are the only survivors from the inaugural season of the NSL back in 1977.

In that time they have become the most successful teams in the competitions history, with each winning four NSL Championships (along with Sydney City), while South Melbourne has won five premierships to Marconi’s four.

Prior to last season’s revamped finals series, they also both had the best finals records of any teams, but in their absence and each team playing at least ten games, Sydney Olympic and Adelaide City both surpassed them. Marconi has however contested the most finals of any club with this being their 16th appearance, while South is one behind them.

So it is rather ironic that these two should meet in a do-or-die elimination final and there is no doubt, both sides will not just want to win this leg to progress further in the finals series, but to get one up on their arch rival.

It is a clash that should have both club’s old supporters drooling at the mouth with the prospect of re-living many of the clashes between the two sides – all 54 of them. Funnily enough only three of these games have been finals matches, with the honours firmly in Marconi’s favour.

No Marconi fan will ever forget the last finals match between the pair and most of South’s fans won’t want to be reminded of it. It is the Major Semi Final of the 1992-93 season and Marconi has returned from Melbourne with a surprise 1-0 lead in the first leg. Nobody however could have predicted what was going to happen in the return leg at Parramatta Stadium.

Ironically, Marconi’s current coach Jean-Paul De Marigny was a member of the Marconi side that day and scored an early that helped Marconi on its way to the record 7-0 win. To this day it remains the highest ever finals win and is the worst loss ever recorded by South Melbourne in the National League.

Three players – Paul Trimboli, Con Boutsianis and Mehmet Durakovic – from that South Melbourne team on that day will be remarkably backing up (or most likely to) for Sunday afternoon’s game.

Momentum going into Sunday’s game is firmly in Marconi’s favour and they were a tad unlucky not come away from Perth with a win.

South on the other hand let a golden opportunity to finish in second spot slip as they suddenly lost four straight games and the draw in the final round will have hardly done much for confidence.

But as we all know finals is a completely different ball game to the premiership season and this is when champion teams come to the fore. South has the team capable of going all the way, but will it be enough to overcome a Marconi team riding high, that remains to be seen.

The second elimination final in Adelaide features two teams that confounded every critic to make the finals.

Adelaide United’s performance has been nothing short of sensational both on and off the field. The demise of Adelaide City, a month from the start of the season, saw the hurried birth of Adelaide United, with former Brisbane Strikers coach John Kosmina, hastily asked to put a squad together and compete in the upcoming season.

While most of the players came from the old Adelaide City squad, some had already flown the coup and Kosmina was forced to look locally for players to make up the squad.

Starting their season in Round 5, Kosmina reverted Carl Veart (pictured left)back to playing as a striker and the move worked a treat in the first game of the season with his goal securing a memorable win over the Strikers, who just happen to be Adelaide’s opponent on Sunday night.

That set the seen for the rest of the season and a strong run home saw them push and ultimately achieve third position. This coupled with the average crowd for Adelaide games of over 12,000, makes it a remarkable season and has given everybody a great deal of confidence in the resurgence of the game at the top level in this country.

Brisbane was one of the teams that most experts believed would be fighting for the wooden spoon this season, rather than a place in the top-six.

The fact that its coach Stuart McLaren was also a player in the team, meant not many held too much hope for them, but a close knit squad soon made everybody sit up and take notice. So much so that they were never out of the top-six all season and had enough points in the bag, to even lose its last four games and still make it.

However the poor end of season form is not a good sign for McLaren and his team, with injuries starting to play its role and the squad’s depth being tested.

Their last appearance in the finals ended with successive losses to South Melbourne two years ago and for those players still at the club, they will be looking to turn that around. For that to happen however they will need a good performance in Adelaide and that will not be an easy task.

So we are set for a fascinating finals series and this weekend’s two matches should provide the perfect start. Get out there and enjoy it.

NSL Championships Series – Week 1

Sunday March 7, 2004
Elimination Finals – 1st Leg

Marconi Stallions v South Melbourne – Marconi Stadium – 3.45pm*

Adelaide United v Brisbane Strikers – Hindmarsh Stadium – 7.00pm (7.30pm AEST & 8.30pm QLD time)

* SBS will show the Marconi and South Melbourne game LIVE, with the broadcast coverage starting at 3.30pm.

Source: www.australiansoccer.com.au

Wednesday, 3 March 2004 12:00 AM

The South Melbourne Soccer Club has been buoyed by recent news of increased television exposure. Oztam figures recently released show the South Melbourne Soccer Show, airing on Friday nights on Channel 31 has a reach of over 62,000 viewers per week. These figures are very positive for the club, and emphasise then need for increased television coverage in the new league. South CEO Mark Patterson said “The figures show that the general public has an interest in the South Melbourne Soccer Club and more importantly, soccer in this country.” “The show is a great vehicle for us to inform supporters about what is going on at the club and also for supporters to keep up to date with the club.”

In further good news for the club, this week’s first final versus Marconi will be televised live on SBS this Sunday from 3:30pm. The live coverage will be the first time any NSL game has been aired live this year. Patterson said, “South Melbourne is extremely pleased that the decision was made to televise our first final.” “Obviously, the ASA realises the strength of soccer in Victoria and as the only Victorian representative in the finals, South Melbourne is delighted with this increased exposure.” Patterson later added “this is a great opportunity for supporters to see the team away from Bob Jane Stadium.” “Hopefully the team can win or draw and set up an exciting second final the following Sunday at Bob Jane Stadium.”

The South Melbourne Soccer Show continues this Friday night from 9:00pm on Channel 31 while coverage of the first final at Marconi Stadium begins at 3:30pm on Sunday on SBS.

Sunday, 29 February 2004 12:00 AM

Sydney Olympic 0 South Melbourne 0

SOUTH MELBOURNE failed in their effort to finish in the NSL top four when they struggled to a scoreless draw against Sydney Olympic at Jubilee Stadium today.

The match probably ended an era in the current NSL for the two Greek-based teams with the reshaped competition to start with the new league late this year.

South Melbourne still have their semi-final fixtures to play but today’s result finished the season for Olympic.

“It could be the end of a very long era in the history of two great NSL clubs,” said Olympic coach Peter Papanikitas.

Both teams had plenty of scoring chances but a strong crosswind and the bravery of goalkeepers Brett Hughes (Olympic) and Eugene Galekovic (Souths) ensured a goal-free match.

South Melbourne finished in fifth place, one point behind Marconi and the teams will meet next week in the first of the league semi-finals.

“Today was more a matter of breaking the monotony of losing the last four matches,’ South Melbourne coach Stuart Munro said.

“We will have three defenders back next week and probably key striker Vaughan Coveny, who was kept for the finals because he was sitting on three yellow cards.”

South Melbourne, without key strikers Coveny and Con Boutsianis, relied on the speedy Scott Tunbridge who shot wide with his team’s best chance in the opening session, while Michael Curcija was also off target with only the keeper to beat.

“We had slightly more chances than South Melbourne and I’m very proud of the way the team played over the last 10 weeks when we stretched every side in the second round,” said Papanikitas.

“I’m disappointed we did not make the top six but we could not score that one lucky goal.”

If South Melbourne had finished fourth, it would have had the home advantage for the first match of the home-and-away series but Munro said he was just as happy to play away at Marconi.

SYDNEY OLYMPIC 0 SOUTH MELBOURNE 0 at OKI Jubilee Stadium. Referee: S Micallef. Crowd: 3682.

AAP

Friday, 27 February 2004 12:00 AM

South Melbourne supporters please note the following changes to the ticketing system for this year’s final at Bob Jane Stadium.

South Melbourne is scheduled to play its first home final on Sunday 14th March at 7:00pm at Bob Jane Stadium. At this stage, the opponent will be either Marconi Stallions or Adelaide United with the first game to be played away.

Please note the changes in the following ticket prices:

Grandstand Adult $25
Grandstand Conc/Under 17 $20
Grandstand Under 10 $10

General Admission Adult $20
General Admission Conc/Under 17 $15
General Admission Under 10 $5
General Admission Under 5 Free

Tickets will now go on sale from Tuesday 2nd March 2004. The South Melbourne offices will be closed from Thursday 4th March until Tuesday 9th March. Ticket sales will resume as normal from Tuesday 9th March.

Finals tickets can be purchased throughout this period online at www.southmelbournesc.com.au through our integrated online ticketing system. This is a great opportunity to secure your seat without leaving your home or office.

We look forward to seeing you at the finals.

Friday, 27 February 2004 12:00 AM

By Michael Tsoukalis

This Sunday, South Melbourne travel to OKI Jubilee Stadium NSW to face perennial interstate rivals Sydney Olympic in the final round of the NSL regular season. With Olympic well out of finals contention and South on their worst losing streak in 10 years, – – the Lakesiders have lost 4 consecutive games – there will be much to play for in this usually passionate affair.

South will be looking to regain some momentum in the lead-up to the finals whilst the Peter Papanikitas coached Olympic will be keen to end their season on a positive note. With both clubs unsure of their futures at the elite level of Soccer next season, Sunday’s clash may potentially be the last encounter at National level between the two traditional clubs.

Currently lying in 7th position, the 2nd half of the season has been a vast improvement over the first half for the Sydneysiders. The late acquisition of midfield maestro Troy Halpin has coincided with Olympic’s rise up the table. The form of striker Pablo Cardozo, who after a slow start to the season, has managed to tuck away 9 goals this term to be by far Olympic’s leading goal-scorer has also aided the NSW based club in improving their general form.

Perhaps the find of the season for Olympic can be seen in young midfielder Zenon Caravella. A relative of National coach Frank Farina, Caravella has repaid the faith of Papanikitas was some astute displays in the centre of the park that have been complemented by a decent return of 4 goals.

Conversely, South’s form in the past month has been nothing short of atrocious, with 4 consecutive losses and only 1 goal scored by the Albert Park based club during that spell, Coach Stuart Munro has been left to question the commitment and desire of his players. Injured defensive regulars Simon Storey and Mehmet Durakovic are back in contention for a place in the squad after recently resuming training. Their return would be a welcome addition as in particular the vast experience of Durakovic could prove to be very useful with the finals just around the corner.

That said, a general “lift” in intensity, passion and commitment is required by all South players, with the majority of players fit and the finals approaching, the players have to knuckle down and attempt to regain the early season form that saw them soar as high as first position early on in the season.

Thursday, 26 February 2004 12:00 AM

South Melbourne Youth have been crowned the 2003/2004 Southern Division Champions after a convincing 3-1 Grand Final victory against arch rivals Melbourne Knights Youth on Sunday afternoon.

In front of a healthy crowd at Jack Edwards Reserve, South Melbourne was in control for the majority of the match and took the game to the Knights from the outset.

After just 5 minutes of play, South Melbourne took the lead through Ibrahim Ibraimi. There were no further goals in the first half and South went into the break with a slender lead.

The Knights again lost concentration and conceded their second goal for the match inside the first 5 minutes of the restart. It was Jordan Lando, who extended South’s seemingly unassailable lead. It was Lando again who put the icing on the cake, with a third goal in the 70th minute, which dispelled any Knights comeback.

A late consolation goal by the leagues leading goalscorer Omar Ayache was not enough, and it was the Minor Premiers South Melbourne Youth who took out the match 3-1 and the title of Southern Division Champions for season 2003/2004.

South Melbourne Youth will have the opportunity to compete in this years NYL Grand Final when they take on the eventual winner of the Northern Division (NYL) at a later date to be confirmed by the Australian Soccer Association.

MATCH RESULT

Southern Division Grand Final – Sunday 22nd February 2004

South Melbourne Youth 3 (J.Lando 2, I.Ibraimi)
Melbourne Knights Youth 1 (O.Ayache)

Source: www.australiansoccer.com.au