The Finals of the Men’s South East Queensland Futsal Premier League (SEQ FPL) will be held this Saturday, 14 December at Nissan Arena in Brisbane.

The Men’s Semi Finals will get underway at 1.30pm, with Sunshine Coast Wave taking on Galaxy FC and Lions FC facing EliteFoot in the two Semi Final matches.

These games will be followed by the Men’s SEQ FPL Grand Final at 5pm, with all matches available to watch live and on demand on the Football Queensland (FQ) Facebook and YouTube.

Semi Final 1: Sunshine Coast Wave v Galaxy FC

SEASON SO FAR:

Sunshine Coast Wave have enjoyed a terrific season in 2019, remaining unbeaten in the competition with seven wins and one draw from their eight matches to secure the SEQ FPL Premiership.

Since a 3-3 draw with Lions FC in their first game of the season, Wave have won every game. Scoring 47 goals and only conceding 16, they have recorded both the best offensive and defensive record in the competition.

Galaxy FC have had an up and down season, earning nine points from their eight games and beating fellow Semi Finalists EliteFoot twice in 2019 but scoring the least number of goals in the competition.

Despite their lack of goals, Galaxy did enough to finish ahead of Ipswich Futsal and earn a spot in the Finals Series as they attempt to surprise Wave to secure a place in the Grand Final.

HEAD-TO-HEAD:

In their two encounters this season, Sunshine Coast Wave have come out on top convincingly on both occasions.

In Round 3, Wave began their current seven-match winning streak, defeating Galaxy 9-1 in a match where James Verdin netted four goals.

Galaxy didn’t have much luck in the reverse fixture either, with Wave dominating in a 13-2 victory over their coastal counterparts. Corey Sewell was a standout player in this match, contributing five of the Wave’s goals.

KEY PLAYERS:

Benjamin Bordin (Galaxy FC): Promising Galaxy young-gun Benjamin Bordin has had solid season, scoring seven goals in his eight appearances for Galaxy and earning selection in the Team of the Season. Galaxy will need him to be firing on all cylinders if he is to add to his goal tally and send his team to the Grand Final.

Corey Sewell (Sunshine Coast Wave): Despite only playing in half of Wave’s matches this season, Corey Sewell has managed to find his way onto the score sheet nine times, averaging over two goals per game. Having scored five goals against Galaxy in their Round 8 encounter, Sewell will be hoping he can add to his impressive tally if he plays for Wave this weekend.

MATCH DETAILS:

Sunshine Coast Wave v Galaxy FC
Saturday, 14 December, 1.30pm
Nissan Arena

Semi Final 2: Lions FC v EliteFoot

SEASON SO FAR:

Lions FC remained unbeaten until Round 7 of the 2019 SEQ FPL season, and have been the only side to secure a point against Sunshine Coast Wave this year.

Despite their impressive start to the season, Lions head into the Finals having won only one of their last four games – a 3-1 victory over Galaxy FC in the final round of the regular season.

EliteFoot have been one of the more consistent performers in the competition, and despite losing five of their eight matches, they ran close in all but one of those defeats.

Two of their three victories have come in their last three matches, and EliteFoot will seek to replicate this form as they fight for a Grand Final spot.

HEAD-TO-HEAD:

Having faced each other twice during the season, Lions FC and EliteFoot share the spoils with both sides recording a win in a match each.

In Round 3 it was Lions FC that earned the three points, edging past their opponents 2-1 despite a second-half scare when EliteFoot’s Hugo Labaredas closed the gap to one with seven minutes to go.

EliteFoot got their revenge in Round 8 however when they beat Lions 4-2, in a game where six different names were recorded on the scoresheet. A goal for each side in the final minutes of the game brought an exciting end to an entertaining match.

KEY PLAYERS:

Adam Stacey (Lions): Stacey has been one of the standout players for Lions this season, scoring six goals in as many games for his team and earning selection in the 2019 Team of the Season. The only two games he has failed to score in have come against EliteFoot, so he will need to put that statistic to rest in Saturday’s Semi Final.

Hugo Labaredas (EliteFoot): The 2019 Golden Boot winner recorded 11 goals in eight games, scoring in all but two matches, to book his spot in the SEQ FPL Team of the Season. With a goal against Lions to his name in both encounters this season, Labaredas will look to continue his rich goal scoring form in this Saturday’s Semi Final clash.

MATCH DETAILS:
Lions FC v Elitefoot
Saturday, 14 December, 1.30pm
Nissan Arena

Words: Darren Newell
Image: Paul Smith