Two teams representing Capital Football will play in their respective Futsal National Championships Grand Final as the Girls U13 and Boys U15 made their way to the big dance following a day of drama on the Gold Coast.
A hat-trick from Danijela Eskinja helped the U13 Girls to continue to build momentum as they stormed past NSW Country 7-2 in their Quarter Final encounter to set up a Semi-Final with NSW Lightning.
Eskinja was on target for the eleventh time in the U13 age-group top open the scoring in that last four match, before Mackenna Dorsett and Samantha Shea added to the tally, putting Capital Football 3-0 ahead. A late response from Lightning was of no consolation to the beaten team.
Capital Football U15 Boys earned a 1-1 draw with Queensland in an excellent match, to preserve their placing as top of the table, just above their opponents who finished second ahead of the knockout stages.
The form of the U15 Boys was then reignited in their Semi-Final clash as Pratezina helped himself to a double, abetted by a brace of goals each from Jasper Noyen and Anthony Rakic as the Capital Football lads booked a Grand Final match with a dominant 6-0 success.
There was disappointment for the U12 Boys whose competition came to a close with a last eight defeat to NSW Thunder. Kiran Vikan’s seventh goal of the tournament, added to by a sixth from Alby Mackintosh, was ultimately not quite enough for the youngsters who battled to the very end.
The Boys U13 competition came to close with a defeat to the hosts as Queensland exerted their authority to come away with an 8-2 success. Lucas Villatobas scored his sixth goal of the competition, with Curtis Richards adding the other, but the team missed out on playing Finals football, whilst the U14 Boys lost heavily in their Quarter Final clash with NSW Country.
A scintillating team display gave the Open Men a first victory of the week as their tournament moved into the knockout stages. The team finally found their form in dismantling NSW Lightning 11-5 to move into the Semi-Finals. Nicholas Subasic led the way with a hat-trick, whilst Elie Darwich, Michael Rinaudo, and Jayde James-Ward scored twice.
They were unable to back that up in their Semi-Final clash though, falling 2-3 to Football Victoria Moreland, in a game that saw both sides reduced in numbers with a sending off each. Goals from Nick Rathjen and Ashley Blount threatened to send them through, only for the Victorian side to come back from behind.
There was a frustrating start to the day for the previously unbeaten U15 Girls who saw their record tumble when defeated 0-2 by a stoic Queensland side. The result had no bearing on the final table however with the Girls finishing top, two points clear of NSW Thunder. But the loss of form continued into the Semi-Finals as they finished up on the wrong end of a 1-4 loss to NSW Lightning.
Unfortunately, the U17 Girls involvement in the competition was ended at the semi-final stage too, as Queensland had too much for the squad, winning an end-to-end contest by 5-2. Tatum Mazis and Cara Ceruti scored the Capital Football goals.
The Battle of Canberra in the Open Women’s Quarter Final went the way of the more experienced Cobras side, who showed too much nous for the Colts, winning 8-0 to book a Semi-Final with NSW Thunder. Brittany Palombi scored twice, and six others added their name to the scoresheet.
NSW Thunder in the Semi-Final proved a bridge too far however a goal in each half giving the New South Wales side a cushion that, try as they might, Capital Football weren’t able to erode. Lightning ran out 4-1 winners grabbing a couple of goals into the empty net as Capital Football chased the game.
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