Two teams seeking their first win of the inaugural Capital Futsal League will meet on Friday evening at Daramalan College as the Queanbeyan-Palerang Power and South Canberra Swift open proceedings in Round 2.
The Power had the unfortunate task of meeting a North Canberra Fire who were in sensational and ruthless form in their opening match, the free-flowing Fire blowing the Power away in their maiden outing, underlining their credentials as potential tournament favourites.
Power showed in glimpses that there is plenty of quality in their line-up and, given more training sessions together and the injection of new blood, will no doubt improve exponentially as the season progresses. They get the chance to show that when they meet the Swift.
A defeat to the West Canberra Lightning wasn’t the start that the Swift wanted, but they were in touch with their more experienced opponents for a large part of the fixture. They will feel that they have enough to be able to see off the Power and record that crucial first victory.
The Fire definitely lived up to their name in their opening match, netting twenty goals in a sensational display that had the purists purring on Saturday night. Their link-up play, movement and finishing was breathtaking and with a collection of expressive, talented individuals who already have moulded into a dangerous force, they look the business.
The UC Stars were hanging on to the coat-tails of the ANU Apex in their season-opener, only to concede four times in as many minutes at the close of the fixture which allowed the score to blow out in the University derby. That they scored seven times and never once were level after going behind must be a source of frustration.
Keeping that goalscoring prowess intact, but tightening up a defence that ended up shipping thirteen goals, will be paramount ahead of what will be a testing encounter against the early table-toppers.
The Apex will be out to follow-up their success over the Stars when they meet the Lightning to round off the men’s fixtures on Sunday afternoon. Both teams won their opening game, so something will need to give in this clash.
Lightning, bolstering some Futsal veterans in the midst, certainly played the stop-clock the best of all the teams in the opening round, and the ANU side will need to be wary of the exquisite passing patterns and shrewd use of the pitch that the Lightning will no doubt bring to the party.
This should be an intriguing match. There’s goals aplenty in both teams, but it might be the performances in defence and between the posts that will decide the outcome of the points.
MEN
Friday 4 November
Queanbeyan-Palerang Power v South Canberra Swift
Saturday 5 November
UC Stars v North Canberra Fire
Sunday 6 November
ANU Apex v West Canberra Lightning
TABLE
| TEAM | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | |
| 1 | Fire | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 2 | +18 | 3 |
| 2 | Apex | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 7 | +6 | 3 |
| 3 | Lightning | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 3 |
| 5 | Swift | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | -4 | 0 |
| 4 | Stars | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 13 | -6 | 0 |
| 6 | Power | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 20 | -18 | 0 |
