The AFL has been a very competitive league this season, and the situation has been as treacherous as a cloud. FC MacArthur was once sitting at the top of the table, however, under the haze of consecutive defeats, they have now slipped to fifth place.
During the three-game losing streak, the team has conceded three goals per game, which is certainly a wake-up call for team leader Stefan Stefanowski. It looks like he'll have to put more effort on the defensive end of the field in order to rebuild the team's impenetrable defense.
As for the attacking line, Xie Ming, a former goal scorer in France, has been in hot form recently, scoring three goals in six matches. Midfielder Davina has been providing constant support to the front line, as well as dispatching the attacking players. In the midst of all this, Mafemina has been a key piece in FC MacArthur's tactical setup.
Newcastle Jets, the team I used to play for, have picked up recently, with two wins, a draw and a loss in their last four games.
Bouchakia scored twice in the last round of the league to help his team beat Western Union 2-0, which was a remarkable performance. Despite his poor performance in the early part of the season, he has also contributed three goals in his last three matches and his confidence level has definitely climbed. I predict that his speed on the counterattack will be a big killer for the team.
However, leading scorer Stendy Lupus will miss this game due to suspension, which will certainly be a major blow to the Newcastle Jets. I'm curious to see young scorer Archie Gwynne make his first start of the season. Although he has only scored one goal in the league, I firmly believe he has some potential.
