A heated battle of the beatdowns is about to take place between the Newcastle Sprayers and the Mid-Shore Mariners, there's no doubt about it.
Looking back at the early part of Newcastle Spray's season, it has been difficult, bearing in mind that this is a team that has historically struggled to attract top stars to the club and finished last season in the bottom three of the regular season. However, they have scored three points from their first three regular season games, which is a good start for them.
At 22 years old, Avery Adams has become a strong reinforcement for the Sprayers. I think the team is fully capable of signing this powerhouse. Avery Adams has an accurate left-footed shot and a goal-scoring ability that should not be underestimated. In a game a few weeks ago, he showed his prowess with two key goals that helped his team turn back FC MacArthur 2-1. Additionally, he is able to create scoring opportunities for his teammates, which is especially crucial in soccer.
Bengtsson is also an impressive young attacker. However, the team is in dire need of new Brazilian striker Velezos Santos to show his worth quickly, as he is yet to score in the league.
On the flip side, the Midcoast Mariners have not performed as well as expected overall, despite going 0-3 in one of their first three regular season games. Compared to last season's stellar regular season and playoff run, their performance this season has clearly slipped. I find it hard to believe that Mark Jackson, once a strong team leader, would lead his team into such a predicament, especially when they are having trouble juggling the AFC Champions League.
In fact, the Central Coast Mariners need more goals to boost the team's morale, and Sabernigo was the only goal scorer in the regular season. I think Mark Jackson needs to find ways to get Gouaux and Ryan Emundson more involved in the offense in order to create more scoring chances for the team.
With both teams currently on 3 points, there is no room for error in today's match. Despite my prediction that Newcastle Sprayers are expected to beat Central Coast Mariners at home, the balance of victory still seems to favor the Central Coast Mariners side.
