Football Matters With Cyclops

Local

Another long weekend with no senior fixtures. However, all five teams should be in action this weekend. On Friday night, the Ladies play at home against Saints Eagles Souths at 6:30, followed by the Men’s Division 1 match against Warriors at 8:30. On Saturday, the Premiers and Reserves are at home to Warriors, with the Reserves kicking off at 5:00 and the Premier at 7:00. The Division 2 men are away to JCU Riverway at 6:30 on Friday.

This is Pink Panthers Female Football Week, with a variety of events culminating on Friday, including a Junior Girls Exhibition match, face painting, and fairy floss, immediately before the Ladies' fixture against SES.

Juniors

No junior games were played over the long weekend due to the FQ Academy Carnival in Mackay. Fixtures will resume this Saturday. Let’s hope for a clear run now for the year! A massive thanks to everyone involved locally and in Townsville for scheduling draws and games across our multiple age groups and venues—an absolute mammoth task.

Masters

Another decent turnout on Monday night at 6:30. See you there.

National and International

There’s barely a month left until the Socceroos play their first of two 2026 World Cup Qualifying Group C matches. They will be at home to Japan on June 5, then travel to Saudi Arabia on June 10. Australia must win one of these games to be sure of direct qualification. Japan leads the group, and Saudi Arabia is in third place.

The Matildas will be back in action in three weeks, with two friendlies against Argentina. The first is on May 30 in Melbourne, followed by the second on June 2 in Canberra.

In the A-League Men, fixtures were completed over the weekend. Auckland lost 2-4 away to Western Utd but had already won the minor premiership. Melbourne City thrashed Sydney FC 5-1 to secure second place, with Western Utd in third, just one point behind. Western Sydney finished fourth after winning 3-1 away to Macarthur. Victory finished fifth, and Adelaide came sixth. The Finals series starts this weekend with the Elimination Finals: Western Utd at home to Adelaide on Friday, and Western Sydney hosting Melbourne Victory on Saturday.

In the A-League Women, the Finals series has begun, with the first leg of the semi-finals played over the weekend. Melbourne City and Central Coast drew 2-2, while Melbourne Victory won 3-1 away to Adelaide. It’s looking like an all-Melbourne Grand Final at this stage. The second leg of the semis will be played this weekend.

In England’s EPL, with just three rounds to play, champions Liverpool somehow lost 3-1 away to Chelsea. However, Arsenal also lost 1-2 at home to Bournemouth, so Liverpool remains 15 points ahead of the Gunners. Manchester City moved up to third after Newcastle could only draw away to Brighton. Chelsea remains in fifth, level on points with Newcastle.

In the Bundesliga, with two rounds left, the top four teams all drew. Bayern are now champions, eight points clear of Leverkusen, last year’s champions. Frankfurt stays in third, a further 12 points adrift, while fourth-placed Freiburg is four points behind. Bochum and Kiel are already relegated, with Heidenheim looking most likely to join them.

In Serie A, both Napoli and Inter won. With three rounds left, third-placed Atalanta is six points behind. Juventus remain in fourth, despite a 1-1 draw away to Bologna, now five points adrift of Atalanta. Monza’s relegation is certain, and two of Empoli, Venezia, or Lecce could join them.

In La Liga, with four rounds left, Barcelona and Real Madrid both won. Barca stays top, four points clear of Real, with third-placed Atletico a further eight points behind. Bilbao is six points behind Atletico in fourth. Valladolid is certain to be relegated, and Leganes, Las Palmas, Girona, and Alaves are in danger.

In Ligue 1, with two rounds left, PSG lost again, but it matters little as they are already champions, 19 points ahead of Marseille, who drew and is now one point ahead of Monaco. Nice won and is now fourth, just one point behind Monaco. At the foot of the table, Montpellier is already relegated, and St Etienne looks likely to join them. Le Havre, Angers, and Nantes are also in danger.

The European Champions League semi-finals, second leg, will be played this week. Barcelona is away to Inter after drawing 3-3 at home, and Arsenal is away to PSG after losing the home leg 0-1. It’s looking like an Inter vs PSG Final.

Quote of the Week: Former Manchester Utd Manager Ron Atkinson, on Steve Coppell, who had retired due to injury: "With his enthusiasm, I like to think he would stay in the game, although he is an intelligent lad."

Masters

Monday Night Masters had a better-than-expected turnout on Easter Monday. In a very tight game, Liverpool and Spurs drew 1-1. Daniel Ziliotto put Liverpool in front, but Len Duquemin equalised for Tottenham in the second half. Everyone is welcome to the Masters on Monday nights at 6:30, International Park. Be there!

National and International

Not much happening on the international front with the Socceroos and Matildas on a break. The Socceroos have just two games left in the 2026 World Cup Qualifying Group C: at home to Japan on June 5 and away to Saudi Arabia on June 10. Australia must win one of these games to be sure of direct qualification. Japan leads the group, and Saudi Arabia is in third place.

The Matildas won’t be back in action until the end of May. They have two friendlies against Argentina, the first on May 30 in Melbourne, and the second on June 2 in Canberra. Mary Fowler, one of the Matildas’ stars, has suffered a serious ACL injury and could be sidelined for some time. Hopefully, the Matildas will have appointed a new coach soon!

In the A-League Men, Auckland won 1-0 at home to Perth, securing the Minor Premiership. A fantastic performance in their first year in the competition. Melbourne City drew at home to Adelaide and stayed in second place, while Western Utd beat Sydney FC to move into third. Western Sydney won away to Newcastle, staying in fourth, and Brisbane won again! They beat Wellington 1-0 and are now safely in twelfth place. Perth will finish bottom of the table.

In the A-League Women, it’s the Finals series, and the Elimination Finals were played over the weekend. Adelaide beat Western Utd 1-0, and Central Coast beat Canberra...

In the EPL, with four games to go, Liverpool are champions after thrashing Spurs 5-1. The Scousers are 15 points clear of Arsenal, with third-placed Newcastle a further five points away. Manchester City is still fourth, although they beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 in the FA Cup semi-final. In the other semi-final, Crystal Palace thumped Aston Villa 3-0. Ipswich, Leicester, and Southampton have all been relegated.

In the Bundesliga, with three rounds left, the top four teams all won. Leaders Bayern now need just one point to become champions again, eight points clear of Leverkusen. Eintracht remains in third place, a further 12 points adrift, and Freiburg stays in fourth, two points behind. Bochum and Kiel are already relegated, and Heidenheim looks most likely to join them.

In Serie A, Napoli won, and with Inter losing, Napoli now have a three-point lead with four rounds left. Atalanta remains in third place, six points behind, and Juventus are fourth, just a point behind. Monza’s relegation is certain, and Empoli, Venezia, Lecce, Cagliari, and possibly Parma could join them.

In La Liga, with five rounds to go, Barcelona stays top after defeating Real Madrid 3-2, giving them a four-point lead. Atletico remains third, six points behind, with Bilbao fourth, another six points back. Valladolid is certain to be relegated, and Leganes, Las Palmas, Girona, and Alaves are in danger.

In Ligue 1, with three rounds left, PSG lost 1-3 at home to Nice, their first loss of the season. This cuts their lead to just 20 points over second-placed Marseille, with Lille in third and Monaco dropping to fourth. Montpellier is doomed, and St Etienne, Le Havre, Angers, and Nantes are all in danger.

Quote of the Week: Then Northern Ireland Manager Billy Bingham: "The proof of the pudding is when you get down to the nitty-gritty."

‍