Viva Capital Leagues Season Preview
The rain has opted to decimate the opening round of fixtures with just Sunday games hoping to go ahead at this stage. But, here's a preview into the Viva Capital Leagues in 2018 and who to look out for.... Viva Capital League 1 The competition restructure that took place with the newly formed FQPL and expanded NPL competitions has seen a new look '2nd tier' for the Brisbane Zone, but one that looks set to be an intriguing contest. Last season's bottom two, Moggill and North Star, relegated from the old Capital League 1, remain in the division following the restructure and will be hoping to consolidate their positions in 2018. North Star have already got their season off to a flying start with an FFA Cup RD2 success over Flight Centre Brisbane Premier League side Acacia Ridge, so perhaps things are on the improve at O'Callaghan Park after a poor 2017. For Moggill, they'll be looking to well and truly put last season out of their minds and be competitive in 2018. Two sides well worth keeping an eye on are Caboolture and St George Willawong. Both clubs have so far, shared a common journey since joining the zone in 2016, with both promoted from Capital League 4 and last season from Capital League 3. Thus far it has been the Saints who've claimed back to back championships with Caboolture claiming grand final successes on both occasions. Caboolture played out a thrilling 5-4 FFA Cup RD2 win over league rivals Toowong last weekend signalling their arrival and it has been their goal to be in Brisbane's top flight since joining the zone. A move to their new venue in 2019 would coincide nicely with a promotion this year. Can both sides make it joint promotions again? It would be quite some story if they did. Annerley could well be the side to beat in 2018. An impressive 5-4 win over Flight Centre Brisbane Premier League's Brisbane Knights sent a warning shot to the rest of the league and with striker Antonio Murray in their side, defences will be on notice.
Park Ridge earned a reinstatement as a result of Brisbane Phoenix's withdrawal from all competitions but that may not save them this season, especially if they don't improve upon last season's wooden spoon finish. Despite it being pure guess work, we'll take a stab in the dark and attempt to offer a prediction for the top four and bottom two... Top 4: Annerley, St George Willawong, North Star & Toowong/Caboolture (hard to split the two). Bottom 2: Park Ridge, Oxley Utd. Viva Capital League 2 An 11 team competition following the recent withdrawal of Redcliffe PCYC and as with all of the other divisions, it's a new era with a mix of teams likely to be highly competitive. Samford Rangers have set their season targets high starting with a superb RD2 FFA Cup victory over fancied Flight Centre Brisbane Premier League side Taringa Rovers. Retaining much of the same squad that saw them just miss out on Capital League 4 promotion back in 2016 when up against strong sides Caboolture and St George Willawong, they claimed the Capital League 4 title last season. Rangers are growing in stature each season and could prove again to be a tough side to beat. AC Carina, Westside Grovely, Bardon Latrobe and Newmarket all finished in close proximity to one another last season in Capital League 3 and should again be well matched this season, although AC Catina will be hoping to go one better than their third place finish last year when missing out on promotion by just one win. Like Park Ridge in Viva Capital League 1, Narangba United earned a reinstatement when Brisbane Phoenix withdrew from all competitions but may well be battling for survival again with Tarragindi Tigers, Slacks Creek and possibly Kangaroo Point Rovers who suffered a convincing FFA Cup exit at the hands of Viva Capital League 3 side Logan City Kings last weekend. The Foxes, being Clairvaux and their new badge, should be a better side than last season with Russell and Graham Mapri at the coaching helm. They did lose to Westside Grovely in the FFA Cup RD2 tie last week but only on penalties, following a tight 1-1 draw, suggesting they'll likely be a top half of the table side. North Brisbane suffered defeat in the FFA Cup to Viva Capital League 3 side Jimboomba Utd and will be aiming to improve come season start, which due to a bye, will come next weekend. Here's our predictions for both ends of the table. Top 4: AC Carina, Samford Rangers, Westside Grovely, Clairvaux. Bottom 2: Slacks Creek, Narangba Utd. Viva Capital League 3 Possibly the toughest of all the Viva Capital Leagues with new clubs coming into the fray and returning ones too making it difficult to assess. Both returning clubs Brisbane Athletic and Logan City Kings proved they're very capable with both sides beating higher division opponents in last week's Preliminary RD2 of the FFA Cup. For Athletic, it was their first ever FFA Cup encounter, ending in an extra time success over Newmarket. Former Flight Centre Premier League player Eric Matheus Spiandorello featuring for the Pinkenba outfit and netting a superb strike in the process. Jimboomba United, relegated from the old Capital League 3 enjoyed a cup success over North Brisbane and will be a tough side to face with their physical presence on the field. Fellow Viva Capital League 3 sides Logan Roos and Ridge Hills United played out a draw in the cup round that got their campaigns underway, with United progressing on penalties. United feature a handful of former North Star players and will likely be a presence at the top end of the table come the business end of the season. Logan Roos will cause sides problems this season with some pacey individuals in the team and their player/coach in Ngun Lian, looking a threat in front of goal. The Lakes also enjoyed FFA Cup success over higher division opposition with an impressive 6-2 win over Bardon Latrobe and should they keep hold of their players this season, which was their undoing last season; will undoubtedly be there or thereabouts. Bethania Rams could well be favourites to take out the championship and they very much showed their intentions with a solid 4-0 win in the cup over league rivals Logan Metro FC. Springfield Utd, Mooroondu and Logan Village all suffered cup exits last weekend and could possibly be the sides to struggle in 2018 unless they can show dramatic improvement in the first few rounds of the competition. One thing is for certain, there will be plenty of travelling ahead for Ridge Hills and The Lakes who are the only sides north of the city, and they'll be a high number of local derbies with six sides from the Logan area vying for bragging rights. Again, with us sticking a pin into the board blindfolded, here's our predictions for the season. Top 4: Bethania Rams, Jimboomba Utd, Brisbane Athletic, The Lakes. Bottom 2: Springfield Utd, Mooroondu.
