James Murphy
INTERNATIONAL finished on top in Saturday’s Limestone Coast men’s soccer pre-season carnival at Casadio Park.
The boys in black and blue went through the day undefeated, with a one-all draw to Apollo their closest result.
The remaining four matches were all wins which set Inter up for a final against Gambier Centrals, who had also impressed, with two wins, two draws and a 2-0 loss to the eventual winners.
The final was to be contested under lights following the women’s final, but a power issue with the venue’s lighting had both finals unable to be played.
As a result the league made the decision to award the silverware to the teams with the most points on the day.
That had Inter at the top of the table and the club claimed the first silverware of the men’s 2024 season.
International coach Tony D’Agostino was pleased with how his squad performed on the day, with the short-format games allowing to experiment with different combinations and tactics.
“It was a busy time with a lot of games happening in a short period of time,” he said.
“You get a good run out and you get to see the other teams and get to experiment with your own team, it gives you that opportunity.”
A couple of injuries in usual starting players Ricky McRobert and Lachie Charlton allowed for further experimentation.
That came in the form of some young talent, while the absence of Tom Weedon – who is having the season off – opened an opportunity for young-gun Seth Michielan.
He impressed across the carnival and D’Agostino looked forward to his continued impact across the premiership season.
“He dominated for us in the carnival,” D’Agostino said.
“Last year he was part of our squad, but this year he will be an integral part of it.”
D’Agostino also credited the usual contributors, the likes of Christian Cella through the midfield and Sam Bueti up front.
Under 17 talent Tyge Schultz was another youngster who impressed.
“We were just going to give him a couple of minutes here and there, but we ended up playing him a couple of games because he impressed us a lot,” D’Agostino said.
Looking at the other teams in the competition and Centrals will no doubt be a tough opponent again this year.
The Lions were without a few personnel on the weekend, but will be looking to hit the ground running next weekend when the Premiership Cup kicks off.
Blue Lake seems to have improved even further from last year, which could pose a real threat to the top three positions.
The Rangers pushed the top teams on several occasions last campaign and they did so again on Saturday.
A late mistake in the goal square had them go down 3-2 to Inter, while they drew with both Apollo (0-0) and Centrals (1-1).
Blue Lake’s carnival was bookended by a forfeit win over Naracoorte and a 3-0 triumph against Millicent.
Apollo proved it will be well matched with its rivals again, with draws against Inter, Centrals and Blue Lake.
As it stands, the top four should be closer than ever this season, with Limestone Coast soccer fans eagerly awaiting April 21 for Round 1.
