Australia’s Favourite Football Fanzine And Even Bigger In Bonbeach! www.goalweekly.com $4 Season 5: Issue 24 Monday 24th August 2009 BY POPULAR DEMAND FOOTBALL FEATURE ON THUNDER’S SHANE REXHEPI Photo: Adam Butler VPL FINALS WEEK ONE GOLD! GOLD! GOLD! GOLD COAST UNITED MAKE IT THREE WINS OUT OF THREE GULLY 1999 / SOUVENIR AUFC POSTER / VPL FINALS SHANE REXHEPI DANDENONG THUNDER FC Photo by John Punshon Photo by John FOOTBALL FOCUS FULL NAME: Shane Shpetim Rexhepi MOST MEMORABLE GOAL YOU’VE SCORED: Scoring the FAVOURITE FOODS: Anything with Sweet chilli Sauce in BIRTHPLACE: Melbourne winner against my old club Richmond it. BIRTH DATE: 30-12-1986 EARLIEST FOOTBALL MEMORY: Australia beaten by Iran FAVOURITE ACTOR/ACTRESS: Jean Claude Van Dam HEIGHT: 186 in World Cup Qualifi er HOBBIES: Facebook & family time WEIGHT: 84kg FUNNIEST MOMENT IN FOOTBALL: Dandy changing FAVOURITE HOLIDAY RESORT: Kranje (family village MARRIED: No room atmosphere overseas) CAR: Toyota Hi-ace Van BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: None so far, hope to keep it FAVOURITE NIGHTSPOT: Saturday Nights @ George NICKNAME: Rexy that way. Andrew Reserve (It goes off!) PREVIOUS CLUBS: North Sunshine Eagles & Richmond WORST INJURY: Split my head open and got 5 stitches FAVOURITE TV SHOWS: Simpsons, How I met your Eagles against South Melbourne mother, Two and a Half Men & 20 to 1. REPRESENTATIVE HONOURS: Playing in a minor prem MOST DIFFICULT OPPONENT: Pablo Cardozo FAVOURITE MUSIC: House, R&B team for Dandenong Thunder FAVOURITE AWAY GROUND: Richmond’s KB Reserve FAVOURITE FILM: Kickboxer & Bloodsport CHILDHOOD FOOTBALL HERO: Levent Osman & Marcus SUPERSTITIONS: I change them every time we lose a LAST SOCCER SHIRT YOU BOUGHT: Arsenal away top Stergiopoulos game FUNNIEST RUMOUR YOU’VE HEARD ABOUT YOURSELF: FAVOURITE O/S PLAYER: Cesc Fabregas TYPICAL MATCH DAY MEAL: Night match (pasta) Day I’m signing for Melbourne Victory FAVOURITE VPL PLAYER: Robbie Simioni, Semi Sivic & match (tuna salad) BIGGEST INFLUENCE ON CAREER: Coached by Phil Veton Korcari WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS: Utility player, Strong, Fit, Stubbins and Stuart Munro FAVOURITE HAL PLAYER: Jack Hinget Loud, Winning Headers BIGGEST DRAG IN SOCCER: Sitting on the pine FAVOURITE FORMER SOCCEROO: Kevin Muscat WHAT ARE YOUR WEAKNESSES: Speed and the occa- FOOTBALL AMBITION: To win the Championship FAVOURITE CURRENT SOCCEROO: Tim Cahill sional shot on goal WHICH PERSON IN THE WORLD WOULD YOU MOST MOST MEMORABLE MATCH AS A PLAYER: Playing FAVOURITE TEAM WHEN GROWING UP: Arsenal LIKE TO MEET? : Hugh Hefner against Werder Bremen FAVOURITE OTHER SPORTS: AFL Football YOUR TIP FOR THIS YEAR’S HAL: Gold Coast United MOST MEMORABLE MATCH AS A FAN: Liverpool’s FAVOURITE OTHER SPORTSPERSON: Brendan “Fev” YOUR TIP FOR THIS YEAR’S VPL: Two more games and Champions League win over AC Milan Fevola & Chris “Juddy” Judd we’re there! p2 Monday 24th August 2009 Issue 24 [email protected] SOCCER HOTLINES THIS WEEK’S LINE UP ZEBRAS AWARD THEIR STRIPES Soccer Hotlines 3 The Whittlesea Zebras held their annual Senior awards were: Stefan Piorkowski (Best & presentation yesterday. Although it was a Fairest), Ross Antoniadis (Runner Up) and Tex Errea Scoreboard Page 4 disappointing VPL campaign for the proud Apostalikas (Top Goal Scorer). black and whites, it was a chance for the Under 21 awards were: Vedat Hassan (B&F), Magic v Gully 5 PORT MELBOURNE SC club to pay gratitude to everyone involved Osman Mustafa (Runner Up), Adem Alicevic - this year and no doubt the club aims to (Top Goal Scorer). Cordially Invites You to Our Hume v South 6 bounce back next year. Presentation & WPL 7 40yr Club Anniversary Craig MacKenzie 8 Friday 2nd October Blast From The Past 9 @ Kinisi Live A-league Round 3 10 560 Church Street, Richmond Adelaide United Poster 16 Includes 3 course meal, London Calling 22-23 wine, beer & soft drinks, $50pp 7:30 p.m ‘til 10.30pm Interstate 24 live entertainment Front Cover: A-League action from Gold Coast United’s 2-0 win over Please RSVP by September 21 Adelaide United on Friday night. to Nicki call 0402 237 408 Photo: Adam Butler [email protected] Ange Postecoglou, Stefan Piorkowski, Ross Antoniadis, Chris Dzanovski, Tex Apostalikas. Goal! Weekly is available every Monday from LEIJER BACK AT VICTORY all good newsagents. Melbourne Victory has lured back bourne Victory in the fi rst its fi rst two sea- one of its most promising talents, sons. Publisher Alimental Enterprises Pty Ltd signing Qantas Socceroo and for- In other Victory news, the club has pro- PO Box 142 mer defender Adrian Leijer for three moted a second player from its inaugu- Port Melbourne VIC 3207 years from English Premier League ral National Youth League squad, signing Tel 9645 1440 side Fulham. promising defender Matthew Foschini for Printer Melbourne Victory agreed to terms with two years. Streamline Press Fulham, allowing Leijer to immediately de- Foschini, 18, was a standout for Melbourne 155 Johstone St part for Townsville, where he was a late in- Victory Youth last season and follows in Fitzroy VIC 3065 clusion for the club’s 1-0 win against North the footsteps of Victory Youth Medallist Tel 9417 2766 Queensland Fury on Saturday. Mathew Theodore, who was the fi rst player Distributer The 23-year-old was part of Melbourne from the side to graduate to the senior squad All Day Distribution Pty Ltd Victory’s inaugural squad and played a in April. PO Box 42 key role in the club’s fi rst Premiership and The young Victorian, who is the son of North Carlton VIC 3054 Tel 9482 1145 Championship in 2006/07 before Fulham former St Kilda and Sydney Aussie rules came knocking with a three-year deal at the player Silvio Foschini, already has signifi - News Room 03 9645 1440 end of that season. cant senior experience under his belt, having Advertising 03 9645 1440 Leijer’s opportunities at Fulham were lim- been part of the club’s recent tour of China Email [email protected] ited and while he made his international de- and Grand Final rematch against Adelaide Letters [email protected] but for Australia in a friendly against Singa- United in Launceston. Web www.goalweekly.com pore last year, selection for the 2008 Beijing “Matthew was outstanding in the National Youth League last season and has been just Editor Costa Koutropoulos Olympic Games ultimately hampered his Art Director Carlos Ibarra preparations for the Cottagers. as impressive in training and trial matches Design/Creative Ivan Andreevski The former Hyundai A-League Young with the senior side,” Victory Football Op- Production MJ Ali. Player of the Year rejoined Fulham after a erations Manager Gary Cole said. brief loan at Norwich City earlier this year “He’s born and bred in Melbourne and is a Regular Contributors Adrian Leijer is back for another Nat Adamopoulos, Chris Aloi, Mark Boric, Niki but has opted to return to his hometown and great addition to our squad for the next two Cook, Bruce Darnell, Jarrod Ellis, Andrew add to the 41 matches he played for Mel- years.” crack with the Victory. Fisher, Lee Gagliardi, Roy Hay, Markian Jaworsky, George Katsamboukas, Eddie Krncevic, Jacob Kagi, John Kyrou, Sebastian RIVER PLATE FOOTBALL ACADEMY Kipman,George Kouroumalis, Michael Lilika- kis, Craig MacKenzie, Andrew Marmont, Jer- AUSTRALIA PTY LTD emy O’Neil, Ashley Morrison, Tugrul Ozdemir, Offi cial branch of CA River Plate FC Teo Pellizzeri, Walter Pless, Tony Persoglia, “The Giants of South American Football” Daniel Phan, Julius Ross, Roger Sleeman, Mike Salter, Ben Slack, George Stogiannou, For enquiries contact: Reuben Schembri, Con Stamocostas, Elias Daniel Santomil Simopoulos, Leroy Jerome Robinson (UK), Adam North (UK). 0411 517 479 Photographers Adam Butler, Therese Duffy, Daniel Flis, Dean Grant, Geoff Jones, Peter Kakalias, Darryl Kennedy, Lee McCormick, Brett McDonald, Mark McGeady, John Punshon, Brett Robson, “By Far The Steve Starek, George Stogiannou. Greatest” Goal! Weekly endeavours to be as accurate as possible with everything it publishes. The Fair Trading Act 1999 requires Goal! www.riverplateaustralia.com Weekly to disclaim any belief in the truth or [email protected] falsity of information which is supplied to it School Holiday Camps - School Clinics and which is published in other than editorial All year round Skill Programs - Overseas Trips content. Player Management Services - Sports Medicine Support Issue 24 Monday 24th August 2009 p3 ERREA SCOREBOARD VPL Round 22 P W D L F A PT PREMIER LEAGUE Dandenong Thunder (P) 22 15 5 2 45 21 50 FINALS SERIES Altona Magic 22 11 5 6 36 26 38 Qualifying Final Green Gully Cavaliers 22 11 5 6 29 21 38 Altona Magic 3 Hume City 22 11 4 7 39 16 37 (C Recchia S Bozinovski N Kalmar) South Melbourne 22 10 7 5 41 22 37 Green Gully 3 Heidelberg Utd 22 10 4 8 35 26 34 (P Cardozo MJ Sanders Oakleigh Cannons 22 9 6 7 24 22 33 A Behich) Sunshine Georgies 22 8 8 6 18 18 32 Altona Magic Melbourne Knights 22 7 6 9 26 25 27 wins 4-3 on penalties Richmond 22 7 3 12 28 31 24 Whittlesea Zebras (R) 22 2 4 16 15 42 10 Elimination Final Hume City 2 Preston Lions (R) 22 2 1 19 14 80 7 (A Opazo A Vlahos) South Melbourne 0 TOP SHOTS! Thanks to our friends at Erreà the Top Scorer of this season’s VPL top scorer will receive a $500 gift voucher. Joseph Di Iorio - Dandenong Thunder 17 Osagie Ederaro - Heidelberg Utd 15 Zoran Petrevski - Hume City 11 Goran Zoric - South Melbourne 10 Jerry Karpeh - Oakleigh Cannons 9 Fernando De Moraes - South Melbourne 7 Greg Draper - Melbourne Knights 7 Golden Boot Winner: Dandenong Thunder’s Joey Di Iorio.