After six rounds of hard-fought and competitive group stage matches, the Quarter-Finals have been set with 16 teams now becoming eight.
The final Team of the Week for the group stages are full of players who came up in the big moments with quarter-final spots on the line. Six of this week's squad will feature in this weekend's quarter-finals, including Wests APIA pair Domenic Costanzo and Franco Farinella.
Though some players selected, whose Australian Championship campaigns ended in the group stages, gave their teams every chance of possibly making it out. Isaac Danzo and Lachlan Scott almost pulled off the miracle Wollongong needed, and Ryan Scott helped earn a vital point at Avenger Park.
Here is the Australian Championship Team of the Week for Round 6.
Australian Championship Team of the Week for Round 6
Goalkeeper: Ryan Scott (Preston Lions)
“Without Ryan Scott, there is no way Preston comes away from Avenger Park with a point,” Australian Championship Commentator Alex Molchanoff said. Scott was very busy in the net on Saturday afternoon, making vital saves that helped his side keep its quarter-final hopes alive with a point. Though it would ultimately prove not enough by the end of the round.
Defender: Blake Carpenter (Avondale)
On the other side of the field, Carpenter was the man who was able to break the deadlock and put the ball past Scott for Avondale. Just after the half-time stoppage, Carpenter found himself in behind the Preston back line and rolled it past the outrushing Scott to give the home side the lead.
Defender: Simon Nicholas (NWS Spirit)
With Preston dropping points to Avondale on Saturday, it meant that a win would secure Spirit's qualification for the last eight. On the road in a tight affair in the nation's capital, Nicholas defended valiantly, keeping a clean sheet and ensuring the NPL NSW premiers would be in the final eight with a 1-0 win.
Defender: Lachlan Barr (MetroStars)
“Lachie Barr has been the quiet achiever of the Championship so far. Integral to their sides' clean sheets on the weekend,” Molchanoff told us. Knowing that nothing less than three points would do for the team from South Australia, Barr and Metro kept their second clean sheet in a row in their 2-0 win against Sydney United 58. This saw them climb into the top two in Group D on the final day.
Defender: Tobias Herweynen (South Hobart)
South Hobart led but also fought back against the undefeated Heidelberg on the final day, picking up their first point of the Championship and ending their campaign on a positive note in front of their home fans. “[It’s] great to be able to recognise one of the competition's smaller sides, South Hobart, after they nicked a point from Heidelberg - the group felt Toby Herweynen was the standout amongst the hosts,” Molchanoff told us.
Midfielder: Paolo Gottoli (Avondale)
The 18-year-old is one of the youngest players to feature in any Team of the Week so far. Coming off the bench in Avondale’s 1-1 draw against Preston, the young midfielder held his own in the middle of the park. Gottoli demonstrates the great talent emerging from the Avengers ranks and is a bright spark for the future of the club.
Midfielder: Franco Farinella (Wests APIA)
A Farinella first-half double propelled Wests APIA to a comfortable 4-1 win against Bayswater on Sunday afternoon. A wonderful pass from Prezley Ortiz provided Farinella with a tap-in for APIA's first before he caught Bayswater napping. Getting in behind from a throw-in to give APIA the 2-0 lead at the break.
Midfielder: Isaac Danzo (Wollongong Wolves)
Wollongong needed a miracle and nearly pulled it off. Requiring six goals to secure passage into the knockout stages, Danzo helped his side by providing the assist for their second of five. On the verge of half-time, Danzo found Nicholas Olsen on the cutback. During the second, he ensured Marconi didn’t find the back of the net and continued pushing in the attacking end.
Forward: Domenic Costanzo (Wests APIA)
Off the bench and onto the scoresheet was Domenic Costanzo, who scored Wests APIA'S fourth, placing the icing on a solid afternoon at Leichhardt Oval. It marks his second goal in the Championship as he is still finding his way with his new club after making the move to Wests APIA from fellow Italian rivals, Marconi Stallions.
Forward: Lachlan Scott (Wollongong Wolves)
In what would have been one of the most famous victories for the Wollongong Wolves, “Lachie Scott came so close to captaining his side to an unlikely six-goal victory and may even have managed it had the ball fallen to him on 96 minutes,” Molchanoff told us. “Nonetheless, an outstanding performance that has plenty asking whether he's the best striker in the country outside the A-League?”
Forward: Ali Auglah (Sydney Olympic)
One of Sydney Olympic's newest signings heading into the Championship, Ali Auglah, truly made the competition his own. Scoring in his sixth consecutive game in his side's 4-2 win against Broadmeadow Magic, Auglah becomes the first and only player to score in every round. His tournament ends with Olympic in the group stage, but he remains the leading top goal scorer and has been selected in the Team of the Week on two occasions.