NFPL Matchweek 6 Preview

As we near the midway point of the 2022 NFPL season, the table is starting to solidify and the best are rising to the top. Matchweek 6 features five mouthwatering matchups in the Midwest, including three teams playing back to back games over the weekend and all seven teams in action! It makes Matchweek 6 a huge opportunity for the trailing teams to make up ground on the league leaders, who only play once. 

GINGA FS (H) VS. JOY ATHLETIC (A)

The first Friday night game of the season features Ginga FS hosting Joy Athletic in an immediate rematch of Matchweek 5. Joy Athletic ran away winners that night, scoring the first 3 goals unanswered and going into halftime with a 6-1 lead. A cagier second half ended with the scoreline at 8-2 in favor of the Minnesota futsal club. 

Will Ginga have a response playing in front of their home fans in Cincinnati? Let's see. Keep an eye on Erik Hegerty of Ginga FS and Bennett Kouame of Joy Athletic to bring the passion, footskills, and goals for this match. One would think that with these players on the court, we can see another high scoreline, especially with Ginga FS playing in front of the home crowd. 

Details:

  •  Date: Friday, February 11th
  •  Time: 8:00 PM EST
  •  Location: Flock Sports Entertainment Center 
  •  Streaming: Eleven Sports
  •  Tickets: Ginga FS Tickets

COLUMBUS FUTSAL (H) VS. JOY ATHLETIC (A)

There seems to be a lot riding on this game for Columbus Futsal. For starters, it's their home opener and first game ever played in their beautiful new facility at Westwood Fieldhouse. You can expect a great atmosphere as the Ohio faithful show out to play an in-form Joy Athletic in their second game of the weekend.

Two wins this weekend for Joy Athletic will see them tied for first place in the standings, behind only on goal differential. 

Meanwhile, Columbus Futsal are still looking for their first win of the 2022 NFPL season, having lost a tight match to Futsal Indy in Matchweek 3 before being dismantled at the hands of Grand Rapids OLé in Matchweek 4. 

Will having the weekend off in Matchweek 5 provide the push for Columbus to take a valuable scalp at Joy's expense? Much depends on the performance of Columbus pivo Yul Illidge and how well they can cope against the youthful exuberance and energy of Joy Athletic's Bennett Kouame and Mika Folstad. 

Details:

  •  Date: Saturday, February 12th
  •  Time: 7:00 PM EST
  •  Location: Westwood Fieldhouse 
  •  Streaming: Columbus Facebook
  •  Tickets: Columbus Futsal Tickets

GINGA FS (H) VS. CADENCE SFC (A)

An exciting one here in Cincinnati as Ginga play their second home game of the weekend and we get our first opportunity to look at what Cadence SFC will bring to the 2022 National Futsal Premier League season!

It's worth noting that while Cadence SFC have yet to play a game this season, they aren't newcomers to the league. In the 2019 season Cadence made the semifinals of the playoffs and we can expect a strong, experienced team to take the court wearing the sky blues.

Will it be enough to hold back TJ Manning and the Ginga FS squad? Two wins from Ginga this weekend would keep them in the conversation of NFPL regular season champions. 

  •  Date: Saturday, February 12th
  •  Time: 8:00 PM EST
  •  Location: Flock Sports Entertainment Center 
  •  Streaming: Eleven Sports
  •  Tickets: Ginga FS Tickets

FUTSAL INDY (H) VS. GRAND RAPIDS OLÉ (A)

Futsal Indy are 1-2-0 in the standings right now, sitting in 4th. Grand Rapids OLé look nearly unstoppable at the top of the table at 4-1-0, with their only loss to Joy Athletic at home in Matchweek 4. Fresh off a 9-4 victory over Futsal Factory Academy in the Matchweek 5 Michigan Derby, there's no doubt that Grand Rapids will be feeling confident as they head south to Indianapolis.

Futsal Indy pivo Dudu Oliveira will look to continue his run of good form, having scored 8 goals in a Player of the Week performance in Matchweek 4. Jonathan Stout of Grand Rapids OLé has scored in every game this season so far.

Details:

  •  Date: Saturday, February 12th
  •  Time: 8:00 PM EST
  •  Location: Irsay Family YMCA at CityWay
  •  Streaming: Futsal Indy YouTube
  •  Tickets: At the door

FUTSAL FACTORY ACADEMY (H) VS. COLUMBUS FUTSAL (A)

A tough defeat in Matchweek 4 to Grand Rapids OLé means Futsal Factory Academy need to bounce back quickly. Playing a Columbus team that will be either high off an opening win or still hungry for their first win of the season, this will be a tough battle played out in Michigan.

A third loss for either team would make the second half of the season that much more challenging as both teams seem to be scrapping to avoid missing out on the playoffs. However, it's a bit too early to be talking about the playoffs as there remains a lot of great futsal to be played! 

Futsal Factory Academy target man #9 Nik Djokic was sorely missed in their Matchweek 4 defeat to Grand Rapids OLé, while goalkeeper Robert Damron will have his hands full with Columbus pivo Yul Illidge.

In a classic Michigan vs. Ohio battle, this match should be a great way to close out a 5-game weekend in the NFPL. If past games are any indicator, this will be high-paced, aggressive, intense, and probably decided by 1-3 goals. 

Details:

  •  Date: Sunday, February 13th
  •  Time: 5:00 PM EST
  •  Location: Total Sports Park
  •  Streaming: Futsal Factory Academy Facebook
  •  Tickets: Futsal Factory Academy Ticketing

Best of luck to all of the teams competing in Matchweek 6! Stay tuned here and on our social media platforms for real-time score updates.