By TERRY MADDAFORD
The Football Kingz hope to keep their fading play-off hopes alive when they face the Northern Spirit at Ericsson Stadium tonight.
Last October, the Kingz were in a club-high third place when they met the Sydney side in an away match. A 4-2 loss sent them into a downhill
spiral from which they have not recovered.
Again, the Wynton Rufer-coached Kingz go into a match against a team below them on the points table. But, as they showed last weekend, that does not appear to be an incentive to turn in one of their more positive efforts.
Chasing a third successive victory against Newcastle United, the Kingz seemed to have lost direction and determination.
The likely return of Rufer and midfield talent Gerard Davis will hopefully ignite the side against a team who have won only three other games this season.
Rufer, who stayed home from a meeting of Fifa's player committee in Zurich to play tonight, seems set to either start up front alongside Paul Urlovic or come into the match in the second spell.
That would allow either Tim Stevens or Aaron Silva - if he has recovered from a back injury sustained while doing some weight training early in the week - to join Urlovic in the starting line-up.
Davis should return and give the midfield the spark it lacked against Newcastle.
Captain Harry Ngata is likely to return to the substitute's bench, allowing Davis to join Noah Hickey, Andy Bluhm, Mark Burton and Aaran Lines in what promises to be a productive midfield combination. Jeff Campbell has been named on the bench.
Despite some hesitancy at Marathon Stadium, Michael Cartwright, Levent Osman - provided he has recovered fully from a knee problem - and Sean Douglas will start at the back. Chris Marsh will return to goalkeeping duties in a swap with Simon Eaddy.
