SOOP's first-ever home game meets an Expressway side whose one weakness needs serve pressure, and SOOP have not shown that pressure yet. Lion City against Adelaide is a volume-and-set-piece home side against a visitor that has lost its main break carrier and comes in tired. In both matches the weaker side's way back depends on a tool that has gone missing.
SOOP have taken no sets from twelve in official play. Their closest comparison, the league opener against Hungkuk, was level in the middle of two sets, and both endings were lost to serve points. Their attack runs through the opposite Odriana and Lee Zhuxue's quicks, and two starting outside hitters are out with no return date. Expressway's reception broke in their opener, but that took a strong serving side. SOOP managed two aces and a serve fault last time out. Moma played the full opener with twenty-three points, so the old knee note is stale, and she should close sets once the pass holds. That's why I'm backing Expressway to take every set.
In the first meeting a week ago, Lion City had less of the ball but twenty-five shots, eight on target, two corners off the woodwork and a set-piece opener. Adelaide have since lost captain Craig Goodwin, the man who drove their best break and took their set pieces. They are still without Vriends in defence and come in on three straight defeats after more than eleven thousand kilometres of travel. Lion City rested nine regulars at the weekend. Their goals in this group have come late, so patience may be needed, but the crosses and corners suit this home side against this back line. That's why I'm on Lion City at home.
