2018 FFA Cup Final
| Event | FFA Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Date | 30 October 2018 | ||||||
| Venue | Coopers Stadium, Adelaide | ||||||
The 2018 FFA Cup Final will be the fifth final of the FFA Cup, Australia's main football cup competition. The match will be contested between Adelaide United and Sydney FC, in a replay of the 2017 FFA Cup Final which Sydney won. Coopers Stadium in Adelaide will host the game.
The match will be broadcast live on Fox Sports.
Route to the final
Adelaide United
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central Coast Mariners (H) | 3–0 |
| 2 | Queensland Lions (A) | 0–1 |
| 3 | APIA Leichhardt Tigers (A) | 0–2 |
| SF | Bentleigh Greens (A) | 0–2 |
| Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue. | ||
Adelaide United's progress started at home against fellow A-League side Central Coast Mariners. In a match held at Marden Sports Complex, they won 3–0 through goals to Jordan Elsey, debutant Mirko Boland and Craig Goodwin.
The other three wins to take Adelaide to the Final were over National Premier Leagues teams, and as a result all played away from home under competition rules. Firstly, another Craig Goodwin goal saw Adelaide defeat Queensland Lions 1–0 in Brisbane. This was followed by a 2–0 win over APIA Leichhardt in the quarterfinals in Sydney, with Goodwin and Boland again on the scoresheet.
In the semifinals, Adelaide drew the only remaining National Premier Leagues side: Bentleigh Greens. They won 2–0 in Melbourne, with goals to Jordan Elsey and Ben Halloran putting them into the final. The result also meant that Adelaide were still yet to concede a goal in the 2018 Cup.
Sydney FC
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rockdale City Suns (A) | 2–4 |
| 2 | Cairns (A) | 1–2 |
| 3 | Avondale (A) | 2–4 (a.e.t.) |
| SF | Western Sydney Wanderers (A) | 0–3 |
| Key: (A) = Away venue. | ||
Sydney commenced their 2018 Cup campaign with three wins over National Premier Leagues sides. They began with a win over fellow Sydney side Rockdale City Suns in the Round of 32. Rockdale had opened the scoring before four consecutive Sydney goals, including two to captain Alex Brosque, secured a 4–2 win.
In the round of sixteen, Sydney travelled to Queensland to play Cairns. Again, Sydney fell behind as Cairns opened the scoring, but second half goals to Brosque (a penalty) and Trent Buhagiar saw Sydney win 2–1.
Sydney came up against Avondale in the quarterfinals, where two goals to Buhagiar in the first half saw Sydney in the lead. However, Avondale fought back strongly in the second half, scoring twice to take the game to extra time. Goals to Milos Ninkovic and Adam le Fondre gave Sydney an eventual 4–2 win.
In the semifinals, Sydney faced their first A-League opposition of the tournament: Western Sydney Wanderers in a Sydney Derby. The game was played at Penrith Stadium. After a scoreless first half, a goal to Buhagiar, a free kick from Siem de Jong and a penalty from Adam le Fondre saw Sydney move on to the Final.
Pre-match
Venue selection
This was the first season to see the Final host team decided by random draw, rather than by Football Federation Australia selection.[1] Adelaide were drawn to host the game, with the match to be played at Coopers Stadium, their home ground.[2]
Analysis
Sydney FC were the reigning Champions coming into the match, having beaten Adelaide 2–1 after extra time in the 2017 FFA Cup Final.[3]
Sydney had also reached the 2016 Final where they had lost to Melbourne City, making this their third consecutive FFA Cup Final Appearance. Sydney would become the first side to win the FFA Cup by winning every game away from home if they were to be victorious. This tournament included the first competitive matches for new Sydney coach Steve Corica, following the departure of Graham Arnold to coach Australia.
Other than the 2017 Final, Adelaide's other previous final appearance was in the 2014 edition, when they defeated Perth Glory 1–0 to win the inaugural FFA Cup.[4]
Match
Details
References
- ↑ "Live draw to assign FFA Cup final hosting rights". The World Game. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ↑ "Adelaide United to host FFA Cup Final". ftbl.com.au. 6 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ↑ Bossi, Dominic (21 November 2017). "Sydney FC clinch FFA Cup as Adelaide United player sent off for violent conduct against ball-boy". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- ↑ Maasdorp, James (16 December 2014). "Adelaide United beats Perth Glory to win FFA Cup with 1-0 victory in inaugural final". ABC News. Retrieved 7 October 2018.