NSW clubs ready for Westfield FFA Cup
There is no denying it; Football New South Wales is up for the Westfield FFA Cup.
For some clubs, playing on the national stage of the Westfield FFA Cup is the chance of a lifetime, for others, it’s just about putting the club back on the platform it was meant for.
Five Football NSW clubs remain in the cup as it enters the round of 32 and welcomes the entry of Hyundai A-League teams.
Current Football NSW National Premier Leagues Men’s 1 leaders Blacktown City are joined by former NSL outfits Sydney Olympic and Sydney United 58 FC, as well as fellow NPL Men’s 1 side Rockdale City Suns and last, but certainly not least, State League 1 mainstays Balmain Tigers FC.
The Tigers may be the lowest ranked of the teams in the national stage, but their story is the most compelling.
Currently sitting in fifth place in the third tier of NSW football, it was in a central Sydney pub that the Tigers learned their Westfield FFA Cup fate.
The Tigers’ opponent? Just the Hyundai A-League champions, Melbourne Victory.
Club captain Thomas Hyde recalled the moment with distinct clarity.
“It was weird. All the boys were watching the draw live on Fox Sports in a central Sydney pub and it was actually Michael Beauchamp who was drawing the teams,” Hyde said.
“We played him in the preliminary rounds when we played Bankstown City, so I might owe him a drink next time I see him, because when he pulled out Melbourne Victory, it was absolute euphoria.”
Were the players intimidated by the prospect of playing the best team in the country?
Not one bit, according to Balmain manager Tass Fiakos.
“That’s the draw they wanted,” Fiakos said.
“They wanted a big team, and they certainly got that. They’re ready to go, it’s massive for the club and for the whole district.
“Our Facebook has been going off. We’ve had people from Germany and England and all sorts of places wishing us well and a lot of clubs from the area have been in touch.
“Victory doesn’t know much about us, so we hope that works in our favour.
“We’re certainly not going to lie down.”
The significance of the draw has not been lost on the players, either, least of all Hyde who is in the middle of his sixth season with the Tigers and played his 100th game for the club on Saturday.
“I landed in Australia and the next day had a trial with Balmain and I’ve been here ever since,” Hyde said.
“We’ve got a couple of boys here who are in their fourth of fifth season, so in terms of player turnover we’ve got a core of 10 or 11 players that have stuck around for a few years and that’s helped to create a really good culture here.
“This draw has been massive for the club, though. The exposure we’ve gotten out of it is fantastic.
“We need to use it as a platform to push the club forward.”
While the Tigers are daring to dream, Hyde made no secret of the fact that their focus would be on defence first and foremost come their date with destiny on August 4 at Leichhardt Oval.
“We will be working hard on our defensive shape. Hopefully the rugby boys can tear up the pitch a bit for us, so it’s not so pretty for Victory” Hyde joked.
“I play right full-back, so I’ll be chasing (Kosta) Barbarouses or (Besart) Berisha depending on who they play, but I suppose it could have been worse – I could have been chasing (Fahid) Ben Khalfallah!”
Fellow Westfield FFA Cup new boys Rockdale City Suns who welcome Perth Soccer Club on August 5 will join the Tigers on the national stage.
While the Suns might be new to the national rounds of the competition, they have no shortage of know-how at the club.
Player/Manager Paul Reid will be playing his first national Westfield FFA Cup tie, but he knows full well the cutthroat nature of cup football already.
“I played in the FA Cup in England for Bradford and Brighton, and there’s obviously a lot of history there,” Reid said.
“The Westfield FFA Cup is quite new here and this is mine and Rockdale’s first involvement at this stage and we’re all looking forward to it. Hopefully it will have as good a history as the FA Cup one day.
“I remember with Brighton we played Tottenham at White Hart Lane in the fourth round and that was in front of a full house.
“We lost 2-1 but were a bit unlucky not to force at least a replay, and then there were other games I played in where we lost to lower division teams. That’s the magic of the cup.”
Reid admitted to not knowing a whole lot about Perth, but said he would not hesitate to use his West Australian contacts to build his knowledge.
“We will have people watching them to see how they like to play and where we can hurt them,” Reid said.
“We want to go as far as we can in this competition because it’s a great opportunity for the club and of course the players to show what they’re made of.
“I’ve said to the younger players that this is a great chance for them to measure where they’re at with their own personal development but also to put themselves on the map and try to win a contract in the A-League.”
Suns emerging star Idriss El Hafiane said excitement was the prevailing emotion from within the squad.
“It’s a great opportunity for the club to gain some good exposure on a national level and for the players as well,” El Hafiane said.
“We’re definitely confident. We’ve got three wins and a draw from our last four, we’ve got a home game, we’ll have a strong crowd, so we’re excited.
“We were definitely excited not to have to travel to Perth, that’s for sure!”
For Sydney Olympic and Sydney United 58 FC, the cup is a welcome opportunity to return to the national stage.
Olympic coach Grant Lee said it was frustrating that his club had been drawn away for a third-straight time in the national stages of the competition, but said his team would be working hard to overcome the logistic nightmare of a midweek trip away to Canberra’s Gungahlin United FC.
“It’s funny how these things work out. We were the only (Football NSW) team to get an away game at this stage last year, and it’s happened again,” Lee said.
“So now we have to play two games in three days, which is hard with part-time players, so I think that detracts from it a bit … but of course it’s a fantastic concept and it’s generating a lot of talk and discussion, so we’re better off for it.”
Lee said he was familiar with some of the Capital Football NPL side’s players, and was expecting a tough match in tougher conditions.
“It’s a cold, winters night in Canberra and with Olympic’s history, this is a big match for Gungahlin. It will be a bit of a grand final for them,” Lee said.
“I know a bit about them. I know they’ve tried hard to assemble the best young players in Canberra with the view of maybe pushing for a Hyundai A-League license in the future.
“I don’t know what happened with that, but looking at their list, there are some good young players and some of them I’d had trial for Olympic too.
“Hopefully we can get up there and try and kill it off early, but we’ll be prepared for a tough game.”
Olympic negotiated the round of 32 last season but suffered defeat against eventual semi-finalist Bentleigh Greens in the round of 16.
Sydney United 58 exited at the same round of last season’s competition, losing to Hyundai A-League outfit Sydney FC, coach Mark Rudan’s former club, in front of over 8,000 people.
United young gun Giuseppe Camera was a new signing at the club on that night and was not called up for the game.
The anguish of missing out has him was chomping at the bit for United’s round of 32 cup tie at home against South Hobart, as the Waratah Cup champions look to continue their fine cup form this year.
“I joined United halfway through the season last year for the under-20s and it was just around that time, so I didn’t get to play,” Camera said.
“I didn’t get the chance last year … but it was an incredible atmosphere. The crowd was unreal, especially for the players.
“The boys still talk about it in the dressing room, so hopefully we can beat South Hobart and draw another Hyundai A-League team. We’re undefeated in cup games this season.
“I don’t know a lot about them, so we’re expecting a tough game against tough opposition – but I just want to show to Mark and the club the best I have because in the short time I’ve been at the club I’ve been treated very well.”
Current PS4 National Premier Leagues NSW Men’s 1 leader Blacktown City FC has an interesting tie of its own when it comes up against reigning NPL champions Metrostars SC from NPL South Australia.
City has endured a mixed month, drawing their last three league games and losing the Waratah Cup final to Sydney United 58, but coach Mark Crittenden said he was excited to see Blacktown back on the national stage.
“We’ll do a bit of homework, but they’re a very good side, with some name players like (Fabian) Barbiero, which gives them some good players going forward, but I’m happy with my squad,” Crittenden said.
“We lost at this stage last year to Bentleigh (Greens) and that was disappointing because they’ve scored a bit of a nothing goal and we couldn’t break them down.”
City star Travis Major said amending last year’s wrong was definitely on the agenda for the club this time around.
“They’ve got a few ex-Hyundai A-League boys in their team, so we know they’re good,” Major said.
“No one is worried about the individual exposure, we just want to go as far in this competition as we can.
“Last year is definitely a driving force. Bentleigh came here and hit us on the break early on and then sat back and we couldn’t break them down despite hitting them with wave after wave of attack, so we definitely want to go one better last year because that was gut-wrenching.”
Last season just two out of six Football NSW clubs progressed to the round of 16, proving the difficulty of the task ahead for the five clubs involved this season.
Four of the five Football NSW sides have been drawn at home and will hope the home ground advantage helps ease them through to the round of 16, particularly Balmain Tigers who will be dreaming of the ultimate fairytale win against Melbourne Victory.
It would be a brave person that bets on the Tigers’ against the current national champions, but in cup football, you just never know.
Therein lies the true magic of the cup.
FULL FOOTBALL NSW FFA CUP ROUND OF 32 FIXTURE LIST
Blacktown City FC v Metrostars SC (NPL SA)
Wednesday July 29, 7.30 pm at Lilys Football Centre
Matthew Galea says – An intriguing contest as the current NPL NSW leader takes on the reigning NPL champions.
As Blacktown learned last season, a home tie guarantees nothing in the FFA Cup national rounds and Mark Crittenden’s goal-shy forward line will have to get back to its best if it is going to better last season’s effort of a Round of 32 exit.
Balmain Tigers FC v Melbourne Victory FC (A-League)
Tuesday August 4, 7.30 pm at Leichhardt Oval
Matthew Galea says – The fairytale cup fixture that can surely only end in a nightmare for Balmain Tigers.
It would be nothing short of a miracle if the Football NSW Men’s State League 1 outfit could overcome the national champions, Melbourne Victory.
I’m tempted to say stranger things have happened, but have they? I am sure I am not alone in hoping that this time, the magic of the cup – and the Balmain Tigers – prevail.
Sydney United 58 FC v South Hobart FC (NPL Tasmania)
Tuesday August 4, 7.30 pm at Sydney United Sports Centre
Matthew Galea says – A very winnable cup-tie for Sydney United 58 FC if it can keep up its impressive cup form this season.
The Waratah Cup champions have proved their nerve for knockout football, even if their league form is shaky at best.
Mark Rudan’s side possesses the required quality to advance to the Round of 16 for the second year running, but it will have to avoid the defensive pitfalls that have proven so costly in league action this season.
Gungahlin United FC (NPL Capital Football) v Sydney Olympic
Tuesday August 4, 7.30 pm at Gungahlin Enclosed Oval, ACT
Matthew Galea says – You have to feel for Sydney Olympic after a third-straight away draw in the FFA Cup national rounds.
The draw has done Olympic no favours, particularly with this match falling after a crucial league fixture against Blacktown City FC.
Midweek fixtures in a different state are always a tough one for semi-professional teams, but that is the cost of playing in the FFA Cup national rounds, and there is no doubting Olympic has the quality on the field to prevail.
Rockdale City Suns v Perth SC (NPL WA)
Wednesday August 5, 8.30 pm at Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre
Matthew Galea says – A home draw against a semi-professional team from Western Australia has to make Rockdale City Suns favorites.
This is the first time the Suns have made the national stages of the competition, but any sense of stage fright should be off-set by a sizeable home crowd.
Perth SC’s NPL Football West campaign has got off to strong start with four wins from five games and if it can overcome the inherent logistic difficulties, they will be more than a handful for Paul Reid’s in-form Suns.
-By Matthew Galea PS4 NPL NSW Men’s 1 Editor
