Parisi ‘proud’ of APIA’s season, targeting Cup glory after 2023 defeat
Franco Parisi says Wednesday’s Waratah Cup Final is a chance to right the wrongs of last season, when they lost out on the competition in the big dance.
Franco Parisi embarked on his maiden coaching test as APIA’s head coach in 2023 following a glittering playing career at the club.
He secured the NPL Men’s NSW Premiership, finishing top of the competition and made it through to the Australia Cup Round of 16.
Yet, they fell just short in the Waratah Cup with an extra-time loss to Sydney United 58 in the final.
This season has brought new challenges for Parisi, wrestling with a different schedule.
APIA missed out on retaining a first-place finish in the NPL Men’s NSW and bowed out of the 2024 Australia Cup at the Round of 32 stage in early August.
However, the side will contest their 10th Cup final on Wednesday, and a win would see them lift the trophy for the first time since 2018 – when Parisi lined up for the side.
Parisi said that despite a slight drop in results compared to 2023, the team remains playing the football he is looking for.
“We’re just in a bit of a period in the last month where we’ve managed the wellbeing of our players both physically and mentally,” Parisi said.
“But I still stand to you proud of what we’ve achieved, where we’re at.”
APIA remain fighting on multiple fronts, with the NPL Men’s NSW finals series likely to follow the Waratah Cup Final.
Parisi’s APIA lost last season’s Cup final in disheartening fashion, which started with Sean Symons’ second yellow card late in the first half.
“We started the game well, we were leading 1-0, and then the game turned based on a red card,” Parisi said.
“It was an important player [Symons] to us in this match, the way we had set up.
“As the game continued, with 10 men and knowing the element of the game, we then started to defend a bit deeper, and we were struggling to create chances.
“It was only deep into extra time when that one man had a physical advantage over us, and Sydney United found a couple of goals.”
With last season’s defeat firmly in mind, Parisi said the team are focused on going one further in the Cup in 2024.
“That’s probably the main motivation,” he said.
“We want to revisit the Waratah Cup. When you lose one year and then the next year you strive to do that.
“It’s quite isolated on its own – separate from the competition, the Australia Cup. We are treating it as its own and an opportunity to correct what went wrong last year.”
Parisi said that APIA’s approach to Rockdale Ilinden will be different to their previous league encounters in 2024, where each side claimed a narrow win.
“Regardless of the results, both clubs have been able to be in the better half of the competition and proven to be league leaders for multiple years,” he said.
“I think there’s just something unique around a final, and as a one-off game, there’s a different approach.”
APIA Leichhardt face Rockdale Ilinden on Wednesday at 7:30 pm (AEST) at Jubilee Stadium.
Match Details:
Teams: Rockdale Ilinden FC vs APIA Leichhardt FC
Date: Wednesday 14 August
Venue: Netstrata Jubilee Stadium
Time: 7:30pm
*Match will be livestreamed on Football NSW’s YouTube Channel with Tony Tannous and Alex Molchanoff calling the huge clash.
