The Roar
The Roar

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Edgeworth is City's number one pre-season target

2nd July, 2015
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It’s surely the first time an English Premier League side has been used as a warm-up act for a bunch of amateurs from Newcastle.

But ask Melbourne City coach John van `t Schip whether he’d prefer to beat Manchester City – who they play on July 18 – or the lowly Edgeworth Eagles in the FFA Cup after that, and you’ll get a surprising response.

“The game against Man City is great, a great experience, it’s a friendly,” he said.

“The game against Edgeworth is an official game and for us it can mean we can play more and go for a prize.

“Every game counts but this game will count more as we prepare for the season … for us, (Edgeworth) is more important.”

Van `t Schip’s view is not at all a slight on their parent club, touring Australia for the International Champions Cup, but a reflection of where the A-League club places their priorities for the season ahead.

City will join their Manchester parent club on the Gold Coast later this month, with their FFA Cup clash to be scheduled in the following four weeks.

Van `t Schip’s side were dumped out of the Cup at the same stage last season, losing 3-1 to Sydney FC at the same stage.

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Having already added Socceroo Ivan Franjic and Olyroo forward Corey Gameiro to their squad since season’s end – and extending French winger Harry Novillo’s stay – van `t Schip said he would use the time to bring the team together.

“We’re going to prepare for it as professionally as possible, we can use it to gel and have a good official game up in Newcastle,” he said.

The FFA Cup draw was significant for another Victorian club, South Melbourne.

The former National Soccer League champions will travel to the Gold Coast to play Palm Beach, with club president Leo Athanasakis saying there were worse places to travel to in the middle of winter.

“We would have liked it at home but that’s the magic of the cup and the luck of the draw … the players and the coaching staff are happy,” he said.

Arguably Australia’s largest club outside the A-League, South Melbourne missed qualification last year at the last hurdle.

Athanasakis said the club was eager to again perform on the national stage.

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“Being an ambitious club and the history we’ve got, we were chomping at the bit to make it,” he said.

“We knew how big this tournament would be and thankfully it spurred us on to success this year.”

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