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The FFA Cup's quest for an upset

25th August, 2015
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Kenny Lowe brough Perth no glory. (AAP Image/Theron Kirkman)
Expert
25th August, 2015
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Thomas Love slaloming through the Western Sydney Wanderers defence was a watershed moment for the FFA Cup. The youngster showed no fear to his professional opponents, he only saw an opportunity to put his name up in lights.

That, he did. A memorable moment in its own right, Love’s piece of individual brilliance provided the Cup’s first giant killing. The then-A-League runners-up bundled out by NPL South Australia’s Adelaide City.

It’s proved an anomalous result in the FFA Cup’s short history: the victory for Damian Mori’s men stands as the only occasion in 14 attempts an A-League side has been beaten by a team outside the national league in the tournament.

This year’s round of 32 threw up a mixed bag of results for the supposed David versus Goliath match-ups. Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory both banged six goals past lower league opposition (Darwin Olympic and Balmain Tigers respectively), while Jamie Harnwell’s Sorrento FC were undone 2-0 by Sydney FC.

Newcastle outfit Edgeworth FC made a real fist of it against Melbourne City, who were rescued by an injury-time Aaron Mooy free-kick.

While the two thrashings will be written off in the underdog category – especially given Balmain play in NSW’s third tier – the gulf between A-League and the NPL/amateur clubs is yet to be bridged.

For good reason, too. NPL clubs are batting way above their average against the A-League when you consider all eggs in Australian football have been thrown into the A-League basket.

The lack of funding available to NPL clubs and the murky pathway from grassroots to top flight make results like Edgeworth’s against Melbourne City and Adelaide City’s win in 2014 all the more impressive.

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Aside from those two matches and South Coast Wolves’ 1-0 defeat to Central Coast in last year’s competition, all other matches between a professional and non-professional side in the Cup have had a margin of two goals or greater in favour of the A-League outfit.

Though the FFA Cup has oozed excitement with some crackers in the all-NPL clashes and self-professed pub team South Springvale last year, what we all crave is a giant killing.

Think Bradford City’s comeback from 2-0 down at Stamford Bridge to beat a strong Chelsea side in the FA Cup last season.

The onus here isn’t on the non-professional clubs to improve, but the FFA and A-League to work towards strengthening all levels of the game and ensuring NPL teams are given every opportunity to compete for the scalp of an A-League opponent.

In reality, it wouldn’t take a great deal for upsets to become a norm in the FFA Cup considering some of the scares that the big boys have received already.

The latest chance for a giant killing comes tonight at Perry Park in Brisbane, as Queensland Lions host Perth Glory.

The Lions are currently top in the Brisbane Premier League, a step below the Queensland NPL. They by-passed Adelaide’s Croydon Kings to earn a dream date with Glory.

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“Obviously delighted that we’ve got an A-League side at home,” coach Warren Moon said. “I know everyone was buzzing when Perth Glory got pulled out. You’re always a chance in football…”

They’ll need a bit more than faith to cause a boil over against Glory, who – despite a raft of off-season personnel changes – got the job done against Newcastle Jets on penalties last round.

Hungarian Gyorgy Sandor, Nebojsa Marinkovic and Sidnei Sciola will put the Lions under significant pressure, but they may be buoyed by the fact they’ll have a whole bunch of neutrals in their corner.

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