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Has there been a better addition to the Australian football landscape than the FFA Cup? It may not be perfect, but it sure is fun to watch.
I found myself glued to the television last Wednesday night as one of the old stagers of the National Soccer League went head to head with ambitious Victorian outfit Hume City.
Marconi may have fallen on hard times – the side from western Sydney are currently in the second tier of the NSW Premier League – but they came within three minutes of knocking their higher-ranked opponents out of the FFA Cup.
When former A-League striker Mirjan Pavlovic twisted and turned before curling a precise finish inside the far post in extra-time, it looked like Marconi were on track to register a famous upset.
But as is so often the case in extra-time of tense Cup matches, the lower league outfit just couldn’t hold on, with Kym Harris nodding home Jeremy Walker’s unerring cross to send the game to a penalty shoot-out.
Hume City prevailed, and much like their 2015 FFA Cup run – which saw the Victorian Premier League side reach the semi-finals on the back of two extra-time wins – they won’t be perturbed by their narrow margin of victory.
What will have pleased interim coach Dean Hennessey – installed just days before the clash after long-serving coach Lou Acevski’s shock departure – is the fact that, once again, Hume City are on the national stage.
Make no mistake: the Fox Sports cameras add plenty of allure to a lengthy Cup run, enabling lower-league clubs to showcase their wares and potentially attract new signings and sponsors.
It’s also incredibly fun to watch the goals fly in around the grounds, and the sound of the goal horn is always eagerly anticipated in my house.
In fact, Fox Sports do a great job of providing coverage across multiple matches, with the games themselves often featuring new names in commentary and some colourful off-field action.
As for fans at the ground, while the Round of 32 gates were relatively small last Wednesday, the competition at least gives football supporters the chances to experience some new venues as well.
Western Sydney fans get the chance to watch a meaningful clash at Campbelltown Stadium against Wellington Phoenix on Tuesday, Brisbane Roar will host Perth Glory at Ballymore in their first big game of the season later this month, while Sydney FC head south to WIN Stadium to take on former NSL side Wollongong Wolves on their home turf.
Contrast this with the National Rugby League – which is set to reward Cronulla’s dominant season by denying the Sharks the right to host a final on their own home ground – and the chance to stand and watch football from a new vantage point is not one that should be sniffed at.
That said, it’s not like the FFA Cup doesn’t have its own drawbacks.
There’s no real reason that the draw should be restricted – indeed, the competition would be all the more exciting if the FFA did away with their habit of guaranteeing three fixtures in the Round of 32 are all A-League affairs.
While cynics may suggest there’s an element of wanting A-League teams to avoid an embarrassing defeat to a lower-tier opponent, I reckon there’s also some desire to guarantee that at least one state league team goes deep into the tournament as well.
It also wouldn’t hurt to see a few more fans through the gates, particularly at clubs who considered themselves hard done by to have been excluded from the A-League.
At any rate, there are still plenty of intriguing FFA Cup fixtures to keep us entertained for the rest of the Round of 32.
And with the new A-League campaign still two months away, the FFA Cup is the perfect way to whet the appetite and satisfy our football cravings.