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The FFA Cup final should be on a Saturday

27th November, 2016
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Does Australia's football future sit with the FFA cup? (AAP Image/Ben Macmahon)
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27th November, 2016
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The 2016 FFA Cup has been the most exciting edition of the tournament to date, but organisers missed a trick by not holding the final on a Saturday.

On a weekend in which the A-League action was largely forgettable, Wednesday night’s impending FFA Cup final gives us all a reason to keep an eye on midweek happenings.

Football Federation Australia has already issued a press release stating that the game is on track to break the FFA Cup’s attendance record, with more than 10,000 tickets having been snapped up a fortnight ago.

Unfortunately for the FFA, the fact that the final is being played in midweek takes some of the lustre off the occasion.

And if they’re going to trumpet the fact that a decent turn-out is expected, they could at least give some consideration to the group most affected by a Wednesday night fixture – away fans.

You know how we all wake up at some ungodly hour to tune into the FA Cup final every May, and the first thing you notice is Wembley decked out in the respective colours of the two teams?

We should experience the same feeling in Australia. But we won’t, because FFA seems to consider it an irrelevance whether away fans travel or not.

Why wouldn’t they, when they’re paid to watch football from the comfort of an air-conditioned box and the most difficult decision of the day is whether to go for the continental breakfast or something lighter?

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I know it’s easy to criticise FFA – and if it were an Olympic sport, I’d probably be on the podium – but would it kill them just for once to make a decision with supporters in mind?

Last year’s debacle was the prohibitive cost of tickets which saw barely 15,000 fans turn up at AAMI Park – on a Saturday, mind you – so at least they’re doing something new to inconvenience fans.

If nothing else, here’s hoping the travelling Sydney FC supporters enjoy a better performance from their team than Saturday night’s scoreless snoozefest with Adelaide United.

Melbourne City looked far more entertaining in their 2-1 win over Wellington Phoenix on Sunday, although I didn’t catch the match because I was watching ‘Dirty Games‘ as part of the German Film Festival instead.

Featuring New FIFA Now co-founder Bonita Mersiades, who was part of a panel discussion after the documentary aired, the film offers a thought-provoking glimpse into some of the corruption plaguing the world’s biggest sports.

The Sydney leg is tonight at Norton Street in Leichhardt, while Melbourne gets its turn at Cinema Como on Tuesday, and given that Mersiades is one of the most erudite speakers on football politics in the world, I’d urge every self-respecting fan to get along to the event.

The rest of the weekend action wasn’t much to write home about, although it was interesting to see Jumpei Kusukami get on the scoresheet for Western Sydney Wanderers on Friday.

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Kusukami is nowhere near the sort of top talent available in the J.League, although as impresario Lou Sticca reminded me on Twitter, players in Japan can earn double what’s on offer in Australia – even in J2.

Speaking of Asian football, the two-legged AFC Champions League final between South Korean regulars Jeonbuk Motors and star-studded UAE combatants Al-Ain was one of the contests of the year.

Played in front of deafening atmospheres in packed stadiums in each leg, the tie was won 3-2 on aggregate by Jeonbuk – who can thank a crucial penalty miss by Douglas for their second ACL title.

It’s a shame the match wasn’t broadcast on Australian television, but the depressing reality is that very few fans would tune in if it was.

More’s the pity, because the final was certainly more entertaining than anything on offer in the A-League this weekend.

Here’s hoping the FFA Cup final is a different story – and that it’s the last one played in midweek.

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