Talk surrounding the inaugural FFA Cup has been all about its romance – the suburban grounds, the souvlakis and the return to ‘old soccer’.
Given Australian football has never quite reconciled its present with its past, the first competitive meeting between a former National Soccer League champion and a shiny new powerful franchise team, seemed almost too obviously poised to become a fairytale.
Three-time champions of the National Soccer League, Adelaide City, were the last team drawn when the FFA Cup Round of 32 fixture was decided.
The odds were stacked against them too – their home ground was deemed unsuitable for a top-level game and they were placed against A-League runners- up, Western Sydney Wanderers.
City – its original name but Juventus gives away its ethnic origins – would have to host the Wanderers a few kilometres up the road, at the home of local rivals Blue Eagles, but the romance was there all the same.
At the ground, the car park attendant wore a flat cap and muttered something through a car window in Italian – the first sign of the ‘ethnic’ side of the game, which Australian football has taken so long to learn to embrace.
Punters turned up in Adelaide City tracksuits but they weren’t alone – numerous other local clubs were represented too. One had even brought an entire junior team and sat them behind the goals.
Western Sydney enjoyed the support of a handful of fans that lined up for entry peacefully with their City opponents and then took their place in the far corner without any sort of escort.
The atmosphere made the ground announcer’s pre-game request for ‘patrons to remain orderly’ seem almost comical.
The visitors sang from the first whistle and continued well until after they lost – a commendable effort – although their attempts to rouse the locals into action were rarely met with anything more than smiles, laughs and the odd drawn-out call of “Ciiiity”.
On the bench, both sides were led by former Socceroos and NSL stars of the 1990s.
Damian Mori, once a matador in front of goal for City and Perth Glory, would get the better of his opponent Tony Popovic in traditional Adelaide City fashion.
Perhaps taking inspiration from one of his old bosses – legendary City coach Zoran Matić – Mori made up for the gap in experience and quality by making sure his side was well organised at the back and set up for some dangerous forays on the counter.
The set up paid off. City forward Nicholas Bucco said it was the difference between competing and being blown away by their fully professional opposition.
“[The Wanderers] were quick to shut us down and they were extremely fast out there with very crisp passing as well,”
“The difference wasn’t overly big though as we kept our shape and defensive structure very well,” he said.
Bucco, an accountant by day, limped off with injury before half time but his side remained resolute and the deciding moment it produced could barely have been more fitting for the occasion.
An individual run on the counter in the 75th minute by the splendidly named Thomas Love won City the match.
Beginning his run at the half way line, Love beat several Wanderers players – a couple of whom are full Australian internationals – before slotting the ball past another former Socceroo in goalkeeper Ante Covic.
The hero of the night spoke after the match to the commentary team from Radio Televisione Italiana, the local broadcaster which has staunchly supported the game in Adelaide since the time before it was cool.
The 18-year old match winner said his day off uni helped with his preparation, which had nonetheless been hit by nerves.
“I was worried that even our hardest might not be enough but there was always that chance there if we came out fighting for each other.”
Love also said his side’s loss in a league match against Campbelltown on Sunday gave City extra motivation to win.
Even giant-killers aren’t infallible, after all.
A post-match controversy threatened the dream as rumours spread that Adelaide City’s injury time substitute Marco Mittiga hadn’t been listed on the team sheet.
When the all clear arrived and with the dream intact, a sigh of relief was perhaps breathed by more than just Black and White supporters.
Describing the atmosphere at the ground as “amazing”, Bucco said the upset win was particularly special because they were playing for more than just their own, “All of South Australia was behind us and we did not only ourselves and the club proud, we did the state and our local league proud.”
The magnitude of the win wasn’t lost on the club’s oldest rival West Adelaide, whom they thumped 4-1 in the South Australian Cup final to qualify for this tournament.
Showing just how much the local football landscape has changed, West congratulated City on its official Facebook page.
Could an historic first competitive derby between Adelaide City and the side that replaced it on the national stage, Adelaide United, become a reality?
For now, when it comes to the romance of the cup, Nicholas Bucco is a true believer.
“The way we played tonight, we don’t mind who we play.”
“We’ll be ready and we’re happy to take out another scalp,” he said.
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