Win the FFA Cup final and Sydney FC will clinch the coveted Australian football treble.
It’s been the motivation for Graham Arnold and his squad to add a third piece of domestic silverware to last season’s A-League premiership and championship.
But the coach flipped the message on its head ahead of Tuesday’s Cup final against Adelaide United, declaring that rather than mark the completion of a treble already achieved, the trophy would signify the start of one to come.
“It’s just about winning the trophy,” Arnold said
“As I said to the boys, where does it end? Is it the third trophy or is it the first of another three?
“It’s hard to understand in Australian football, the actual calendar year it’s a third trophy but then the football season crosses over.
“The way I look at it, it’s the first of three, not the third of three.”
As per the Arnold mantra, Sydney expect to emerge from Allianz Stadium victorious.
But he drilled home the need to bury opponents while on top – a message that nearly got lost when Newcastle came close to pinching an equaliser in Saturday’s 2-1 result.
“As I said to the boys after the game against Newcastle, I want to see 90 minutes of that first 45,” Arnold said.
“For that first 45, we destroyed Newcastle.
“I can see the hunger in the players’ faces and in their eyes.
“They’re excited for tomorrow night, they’ve worked hard to get there and we expect to finish it off.”
R King
Guest
Yes that's true Nem, but as a football person do you deep down believe that if Sydney win the Cup they can claim to have won the 3 trophies on offer for the 16/17 season? Whether we like it or not the treble relates to the trophies available to be won in the 17/18 season it is infact the first trophy available in the 17/18 season.
Needles
Guest
Agreed too. It's the same season, not calendar year
Waz
Guest
Agreed. There can’t be two ways to do “the treble” - when a side wins the FFA Cup, the Plate and the Champuonship in the same season it will be a treble, and not before.
Kangajets
Guest
It’s not a treble if it’s not in the same season . Just hoping for a really close exciting game tonight
At work
Roar Rookie
Fair enough, although I won't expect the FFA to offer up any clarification on this point.
Nemesis
Guest
I prefer to keep it simple. For competitions that start in one calendar year & finish in the next, the year of the trophy is the calendar year when the trophy is won. Not the calendar year when the competition started. So, Germany are the 2014 Champions of the World even though the World Cup competition that Germany won actually started 2011. Sydney is the 2017 ALeague Premier/Champion even though the competition started in 2016.
At work
Roar Rookie
Agree there are 3 trophies available in 2017, but the FFA Cup trophy is awarded in the season after the other 2 trophies, so I think it's more logical to link the FFA Cup with the season it falls in. As Waz said, if Adelaide win tonight and go onto be the Premiers and Champions this season, does that mean they haven't won the treble? Regarding NPL teams in your example, they could call it the double as the final isn't played in the following season. You're well aware the A League and NPL don't run concurrently so whatever rule we apply to A League doesn't really apply to NPL.
Nemesis
Guest
Doesn't make any sense to suggest the 2017 FFA Cup is the 1st trophy for 2018. What if an NPL club wins the FFA Cup and they also win the NPL National Championship that season? Is it considered a Double in that year, or will you say "the FFA Cup counts for the following year, even though it was won this year"?
Nemesis
Guest
It's pretty simple. Sydney won the 2017 ALeague Premiership Sydney won the 2017 ALeague Championship. If Sydney wins the 2017 FFA Cup Final, they will have won all 3 trophies on offer in 2017.
Waz
Guest
Hope it’s a good crowd and a good game. Enjoy.
Franko
Guest
Arnold counting his chickens when only 2 have hatched.
At work
Roar Rookie
I agree Waz, just like when Victory won the false treble by being Premiers and Champions in season 2014/15, yet didn't win the FFA Cup until November 2015 which is actually part of the 2015/16 season. FFA Cup should be classed as the first trophy of the season, not the last considering it falls in the following season. Anyway come on Sydney, I'll be there tonight cheering the boys on.
Waz
Guest
So if Adelaide win tonight they can’t go on and do the treble then. If Adelaide win the Cup and go on to win the Plate and the Toilet Seat it won’t be classed as “the treble” because apparently you have to win two trophies last season and the Cup this season. Only in Australia could this occur where we seek out false titles like “the worlds most liveable City”, “the sporting capital of the world”, and “the race that stops a nation”. It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not, it just matters that it makes us feel good, a kinda fake it until you make it attitude. The real loser tonight is Adelaide, they’ve already lost the treble and they didn’t know it ...