2014 FFA Cup
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country |  Australia New Zealand |
| Teams | 631 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Adelaide United |
| Runner-up | Perth Glory |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 31 |
| Goals scored | 94 (3.03 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Sergio Cirio (6 goals) |
The 2014 FFA Cup was the inaugural season of the FFA Cup, the main national soccer knockout cup competition in Australia. 631 teams in total from around Australia entered the competition. Only 32 teams competed in the competition proper (Round of 32), including the 10 A-League teams and 22 Football Federation Australia (FFA) member federation teams determined through individual state preliminary rounds held in early 2014 (and 2013 in the case of the ACT). The FFA Cup competition proper commenced on 29 July 2014 and concluded with the FFA Cup Final on 16 December 2014.[1] which was brought forward from Australia Day in order to avoid a clash with the 2015 Asian Cup, which was hosted by Australia.[2]
The winner of the FFA Cup received $50,000 as part of a total prize money pool of $131,450.[3]
Round and dates
| Round | Draw date | Match date | Number of fixtures | Teams | New entries this round |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary rounds | Various | 6 April 2013–25 June 2014 | 616 + 34 byes | 631 → 32 | 621 |
| Round of 32 | 27 June 2014 | 29 July–20 August 2014 | 16 | 32 → 16 | 10 |
| Round of 16 | 22 August 2014 | 16–23 September 2014 | 8 | 16 → 8 | none |
| Quarter-finals | 23 September 2014 | 14–29 October 2014 | 4 | 8 → 4 | none |
| Semi-finals | 31 October 2014 | 11–12 November 2014 | 2 | 4 → 2 | none |
| Final | 12 November 2014 | 16 December 2014 | 1 | 2 → 1 | none |
Prize fund
| Round | No. of Clubs receive fund |
Prize fund[3] |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 16 | 8 | $1,800 |
| Quarter-finalists | 4 | $4,800 |
| Semi-finalists | 2 | $10,950 |
| Final runners-up | 1 | $25,950 |
| Final winner | 1 | $50,000 |
| Total | $131,450 |
Preliminary rounds
621 FFA member federations teams competed in various state-based preliminary rounds to win one of 22 places in the competition proper (Round of 32). Eight of the nine FFA member federations took part in the tournament, the exception being Northern Territory, which is expected to start participating from the 2015–16 season. Player registration numbers in each jurisdiction was used to determine the number of qualifying teams for each member federation:[4]
- NSW have seven teams qualify.
- Queensland have four teams qualify.
- Victoria have four teams qualify.
- Northern NSW have two teams qualify.
- Western Australia have two teams qualify.
- ACT have one team qualify.
- South Australia have one team qualify.
- Tasmania have one team qualify.
The first of the preliminary rounds began on 6 April 2013 and the final of the preliminary rounds took place on 25 June 2014. Seven of the eight member federation preliminary rounds took place in 2014 (16 February–25 June). The exception was the ACT, whose competition took place during 2013 (6 April–28 August).[5]
Teams
A total of 32 teams participated in the 2014 FFA Cup competition proper, ten of which came from the A-League, the remaining 22 teams from FFA member federations, as determined by the preliminary rounds.[2] A-League clubs represent the highest level in the Australian league system, where as member federation clubs come from Level 2 and below. The current season tier of member federation clubs is shown in parentheses.[6]
| A-League clubs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide United | Brisbane Roar | Central Coast Mariners | Melbourne City |
| Melbourne Victory | Newcastle Jets | Perth Glory | Sydney FC |
| Wellington Phoenix | Western Sydney Wanderers | ||
| Member federation clubs | |||
 Tuggeranong United (2)
|
 Blacktown City (2)
|
Hakoah Sydney City East (4)
|
Manly United (2)
|
| Parramatta FC (3)
|
South Coast Wolves (2)
|
Sydney Olympic (2)
|
Sydney United 58 (2)
|
| Broadmeadow Magic (2)
|
South Cardiff (2)
|
 Brisbane Strikers (2)
|
Far North Queensland (2)
|
| Olympic FC (2)
|
Palm Beach (2)
|
 Adelaide City (2)
|
 South Hobart (2)
|
 Bentleigh Greens (2)
|
Melbourne Knights (2)
|
South Springvale (4)
|
St Albans Saints (3)
|
 Bayswater City (2)
|
Stirling Lions (2)
|
||
Draw
After the completion of the 2013–14 A-League season and the preliminary rounds by the respective member federations, the 32 teams were organised for the FFA Cup Round of 32 draw, the first of four draws in the competition proper. The draw for the Round of 32 used three pots to arrange the teams: Pot A included the four A-League teams to reach the semi-finals in the 2013–14 A-League Finals series (Brisbane Roar, Central Coast Mariners, Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers), Pot B included the remaining six A-League teams and Pot C contained the 22 member federation teams. Teams were drawn randomly into pre-determined positions. From the Round of 16, Quarter-finals and Semi-finals, teams will be allocated in one of two pots. The remaining A-League teams were allocated to Pot A and the remaining member federation teams into Pot B. In each draw, teams were again drawn randomly into pre-determined positions.[1]
The positions which teams are drawn into are structured to ensure that member federation teams have the best chance of advancing in the competition. The draw ensures a minimum of one non-A-League team reaches the Semi-finals stage, a minimum of three in the Quarter-finals and a minimum of nine in the Round of 16.[7] This structure is achieved by allocating teams (which are randomly drawn) into pre-determined positions, with some A-League teams guaranteed to be drawn against one another to ensure that a certain number of A-League teams are eliminated and that a certain number of member federation teams may progress in the tournament.[8]
The draw for each round did not take place until after the scheduled completion of the previous round. The draws also determined which teams will play at home; that is, if a member federation team draws an A-League team, the member federation team will host the fixture. However, if two A-League teams or two member federation teams are drawn together, the first team drawn will host, with the exception that Wellington Phoenix must play all of their matches in Australia, away from home.[2]
Bracket
Round of 32
The Round of 32 draw took place on Friday 27 June 2014.[9] The lowest ranked sides that qualified for this round were Hakoah Sydney City East and South Springvale. They are the only level 4 teams left in the competition. As a result of their loss to Adelaide City, Western Sydney Wanderers became the first A-League club to be eliminated by a member federation club.
All times listed below are at AEST
| Broadmeadow Magic (2) | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Brisbane Strikers (2) |
|---|---|---|
Petitt  58' |
Report | Thurtell 60' Coulson 103' |
| Manly United (2) | 1–3 | Sydney Olympic (2) |
|---|---|---|
| Payne 10' |
Report | M. Gaitatzis 58, 76' H. Gaitatzis 74' |
| Olympic FC (2) | 3–1 | Melbourne Knights (2) |
|---|---|---|
| McLean 17, 25' Jafari 86' |
Report | O'Doherty 52' |
| South Springvale (4) | 2–2 (a.e.t.) | South Cardiff (2) |
|---|---|---|
| Florea 25' Dimitrakopoulos 78' |
Report | Ashton 4' Wallace 41' |
| Penalties | ||
Diaco  Drakos Fitzgerald Skledar |
4–3 | D. Johnson Gazzard Brynes Stevens J. Johnson |
| Newcastle Jets (1) | 0–2 | Perth Glory (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Keogh 20', 88' |
| Parramatta FC (3) | 0–1 | St Albans Saints (3) |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Devlin 34' |
| South Hobart (2) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) | Tuggeranong United (2) |
|---|---|---|
| Kiddey 69' (o.g.) |
Report | Z. Munster 85' |
| Penalties | ||
| Ludford Undy Mann Scott Brennan Ludlow |
4–5 | Stewart Z. Munster E. Munster Reis Menser Pettit |
| Adelaide United (1) | 1–0 | Wellington Phoenix (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Cirio 31' |
Report |
| Blacktown City (2) | 0–1 | Bentleigh Greens (2) |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Stirton 40' |
| Melbourne City (1) | 1–3 (a.e.t.) | Sydney FC (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Kalmar 64' |
Report | Gameiro 23' Abbas 111' (pen.), 115' (pen.) |
| Sydney United 58 (2) | 4–1 | Far North Queensland (2) |
|---|---|---|
| Tomelic 14' Mileski 60'Pavlović 71', 78' |
Report | Smith 90' |
| Adelaide City (2) | 1–0 | Western Sydney Wanderers (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Love 75' |
Report |
| Hakoah Sydney City East (4) | 1–2 | Palm Beach (2) |
|---|---|---|
| Owusu 68' |
Report | Dragicevic 4' Rees 17' |
| Stirling Lions (2) | 0–4 | Brisbane Roar (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Henrique 30' Brown 55'Smith 63'Solórzano 68' |
| South Coast Wolves (2) | 0–1 | Central Coast Mariners (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Trifiro 13' |
| Bayswater City (2) | 0–2 | Melbourne Victory (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Barbarouses 23' Thompson 77' |
Round of 16
The Round of 16 draw took place on Friday 22 August 2014.[10] The lowest ranked side that qualified for this round is South Springvale. They are the only level 4 team left in the competition.
All times listed below are at AEST
| Adelaide City (2) | 1–0 | Brisbane Strikers (2) |
|---|---|---|
| Costa 42' |
Report |
| Olympic FC (2) | 1–3 | Central Coast Mariners (1) |
|---|---|---|
| McLean 57' |
Report | Fitzgerald 2' Sim 38' Trifiro 86' |
| Sydney Olympic (2) | 1–2 | Bentleigh Greens (2) |
|---|---|---|
| Soeda 90+4' |
Report | McCormick 7' (pen.) De Vries 11' |
| Tuggeranong United (2) | 0–6 | Melbourne Victory (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Berisha 11', 21', 86' Delpierre 14' Finkler 52' Pain 57' |
| Adelaide United (1) | 2–0 | Brisbane Roar (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Djite 35' Cirio 47' |
Report |
| Palm Beach (2) | 1–0 | South Springvale (4) |
|---|---|---|
| Boxell 81' |
Report |
| St Albans Saints (3) | 1–4 | Perth Glory (1) |
|---|---|---|
| McGuffie 68' (pen.) |
Report | Marinković 37', 90+4' Maclaren 62' Keogh 72' |
Quarter-finals
The Quarter-final draw took place on 23 September, with all timing and venue details confirmed on 29 September.[11] The lowest ranked sides that qualified for this round were Adelaide City, Bentleigh Greens and Palm Beach. They are the only level 2 teams left in the competition.
All times listed below are at AEDT
| Palm Beach (2) | 0–5 | Central Coast Mariners (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Cernak 28' Sim 72', 75', 90', 90+2' |
| Bentleigh Greens (2) | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Adelaide City (2) |
|---|---|---|
| Wallace 88' De Abreu 104' |
Report | Rideout 48' |
| Perth Glory (1) | 4–2 (a.e.t.) | Melbourne Victory (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Keogh 15' (pen.), 82' De Silva 103'Marinković 111' |
Report | Ben Khalfallah 8' Finkler 90+2' |
Semi-finals
The Semi-final draw took place on 31 October, with all timing and venue details confirmed on 5 November.[12] The lowest ranked side that qualified for this round is Bentleigh Greens. They are the only level 2 team left in the competition.
All times listed below are at AEDT
| Bentleigh Greens (2) | 0–3 | Perth Glory (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Report | Marinković 29', 50' Harold 84' |
| Adelaide United (1) | 3–2 | Central Coast Mariners (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Cirio 39', 88' Mabil 44' |
Report | Simon 48' J. Rose 90+3' |
Final
All times listed below are at AEDT
| Adelaide United (1) | 1–0 | Perth Glory (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Cirio 67' |
Report |
Top goalscorers
Note: Goals scored in preliminary rounds not included.
Broadcasting rights
The live television rights for the competition are held by the subscription channel Fox Sports, who broadcast 10 games live.[13] These matches were televised live by Fox Sports:
| Round | Live broadcast matches |
|---|---|
| Round of 32 | Broadmeadow Magic vs Brisbane Strikers[14] |
| Round of 16 | Tuggeranong United vs Melbourne Victory[15] Sydney United 58 vs Sydney FC[15] |
| Quarter-finals | All matches |
| Semi-finals | All matches |
| Final | All matches |
Match ball
The official match ball for the 2014 competition was the Umbro Neo 150 Elite.[16]
References
- ^ a b "FFA Cup How Draw Works". Football Federation Australia. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
- ^ a b c "2014 FFA Cup FAQs". Football Federation Australia. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
- ^ a b "FFA Cup 2014 Competition Regulations" (PDF). Football Federation Australia. p. 45. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
- ^ "Football Federation Australia reveals new FFA Cup competition and trophy". foxsports.com.au. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
- ^ "Tuggeranong United gets nod for FFA Cup". canberratimes.com.au. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
- ^ "Round of 32 puzzle almost complete". footballaustralia.com.au. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
- ^ "Cup gives grassroots chance to be giant-killers". footballaustralia.com.au. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ "Perth Glory coach Kenny Lowe says the club doesn't fear a tough FFA Cup route". perthnow.com.au. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ "All set for Round of 32 Draw". Football Federation Australia.
- ^ "Cup fever ramps up with Friday's draw". Football Federation Australia.
- ^ "Westfield FFA Cup Quarter Final Details". Football Federation Australia.
- ^ "Tuesday, Wednesday Cup Semis confirmed". Football Federation Australia.
- ^ "FAQS". FFA Cup. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ^ "Schedule confirmed for Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 fixtures". footballaustralia.com.au. 30 June 2014.
- ^ a b "Westfield FFA Cup Round of 16 details". footballaustralia.com.au. 27 August 2014.
- ^ "Umbro launch official Westfield FFA Cup ball". Football Federation Australia. 4 June 2014.