2019 FFA Cup final
The 2019 FFA Cup Final was the sixth final of the FFA Cup, Australia's main soccer cup competition and the final match of the 2019 FFA Cup. The match was contested between Adelaide United and Melbourne City, and was held at Coopers Stadium, home of Adelaide United. The home side, Adelaide, defeated City by four goals to nil and recorded their third FFA Cup title, and second in succession.[1]
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| Date | 23 October 2019 | ||||||
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| Venue | Coopers Stadium, Adelaide | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Al Hassan Toure | ||||||
| Referee | Alex King | ||||||
| Attendance | 14,920 | ||||||
| Weather | Sunny 30 °C (86 °F) | ||||||
The match was broadcast live on Fox Sports.[2]
Road to the final
| Adelaide United | Round | Melbourne City | ||
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| Opponent | Result | Opponent | Result | |
| Melbourne Knights | 5–2 (A) | Round of 32 | Campbelltown City | 3–1 (A) |
| Olympic FC | 3–2 (A) | Round of 16 | Marconi Stallions | 2–1 (A) |
| Newcastle Jets | 1–0 (H) | Quarter-finals | Western Sydney Wanderers | 3–0 (H) |
| Central Coast Mariners | 2–1 (A) | Semi-finals | Brisbane Strikers | 5–1 (A) |
| Note: In all results above, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away). | ||||
Adelaide United entered the tournament as the reigning champions, having defeated Sydney FC 2–1 in the 2018 Cup Final at home. The Reds were drawn away to high-profile NPL VIC club Melbourne Knights and won 5–2, with Ben Halloran's two goals in that match helping to keep the Knights at bay. In the Round of 16, Adelaide travelled to Brisbane to take on Olympic FC and were in danger of becoming the second A-League club to lose to an NPL club in this year's tournament. Olympic FC drew level with Adelaide twice in the match, before George Blackwood's 84th minute penalty conversion got the Reds over the line.[3] United then met A-League clubs for the remainder of the cup, winning 1–0 against Newcastle Jets at home in the quarter-final. A come-from-behind semi-final victory over the Central Coast Mariners was sealed by to a controversial 90th minute goal scored by ex-City footballer Riley McGree.[4] Adelaide United became the first A-League club to qualify for their fourth FFA Cup Final.
Melbourne City's opponent in the round of 32, was NPL SA club Campbelltown City in Adelaide. Goals from Jamie Maclaren and Craig Noone saw Melbourne City victorious by a margin of 3–1.[5] In the round of 16, Melbourne City headed over to Sydney to take NPL NSW club Marconi Stallions. After Jamie Maclaren scored the opening goal in the second minute, Craig Noone would score Melbourne City's second off a flick from Connor Metcalfe to give Melbourne City a 2–0 lead. A late consolation goal wasn't enough for the Stallions, with the final scoreline reading 2–1.[6] The club met Western Sydney Wanderers in the quarter-finals for the second time in three years and were dominant in a 3–0 win. In their semi-final tie, City traveled to take on the Brisbane Strikers at Perry Park. Despite conceding the first goal inside the opening five minutes, City won the match 5–1. Striker Jamie Maclaren scored in each match, and entered the final with six goals to his name.
Pre-match
Venue
For the second consecutive year, the host venue was randomly drawn following the conclusion of the semi-finals. Adelaide's home ground of Coopers Stadium was drawn, making it the third time the venue had hosted the showpiece event and for the second consecutive year.[7]
Analysis
Adelaide entered the match as the reigning cup champions and made their fourth appearance in the event. Success would provide the club with their third title, having won the cup in 2014 and 2018. City meanwhile have reached the final once before, in 2016 when they defeated Sydney FC at home to claim the senior men's team first piece of silverware.
The two teams met three days prior in Round 2 of the A-League where City came out on top 2–1 with Jamie Maclaren scoring a brace and Riley McGree scoring Adelaide's only goal.[8]
Match
Details
        Adelaide United
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  Melbourne City
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Man of the Match (Mark Viduka Medal):
Assistant referees:
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Match rules:[9]
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Statistics
| Statistics | Adelaide United | Melbourne City |
|---|---|---|
| Goals scored | 4 | 0 |
| Total shots | 11 | 13 |
| Ball possession | 34% | 66% |
| Corner kicks | 2 | 7 |
| Fouls | 13 | 8 |
| Offsides | 1 | 2 |
| Yellow cards | 4 | 2 |
| Red cards | 0 | 0 |
References
- "Adelaide United defeat Melbourne City in FFA Cup final; Al Hassan Toure steals the show". News.com.au. 23 October 2019.
- "How to watch and follow the FFA Cup 2019 Final". A-League. 3 October 2019.
- "FFA Cup: Adelaide United's teen star Al Hassan Toure steals show". Fox Sports. 20 August 2019.
- "Adelaide sink Mariners in FFA Cup semi-final". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2 October 2019.
- Greco, John (26 June 2019). "Reds begin FFA Cup defence in Melbourne, Fowler's Roar reign starts against Sydney FC". FFA Cup. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
- "FFA Cup Report: Marconi Stallions 1 City 2". Melbourne City. 22 August 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
- "FFA Cup 2019 Final locked in: Adelaide United to host Melbourne City". FFA Cup. 2 October 2019.
- "Melbourne City FC vs Adelaide United, Hyundai A-League, Round 2, 20th Oct 2019". Adelaide United. Archived from the original on 24 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- "FFA Cup How Draw Works". Football Federation Australia. Archived from the original on 27 March 2014. Retrieved 24 February 2014.