2019 FFA Cup final

{{short description|Australian assoc. football cup final}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}

{{Use Australian English|date=July 2019}}

{{Infobox football match

| title = 2019 FFA Cup Final

| image = Coopers Stadium 23 Oct 2019.jpg

| caption =

| event =

| team1 = Adelaide United

| team1score = 4

| team2 = Melbourne City

| team2score = 0

| details =

| date = 23 October 2019

| stadium = Coopers Stadium

| city = Adelaide

| man_of_the_match1a = Al Hassan Toure

| man_of_the_match1atitle =

| man_of_the_match1b =

| man_of_the_match1btitle =

| referee = Alex King

| attendance = 14,920

| weather = Sunny
{{convert|30|°C|°F}}

| previous = 2018

| next = 2021
{{grey|2020}}

}}

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. Hosts Adelaide United defeated Melbourne City by four goals to nil, recording their third FFA Cup title and second in succession.{{cite web|url=https://www.news.com.au/sport/football/ffa-cup-final-2019-adelaide-united-vs-melbourne-city/live-coverage/2991babef09f14a86ef0207dfb8c975e|work=News.com.au|title=Adelaide United defeat Melbourne City in FFA Cup final; Al Hassan Toure steals the show|date=23 October 2019}}

The match was broadcast live on Fox Sports.{{cite web|url=https://www.a-league.com.au/news/how-watch-and-follow-ffa-cup-2019-final|title=How to watch and follow the FFA Cup 2019 Final|date=3 October 2019|work=A-League}}

Road to the final

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; floatleft;"
colspan=2|Adelaide United

!Round

!colspan=2|Melbourne City

bgcolor=#c1e0ff

|Opponent

|Result

|

|Opponent

|Result

align=left|Melbourne Knights

|5–2 (A)

|bgcolor=#c1e0ff|Round of 32

|align=left|Campbelltown City

|3–1 (A)

align=left|Olympic FC

|3–2 (A)

|bgcolor=#c1e0ff|Round of 16

|align=left|Marconi Stallions

|2–1 (A)

align=left|Newcastle Jets

|1–0 (H)

|bgcolor=#c1e0ff|Quarter-finals

|align=left|Western Sydney Wanderers

|3–0 (H)

align=left|Central Coast Mariners

|2–1 (A)

|bgcolor=#c1e0ff|Semi-finals

|align=left|Brisbane Strikers

|5–1 (A)

colspan=5 style="background-color:white;"|Note: In all results above, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).

{{details|2019 FFA Cup}}

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.{{cite web|url=https://www.foxsports.com.au/football/ffa-cup/ffa-cup-round-of-16-live-brisbane-olympic-vs-adelaide-united/news-story/fe43247aca6a55ebcd67d0bd701c6ca1?nk=62caa24acd50d802baa8c1cc2d65d471-1570185983|title=FFA Cup: Adelaide United's teen star Al Hassan Toure steals show|work=Fox Sports|date=20 August 2019}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/adelaide-sink-mariners-in-ffa-cup-semi-final-20191002-p52x4y.html|title=Adelaide sink Mariners in FFA Cup semi-final|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=2 October 2019}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.theffacup.com.au/news/confirmed-ffa-cup-2019-round-32-draw-revealed|title=Reds begin FFA Cup defence in Melbourne, Fowler's Roar reign starts against Sydney FC|date=26 June 2019|first=John|last=Greco|access-date=19 August 2019|publisher=FFA Cup}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.melbournecityfc.com.au/news/ffa-cup-report-marconi-1-city-2|title=FFA Cup Report: Marconi Stallions 1 City 2|date=22 August 2019|access-date=2 October 2019|publisher=Melbourne City}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.theffacup.com.au/news/ffa-cup-2019-final-locked-adelaide-united-host-melbourne-city|title=FFA Cup 2019 Final locked in: Adelaide United to host Melbourne City|work=FFA Cup|date=2 October 2019}}

=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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.adelaideunited.com.au/match/melbourne-city-fc-v-adelaide-united-a-league-20-10-2019/2023956|title=Melbourne City FC vs Adelaide United, Hyundai A-League, Round 2, 20th Oct 2019|website=Adelaide United|language=en|access-date=2019-10-24|archive-date=24 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024094801/https://www.adelaideunited.com.au/match/melbourne-city-fc-v-adelaide-united-a-league-20-10-2019/2023956|url-status=dead}}

Match

=Details=

{{footballbox

|date = 23 October 2019

|time = 19:00 ACDT

|team1 = Adelaide United

|score = 4–0

|report = https://www.theffacup.com.au/match/adelaide-united-v-melbourne-city-fc-ffa-cup-23-10-2019/2031939

|team2 = Melbourne City

|goals1 =

|goals2 =

|stadium = Coopers Stadium, Adelaide

|attendance = 14,920

|referee = Alex King

}}

width=92%
{{Football kit

|pattern_la = _navyborder

|pattern_b = _Adelaide_United_FFA_Cup_2019

|pattern_ra = _navyborder

|pattern_sh =

|pattern_so =

|leftarm = ff4f4c

|body = ff4f4c

|rightarm = ff4f4c

|shorts = ff4f4c

|socks = ff4f4c

|title = Adelaide United

}}

|{{Football kit

| pattern_la =

| pattern_b = _Melbourne_City_FFA_Cup_2019

| pattern_ra =

| pattern_sh = _whitebottom

| pattern_so =

| leftarm = 87CEFA

| body = 87CEFA

| rightarm = 87CEFA

| shorts = 87CEFA

| socks = 87CEFA

|title = Melbourne City

}}

style="width:100%"
style="vertical-align:top; width:40%"|

{| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"

width=25|width=25|
GK20{{flagicon|AUS}} Paul Izzo
RB4{{flagicon|AUS}} Ryan Strain{{yel|82}}
CB2{{flagicon|AUS}} Michael Marrone
CB22{{flagicon|DEN}} Michael Jakobsen (c)
LB7{{flagicon|AUS}} Ryan Kitto{{yel|45+1}}
DM27{{flagicon|AUS}} Louis D'Arrigo
DM5{{flagicon|CUR}} Michaël Maria
RM26{{flagicon|AUS}} Ben Halloran{{yel|90+1}}
CM8{{flagicon|AUS}} Riley McGree{{yel|79}}{{suboff|85}}
LM17{{flagicon|AUS}} Nikola Mileusnic{{suboff|90}}
CF35{{flagicon|AUS}} Al Hassan Toure{{suboff|72}}
colspan=3|Substitutes:
GK30{{flagicon|AUS}} Isaac Richards
MF18{{flagicon|AUS}} Lachlan Brook{{subon|90}}
MF16{{flagicon|AUS}} Nathan Konstandopoulos{{subon|85}}
MF6{{flagicon|AUS}} Vince Lia
FW11{{flagicon|NOR}} Kristian Opseth{{subon|72}}
colspan=3|Manager:
colspan=4|{{flagicon|NED}} Gertjan Verbeek

|valign="top"|

|style="vertical-align:top; width:50%"|

cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="font-size:90%; margin:auto"
width=25|width=25|
GK23{{flagicon|AUS}} Dean Bouzanis
RB2{{flagicon|AUS}} Scott Galloway{{suboff|55}}
CB4{{flagicon|AUS}} Harrison Delbridge
CB22{{flagicon|AUS}} Curtis Good
LB3{{flagicon|AUS}} Scott Jamieson (c){{yel|79}}
CM34{{flagicon|AUS}} Connor Metcalfe{{suboff|66}}
CM6{{flagicon|AUS}} Joshua Brillante
CM20{{flagicon|URU}} Adrián Luna
RW19{{flagicon|AUS}} Lachlan Wales
CF29{{flagicon|AUS}} Jamie Maclaren
LW11{{flagicon|ENG}} Craig Noone{{suboff|72}}
colspan=3|Substitutes:
GK1{{flagicon|AUS}} Tom Glover
DF40{{flagicon|AUT}} Richard Windbichler{{subon|55}}
MF17{{flagicon|AUS}} Denis Genreau{{yel|81}}{{subon|66}}
MF7{{flagicon|AUS}} Rostyn Griffiths
FW21{{flagicon|AUS}} Ramy Najjarine{{subon|72}}
colspan=4|Manager:
colspan=4|{{flagicon|FRA}} Erick Mombaerts

|}

style="width:100%;font-size:90%"
Man of the Match (Mark Viduka Medal):


Al Hassan Toure

Assistant referees:


Matthew Cream


Wilson Brown


Fourth official:


Josh Mannella


Additional assistant referees:


Shaun Evans


Adam Kersey

|style="width:60%; vertical-align:top"|

Match rules:{{cite web|title=FFA Cup How Draw Works|url=http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news-display/How-the-FFA-Cup-draw-works/86839|publisher=Football Federation Australia|accessdate=24 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140327115746/http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/news-display/How-the-FFA-Cup-draw-works/86839|archive-date=27 March 2014|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

  • 90 minutes.
  • 30 minutes of extra time if necessary.
  • Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.
  • Five named substitutes, of which up to three may be used.

=Statistics=

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center"
width=100 | Statistics

!width=70 | Adelaide United

!width=70 | Melbourne City

Goals scored40
Total shots1113
{{nowrap|Ball possession}}34%66%
Corner kicks27
Fouls138
Offsides12
Yellow cards42
Red cards00

References

{{Reflist}}