2024 Waratah Cup

{{Infobox football tournament season

| title = Waratah Cup

| year = 2024

| image =

| caption =

| country = Australia (NSW)

| dates = 17 July – 14 August (finals)
5 March – 5 June (prelim.)

| num_teams = 4 (finals)
159 (prelim.)

| defending_champions = Sydney United 58

| winners = APIA Leichhardt

| runner-up = Rockdale Ilinden

| prev_season = 2023

| next_season = 2025

}}

The 2024 Waratah Cup was the 22nd season of the Football NSW's knockout competition. The four winners from the Australia Cup preliminary seventh round qualified for the Waratah Cup. Sydney United 58 were the defending champions but were eliminated by NWS Spirit in the seventh round. APIA Leichhardt won 3–0 in the final against Rockdale Ilinden to claim their sixth cup title at Jubilee Stadium. Michael Kouta, who scored the opening goal for APIA, was named player of the match.{{cite web |title=APIA Leichhardt FC Crowned 2024 Waratah Cup Champions |url=https://footballnsw.com.au/2024/08/14/apia-leichhardt-fc-crowned-2024-waratah-cup-champions/ |publisher=Football NSW |access-date=16 August 2024 |date=14 August 2024}}

Background

= Preliminary round =

The draw for round 2 involved 88 association clubs (level 5) and was announced in February 2024. Clubs from NSW League One and League Two were drawn in round 3.{{cite web |title=Australia Cup Preliminary Round 2 and Round 3 draws released |url=https://footballnsw.com.au/2024/02/26/australia-cup-preliminary-round-2-and-round-3-draws-released/ |publisher=Football NSW |access-date=27 July 2024 |language=en |date=26 February 2024}} The draw for round 4 was announced in March and included teams from the National Premier Leagues NSW.{{cite web |last1=Stavroulakis |first1=Mark |title=Australia Cup 2024 NSW Preliminary Round 4 Matches Announced |url=https://footballnsw.com.au/2024/03/27/australia-cup-2024-nsw-preliminary-round-4-matches-announced/ |publisher=Football NSW |access-date=27 July 2024 |language=en |date=27 March 2024}} Youth teams of the A-League Men were not eligible to participate in the cup.{{cite web |title=2024 Australia Cup Entries Now Open |url=https://footballnsw.com.au/2024/01/22/2024-australia-cup-entries-now-open/ |publisher=Football NSW |access-date=27 July 2024 |language=en |date=22 January 2024}}

= Format and dates =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
Round !Clubs remaining !Winners from previous round !New entries this round !Main match dates
Round 2 \|159 \|– \|88 \|5–12 March
Round 3 \|115 \|44 \|58 \|19–27 March
Round 4 \|64 \|51 \|13 \|8–24 April
Round 5 \|32 \|32 \|– \|23 April–14 May
Round 6 \|16 \|16 \|– \|15–28 May
Round 7 \|8 \|8 \|– \|28 May–5 June

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

Round

!Clubs remaining

!Winners from previous round

!New entries this round

!Main match dates

Round 2

|159

|–

|88

|5–12 March

Round 3

|115

|44

|58

|19–27 March

Round 4

|64

|51

|13

|8–24 April

Round 5

|32

|–

|23 April–14 May

Round 6

|16

|–

|15–28 May

Round 7

|–

|28 May–5 June

= Qualified clubs =

The four qualified clubs were Rockdale Ilinden, NWS Spirit, Blacktown City and APIA Leichhardt, all of whom compete in the National Premier Leagues NSW.{{cite web |last1=Stavroulakis |first1=Mark |title=2024 Waratah Cup Semi-Finals Locked In |url=https://footballnsw.com.au/2024/06/07/2024-waratah-cup-semi-finals-locked-in/ |publisher=Football NSW |access-date=27 July 2024 |language=en |date=7 June 2024}} From the seventh round, Rockdale Ilinden won 9–1 against Phoenix FC, the latter based in the football association of the Eastern Suburbs. NWS Spirit overcame defending champions Sydney United to progress, while APIA Leichhardt and Blacktown City defeated Marconi Stallions and Inter Lions in their respective matches.{{cite web |last1=Stavroulakis |first1=Mark |title=2024 Australia Cup NSW Preliminary Round 7 Draw Announced |url=https://footballnsw.com.au/2024/05/23/2024-australia-cup-nsw-preliminary-round-7-draw-announced/ |publisher=Football NSW |access-date=27 July 2024 |language=en |date=23 May 2024}} In addition to the Waratah Cup, the four clubs qualified to the Round of 32 of the 2024 Australia Cup.

Rockdale played against NWS Spirit in the semi-final, having won their first head-to-head match over the latter in the 2024 league season.{{cite web |last1=Stavroulakis |first1=Mark |title=Rockdale Ilinden to face NWS Spirit next Wednesday for Waratah Cup Final spot |url=https://footballnsw.com.au/2024/07/10/rockdale-ilinden-to-face-nws-spirit-next-wednesday-for-waratah-cup-final-spot/ |publisher=Football NSW |access-date=27 July 2024 |date=9 July 2024}} Rockdale competed in their third cup appearance and for their first cup title. Spirit are previous cup winners, claiming the trophy in 2022, and appeared for their second Waratah Cup campaign. Blacktown City played against APIA Leichhardt in the semi-final. Both sides have won the cup five times and won once in the clashes between them during the 2024 league season.{{cite web |last1=Stavroulakis |first1=Mark |title=Blacktown City and APIA Leichhardt to battle it out for Waratah Cup Final spot |url=https://footballnsw.com.au/2024/07/18/blacktown-city-and-apia-leichhardt-to-battle-it-out-for-waratah-cup-final-spot/ |publisher=Football NSW |access-date=27 July 2024 |language=en |date=18 July 2024}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" \|+ Route to the Waratah Cup
scope="col" rowspan="2"\|{{abbr\|R\|Round}} !colspan="2"\|Rockdale Ilinden !colspan="2"\|NWS Spirit !colspan="2"\|Blacktown City !colspan="2"\|APIA Leichhardt
scope="col"\|Opponent !scope="col"\|Result !scope="col"\|Opponent !scope="col"\|Result !scope="col"\|Opponent !scope="col"\|Result !scope="col"\|Opponent !scope="col"\|Result
4 \|style="text-align:left"\|Manly United \|2–2 (a.e.t.; 4–2 p) \|style="text-align:left"\|Albion Park White Eagles \|1–4 \|style="text-align:left"\|St George City \|2–1 \|style="text-align:left"\|Hazelbrook FC \|19–1
5 \|style="text-align:left"\|Hakoah \|2–1 \|style="text-align:left"\|Dulwich Hill \|3–2 \|style="text-align:left"\|Fraser Park \|3–0 \|style="text-align:left"\|Berkeley Vale S.C. \|5–0
6 \|style="text-align:left"\|Wollongong Wolves \|2–0 \|style="text-align:left"\|Sydney Olympic \|3–1 (a.e.t.) \|style="text-align:left"\|Northbridge FC \|4–0 \|style="text-align:left"\|Blacktown Spartans \|5–2
7 \|style="text-align:left"\|Phoenix FC \|9–1 \|style="text-align:left"\|Sydney United 58 \|2–1 \|style="text-align:left"\|Inter Lions \|5–1 \|style="text-align:left"\|Marconi Stallions \|2–1

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

|+ Route to the Waratah Cup

scope="col" rowspan="2"|{{abbr|R|Round}}

!colspan="2"|Rockdale Ilinden

!colspan="2"|NWS Spirit

!colspan="2"|Blacktown City

!colspan="2"|APIA Leichhardt

scope="col"|Opponent

!scope="col"|Result

!scope="col"|Opponent

!scope="col"|Result

!scope="col"|Opponent

!scope="col"|Result

!scope="col"|Opponent

!scope="col"|Result

|style="text-align:left"|Manly United

|2–2 (a.e.t.; 4–2 p)

|style="text-align:left"|Albion Park White Eagles

|1–4

|style="text-align:left"|St George City

|2–1

|style="text-align:left"|Hazelbrook FC

|19–1

|style="text-align:left"|Hakoah

|2–1

|style="text-align:left"|Dulwich Hill

|3–2

|style="text-align:left"|Fraser Park

|3–0

|style="text-align:left"|Berkeley Vale S.C.

|5–0

|style="text-align:left"|Wollongong Wolves

|2–0

|style="text-align:left"|Sydney Olympic

|3–1 (a.e.t.)

|style="text-align:left"|Northbridge FC

|4–0

|style="text-align:left"|Blacktown Spartans

|5–2

|style="text-align:left"|Phoenix FC

|9–1

|style="text-align:left"|Sydney United 58

|2–1

|style="text-align:left"|Inter Lions

|5–1

|style="text-align:left"|Marconi Stallions

|2–1

Semi-final

{{Football box

|round =

|date = 17 July

|time = 19:30 AEST (UTC+10)

|team1 = Rockdale Ilinden

|score = 5–0

|aet =

|report = https://competitions.footballnsw.com.au/matchcentre?m=lNbpE5O5gd

|team2 = NWS Spirit

|goals1 =

Urosevski {{goal|22}}
R.Speranza {{goal|42}}
Antoniou {{goal|44}}
Sunmola {{goal|64}}
Pelekanos {{yel|67}}
Ovens {{goal|71}}

|goals2 =

Lum {{yel|49}}
Frerck {{yel|67}}

|stadium = Rockdale
Rockdale Ilinden Sports Centre

|attendance =

|referee = Ivica Covic

}}

----

{{Football box

|round =

|date = 24 July

|time = 19:30 AEST (UTC+10)

|team1 = Blacktown City

|score = 2–5

|aet =

|report = https://competitions.footballnsw.com.au/matchcentre?m=4KLxOQgQoK

|team2 = APIA Leichhardt

|goals1 =

Gibbs {{goal|60|pen.|89}}

|goals2 =

Gibson {{goal|18||90+2}}
Jordan {{goal|34}}
Segreto {{goal|41}}
Stewart {{goal|63}}

|stadium = Seven Hills
Landen Stadium

|attendance =

|referee = Brodie Merchant

}}

Final

{{Football box

|round =

|date = 14 August

|time = 19:30 AEST (UTC+10)

|team1 = Rockdale Ilinden

|score = 0–3

|aet =

|report = https://competitions.footballnsw.com.au/matchcentre?m=am1nWM5RnN

|team2 = APIA Leichhardt

|goals1 =

Collins {{yel|6}}
Speranza {{yel|79}}

|goals2 =

Kouta {{goal|7}}
Ucchino {{sent off|2|26|68}}
Jordan {{goal|40}}
S.Symons {{yel|47}}
Armson {{goal|65}}
Bouzanis {{yel|80}}

|stadium = Carlton
Jubilee Stadium{{cite web |last1=Stavroulakis |first1=Mark |title=Netstrata Jubilee Stadium to host 2024 Waratah Cup Final |url=https://footballnsw.com.au/2024/08/08/netstrata-jubilee-stadium-to-host-2024-waratah-cup-final/ |website=Football NSW |access-date=8 August 2024 |date=8 August 2024}}

|attendance =

|referee = Jake Rose

}}

References

Waratah Cup

Category:Waratah Cup