Two Member Federation versus A-Leagues matchups, a Victorian cinderella story and an exciting interstate National Premier Leagues battle await on Matchday Four of the Australia Cup 2024 Round of 32.
South Melbourne FC hosts Wellington Phoenix, Melbourne Victory travel to northern New South Wales to face Lambton Jaffas, Victorian third division side FC Melbourne Srbija take on NPL South Australia title contender Modbury Jets, while Edgeworth Eagles head west to take on NPLWA leaders Olympic Kingsway.
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South Melbourne FC v Wellington Phoenix FC
Date: Tuesday 6 August 2024
Time: 7:30 pm (AEST)
Venue: Lakeside Stadium
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South Melbourne lifted the Dockerty Cup over the weekend, downing Australia Cup 2024 Round of 16 qualifiers Oakleigh Cannons.
At the end of extra time, the teams were locked at 0-0, but South Melbourne went on to claim the trophy on penalties, 5-4.
South Melbourne are also on course to win the NPL Men’s Victoria Minor Premiership. With two games to play, they are six points clear at the top.
Former A-Leagues and Finish Veikkausliiga forward Harry Sawyer has had an outstanding season with South Melbourne, scoring 16 goals in 21 games in 2024.
Nahuel Bonada has been another source of goals for the side with 11 so far this campaign.
This will be South Melbourne’s fourth appearance in the Australia Cup’s Round of 32, with their best result a Semi Final berth in 2017.
They were an entertaining watch in their Preliminary Rounds fixtures, scoring 12 goals, including two seven-goal thrillers.
The Phoenix had one of their best seasons in the A-League Men in 2023/24, finishing second on the table.
They went out of the Australia Cup 2023 at the Round of 16 stage to Melbourne City who beat them 3-0.
Wellington lost plenty of last season’s stars over the offseason such as exciting youngsters Ben Old and Alex Paulsen.
Attackers Oskar Zawada and Bozhidar Karev also departed the club, but three-time A-League Men winner Kosta Barbarouses signed on for another two years.
Wellington have made two signings so far this season: Marco Rojas has returned to the club as an attacking option, and former Sydney regular Paulo Retre will offer choice in midfield and defence.
Lakeside Stadium will be rocking as South Melbourne will go in search of a shock, while Wellington aim to back up on last season and avoid becoming the next 'Cupset' victim of 2024.
Lambton Jaffas FC v Melbourne Victory FC
Date: Tuesday 6 August 2024
Time: 7:30 pm (AEST)
Venue: Jack McLaughlan Oval
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This will be Jaffas' second appearance in the Round of 32, having previously made the national round in 2016.
The side demonstrated some defensive solidity in their run to the latter stages of the Cup, conceding only three goals across their four matches.
Most notably, they edged past Australia Cup Final Rounds regulars Broadmeadow Magic in Preliminary Round Seven with a dramatic 2-1 victory.
They would go on the lift the NNSW 2024 Men's State Cup defeating fellow Roun dof 32 qualifiers Edgeworth Eagles FC 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Former A-Leagues goalkeeper Ben Kennedy and stalwart centre-back Nikolai Topor-Stanley headline their line of defence.
The Jaffas have enjoyed a good season in the NPL Men’s Northern NSW, sitting second on the table.
However, they come into Tuesday’s game with two defeats in their last three matches in the competition as they attempt to chase down Broadmeadow Magic at the top.
Kale Bradbery has provided the bulk of the team's goals in 2024, with 14 in the league, while Bailey Newton and Matthew Cahill have contributed 11 each.
Melbourne Victory produced a much-improved A-League Men campaign on their previous attempt; going from 11th on the table to making the Grand Final.
They had a tough time in the Australia Cup, though, losing to Newcastle Jets in a penalty shootout in last season's Play Offs.
Victory have had some notable exits ahead of this season, with key defensive duo Damien Da Silva and Paul Izzo moving on.
Legendary all-rounder Leigh Broxham has also retired, leaving the club to replace some invaluable experience on the pitch.
They have made some impressive signings from the Asian competitions; the return of former Socceroos shot-stopper Mitch Langerak and Indian Super League champion Brendan Hamill.
Among Victory’s other signings are Australia youth international Joshua Rawlins, attacking midfielder Rene Piscopo and promising winger Jing Reec.
Victory’s new-look team will get their first competitive test on Tuesday with some key chemistry to be built ahead of their A-League Men season.
The Jaffas will be targeting their best ever Cup performance advancing further than they have before, and it would be a significant feat to do it against an A-Leagues giant.
FC Melbourne Srbija v Modbury Jets SC
Date: Tuesday 6 August 2024
Time: 7:30 pm (AEST)
Venue: Home of the Matildas
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Melbourne Srbija have had a historic season so far, making the Round of 32 for the first time in 2024.
They are also one of the lowest-ranked teams in the competition, currently competing in the Victorian Premier League 2.
Despite this, they demonstrated their quality in their run to the Final Rounds scoring 14 goals in their four matches and keeping three clean sheets.
Their Cup form has translated into their league performances as well, sitting equal on points at the top of the competition having secured promotion to the Victorian Premier League 1.
Maksim Ilić scored a brace in the side’s final qualifying match, a 2-0 win over Kingston City.
The midfielder is an integral part of the team, with five goals in the league this campaign and could be a difference-maker for the hosts.
The Jets are currently second in the NPL Men’s SA, two points behind league-leaders MetroStars.
They have experienced a tough run in the competition with two defeats in their previous two games heading into their Cup tie.
Jets duo Francesco Schimizzi and Hamish McCabe have been two of the best attacking threats in the NPL Men’s SA, contributing 27 goals between them.
This reflects Modbury’s record in the competition as the highest-scoring team in 2024 in the South Australian top flight.
However, the side exhibited a similarly stout defence, conceding only one goal in their run to the Round of 32, which will be their second appearance on the national stage.
They also picked up some big wins in that run, including two 4-0 victories, which boosted their goal tally to 11 in the Preliminary Rounds.
Modbury made the Round of 16 in their one previous Final Rounds appearance, and a win on Tuesday would match that best achievement in the competition.
Melbourne Srbija will get their first taste of the Australia Cup and will be eager to announce themselves with a win.
Olympic Kingsway v Edgeworth Eagles FC
Date: Tuesday 6 August 2024
Time: 6:30 pm Local, 8:30 pm (AEST)
Venue: Kingsway Reserve
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Olympic Kingsway sit at the top of the NPL Men’s WA table with four games to play.
Two well known names in the Australia Cup, Joseph Knowles and Liam Boland, lead the team in goals, with 20 of the team’s 48 in the league in 2024.
Knowles has proven his talents at Brisbane Roar, Oakleigh Cannons and Hyderabad, and his goalscoring prowess in 2024 makes him a player to watch on Tuesday.
Liam Boland is also joint-second all-time leading scorer in the Australia Cup Final Rounds on 11 goals with with Patrick Antelmi.
They come into their Round of 32 tie in good form, having won their last three matches.
Big wins over Dianella White Eagles and Mandurah City followed by nail-biting single-goal victories over Western Knights and Perth SC saw Olympic Kingsway into the Round of 32 for the very first time.
Edgeworth remain in with a shout of the NPL Men’s Northern NSW Premiership, sitting in third, seven points away from first but with three games in hand on top-placed Broadmeadow.
Ryan Feutz is the league’s leading goalscorer with 20 goals in only 11 matches.
His exploits include a hat-trick in each of his last three games, meaning he will be the major threat on Tuesday night.
Edgeworth put up some big scorelines in the Preliminary Rounds. They won 8-0, 4-3 and 7-0 before Feutz’s goal got them past Newcastle Olympic in Round 7.
The Eagles have a strong history of making the Round of 32, 2024 being their sixth occasion.
These teams have earned some superb results this season and this match will be one to keep an eye on as potentially one of the best games of the night.
