FFA Cup Preview – Olympic FC v Melbourne Knights
FFACUP – ROUND ONE
TUESDAY 29th JULY 7:30 KO
GOODWIN PARK, BRISBANE
#OLYvMK
Goodwin Park will be abuzz with FFA Cup action as one of the better known non A-League clubs Melbourne Knights travel to Queensland to face reigning NPL Queensland champions Olympic FC.
Olympic FC are currently on a four game winning streak, and sitting second on the table behind runaway leaders Palm Beach in the highly competitive NPL. The defending champs still have plenty of work to do, but come Tuesday night their focus will need to be firmly on the Melbourne Knights.
A great Dockerty Cup run and FFA Cup qualification has been some comfort for the loyal Knights fans as the team experience an injury ravaged season in the NPL. Currently sitting 8th the team has plenty of work ahead if they want to prove they can compete with the more fancied clubs in the league. A Melbourne Derby loss last weekend and a draw to last placed Goulburn Valley Suns will have the players disappointed, but a trip to Queensland could just be the tonic for the famous Croatian club.
Olympic FC completed a comfortable 5-1 win over Moreton Bay United. The result was never in doubt with Olympic taking a 3-0 lead within the first 28 minutes. Danny Byrne scored a hat trick, and Rueben Way scored his 19th goal of the campaign. The result is the perfect lead up for the Brisbane based team.
Team Profiles
Olympic FC: Founded: 1967 Current Competition: NPLQLD Cup Champions: QLD Champions 2013
Melbourne Knights: Founded: 1953 Current Competition: NPLVIC NSL Champions: 1994/95, 1995/96
Road to the Cup:
Olympic FC
Centenary Stormers 6-0
Wolves FC 4-1
Peninsula Power 2-1
Melbourne Knights
Whittlesea Rangers 4-0
Mornington 2-1 AET
Green Gully 4-1
South Melbourne 2-0
Players to watch
Reuben Way
Scoring 19 goals in his first season at Olympic FC Way has showed them exactly that in his debut season. The former Gold Coast United junior player will be looking for a good showing, and an exciting cup campaign to force his way back into Australia’s premier league. The 23-year-old attacking midfielder will be a key element if Olympic is to reach the final 16 of the FFA Cup.
Shayan Alinejad
The hard working winger isn’t the prolific scorer, but the energy he creates for teammates will be paramount given the short turnaround his team faces. His second half goal against the more fancied South Melbourne secured the FFA Cup debut for his club and another goal against Olympic could be priceless for the club. Keeper Chris May will need to be on his game too if the Knights are to blunt the prolific Olympic FC attack.
Prediction
Home ground advantage will prove too much for the Knights as they fall to Olympic FC. The historic clash should be a well matched clash with both clubs searching for a pay day in the round of 16. The three day turnaround won’t be enough for the Knights squad to get through the clash, even though their squad is coming together after a very slow start. The four hour round trip to Shepparton was hardly an ideal preparation, and Olympic should have the run in the legs if extra time is required.
Olympic FC 3-1
Olympic FC squad: 1.Brandon CUMINAO (GK), 3.James CUMINAO, 4.Matthew BYRNE, 5.Kazuya ITO, 6.Matthew MUNDY, 7.Daniel CRACK, 8.Tim SMITS, 10.Daniel BYRNE, 11.Reuben WAY, 12.Sanjeev HENNY, 13.Darren GRAY, 14.Terry HUGHES, 15.Mark FISK, 16.Mustafa JAFARI, 17.Luke HOWELL, 18.Jacob MCLEAN, 19.Nicholas EFSTATHIS, 20.Shannon LANCINI (GK), 23.Matthew LUGO (GK), 24.Ryan MESKELL (GK)
Melbourne Knights squad: 1.Christopher MAY (GK), 2.Michael SIMMS, 3.Samuel TORRENS, 4.Milan BATUR, 6.Tomislav USKOK, 7.Daniel VISEVIC, 8.Leo ATHANASIOU, 9.Stipo ANDRIJASEVIC, 10.Marijan CVITKOVIC, 11.Jordan O’DOHERTY, 12.Ivan GRGIC, 13.Antun KOVACIC, 14.Nikola SRBINOVSKI, 15.Anthony DUZEL, 17.Joseph MONEK, 18.Christopher STEFANI, 19.Shayan ALINEJAD, 21.Luke JURIC, 25.Michael O’FARRELL (GK)
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