For the third time in as many rounds, the Australia Cup will see just one bout between two A-League clubs. This time around, we’re taking things down south, as Adelaide United host Western Sydney Wanderers in a rematch from last year’s Round of 16. Before we ring the bell on the quarter-finals’ headlining fight, let’s review how these teams made it here and preview what it’ll take to punch their way into the semis.
For our lone game in Perth for the Round of 16, Adelaide faced Olympic Kingsway, whose mere presence here already made them the most accomplished NPL Western Australia side in the Cup in years. However, that comfort wore off in a hurry. Austin Ayoubi, who earned a start after providing Adelaide with two crucial extra-time assists to get them here, was keen to continue his heroics, and in the 11th minute, he seized on a post-save scramble to put the ball into the wide-open left side of the net and give the Reds the early lead.
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Fortunately for Kingsway, they had Liam Boland, one of the Australia Cup’s all-time greats, on their side, and when winger Joseph Knowles served up a delicious cross into the box, Boland headed it with authority to tie things back up.
With that energising bolt, the hosts entered half-time hoping to shock the nation. But just a few minutes into the second half, disaster struck. Faced with an Ayoubi cross, Kingsway left-back Calum O’Connell momentarily forgot whose side he was on and dutifully headed the ball towards the net. By the time O’Connell realised his mistake, the ball was in and Adelaide had their lead back.
About twenty minutes later, Luka Jovanovic would replicate his past feats by providing the Reds some crucial insurance. With a strong header off a Zach Clough cross, the 19-year-old striker put Adelaide up 3-1, and before long, Jovanovic’s teammates would be extremely thankful for his help.
Despite all looking lost, a Kingsway free kick deep in their own territory quickly turned into a lifeline, as Adelaide keeper James Delianov personally rushed out and dove at Knowles’ legs, giving away a penalty. That set Boland up for a place in Australian sporting history, and when a deceptive leftward strike sent Dellanov diving to the right, it not only brought Kingsway back within one, it also cemented Boland as the Australia Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer.
However, that joy wore off fast for the home fans, as Adelaide’s mountain of possession crushed whatever hope Olympic had just gained, and the Reds took a 3-2 victory to make their third Cup quarter-final in four years.
Queensland Lions FC share a city, colour scheme, mascot, and most of their history and honours with Brisbane Roar, and they were determined to knock out the Wanderers in Brisbane, just as their A-League counterparts had done in last year’s tournament. Unfortunately for them, WSW took that old script and used it to line the bottom of a birdcage. The opportunities for Lions to make something happen were there, especially in the first half where they racked up far more set pieces. But even at that stage, the Wanderers’ opportunities added up to more, and it showed in the 23rd minute, when All Star winger Nicolas Milanovic shot a screamer from distance to give WSW the lead, which they’d maintain through half-time.
Once the second half arrived, Western Sydney got into their full groove, and Oscar Priestman helped prove that early. His lob pass from midfield effectively skipped the Lions’ defence and went straight to Zac Sapsford, who promptly chipped it over opposing goalie Cardiff Pond’s head, doubling the Wanderers’ advantage.
With the Wanderers’ defence keeping things locked down in their own half—centre-back Alex Bonetig and keeper Tristan Vidackovic, in particular, came up big. With the Lions unable to make anything of their many set pieces, the WSW attack was free to keep piling on, and in the final minutes, the bench players took charge. First, Marcus Antonsson picked up where Sapsford left off by running to meet Jack Clisby’s cross and expertly tapping it in. Then, Marcus Younis joined the fun by taking on a lob from fellow substitute Aidan Simmons, putting Pond on skates, and scoring easily to cement a 4-0 thrashing.
As a reward for helping to knock out the Dutchmen, Younis will now head to the Netherlands himself, joining PSV’s reserves on loan. In the meantime, WSW are back to the quarter-finals for a second straight year, and they’ll be hungry to outdo themselves.
Adelaide enter this match with both the home advantage and something major to prove. Last year, they lost to WSW by four goals and missed the quarter-finals for the first time in seven years, and now that the Reds are back up to their usual baseline, they’ll be eager to get revenge. With Austin Ayoubi’s continued emergence as a cup standout and the attack’s ability to score late and put the game away, they’ll have a clear path to get it done.
That said, the Wanderers look a major threat to stop the South Australians. The Alen Stajcic era is off to a roaring start, and the team are working well together on both sides of the ball. Defensively speaking, WSW have been lights-out when it matters most, and they’ll be hard to pin down on the attack thanks to their unselfish and opportunistic approach. Their splashy signing of veteran midfielder Juan Mata also gives their already-deep bench another potential weapon, and even if he doesn’t debut in this match, he’ll be a fountain of wisdom from the many cup runs he contributed to in Spain and England.
After middling 2023-24 campaigns for the Reds and Wanderers, both will be eager to prove they’re serious contenders, and a trip to the final four will be a major step towards that end.
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