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2023 Australia Cup

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2023 Australia Cup
Tournament details
CountryAustralia
New Zealand
Dates9 February – 7 October 2023
Teams778 (qualifying competition)
32 (main competition)
Final positions
ChampionsSydney FC (2nd title)
Runner-upBrisbane Roar
AFC Champions League TwoSydney FC
Tournament statistics
Matches played31
Goals scored119 (3.84 per match)
Attendance70,454 (2,273 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)Lachlan Brook (5 goals)
← 2022
2024 →

The 2023 Australia Cup was the tenth season of the Australia Cup, the main national soccer knockout cup competition in Australia. Thirty-two teams contested the competition proper, with the winner qualifying for the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two.

Macarthur FC were the defending champions, but were eliminated by Campbelltown City in the Round of 32.

Sydney FC won its second Australia Cup after defeating Brisbane Roar in the final. This also resulted in qualification to the group stage of the AFC's 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two competition.

Round and dates

[edit]
Round Draw date Match dates Number of fixtures Teams New entries this round
Preliminary rounds Various 9 February–18 July 746 778 → 32 770
Round of 32 28 June 4–14 August 16 32 → 16 8
Round of 16 14 August 26–30 August 8 16 → 8 None
Quarter-finals 30 August 14–17 September 4 8 → 4 None
Semi-finals 17 September 24 September 2 4 → 2 None
Final 7 October 1 2 → 1 None

Teams

[edit]

A total of 32 teams participated in the 2023 Australia Cup competition proper.

A-League Men clubs represent the highest level in the Australian league system, whereas Member Federation clubs come from level 2 and below.

A-League Men clubs
Adelaide United Brisbane Roar Central Coast Mariners Macarthur FC
Melbourne City Newcastle Jets Sydney FC Wellington Phoenix
Western Sydney Wanderers Western United
Member federation clubs
Australian Capital Territory Canberra Croatia (2) New South Wales APIA Leichhardt (2) New South Wales Inter Lions (3) New South Wales Mt Druitt Town Rangers (2)
New South Wales Sydney United 58 (2) New South Wales Edgeworth FC (2) New South Wales Broadmeadow Magic (2) Northern Territory Hellenic Athletic (2)
Queensland Gold Coast Knights (2) Queensland Lions FC (2) Queensland Moreton Bay United (2) Queensland Peninsula Power (2)
South Australia Campbelltown City (2) South Australia North Eastern MetroStars (2) Tasmania Devonport City Strikers (2) Victoria (state) Goulburn Valley Suns (4)
Victoria (state) Heidelberg United (2) Victoria (state) Melbourne Knights (2) Victoria (state) Northcote City (3) Victoria (state) Oakleigh Cannons (2)
Western Australia Floreat Athena (2) Western Australia Inglewood United (2)

Preliminary rounds

[edit]

Member federation teams competed in various state-based preliminary rounds to win one of 22 places in the competition proper (at the Round of 32). All Australian clubs were eligible to enter the qualifying process through their respective member federation; however, only one team per club was permitted entry into the competition. The preliminary rounds operate within a consistent national structure whereby club entry into the competition is staggered in each state/territory, determined by what level the club sits at in the Australian soccer league system. This ultimately leads to round 7 with the winning clubs from that round entering directly into the round of 32. Slot allocations were the same as the previous year.

The top eight placed A-League Men clubs from the 2022–23 A-League Men season gained automatic qualification to the Round of 32. The remaining four teams entered a play-off series to determine the remaining two positions.

Federation Associated competition Round of 32 qualifiers
Football Australia A-League Men 10
Capital Football (ACT) Federation Cup (ACT) 1
Football NSW Waratah Cup 4
Northern NSW Football NNSWF State Cup 2
Football Northern Territory NT FFA Cup Final 1
Football Queensland 4
Football South Australia Federation Cup (SA) 2
Football Tasmania Milan Lakoseljac Cup 1
Football Victoria Dockerty Cup 5
Football West (WA) State Cup 2

Bracket

[edit]
Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
North Eastern MetroStars 5
Inglewood United 0 North Eastern MetroStars 1
Hellenic Athletic 0 Inter Lions 0
Inter Lions 6 North Eastern MetroStars 1
Oakleigh Cannons 2 Melbourne City 2
Melbourne City 3 Melbourne City 3
Peninsula Power 1 Wellington Phoenix 0
Wellington Phoenix (a.e.t.) 2 Melbourne City 1
Goulburn Valley Suns 1 Sydney FC 2
APIA Leichhardt 4 APIA Leichhardt 0
Sydney FC (p) 3 (10) Sydney FC 2
Central Coast Mariners 3 (9) Sydney FC 3
Gold Coast Knights 1 Western United 0
Devonport City Strikers 0 Gold Coast Knights 0
Edgeworth FC 0 Western United 2
Western United 4 Sydney FC 3
Melbourne Knights 4 Brisbane Roar 1
Lions FC 1 Melbourne Knights 2
Campbelltown City 2 Campbelltown City 0
Macarthur FC 1 Melbourne Knights 3
Mt Druitt Town Rangers 3 Heidelberg United 2
Canberra Croatia 1 Mt Druitt Town Rangers 0
Moreton Bay United 0 Heidelberg United 3
Heidelberg United 3 Melbourne Knights 0
Broadmeadow Magic 2 Brisbane Roar 1
Sydney United 58 4 Sydney United 58 0
Newcastle Jets 2 Brisbane Roar 5
Brisbane Roar (a.e.t.) 3 Brisbane Roar 4
Floreat Athena 1 Western Sydney Wanderers 2
Western Sydney Wanderers 6 Western Sydney Wanderers 5
Northcote City 0 Adelaide United 1
Adelaide United 2

Round of 32

[edit]

The round of 32 draw took place on 28 June 2023.[1] The lowest ranked side that qualified for this round was Goulburn Valley Suns. They were the only level 4 team left in the competition.

4 August 2023 Broadmeadow Magic (2)2–4 Sydney United 58 (2) Newcastle
19:30
Report
Stadium: Magic Park
Attendance: 1,603
Referee: Alireza Faghani
4 August 2023 North Eastern MetroStars (2) 5–0Inglewood United (2)Adelaide
19:30 (19:00 ACST)
Report Stadium: T.K. Shutter Reserve
Attendance: 857
Referee: Daniel Elder
4 August 2023 Peninsula Power (2)1–2 (a.e.t.) Wellington Phoenix (1) Brisbane
19:30 Greenwood 71' Report Stadium: A.J. Kelly Park
Attendance: 1,000
Referee: Shane Skinner
4 August 2023 Mt Druitt Town Rangers (2) 3–1Canberra Croatia (2)Sydney
19:30
Report Domenici 59' Stadium: Popondetta Park
Attendance: 594
Referee: Sam Kelly
9 August 2023 Goulburn Valley Suns (4)1–4 APIA Leichhardt (2) Shepparton
19:30 Currie 78' Report
Stadium: John McEwen Reserve
Attendance: 1,546
Referee: Jack Morgan
9 August 2023 Edgeworth FC (2)0–4 Western United (1) Newcastle
19:30 Report
Stadium: Jack McLaughlan Oval
Attendance: 1,275
Referee: Daniel Cook
9 August 2023 Gold Coast Knights (2) 1–0Devonport City Strikers (2)Gold Coast
19:30 Ludwik 54' Report Stadium: Gold Coast Croatian Sports Centre
Attendance: 720
Referee: Nathan Shakespear
9 August 2023 Floreat Athena (2)1–6 Western Sydney Wanderers (1) Perth
20:30 (18:30 AWST) Ambrogio 53' Report
Stadium: Kingsway Sporting Complex
Attendance: 723
Referee: Lachlan Keevers
10 August 2023 Moreton Bay United (2)0–3 Heidelberg United (2) Brisbane
19:00 Report
Stadium: Wolter Park
Attendance: 907
10 August 2023 Melbourne Knights (2) 4–1Lions FC (2)Melbourne
19:30
Report Pengelly 34' Stadium: Knights Stadium
Attendance: 583
10 August 2023 Hellenic Athletic (2)0–6 Inter Lions (3) Darwin
19:30 (19:00 ACST) Report
Stadium: Darwin Football Stadium
Attendance: 663
13 August 2023 Oakleigh Cannons (2)2–3 Melbourne City (1) Melbourne
14:00
Report
Stadium: Jack Edwards Reserve
Attendance: 2,652
Referee: Adam Kersey
14 August 2023 Campbelltown City (2) 2–1Macarthur FC (1)Adelaide
19:30 (19:00 ACST) Report Rose 90+3' Stadium: Steve Woodcock Sports Centre
Attendance: 947
Referee: Adam Bavcar
14 August 2023 Newcastle Jets (1)2–3 (a.e.t.) Brisbane Roar (1) Maitland
19:30
Report
Stadium: Maitland Sportsground
Attendance: 2,763
Referee: Ben Abraham
14 August 2023 Northcote City (3)0–2 Adelaide United (1) Melbourne
19:30 Report
Stadium: John Cain Memorial Park
Attendance: 1,652
Referee: Jack Morgan

Round of 16

[edit]

The round of 16 draw took place on 14 August 2023.[2] The lowest ranked side that qualified for this round was Inter Lions. They were the only level 3 team left in the competition.

26 August 2023 Sydney United 58 (2)0–5 Brisbane Roar (1) Sydney
14:00 Report
Stadium: Sydney United Sports Centre
Attendance: 1,050
Referee: Alireza Faghani
27 August 2023 Melbourne City (1) 3–0Wellington Phoenix (1)Melbourne
14:00
Report Stadium: Jack Edwards Reserve
Attendance: 1,153
Referee: Lachlan Keevers
29 August 2023 Melbourne Knights (2) 2–0Campbelltown City (2)Melbourne
19:30
Report Stadium: Knights Stadium
Attendance: 950
29 August 2023 Western Sydney Wanderers (1) 5–1Adelaide United (1)Sydney
19:30
Report Clough 81' Stadium: Marconi Stadium
Attendance: 2,490
Referee: Ben Abraham
29 August 2023 North Eastern MetroStars (2) 1–0Inter Lions (3)Adelaide
19:30 (19:00 ACST) Nagamatsu 90+2' Report Stadium: T.K. Shutter Reserve
Attendance: 1,142
30 August 2023 APIA Leichhardt (2)0–2 Sydney FC (1) Sydney
19:30 Report
Stadium: Leichhardt Oval
Attendance: 4,601
30 August 2023 Gold Coast Knights (2)0–2 Western United (1) Gold Coast
19:30 Report
Stadium: Croatian Sports Centre
Attendance: 910
30 August 2023 Mt Druitt Town Rangers (2)0–3 Heidelberg United (2) Sydney
19:30 Report Stadium: Popondetta Park
Attendance: 392

Quarter-finals

[edit]

The quarter-finals draw took place on 30 August 2023.[3] The lowest ranked sides that qualified for this round were Heidelberg United, Melbourne Knights and North Eastern MetroStars. They were the only level 2 teams left in the competition.

14 September 2023 Melbourne Knights (2) 3–2Heidelberg United (2)Melbourne
19:30
Report
Stadium: Knights Stadium
Attendance: 2,236
Referee: Alex King
14 September 2023 North Eastern MetroStars (2)1–2 Melbourne City (1) Adelaide
19:30 (19:00 ACST)
Report
Stadium: T.K. Shutter Reserve
Attendance: 2,022
Referee: Shaun Evans
16 September 2023 Brisbane Roar (1) 4–2Western Sydney Wanderers (1)Brisbane
17:30
Report
Stadium: Perry Park
Attendance: 3,926
Referee: Alireza Faghani
17 September 2023 Sydney FC (1) 3–0Western United (1)Sydney
15:00
Report Stadium: Leichhardt Oval
Attendance: 2,916
Referee: Casey Reibelt

Semi-finals

[edit]

The semi-final draw took place on 17 September 2023.[4] The lowest ranked side that qualified for this round was Melbourne Knights. They were the only level 2 team left in the competition.

24 September 2023 Melbourne City (1)1–2 Sydney FC (1) Melbourne
15:00 AEST Report
Stadium: AAMI Park
Attendance: 2,267
Referee: Jack Morgan
24 September 2023 Melbourne Knights (2)0–1 Brisbane Roar (1) Melbourne
18:00 AEST Report Stadium: Knights Stadium
Attendance: 7,892
Referee: Daniel Elder

Final

[edit]

The venue was originally set for Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, but was changed to Sydney to the Allianz Stadium due to irrigation work.

Sydney FC3–1Brisbane Roar
Report
Attendance: 15,482
Referee: Ben Abraham

Top goalscorers

[edit]
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Australia Lachlan Brook Western Sydney Wanderers 5
2 Germany Tolgay Arslan Melbourne City 4
Australia Thomas Waddingham Brisbane Roar
Australia Patrick Wood Sydney FC
5 Australia Gian Albano Melbourne Knights 3
Sweden Marcus Antonsson Western Sydney Wanderers
Australia Brandon Borrello Western Sydney Wanderers
Australia Mitchell Hore Melbourne Knights
Australia Jamie Maclaren Melbourne City
England Kaine Sheppard Heidelberg United

Note: Goals scored in preliminary rounds not included.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Australia Cup Round of 32 Draw Revealed". Australia Cup. 28 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Australia Cup 2023 Round of 16 Draw Confirmed". Australia Cup. 14 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Full details: Australia Cup quarter-finals locked in as Western's young brigade steal the show". Keep Up. 30 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Australia Cup 2023 Semi Final fixtures drawn". Australia Cup. Football Australia. 17 September 2023.