Macarthur FC lifted a second Australia Cup in their short history on Sunday night, keeping favourites Melbourne Victory scoreless in front of their home crowd at AAMI Park in a 1-0 win. The triumph meant Macarthur became the first team to win an Australia Cup Final away from their home city since the national cup competition was reintroduced in 2014, a magnificent feat for the Campbelltown-based club.
The Macarthur FC squad celebrate their 2024 Australia Cup triumph. (Image: Macarthur FC X)
Heading into the big occasion without their captain and star striker Valère Germain after his late red card in the Semi-Final win over South Melbourne, there were doubts about whether Macarthur could find the net without their suspended top goalscorer.
Macarthur, led by Head Coach Mile Sterjovski, rather unsurprisingly adopted a deep-sitting, counter-attacking approach to minimise space in the final third for Melbourne Victory while maximising the capabilities of the speedy attackers available in his squad.
"I think we kind of expected Victory to dominate in possession, playing at home in front of the home crowd. It was very important that we were good defensively and try limit how many chances they had...I thought the whole team worked tirelessly throughout the match and did a good job at that," Sterjovski said post-game.
Sterjovski's assessment certainly rings true to his side's performance. While Victory dominated the ball, total shots, and possession in the opposition half, they were only limited to a few select clear-cut chances, mainly thanks to superb defensive showings from the towering centre-back pairing of Matthew Jurman and Tomislav Uskok.
However, from the select times Victory penetrated Macarthur's defensive lines, Filip Kurto stood up and denied any efforts that came his way. Making six saves—notably an excellent point-blank stop against Reno Piscopo and a ridiculous diving save on Nishan Velupillay's left-footed strike in the first half—along with three high claims and a clean sheet, the Polish shot-stopper was rightly awarded the Mark Viduka Medal for his performance—the first goalkeeper ever to win it.
After joining the A-League in 2018, the 33-year-old expressed his plan to stay in Australia for the foreseeable future post-game. In January, he signed an extension with the Bulls until the conclusion of the 2025/26 season.
While Kurto and the Bulls' backline rightfully received many of the plaudits for shutting out Victory, Macarthur's attack deserves credit for ultimately creating and converting the critical chance that came their way early in the second half. They pounced on a defensive error from the home side, mainly their full-backs.
Typically a left-back, Walter Scott beat Kasey Bos to a bouncing ball on the right wing and played through make-shift striker Jed Drew, who was kept onside by Jason Geria's failure to maintain a level defensive line with Victory's centre-backs. Drew proceeded to expertly bait the recovering Geria and find the unmarked Marin Jakolis on the left wing, who calmly finished past Jack Duncan. This counter-attacking move was executed perfectly and capitalised on a few defensive faults.
It was an excellent moment for Jakolis, who has enjoyed an exceptional start to life at the Bulls after a stint with mixed reviews at Melbourne City last season. Primarily utilised on the right wing for City, Jakolis started all five of his Australia Cup games on the left for Macarthur, bagging three goals and three assists across these appearances.
When asked post-game, Sterjovski explained why Jakolis is being played on the left.
"He's a quality player that I think can play on the left, right, or up top. I liked him on the left; we tried him in a few friendly games early on, and he did a great job then. I think he had a good connection with the players on that side," he explained.
"For us, we'll see when we have everyone back how it all works together, but at the moment, I'm happy with him on the left side."
Jakolis' lone goal to help Macarthur win the Australia Cup represented a third straight 1-0 win for the Bulls on their path to silverware, keeping clean sheets against the Oakleigh Cannons, South Melbourne, and Victory to finish off their 2024 campaign - a special moment for the club after a tumultuous off-season that saw multiple key players depart due to an alleged betting scandal.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the equation, going down to the Bulls in the Final has left a sour taste in the mouth for what had been an impressive Cup run for Melbourne Victory. Before the match began, the shock omission of Daniel Arzani from Patrick Kisnorbo's teamsheet left many Vuck fans perplexed, considering the 25-year-old winger had started in Victory's previous three wins.
Arzani's pending suspension for the opening round of the 2024/25 A-League Men's season was cited behind Kisnorbo's decision to 'experiment' in the Cup Final, denying rumours of a fallout between himself and the player.
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Victory started the game well, creating chances. A penalty appeal on Kasey Bos that looked convincing was turned down by referee Jonathan Barreiro, much to the dismay of the 13,289 spectators at AAMI Park.
Particularly threatening Macarthur out wide, Bos was dangerous when venturing forward down the left wing, finishing with four key passes and 117 touches. Velupillay also provided much directness for Victory on the opposite wing, completing 7/10 dribbles, providing three key passes, and creating one big chance.
Despite the inability to convert on their territorial domination, Kisnorbo credited his side's performance and the positive signs he took from the game. He also praised young Jordan Hoey when asked about the 18-year-old's impact off the bench.
"Yeah, he had [a] great impact. He's been training with us for a bit now. [He came on] in difficult circumstances, and I thought he handled it really well...created some really good opportunities, and he's just got to keep working on that," the new Victory Head Coach said post-game.
Kisnorbo and his side will now turn their attention to the A-League Men's season ahead. The former Melbourne City boss has already divided fan opinions with his selection decisions regarding the club's reigning top scorer, Bruno Fornaroli, and now Arzani. Victory will face a big test in their opening fixture, taking on the Central Coast Mariners in a Grand Final rematch in Gosford on the 18th of October.
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