Our Round of 16 Westfield FFA Cup opponents will be an interesting prospect, come Wednesday night.
We’ve put the focus behind enemy lines, and made a list of 10 things to know before you watch Glory take on Lions FC on Wednesday night.
1. They were seriously impressive in the Round of 32 against Croydon Kings.
The Queenslanders put in a well-drilled performance to upset the 4th placed NPL South Australia outfit, with goals from Shoheel Khan and Andre Bonotto. Best of all, they produced that performance away from home.
2. They’re play a tier below the PS4 NPL Queensland.
But underestimate them at your peril; just ask Croydon Kings. Lions FC are currently leading the Trophy Superstore Brisbane Premier League by a whopping 9 points; only losing once in 21 matches in the 2015 season.
3. They won’t be playing at home on Wednesday night.
This could work in Glory’s favour; Lions FC are based in Richlands in Brisbane’s South-West, but had to move the Westfield FFA Cup game to Perry Park (home of the Brisbane Strikers) in north-Brisbane suburb Bowen Hills due to lighting requirements.
4. Lions FC are capable of producing beautiful football.
Have a look at their first goal against Croydon; the through-ball from midfield maestro Alex Janovsky to the pacy Shoheel Khan was inch-perfect and possibly the assist of the tournament so far.
5. They do their homework on their opponents.
Coach Warren Moon had scouts in Adelaide watching Croydon Kings before the game, which paid off when they used specialised tactics to shutout ex-Brisbane Roar winger Rocco Visconte from the game. There’s no doubt they’ll do the same for Glory.
6. Despite the dominance, good fortune favoured them in Adelaide.
Croydon cracked their defence in the 67th minute to score, but also could’ve done so later on in the game. Kings wingback Peter Mercurio should’ve finished a swift move 13 minutes from time and striker Andreas Wiens hit the post with a header that would’ve equalised it.
7. Their orange colours are inspired by their Dutch-background.
Established in 1957 as Hollandia by Dutch immigrants, the team took park in lower and first division competitions in Queensland soccer at their home in Richlands.
8. The Lions entered the NSL in 1977 and won the NSL Cup in 1982.
The team competed as a foundation member of the now-defunct league, both under the names of Hollandia and Brisbane Lions. The team also won the NSL Cup in 1982, before bowing out of the competition in 1988 to remain in Queensland’s top leagues.
9. Lions FC were behind the establishment of Brisbane Roar.
Lions FC defeated 19 other submissions to be granted the license for Brisbane’s Hyundai A-League team, which they called Queensland Roar. Eventually, the club was handed over to a Brisbane consortium in 2008.
10. Football is an unpredictable game.
No matter how many stats, histories and background checks of players and clubs, nothing is certain in football. Glory will have to stay alert and put in a complete performance to see off the Brisbane Premier League side and make it through to the Westfield FFA Cup Quarter-Finals.
The match against Lions FC kicks off at 5:30pm AWST (7:30pm local) in Brisbane. Watch the live stream of the match with your Foxtel subscription, details here: http://bit.ly/1IiQwDJ
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