“An exciting game that we’re really looking forward to.”
That was Head Coach Tony Popovic’s reaction to Glory being pitted against Melbourne Victory in the FFA Cup Round of 32.
The WA side will face the reigning Hyundai A-League champions in a mouth-watering clash that marks the first time the club has ever enjoyed home advantage at this stage of the competition.
And Popovic is relishing the challenge.
“I’m delighted that we’ve been drawn at home first and foremost,” he said.
“It’s exciting to be playing the reigning champions and the game will be a great test to see where we’re at very early in our pre-season preparations.”
Tuesday evening’s Round of 32 draw also featured two other WA clubs in the form of Armadale SC and Gwelup Croatia who were handed an away trip to Cairns FC and a home clash with Adelaide Comets respectively.
Here’s how the draw went down at Glory HQ:
https://players.brightcove.net/5498268486001/default_default/index.html?videoId=5802312107001
Glory already have a shared history with Victory in the FFA Cup, notably the 2015 Final which the navy-and-whites won 2-0 at AAMI Park courtesy of first-half efforts from Oliver Bozanic and Besart Berisha.
The previous year, however, it was the men in purple who claimed the spoils, Andy Keogh (2), Danny De Silva and Nebojsa Marinkovic all finding the net in a dramatic 4-2 extra-time triumph at nib Stadium.
The Victory tie means that Glory have now drawn A-League opposition in the Round of 32 four times in the competition’s five-year history, but the omens are encouraging as those three previous hurdles were all successfully negotiated.
Full fixture and ticketing details to follow shortly.
#OneGlory
