After an exhilarating opening matchday, we’re set for four more mouthwatering matchups as Matchday 2 of the Australia Cup 2023 Round of 32 kicks on this Wednesday night.
There is the chance of a few upsets as the teams battle it out to join Sydney United 58, Mount Druitt Town Rangers, Wellington Phoenix and MetroStars SC in the Round of 16.
Edgeworth Eagles FC v Western United FC
Date: Wednesday 9 August 2023
Time: 7:30 pm
Venue: Jack McLaughlan Oval
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National Premier Leagues NNSW side Edgeworth Eagles host professional opposition Western United at Jack McLaughlan Oval, as the only Northern NSW team left in the competition.
The Eagles are no stranger to the latter rounds of the Cup, but they had to fight hard for their place this time around.
They edged past all their opponents, only winning by one or two goals on their route to the national round.
Edgeworth sit in the middle of a competitive NPL NNSW table and will see this Wednesday as an opportunity to improve their patchy results in 2023.
Western United will be eager to rectify a challenging campaign last year for the then reigning A-League Men’s champions, where their title defence fell flat.
Coach John Aloisi has made several changes to his squad, with plenty of new faces getting their first taste of action on the pitch for United on Wednesday.
The Eagles have proven they can scrap in this competition, so they have all the ingredients to give Western United a tough test.
Goulburn Valley Suns FC v APIA Leichhardt FC
Date: Wednesday 9 August 2023
Time: 7:30 pm
Venue: John McEwan Oval
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Goulburn Valley Suns take on NPL NSW powerhouse APIA Leichhardt at John McEwan Oval in a challenging game for the Victorian team.
The Suns have put in a good showing in their league campaign, sitting in the top five with two matches to play.
The NPL Victoria 3 side were not shy of goals in the preliminary rounds, scoring 14 times across their matches as they made it to the Final Rounds for the first time.
However, Goulburn Valley have been struggling at the other end of the pitch recently, conceding 10 goals in their last three matches.
APIA are amid a tight title battle in the NPL NSW, currently leading the competition by four points with three games to play.
Franco Parisi’s team were emphatic in making their way through the early rounds of the Cup, scoring 18 goals without conceding before scraping past Sydney Olympic on penalties.
Fresh off a four-goal haul against Olympic on the weekend, dynamic winger Jack Stewart is one to watch out for in the APIA frontline.
The attacker has scored 19 goals for the league leaders in 2023, being one of the standouts in NPL NSW.
Goulburn City will be up against it on Wednesday but could take advantage of their opponents who still have one eye on their league campaign.
Gold Coast Knights FC v Devonport City Strikers FC
Date: Wednesday 9 August 2023
Time: 7:30 pm
Venue: Croatian Sports Centre
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Two of the form teams in the Cup go head-to-head at Croatian Sports Centre when Devonport City Strikers travel to face Gold Coast Knights.
The Strikers have nearly been faultless in the NPL Tasmania, dropping only four points.
They’ve translated this form into their Cup campaign with some strong performances, including a 7-0 battering in their first match.
Despite losing their first league game of the season in early July, Devonport City have since won three straight matches coming into this one.
Gold Coast have been no less impressive in the NPL Queensland, also sitting atop their league.
The Knights flew through the preliminary rounds of the Cup, scoring nineteen and conceding only two.
The team though, have failed to score in two of their past three league fixtures, so Wednesday night offers the perfect chance for them to rediscover their goalscoring prowess.
This match promises to be an exciting clash between two teams having fantastic runs in their league competitions.
Floreat Athena FC v Western Sydney Wanderers FC
Date: Wednesday 9 August 2023
Time: 8:30 pm
Venue: Kingsway Reserve
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Floreat Athena take on Western Sydney Wanderers at Kingsway Reserve, with their eyes set on causing the Wanderers another upset in the Cup.
The team have been struggling in the NPL WA in 2023 sitting just three points clear of last place.
Athena were involved in tight matches on their route to the Final Rounds, edging through by a single goal on three out of four occasions.
They’ll be looking to bounce back from their most recent defeat in the league with the welcome distraction of the Cup.
Western Sydney will want a fast start to this season as they build up for the new ALM campaign, having made the finals last season.
The Wanderers will be hoping to make a bigger impression in the Australian Cup than in recent years as they have failed to make the quarter finals since 2019.
Floreat Athena face a tough task here, but the Wanderers have been susceptible to an upset in the past.
