FFA Cup preview: Rockdale City v Melbourne Victory

A massive Westfield FFA Cup challenge awaits Paul Reid’s Suns as the talented NSW NPL outfit tackle the reigning Hyundai A-League champions. This should be a fascinating Cup clash at Jubilee Oval in Sydney’s south.

Rockdale City Suns v Melbourne Victory

Tuesday, 1 September 2015

Jubilee Oval, Kogarah (NSW)

Kick-off: 7:30pm local (7:30pm AEST)

Referee: Katie Patterson

Assistant Referee 1: Lance Greenshields

Assistant Referee 2: James Tesoriero

Fourth Official: Kearney Robinson

AAR 1: Stephen Lucas

AAR 2: Ben Abraham

Tickets: Click here for ticketing details

TV Broadcast: 7:00pm (AEST) Live and exclusive on FOX SPORTS 503

Radio broadcast: ABC Grandstand Digital and online

Join the conversation on Twitter using the hash-tag #RCSvMVC

Rockdale City Suns squad: 1.David BRADASEVIC (gk), 3.Steven HESKETH, 4.Hristijan TANOSKI, 5.Paul REID, 6.Takuya MURAYAMA, 7.Alec UROSEVSKI, 9.Dylan MACALLISTER, 10.Marko JESIC, 12.Idriss EL HAFIANE, 15.Nicholas PETRILLO, 17.Toufic ALAMEDDINE, 18.David DASCAL, 19.Patrick SAVOR, 20.Mitsuhiro IWAMOTO, 22.Ivan NECEVSKI (gk), 24.Nick SORRAS, 29.Isaac SAVOR, 31.Michael LOUPIS, 32.Matteo PANDOLFO, 36.Stefan DUBOCANIN

Melbourne Victory squad: 1.Danny VUKOVIC (gk), 5.Daniel GEORGIEVSKI, 6.Leigh BROXHAM (c), 7.Gui FINKLER, 8.Besart BERISHA, 10.Archie THOMPSON, 14.Fahid BEN KHALFALLAH, 16.Rashid MAHAZI, 17.Matthieu DELPIERRE, 18.Dylan MURNANE, 19.George HOWARD, 20.Lawrence THOMAS (gk), 21.Carl VALERI, 22.Jesse MAKAROUNAS, 23.Keiran DOVER, 24.Thomas DENG

**Please note the draw for the Westfield FFA Cup Quarter Finals will be conducted tomorrow night on FOX SPORTS (Channel 505) after the regulation time of the four matches.**

Victory players celebrate Kosta Barbarouses' goal against Balmain Tigers.

BLUFFER’S GUIDE

One of the eye-catching winners from the Round of 32, the Suns are now set for a David v Goliath battle against Kevin Muscat’s champions of Australia.

Victory have been slamming home the goals so far this pre-season and will look to exert their suffocating pressure on the home side. It’s time to find out how good the Suns really are.

But the slicker surface at WIN Jubilee Oval – as opposed to the Suns’ regular home at the bumpy Ilinden Sports Centre – should play into Victory’s hands.

The likes of Fahid Ben Khalfallah, Gui Finkler, Carl Valeri and Kosta Barbarouses should be able to fizz their passes around to execute their high-tempo, offensive game-plan.

But Reid – while still learning his trade with the clipboard – has a clever football brain and will have his troops well prepared for Victory’s attacking arsenal.

With their PS4 NSW NPL campaign done and dusted, Rockdale have been able to focus all their energies on one of the biggest nights in the club’s history.

This promises to be another swashbuckling NSW v Victoria contest. And with NSW Premier Mike Baird offering words of support to the Suns, who knows?

WHAT THEY SAY

Mike Baird  (NSW Premier)

‘Tuesday’s match against the defending A League champions, Melbourne Victory, will be an historic occasion for the club, players and the Suns’ passionate supporters. Taking on one of the country’s top teams on your own turf, and in front of a national TV audience, is a rare opportunity so leave everything you have out on the park.”

Kevin Muscat (Melbourne Victory)

"We're going to have a few players unavailable through international duty, so we looked at a few different things [against Port Melbourne] and I was pretty pleased. We're still a fair way off from where we want to be, it was a good step in the right direction for us.”

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

ROCKDALE CITY SUNS

League: PS4 NPL NSW

Current ladder position: Finished sixth in the NSW NPL

Latest result: Lost 4-0 to Bonnyrigg White Eagles in the final round of the NSW NPL a fortnight ago

Who to watch out for: Toufic Alameddine

Official site: www.rockdalecitysunsfc.com.au

MELBOURNE VICTORY

League: Hyundai A-League

Current ladder position: Finished 1st and won the Hyundai A-League grand final last season

Latest result: Beat Port Melbourne Sharks 4-0 in a friendly on Tuesday night

Who to watch out for: Kosta Barbarouses

Official site: www.melbournevictory.com.au