Heavyweights collide, rivals face off and minnows on the hunt as FFA Cup heats up

The FFA Cup is starting to heat up as the country's bigger clubs begin entering the fray and making their bid for glory.

Several states already have their representatives for future rounds locked away, but there are still some crunch ties to be played in the coming days.

With the National Premier Leagues (NPL) top-tier teams beginning to enter the race, there are several big encounters to keep an eye on.

Read on for the highlights from the upcoming fixtures.

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It may only be Round 2 in South Australia but that does not mean there is no drama.

Indeed we could have one of the match-ups of this season's competition already in place, with reigning NPL champions Campbelltown City set to meet Adelaide City on Thursday 18 April.

Sergio van Dijk, Marcos Flores and Mat Leckie celebrate one of Adelaide's eight goals against the Fury.
Marcos Flores is back in the FFA Cup with Adelaide City.

Adding further excitement is the addition of former Hyundai A-League star Marcos Flores, who joined Adelaide in the off-season and has already made his mark with a stunning goal from the halfway line in a National Premier Leagues clash against Oakden in March.

There is another intriguing clash in Victoria, where two proud North Melbourne clubs are set to go head-to-head in Round 4.

Pascoe Vale, of NPL 1, will host NPL 2 side Moreland City at CB Smith Reserve on Saturday 20 April.

Aside from being a local derby, the match could also feature Pascoe Vale’s Hakeem Al-Araibi as the former refugee continues his comeback after a well-publicised incarceration in Thailand.

To Northern NSW, and former Central Coast Mariners striker Daniel McBreen is likely to line-up for Edgeworth Eagles when they meet West Wallsend at Jack McLaughlan Oval on Wednesday 8 May.

While this Round 4 match-up is almost a month away, it is one to keep an eye on with McBreen – who has played professionally in Romania, Scotland, England and China, as well as in Australia – surely keen to show fans that he has still got it after taking out the Hyundai A-League Golden Boot with 19 goals for Mariners in 2012/13.

Daniel McBreen
Daniel McBreen in action for Edgeworth

Finally we go to NSW for a look at some big names entering the competition in Round 4.

Last year’s FFA Cup quarter-finalists APIA Leichhardt – who knocked out Melbourne Victory on their way to the last eight – will begin their campaign to be giant-killers once again, but will have to be wary of falling victim to an upset of their own in their fourth-round fixture against Central Coast minnows Berkeley Vale at Pluim Park on 1 May.

Northern Suburbs Premier League side Lindfield will also be hoping for an against-the-odds performance when they face off with NPL giants Sydney Olympic.

They will host Olympic on Wednesday 17 April at Charles Bean Sportsground or, as it is known locally, the ‘Theatre of Beans’.