The youngest coach in the Westfield FFA Cup Round of 32 is just one of the fascinating sub-plots to Wollongong Wolves hosting Sydney FC in a clash that could smash Cup crowd records.
Wollongong Wolves’ youthful coach Jacob Timpano, just 30, said before Thursday’s draw that the Sky Blues would be the dream opponent in the FFA Cup Round of 32.
And the former Sydney FC championship-winning defender got his wish.
Timpano's Wolves will host the Sky Blues with a full house tipped for the FFA Cup Round of 32 clash in the Gong.
“Two years ago in my last season playing we drew the Mariners in the FFA Cup and we got around 7-8,000 at WIN Stadium.
“So it would a dream game coming up against Sydney FC,” Timpano told www.theffacup.com.au at Thursday’s draw.
“Sydney is my former club but also a lot of people in the Illawarra region [where Wollongong is based] follow the club.
“Down at WIN Stadium we could pack it out with 20,000.
"It’s by far the best stadium in the NSW NPL. We’re very fortunate to play our home games there.
“It’s a perfect venue, a bit under-used and it’s crying out for an A-League team to be honest,” Timpano said.
Timpano, whose career was cut short due to injury, was also coached by Sydney FC manager Graham Arnold in the Olyroos campaign of 2008.
And the young coach will use the experience of playing the Mariners to help him.
“We gave them [the Mariners] a fair crack. We only went down 1-0 that game and put in a good performance.
"So no member fed teams should be over-awed.”
The venues, dates and times of the Round of 32 will be announced in the coming days.
