Is it just me or is there not a great deal of hype over the cup this year. A day out and I'm just not feeling the vibe on the forum like I did last year, or the inaugural year. :(

I'm still pretty pumped although a bit dissapointed with the NPLNSW clubs playing each other, looking forward to see how Marconi go against Hume, I think Marconi might put up more of a fight than people think.

I'm pumped and keeping tabs.
Not fussed no HAL teams.
Come on Edgeworth, knock off Fury, Marconi and United !
Bad timing re tomorrow night United game, boy has a make up game to play at 7.30 otherwise we'd be there.
I'll have to keep tabs on the mobile and other games.

my predications:
FNQ Heat beat Edgeworth Eagles
Hume City beat Marconi Stallions
Brisbane Strikers beat Darwin Rovers
Sydney United beat Blacktown City

Local sport
FFA Cup glory on the line for eager Heat

Jacob Grams, FOOTBALL, The Cairns Post
July 26, 2016 4:11pm

The FNQ Heat will use a home-ground edge to rewrite their forlorn FFA Cup Round of 32 history over Northern NSW NPL side Edgeworth Eagles tonight at Barlow Park.

Players have been visiting local schools in a bid to build up the clash and Heat coach Tim Campbell said his side had focused on the opportunity to prove the strength of the often forgotten Far North.

“Everyone that we seem to be talking to seems to be as excited as us,” he said.

“It’s an enormous opportunity for us. The first time we’ve had the chance to be drawn and home and we’ve got a nice home tie, playing against a really good side. The boys have been looking forward to it for a while.”

Campbell said while past results could “play with the minds of the players”, being at home would be a game-changer to bring out the best in the Heat – not to mention the chance to shine on Fox Sports’ live stream of every match.

“I think a lot of the players want to give themselves every chance to be noticed by the A-League clubs,” he said.

“We’ve been getting some good results and some of our players have been playing well and just to get the opportunity to be invited to go down and train would be a great thing.”

Edgeworth possess A-League champion Daniel McBreen and Japanese excitement machine Keigo Moriyasu in attack, although Campbell said he didn’t want his players to “overthink” about their opposition.

“They’re just players at the end of the day,” he said.


“Our Japanese defender (Shimon Watanabe) has scored a couple in the past couple of weeks so they might have to watch out for him.

“We’ve got the league’s top scorer, we’ve got some real good young players with lots of energy so I think they’ll be as worried about us as we are about them.

“They’re a big, strong side, very well structured, very well organised, so I think ... it will be competitive.”

Campbell was not concerned how the pitch, despite Barlow Park holding a school sports carnival today and yesterday, using parts of the field.

Heat midfielder Jamie Gosling is a 50-50 chance of being a late inclusion.

FFA Cup: Edgeworth look to Daniel McBreen in shot at NNSW history 26 Jul 2016, 6:30 p.m.

STRIKING: Keanu Moore, Ayden Brice, Jim Fogarty and Don Bizzarri sport the Eagles' FFA Cup strip ahead of the trip north. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

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Coach Damian Zane said Edgeworth brought back favourite son Daniel McBreen this year for games just like Wednesday night’s FFA Cup match in Cairns against Far North Queensland Heat.

It’s a match Zane wants to win more than any this year.

“If some actually said to me, would you trade the premiership for a win tomorrow night? I would,” Zane said on Tuesday as his squad prepared to catch a flight. “But I’m greedy so I want the premiership as well.

“This game is our No.1 goal. It would be a bit of history to be the first Northern team to go through and you’d be a chance of hosting an A-League team next round. We still want to win the competition at home, but when you win it, it’s then ‘what’s the next thing you can do?’ For us it was winning a round of 32 cup game.”

Edgeworth last year provided Northern NSW with its greatest highlight in the FFA Cup, leading Melbourne City at Magic Park before losing 2-1 to an injury-time goal.

McBreen, an A-League golden boot and grand final man of the match at the Mariners, and Japanese revelation Keigo Moriyasu are the big additions to their squad this year. While Moriyasu has knocked in 14 goals for a stunning highlight reel, McBreen has scored three in 11 games. But it’s not all about McBreen scoring goals for the man himself or Zane, who has played his 39-year-old star as a target man.

“These type of games is where we thought he could help us take that next step and win,” Zane said. “We are going to need him on Wednesday, holding the ball up for us and I’m sure he’ll do that and bring our midfielders into the game. He’s going to be vital and I think he’ll be up for it.”

McBreen, who played 21 games for North Queensland Fury in 2009-10, said it had been tough not making every game or training session because of his junior coaching commitments.

“I spoke to [Eagles official] Warren Mills at the start, and he was pumping me up, saying I was going to be top goalscorer in the league,” McBreen said. “I said, ‘I don’t think I will be anywhere near that’, and as it’s panned out, that’s been the way.

“I said it’s more for these young boys, let’s get them scoring goals, let’s promote them. I’ve done all that, it’s not about me anymore. It’s about these young blokes and the club. If I can take one player out of play and create space for someone, I’ve done my job.”

Zane travelled to Brisbane last Saturday, when the match with Valentine was washed out, to watch the Heat beat Roar Youth 1-0. He said the Queensland NPL leaders were tall, structured and intense.

“I think we can more than match them technically, I think we’re probably better,” Zane said. “But that intensity, if we don’t bring it, it’s going to be a long game.”

The 7.30pm game will be streamed online at www.foxsports.com.au and Apple TV via Fox Sports Now.

Zane said Jamie Carroll, the Queensland NPL leading goalscorer, and Englishman Jamie Gosling were among the Heat’s top players.

“They’ve been in the round of 32 every year, so it’s going to be tough, but I’m quietly confident we can win if we play to our ability,” Zane said.

“They are quite a tall team and physical and our squad is quite small, so our big boys are going to have to step up.

“They love a set piece and it’s going to be important we defend well and don’t give away cheap free kicks.

“They are not the flashiest team but they are a really tight unit.”


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McBreen said the Eagles were ready for the long away trip, which Northern NSW Football helped fund to allow them to go up a day early. NNSWF will do the same for Lambton Jaffas’ trip to Devonport in two weeks.

“They are all a pretty relaxed group of guys and are taking it in their stride,” McBreen said on Tuesday.

“It gives me a little flashback to the playing days when we’d go on away trips. It’s good and is a bit of a bonding experience with the guys. It can only bring you closer together, especially if you win.

“Just the camaraderie with the boys, everyone is sitting here at the airport having a laugh and a coffee, just a joke together. It’s one of the good things in football and it’s good we get to do it.”

He said the game was “massive” for the club.

“Right from the start when I came back to the club, Zaney laid out that the league is important but this is one of our main goals, the round of 32,” he said.

“Hopefully we could get a draw we could win and get through to the 16. We’re definitely looking at it that way. It’s going to be a tough game and we’re away, but we think if we play to our potential we can get a win, which will be massive for the club.”

McBreen said he felt like he had let down the team at times this year because of his coaching commitments but he was glad to be back with the Eagles.

“I’ve enjoyed the games, it’s really good to have a team full of young guys so willing to do their best and try hard,” he said. “They are all wanting to learn and be better footballers, so it’s a great atmosphere to be around.

"Zaney, the way he coaches, he gives guys opportunities and there’s so many young players who probably wouldn’t have got a chance at our clubs. They’ve come through and they’re shining.”

Agree with the first 3.

Last match could go either way I reckon. Penalties would be cool to see.

Witness its glory.

my predications:
FNQ Heat beat Edgeworth Eagles
Hume City beat Marconi Stallions
Brisbane Strikers beat Darwin Rovers
Sydney United beat Blacktown City

I'll be at blacktown tonight.

Not feeling confident.

Witness its glory.

I want to vomit, and yet make sweet, sweet passionate love to it at the same time. :lol:

I'll be at blacktown tonight.

Not feeling confident with this one, we got an injury or two over the weekend, so defensively it will be tough for the boys, and i believe our record at blacktown isnt crash hot

nevertheless it will be a tight game, extra time or penalties in this one.

Woohoo game day! \:d/

My predictions to progress are Edgeworth, Hume, Strikers and Blacktown.

Why Edges over FNQ?

-PB

Not sure, just a feeling. I hope I'm wrong though.

Edgeworth just seem to be in great form, whereas it depends which FNQ turns up.

Also, the rankings list puts Edgeworth higher, so I'm going with that ;)

I might have missed it, but for those with no live FFA Cup football is it on Fox?

Yep. 7.30 Hume vs Marconi with the Fox FFA cup trumpet 🎺 to alert of goals elsewhere.

Thanks.

WATCH IT ON FOX SPORTS
If you can’t get to the game, the next best place to ensure you don’t miss a minute of the action is to be watching FOX SPORTS (Channel 506) from 7pm AEST. The Westfield FFA Cup’s official broadcaster will show LIVE and exclusive the match between Hume City and Marconi Stallions as well as having crosses and updates to all of the other three matches as the action unfolds.

WATCH THE FOX SPORTS LIVE STREAM
FOX SPORT will also provide a LIVE stream of three non-broadcast matches. The streams will be available at www.foxsports.com.au/football/ffa-cup/ffacupondemand and Apple TV via FOX SPORTS Now.

Tomato sauce

Can actually watch all games.

Can actually watch all games.