Yep bugga the Olympics I enjoyed oakleigh putting it on the pros even though youth a lot but wiggle got shown up nicely some of those goals.

Does it devalue the competition if a league team play a squad of mostly kids? 

No, it devalues the club that chose to play like that in a comp that provides international pathways.

Look it’s still early in preseason plus I guess they played a fair few youngsters. But they still lost to a bunch of part timers who were on site at 7 this morning hahaha

I would not get worked up if I’m a Sydney fc fan, they played alot of young players with very little experience out there and had alot of key players out as well.

Fair play to Oakliegh they took their chances well and won fair and square.

If was a chance for these NPL teams to win against these aleague teams it would be now when they at the start of their pre season and the NPL boys are in season so it will be interesting to see if there be anymore cup upsets going into the next few games.

They were rusty as, no game time, no sync, forced passes & Oakleigh were motivated & up for it from the initial whistle. 

Disappointing but kudos to them. Victorian NPL teams always give us a good game.

100%

Not ALL of us  :( ..... 

correct, also MCG watch any early rounds of FACup or any top flight Cup the main Clubs always play their youth - do we/I question LFC when they play 9 academy players till the QF's or later ?
No nope and no, the worst here compared to OS is our NPL's are semi pro.
Sure AL is early pre season but thats how it goes when your comp is not aligned as normally everywhere else.
Therefore AL, train earlier and be prepared I suppose being your playing semi pros "in season" hence cupsets.

Its the classic battle, david vs goliath, anytime a NPL wins is great for Aussie football and supporters imo, only a AL fan would question.

This has been on the calendar for months, the players know when the games will be, as do the administrators and they all know what is at stake. There is a prestigious trophy and international football that Mariners won and Macarthur did really well in. Both clubs made bank and will now have a chance to profit from that success. 

It's mad to me to think the Sydney coaching staff and board thought "stuff it, it's just a preseason comp" when it's literally the easiest way to expose your club to Asia.

I'm really surprised at the response on here I mean what the fuck are the players and admin being paid for it's a eight month off season 

surprised at the response on here ? please explain ?

Your right re their long off season, why are they not better prepared.

Going off the first few games this is the closest the gap has been in terms of quality between a league and NPL sides.
usually NPL side is hanging on for dear life and counter attacking. Now they’re controlling games against professional opposition. Who by the way have been training for 5 weeks now and played at least 2 preseason games.

Well I don't understand how anyone can be happy with an a league not taking it seriously. We want the competition to be successful (tickets being sold people watching st home etc) then they don't try like what's the point of going to the game then 

be interesting to know what they say behind closed doors for sure.
As a business owner myself and the investment, I'd be asking Talay WTF ?
You used by the look of it 3 regulars, Grant King wiggle - rest were youth incl bench.
The main squad are on paid hols "still" ???? and the Cup is a great Trophy and additional income as mentioned.
What IF your season is a fail coming up, least you had this to fall back on (if you won).....
The onus is on them.
As for supporters, SFC crowd is very fickle and typical Oz, only when they win do people keep turning up.

sad news from other NPL sides overnight.

Good to see NPL teams matching it with ALeague teams, good attendances too.
Shows how good a fully tiered system would be.

yes it's only pre-season for the AL clubs, but would you suggest the quality of the AL sides are getting worse?
Due to the lack of money and spend? 

I'd say the quality is getting poached or sold more and more. It's probably a combination of the quality coming up getting better and being identified, and yeah tightening the finances and letting them go.
In the past, the league could hold on to solid players with the revenue coming in, but the youth that came up wasn't much chop.
I guess they're all different eras adjusting to the conditions of the time.

Hasn't only one NPL club actually won so far? Against a team they also beat a few years ago no less. 
Considering they playing some teams who haven't played a single game yet this season, you'd probably hope for more. 

When a-league clubs play in the ACL, the beginning is always the best shot at getting results against Japanese or Korean sides as they are out of season (usually a lot closer than now) - which has happened a number of occasions. I wouldn't imagine many would think this equates to those leagues becoming weaker.

Hopefully, the NPL clubs can bridge the gap more and we can get to the stage where the draw is an even playing field 

Since Covid, Sydney's crowds have been very consistent, only twice under 10,000 and both were against MacArthur. And we have hardly been setting the heather on fire either.

On the cup game, don't know the ins and outs, but that was a disgraceful decision by whoever at the club made it. Cheating the supporters is as low as it gets. Oh and please, Ufuk, get Redmayne as far away to fuck as possible.

gap will hardly be even playing field till its like for like being Pro.
Agree only 1 has got the result, the other were close games by the look of it.
Just works out some games, SU had their great run to a Final, APIA beats 2 AL sides the last few years, Oak the other night.
These results will come and go as it currently stands between the comps.
AL Clubs issue is how serious do you take it, obviously playing youth is the risk and arrogance.
Part timers will always throw the kitchen sink into it, just like ourselves in our club comps taking on the better and big name clubs in cup games or your comp.

yes true granted re crowds - of late but as I said fickle it is for the size/branding of the club having done a hunt, yes covid seasons in there.
Avg
18/19 13k - 2nd
19/20 9k - 1st
20/21 7.6 - 2nd
21/22 5.5 - 8th
22/23 16 - 5th
23/24 14 - 4th
Anyway enjoy

Is the draw not an even playing field at the moment? They scrapped the "one team must make the semis" procedure - the only things counting against the even playing field at the moment is:
* Seasons not aligned across A-League and the rest of the country.
* Non A-League sides automatically get the home game in the event they face an A-League side.

Sorry, that's what I mean, one day be in strong enough position with aligned seasons

many cups though have upsets, you have teams down to the 3rd or 4th division knocking off teams. You'd love to see it

From the way Sydney played the other night, and. the weather, some of the leading NPL1 teams could've given them a red hot go 

I’m more going off performances so far and for the first time I can remember it was the semi pro team dominating play for the majority of the game. This was more so in the Rockdale game in Terms of with the ball and chance creation.

Double edged sword but one can only be happy if an NPL club does the business, one day it would be great to see a state league team do it...I remember in France a 4th division side got to the cup final, and only lost after a shit call in last minute or so.

Caasputooo

only five regular ALM venues are still in the running to host this year's Australia Cup final on Saturday October 5th as follows,
Industree Group Stadium (Gosford)
Campbelltown Stadium (Campbelltown)
HBF Park (Perth)
McDonald Jones Stadium (Newcastle)
CommBank Stadium (Parramatta)

with both Coopers Stadium (playing surface getting complete re done) and AAMI Park (Monster Jam - same night) already out of the race.