The first match of the Hahn Australia Cup Round Quarter-final is here and promises to be another cracking contest.
Heidelberg United host Wellington Phoenix at Olympic Village with confidence high and the thought of a second straight 'Cupset' and fourth overall in the competition front of mind.
Read our preview of the action below.
Heidelberg United v Wellington Phoenix
Wednesday, 19 August
Kick-off: 7.30pm AEST
Venue: Olympic Village
Broadcast: Paramount+
GET TICKETS HERE
Heidelberg United will play one of the biggest games in their history against Wellington Phoenix on Tuesday evening.
That is no exaggeration for the Bergers, who have competed on all three fronts this season - in the NPL Victoria, Dockerty Cup and Hahn Australia Cup. But to advance to the Semi Finals and set up a clash with the winner of Sydney FC or Auckland FC, they will need to do something they have never done before - win a Quarter-final clash.
In their previous four attempts, Heidelberg have agonisingly fallen short but will fancy their chances against a Wellington outfit that has so far struggled to play with fluidity this knockout tournament.
With a tactician like John Anastasiadis in charge, those odds certainly increase. The Victorians dispatched Weston Bears 2-0 before a disciplined performance saw them claim a 3-0 victory over Western Sydney Wanderers - the largest ever 'Cupset' win.
Bul Juach has been one of the standouts for HUFC and was on target from the penalty spot last time out. Skipper Ben Collins has also been superb in the heart of the defence, alongside Anthony Lesiotis controlling the midfield. The former Wanderer sealed the Western Sydney scalp in stoppage with a beautiful finish.
Wellington, meanwhile, prevailed on penalties against Perth Glory in the Round of 32 and needed a 94th-minute winner to beat VPL2 side Nunawading City 1-0 last round.
A much improved display will be required from Giancarlo Italiano's team, with the boss fully aware of his opponent's qualities.
“Structurally they’re very good,” he said to media ahead of the side’s flight to Melbourne on Monday. “(They set up in) a 4-2-4, the two sixes cover the half spaces defensively, they counter-attack quite well (and) they’ve got a lot of A-League experience.
“Ben Collins is a really good player for them at the back, (Anthony) Lesiotis controls their midfield quite well and their front two…are dangerous players.
“They’re a dangerous team. They’ve only lost three games in the NPL. They’re fighting on all fronts; the league, the (Dockerty) Cup and now the Australia Cup as well.
“Wanderers last week, even though it was 3-nil, I thought they (Western Sydney) controlled a large part of that game and just couldn’t capitalise, but that was because of Heidelberg’s discipline.
“We’re going to go there knowing that probably one goal or two goals might just be the difference in the game.
“I don’t think they’ll give too much, and we won’t give anything up either.”
In a welcome boost for the Pheonix, Captain Alex Rufer is expected to make his season debut, while goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi has also been named in the travelling squad, as they aim to reach the last four for just the second time and first since 2021.
An intriguing battle awaits. Will we witness another famous night at Olympic Village?
