National Soccer League 2003-04

Template:Infobox sports season
title =NSL 2003-04
league =National Soccer League
sport =Association football
logo =
pixels =
duration =2003-2004
no_of_teams =13
attendance =
TV =
season =NSL season
season_champs =Perth Glory
season_champ_name=Champions
league_champs =
league_champ_name=
top_scorer = Ante Milicic, (20)
season2 =
season_champs2 =
season_champ2_name=
seasonslist =List of NSL seasons
seasonslistnames =National Soccer League
prevseason_link =National Soccer League 2002-03
prevseason_year =2002-03
nextseason_link =
nextseason_year =

The National Soccer League 2003-04 season was the 28th and final season of the National Soccer League in Australia. Perth Glory were crowned both premiers and champions after winning both the league and grand final.

Overview

The season was remembered as the end of an era for the national league, following the announcement in 2003 that the national competition would be wholly scrapped in response to the Crawford Report into soccer in Australia. The end of the NSL led to the formation of the A-League, a new national competition that began in 2005.

The season was played as a single league, home-and-away format with top six teams qualifying for a finals series. Adelaide City withdrew from the competition shortly before the start of the season, leading to the hasty formation of Adelaide United to take their place.

At the beginning of the season, it became obvious that the title would be fought between Perth Glory and Parramatta Power. The Champions Glory lost several of their title-winning squad, most notably their dominant midfield, most of whom to the Power. Parramatta, backed by the Leagues Club, bought big for the last year including notably Ante Milicic and Sasho Petrovski, looking to simply buy the title.

This tactic seemed to be working for a large part of the season, as Power held off major challengers Perth, including a memorable 6-0 hiding, Glory's worst-ever loss. However, a turning point came and Perth began to close the gap both in results and performance terms, and won the Premiership by 6 points in the end. Neither of these sides were ever really matched by other sides during the season. Perhaps the surprise of the season was Adelaide United, who surprised all by making the finals and nearly breaking Perth's all-time average season record attendance in the process, with the biggest crowds of the season. This was most notable as the club was thrown together just a few weeks before the season to take the place of former heavyweight Adelaide City.

In the finals series, notably Perth were comprehensively beaten in both legs of the major semi-final, while Adelaide progressed to the minor semi-final in their first ever season, only to be thrashed by glory, just highlighting the gap between the top two sides and the rest of the league.

The last ever NSL Grand Final was held at Parramatta Stadium, due to Power winning the major semi-final. The Final was attended by a very measly crowd of just over 9,000, and played in thick rain from kick-off. Power's slick passign game was somewhat hurt by the poor conditions, and the game turned into something of a scrap. No goals were scored in 90 minutes of football, so the game went to extra-time where yound Glory striker Nick Mrdja slotted to give Glory their fifth National League title and second NSL Chamionship, while Power finished the season with nothing to show for their quality and dominance.

In the finals series, Ade

Home and away season

Round 1

----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = September 19, 2003
team1 = Wollongong Wolves
score = 0 – 1
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report002.html Report]
team2 = Sydney United
goals1 = Vrkic goal|19|Pen
goals2 =
stadium = WIN Stadium
attendance = 2,346
referee = Matthew Breeze----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = September 20, 2003
team1 = Parramatta Power
score = 0 – 0
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report001.html Report]
team2 = South Melbourne FC
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Parramatta Stadium
attendance = 1,861
referee = S. Micallef----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = September 20, 2003
team1 = Football Kingz
score = 1 – 2
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report003.html Report]
team2 = Newcastle United
goals1 = Ngata goal|74
goals2 = Masi goal|19
Wheelhouse goal|29
stadium = Ericsson Stadium
attendance = 2,304
referee = D. Rugg----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = September 21, 2003
team1 = Melbourne Knights
score = 1 – 1
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report004.html Report]
team2 = Marconi Stallions
goals1 = Pelikan goal|46
goals2 = Maloney goal|27
stadium = Knights Stadium
attendance = 2,205
referee = Craig Zetter----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = September 21, 2003
team1 = Northern Spirit
score = 1 – 0
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report005.html Report]
team2 = Brisbane Strikers
goals1 = Hutchinson goal|53
goals2 = Morley goal|15, goal|45
Rose goal|62
stadium = Pittwater Park
attendance = 2,971
referee = C. Diomis----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = November 30, 2003
team1 = Sydney Olympic
score = 0 – 0
report =
team2 = Adelaide United
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = OKI Jubilee Stadium
attendance = 2,370
referee = James Lewis

Round 2

----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = September 26, 2003
team1 = Newcastle United
score = 2 – 1
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report006.html Report]
team2 = Northern Spirit
goals1 = Wheelhouse goal|2|Pen, goal|77|Pen
goals2 = Macallister goal|28
stadium = Energy Australia Stadium
attendance = 4,673
referee = J. Lewis----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = September 27, 2003
team1 = Brisbane Strikers
score = 1 – 1
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report008.html Report]
team2 = Sydney Olympic
goals1 = Pilic goal|53
goals2 = Bakis goal|63
stadium = Perry Park
attendance = 2,625
referee = Mark Sheild----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = September 27, 2003
team1 = Marconi Stallions
score = 2 – 1
report =
team2 = Sydney Olympic
goals1 = Maloney goal|9, goal|18
goals2 = Majurovski goal|73
stadium = Marconi Stadium
attendance = 1,945
referee = S. Micallef----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = September 28, 2003
team1 = Sydney United
score = 2 – 1
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report009.html Report]
team2 = Football Kingz
goals1 = Langdon goal|58,
Zmire goal|62,
Ozbey sent off|0|85
goals2 = Cunico goal|73|OG
stadium = Sydney United Sports Centre
attendance = 3,169
referee = Ben Williams----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = September 28, 2003
team1 = Perth Glory
score = 3 – 0
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report007.html Report]
team2 = Melbourne Knights
goals1 = Mori goal|82,
Pondeljak goal|87,
Caceres goal|88
goals2 =
stadium = Arena Joondalup
attendance = 9,780
referee = E. Lennie----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = February 25, 2004
team1 = Adelaide United
score = 0 – 2
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report152.html Report]
team2 = Parramatta Power
goals1 =
goals2 = Elrich goal|5,
Milicic goal|52
stadium = Hindmarsh Stadium
attendance = 12,125
referee = P. Mur

League Table

Finals

Elimination Final 1 (3rd v 6th)footballbox
date = 1st Leg
7 March, 2004
team1 = Adelaide United
score = 3–0
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report169.html (Report)]
team2 = Brisbane Strikers
goals1 = Veart goal|31
Agius goal|67
Brooks goal|92
goals2 =
stadium = Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
attendance = 16,258
referee = Williams

footballbox
date = 2nd Leg
13 March, 2004
team1 = Brisbane Strikers
score = 4–1
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report170.html (Report)]
team2 = Adelaide United
goals1 = Moon goal|45
Rose goal|58
Brain goal|82
Grierson goal|87
goals2 = Veart goal|65
stadium = Perry Park, Brisbane
attendance = 2,790
referee = Breeze
*"Adelaide United progress on away goals rule (4-4 on aggregate)"----Elimination Final 2 (4th v 5th)footballbox
date = 1st Leg
7 March, 2004
team1 = Marconi Stallions
score = 0–0
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report168.html (Report)]
team2 = South Melbourne
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Marconi Stadium, Sydney
attendance = 2,127
referee = Lennie

footballbox
date = 2nd Leg
13 March, 2004
team1 = South Melbourne
score = 2–0
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report173.html (Report)]
team2 = Marconi Stallions
goals1 = Curcija goal|20, goal|60
goals2 =
stadium = Bob Jane Stadium, Melbourne
attendance = 6,063
referee = Shield
*"South Melbourne progress 2-0 on aggregate"----Major Semi Final (1st v 2nd)footballbox
date = 1st Leg
13 March, 2004
team1 = Parramatta Power
score = 4–2
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report176.html (Report)]
team2 = Perth Glory
goals1 = Ceccoli goal|9
Petrovski goal|41
Zorbas goal|45
Milicic goal|75
goals2 = Despotovski goal|46
Harnwell 56 goal|56
stadium = Parramatta Stadium, Sydney
attendance = 6,059
referee = Micallef

footballbox
date = 2nd Leg
20 March, 2004
team1 = Perth Glory
score = 0–2
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report174.html (Report]
team2 = Parramatta Power
goals1 =
goals2 = Elrich goal|15
Petrovski goal|65
stadium = Members Equity Stadium Perth
attendance = 14,023
referee = Breeze
*"Parramatta Power progress 6-2 on aggregate"----Minor Semi Final footballbox
date = 20 March, 2004
team1 = Adelaide United
score = 2–1
aet
report = [http://www.smfc.com.au/shownews.aspx?id=235 (Report]
team2 = South Melbourne
goals1 = Aloisi goal|71
Alagich goal|105|pen
goals2 = Curcija goal|12
stadium = Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
attendance = 16,558
referee = Micallef----Preliminary Finalfootballbox
date = 28 March, 2004
team1 = Perth Glory
score = 5–0
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report177.html (Report)]
team2 = Adelaide United
goals1 = Despotovski goal|10, goal|81
Mori goal|51, goal|69
Mrdja goal|88
goals2 =
stadium = Subiaco Oval, Perth
attendance = 17,524
referee = Shield ----Grand Finalfootballbox
date = 4 April, 2004
team1 = Parramatta Power
score = 0–1
aet
report = [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/reports/report178.html (Report)]
team2 = Perth Glory
goals1 =
goals2 = Mrdja goal|98
stadium = Parramatta Stadium, Sydney
attendance = 9,630
referee = Shield

Individual Awards

* Johnny Warren Medal (Player of the Year): Ante Milicic (Parramatta Power)
* U-21 Player of the Year: Alex Brosque (Marconi Stallions)
* Top Scorer(s): Ante Milicic (Parramatta Power – 20 goals)

References

* [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/NSL/20032004/NSL.html OzFootball Archives - 2003-04 NSL Season]