2008 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup

The 2008 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup competition is scheduled to be held in July and August 2008, in the lead up to the start of the A-League 2008-09 season.

All eight A-League clubs will be competing and have been drawn into two groups of four teams. The format of the cup has been modified from previous editions, reducing the number of matches. A group stage with three regular rounds will see each team play each other in their group once, with the winner of each group advancing to the final. The final is to be played on 6 August, the first mid-week final in the competition history. The shortened format allows clubs to schedule other matches in the lead up to the start of the A-League, and is completed before the 2008 Summer Olympics where Australia will be competing.

Continuing from previous years, most Pre-Season Cup matches will be played at venues in regional centres to expand the profile of the clubs and the league. Bunbury, Caloundra, Cessnock, Mandurah and Mount Gambier and will all host matches for the first time, while Launceston, Campbelltown, Port Macquarie and Wollongong will again host matches. [cite news|url=http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=22066 |title=Football spreads its reach |publisher=Football Federation Australia |date=2007-05-02|accessdate=2007-05-07]

Fixtures and results

Group A

Fixtures----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 19 July, 2008
19:00 UTC+8
team1 = ALeague PG
score = 1 – 1
report = [http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=22856&pageid=1001 Report]
team2 = ALeague NUJ
goals1 = Trinidad goal|12
goals2 = Spencer goal|36
stadium = Hyundai Stadium, Mandurah, Western Australia
attendance = 3,825
referee = Steven Gregory----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 20 July, 2008
13:00 UTC+10
team1 = ALeague MV
score = 1 – 2
report = [http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=22868&pageid=1001 Report]
team2 = ALeague AU
goals1 = Ney Fabiano goal|8
goals2 = Cristiano goal|33, goal|90
stadium = Aurora Stadium,
Launceston, Tasmania
attendance = 4,720
referee = ----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 26 July, 2008
15:00 UTC+8
team1 = ALeague PG
score = 0 – 1
report = [http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=22951 Report]
team2 = ALeague MV
goals1 =
goals2 = Thwaite goal|11
stadium = Members Equity Stadium, Western Australia
attendance = 3,020
referee = ----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 26 July, 2008
19:00 UTC+10
team1 = ALeague NUJ
score = 0 – 0
report = [http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=22950 Report]
team2 = ALeague AU
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Baddeley Park,
Cessnock, New South Wales
attendance = 2,756
referee = ----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 2 August, 2008
14:30 UTC+10
team1 = ALeague NUJ
score = 0 – 1
report = [http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=23040 Report]
team2 = ALeague MV
goals1 =
goals2 = Pondeljak goal|82
stadium = Port Macquarie Regional Stadium, Port Macquarie, New South Wales
attendance = 3,133
referee = ----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 2 August, 2008
14:30
team1 = ALeague AU
score = 0 – 0
report = [http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=23042 Report]
team2 = ALeague PG
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Vansittart Park, Mount Gambier, South Australia
attendance = 3,000
referee =

Table

Group B

Fixtures----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 19 July, 2008
19:00 UTC+8
team1 = ALeague SFC
score = 2 – 1
report = [http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=22861 Report]
team2 = ALeague QR
goals1 = Payne goal|53
Prentice goal|57
goals2 = van Dijk goal|49
Hyuk-Su Seo sent off|0|57
stadium = Campbelltown Stadium, Campbelltown, New South Wales
attendance = 4,222
referee = ----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 20 July, 2008
16:00 UTC+12
team1 = ALeague WP
score = 1 – 0
report = [http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=22869&pageid=2071 Report]
team2 = ALeague CCM
goals1 = Daniel goal|72
goals2 =
stadium = Westpac Stadium,
Wellington, New Zealand
attendance = 4853
referee = ----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 27 July, 2008
15:00 UTC+10
team1 = ALeague CCM
score = 3 – 0
report = [http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=22959 Report]
team2 = ALeague SFC
goals1 = Porter goal|43
Petrovski goal|60
Mrdja goal|68
goals2 =
stadium = Bluetongue Stadium,
Gosford, New South Wales
attendance = 7,107
referee = ----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 27 July, 2008
15:00 UTC+10
team1 = ALeague QR
score = 1 – 1
report = [http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=22957 Report]
team2 = ALeague WP
goals1 = van Djik goal|18
goals2 = Kwasnik goal|74
stadium = Stockland Park,
Sunshine Coast, Queensland
attendance = 3,832
referee = ----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 2 August, 2008
19:00 UTC+10
team1 = ALeague SFC
score = 2 – 3
report = [http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=23045 Report]
team2 = ALeague WP
goals1 = Brosque goal|16
Fyfe goal|39
Prentice sent off|0|90
goals2 = Hearfield goal|57
Smeltz goal|62
Gao goal|82
Durante sent off|2|90
stadium = WIN Stadium, Wollongong, New South Wales
attendance = 6,124
referee = ----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 3 August, 2008
15:00 UTC+10
team1 = ALeague QR
score = 1 – 2
report = [http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=23051 Report]
team2 = ALeague CCM
goals1 = Moore sent off|0|49
Zullo goal|51
goals2 = Elrich goal|29
MacAllister goal|32
stadium = Perry Park, Brisbane, Queensland
attendance = 3,241
referee = ----

Table

Final

----footballbox
bg = #eeeeee
date = 6 August, 2008
19:30 UTC+12
team1 = Wellington Phoenix
score = 0 – 0
(7 – 8 PSO)
report = [http://www.a-league.com.au/default.aspx?s=hal_newsdisplay&id=23098 Report]
team2 = Melbourne Victory
goals1 =
goals2 =
stadium = Westpac Stadium,
Wellington, New Zealand
attendance = 9,208
referee = Peter O'Leary

----

Top goalscorers

2 Goals:
* Cristiano (Adelaide United)
* Sergio van Dijk (Queensland Roar)

1 Goal:
* Adrian Trinidad (Perth Glory)
* Ahmad Elrich (Central Coast Mariners)
* Dylan MacAllister (Central Coast Mariners)
* Nik Mrdja (Central Coast Mariners)
* Sasho Petrovski (Central Coast Mariners)
* Brad Porter (Central Coast Mariners)
* Tom Pondeljak (Melbourne Victory)
* Michael Thwaite (Melbourne Victory)
* Noel Spencer (Newcastle Jets)
* Michael Zullo (Queensland Roar)
* Alex Brosque (Sydney FC)
* Iain Fyfe (Sydney FC)
* Chris Payne (Sydney FC)
* Mitchell Prentice (Sydney FC)
* Troy Hearfield (Wellington Phoenix FC)
* Adam Kwasnik (Wellington Phoenix FC)
* Ney Fabiano (Melbourne Victory)
* Daniel (Wellington Phoenix FC)
* Gao Leilei (Wellington Phoenix FC)
* Shane Smeltz (Wellington Phoenix FC)

References