After their 1-0 win against SD Raiders in the Hahn Australia Cup Quarter-Finals, Sydney FC will now face Melbourne Victory in the Semi-Finals at Jubilee Oval on Wednesday 9th of September.
The two sides have met just once before outside of the A-League, in the Preseason Cup of 2007. A lot has happened since then.
The first iPhone had just been released. Kevin Rudd was soon to become the Prime Minister, and Keeping Up With the Kardashians premiered for the first time.
Meanwhile in Melbourne, Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory were preparing for their first Preseason Cup match at Melbourne’s old Olympic Park.
It was a wet night in the city, and difficult conditions made chances hard to come by for both sides. However, a well-placed Sydney FC corner, combined with a goalkeeping error, allowed the Sky Blues to take a 1-0 lead.
That would prove to be the only goal of the match, with Sydney holding on to secure the victory.
There will even be a family connection between that night and Wednesday’s clash.
Tony Popovic featured for Sydney FC in the 2007 encounter, and almost two decades later, his son Gabriel could line up in Sky Blue against the same opposition at Jubilee Oval.
While Australia Cup meetings between the two clubs have been rare, there is plenty of history when it comes to knockout football.
The last time Sydney FC and Victory met in a Semi-Final at Jubilee Oval produced one of the most memorable nights in Sky Blue history.
The famous ‘Mother’s Day Massacre’ of 2019 saw Sydney dismantle their rivals 6-1 in front of a packed Jubilee crowd to book their place in the A-League Grand Final.
A brace each from Adam Le Fondre and Alex Brosque, alongside goals from Aaron Calver and Milos Ninkovic, completed a dominant night for the Sky Blues.
Seven years later, the two sides meet again at Jubilee Oval and promise to add another exciting chapter to the history books.
