There are many points Graham Arnold likes to drill home during press conferences. The most prominent is that it's all about Sydney FC. Another is a near refusal to talk about the opposition. But in the days leading up to the FFA Cup final against Adelaide United is one that's becoming almost as common: the importance of the FFA Cup for Sydney FC.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
"It's a great competition and one that we as a club have taken seriously, some other clubs haven't," Arnold said.
Nothing is more addictive for a coach than success and while Tuesday night's final at Allianz Stadium offers another opportunity for Arnold to lift silverware, it's also a chance to get his hands on one of the first trophies he won as a player some 30 years ago.
In October 1987, Arnold scored the decisive goal for Sydney Croatia in their NSL Cup triumph over South Melbourne in front of 6000 fans at Melbourne's Olympic Park. For all the success of Sydney Croatia (United) it remains their only triumph in a national grand final. It may have a different name today, but the design of the FFA Cup trophy was modelled after that exact same silverware – the old Australia Cup. It's symbolic of a tournament that bridges the current top-tier of professional football with the grassroots, as well as the origin of national football in Australia.
"The FFA need to be congratulated on this trophy a lot," Arnold said. "It's one that we've taken seriously since day one. Right from the first day, we went up to Darwin and I took my best team to Darwin and we won 8-0. I always play my best team and that's how much respect we have for this competition."
It's not lost on the coach who faced his first ever club on the way to the FFA Cup final as Sydney beat Bankstown Berries – formerly Canterbury Marrickville – in the round of 16.
It's not lost on the coach who faced his first ever club on the way to the FFA Cup final as Sydney beat Bankstown Berries – formerly Canterbury Marrickville – in the round of 16.
"You're grateful for those grassroots clubs and the clubs these days that are still around. It hasn't been easy for them to survive and go forward," he said.
The importance of winning a tournament that has made every attempt to associate itself with the Australia Cup that began in 1962 isn't entirely lost on Arnold, especially to deliver it to Sydney FC for the first time. It's why he has ruled out making a flurry of changes for Tuesday night's decider despite playing just three days earlier. It was in that game – a top-of-the-table clash against Newcastle Jets – where two of his most important players were given early rests with the sole purpose of being fit to play Adelaide and why star recruit Adrian Mierzejewski is likely to make his first start in five weeks.
"Now he [Mierzejewski] is ready for 90 minutes. It's time for him to show his quality," Arnold said.
It's likely the Polish attacking midfielder and fullback Luke Wilkshire will be the only changes to the starting line-up with Arnold looking to make minimal disruptions to the team that now sits on top of the A-League.
"Bobo is fine, [Alex] Brosque is 100 per cent. Adrian [Mierzejewski] is 100 hundred per cent now. [Milos] Ninkovic got 60 minutes so we're a hundred per cent ready to go," he said.
The Sky Blues will be at their "fortress" at Moore Park where they're hoping to create their own history with a tournament intent on rekindling that of the game's. For Arnold, he wants it to be the start of another history-making season.
"The way I look at it, it's the first of three, not the third of three," he said.
