If there’s one thing that makes national knockout tournaments special, it’s underdogs taking down top cats. West Ham’s run to win the 1980 FA Cup as a second division side might still be the most iconic campaign in Irons history, and the 2022 US Open Cup provided twin Cinderellas in Union Omaha and Sacramento Republic, with both sides knocking out MLS clubs and the latter making the final. But while NPL South Australia’s Modbury Jets hope to become this year’s big giant-killers, these Davids will have to play Goliath in the Round of 32 when they face FC Melbourne Srbija, the only team from the fourth tier to survive to the national rounds. Before these sides go to war, let’s recap their roads here and explore what they’ll need to advance.
Modbury Jets look to soar
Since 1963, Modbury Jets have been one of the great talent factories in northeast Adelaide, with the likes of Brandon Borrello going on to play in the Bundesliga. This is actually the Jets’ second trip to the main Australia Cup in three years—in 2022, as a third-division side, they dispatched Armadale SC before falling in the Round of 16 to eventual champions Macarthur. That was a magical year for the team, who earned promotion to NPL South Australia, and they’ve hungered ever since for another shot.
In order to make it here, though, the Jets had to repeat their feat from two years prior and reach the finals of the South Australia Federation Cup—and this time, they’d have to do it in four rounds instead of just three. The task proved simple enough, as they took down fourth-division Seaford Rangers 4-0 on the road.
The next bout against Adelaide Victory proved a bit trickier, but with a 2-1 win at home, the Jets made it out alive. That set up a quarter-final against Croydon, who’d stunned local giants MetroStars in the previous round, but Modbury was made of far tougher stuff and dispatched the Kings with another 4-0 victory.
That set up a semi just as important as the final, as the Jets did battle with Adelaide Olympic, who sought their third trip to the Australia Cup. But after a tense 1-0 affair, Modbury secured the spot. While Modbury would go on to lose the Federation Cup final to Campbelltown City, the Red Devils proceeded to implode in their Australia Cup match, falling to Moreton City Excelsior by four goals.
Thus, not only would a Jets victory help them match their best run in this tournament, it would also give them the last laugh over their local rivals.
Melbourne Srbija play ultimate underdogs
Founded in 1963, Melbourne Srbija have represented their local Serbian community under several different names at all sorts of levels on the soccer pyramid. Just last year, they conquered the Victorian State League 1 South-East, earning promotion out of the fifth tier and into the fourth, where they’ve adapted well and steeled themselves for this massive opportunity.
In order to make the Australia Cup, Srbija had to claim one of Victoria’s five lower-division spots through the Dockerty Cup. They started by defeating seventh-tier Ashburton United 5-2 at home, setting the tone for a run where, despite their status, Srbija actually played Goliath most of the way. Their next two opponents, Uni Hill Eagles and Hoppers Crossing, both came from the sixth tier, and the Serbians dispatched them by a combined 7-0 score.
The final test proved the biggest, as Srbija was finally the smaller club against third-tier Kingston City. Undaunted, Melbourne found the advantage in the 34th minute, when midfielder Maksim Ilić smashed a rebounded free kick past Kingston’s keeper. After halftime, Melbourne found a golden opportunity when Kingston defender Jack Foden gave away a handball, earning himself a yellow card and his opponents a penalty. Ilić once again stepped up to the plate, blasting it down the middle to complete his brace, and the Serbians held firm the rest of the way, earning the chance to introduce themselves on the national stage.
While Srbija have since been knocked out of the Dockerty Cup by defending champions Oakleigh Cannons, that’s nothing to be ashamed of—after all, the Cannons just shocked the nation by blasting Sydney FC out of the sky. A win here and a chance to rematch more successfully if the draw permits might be just what Srbija need to write their team’s most glorious chapters yet.
Dueling down low: the keys to victory
When you’re on the lower end of a multi-tier gap in cup football, the optimal play is often to drag the bigger team down to your level and beat them with experience. Melbourne need to be effective, not pretty, and that means minimising Modbury’s opportunities while maximising their own. Whatever that turns out to mean when they take the pitch—stingy defence, dominating possession, or becoming setpiece merchants until their opponents pay the price—Srbija need to find it and exploit it if they want to level the playing field.
That said, Modbury can look to that Dockerty Cup semi for a blueprint on how to stop Melbourne in their tracks. Oakleigh didn’t play a particularly flashy game there, scoring just the one goal in the first half, but they were extremely effective at shutting Srbija down, not allowing a single shot all day. If the Jets can take a similarly preventative approach while enabling themselves to fire at will, they should make quick work of their opposition.
Suffice to say, whoever leaves the home of the Matildas victorious might be about to write the Cinderella story of the year.