2008 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup

The 2008 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup competition was held in July and August 2008, in the lead up to the start of the Australian A-League football 2008–09 season.

2008 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup
CountryAustralia
New Zealand
Dates19 July – 6 August 2008
Teams8
Defending championsAdelaide United
ChampionsMelbourne Victory (1st title)
Runners-upWellington Phoenix
Matches played13
Goals scored24 (1.85 per match)
Top goal scorer(s)Cristiano
Sergio van Dijk
(2 goals)
← 2007

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

Continuing from previous years, most Pre-Season Cup matches were played at venues in regional centres to expand the profile of the clubs and the league. Bunbury, Caloundra, Cessnock, Mandurah and Mount Gambier all hosted matches for the first time, while Launceston, Campbelltown, Port Macquarie and Wollongong hosted matches again.[1]

Fixtures and results

Group A

Fixtures

Perth Glory1–1Newcastle Jets
Trinidad  12' Report Spencer  36'
Attendance: 3,825
Referee: Steven Gregory
Melbourne Victory1–2Adelaide United
Ney Fabiano  8' Report Cristiano  33',  90'
Attendance: 4,720
Perth Glory0–1Melbourne Victory
Report Thwaite  11'
Attendance: 3,020
Newcastle Jets0–0Adelaide United
Report
Attendance: 2,756
Newcastle Jets0–1Melbourne Victory
Report Pondeljak  82'
Attendance: 3,133
Adelaide United0–0Perth Glory
Report
Attendance: 3,000

Table

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Melbourne Victory 3 2 0 1 3 2 +1 6
Adelaide United 3 1 2 0 2 1 +1 5
Newcastle Jets 3 0 2 1 1 2 −1 2
Perth Glory 3 0 2 1 1 2 −1 2
Source:

Group B

Fixtures

Sydney FC2–1Queensland Roar
Payne  53'
Prentice  57'		 Report van Dijk  49'
Hyuk-Su Seo  57'
Attendance: 4,222
Wellington Phoenix1–0Central Coast Mariners
Daniel  72' Report
Attendance: 4,853
Central Coast Mariners3–0Sydney FC
Porter  43'
Petrovski  60'
Mrdja  68'		 Report
Attendance: 7,107
Queensland Roar1–1Wellington Phoenix
van Dijk  18' Report Kwasnik  74'
Attendance: 3,832
Sydney FC2–3Wellington Phoenix
Brosque  16'
Fyfe  39'
Prentice  90'		 Report Hearfield  57'
Smeltz  62'
Gao  82'
Durante  90' 
Attendance: 6,124
Queensland Roar1–2Central Coast Mariners
Moore  49'
Zullo  51'		 Report Elrich  29'
MacAllister  32'
Attendance: 3,241

Table

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
Wellington Phoenix 3 2 1 0 5 3 +2 7
Central Coast Mariners 3 2 0 1 5 2 +3 6
Sydney FC 3 1 0 2 4 7 −3 3
Queensland Roar 3 0 1 2 3 5 −2 1
Source:

Final
Wellington Phoenix0 – 0
(7 – 8 PSO)		Melbourne Victory
Report
Attendance: 9,208
Referee: Peter O'Leary

Top goalscorers

2 Goals:

1 Goal:

References
  1. "Football spreads its reach". Football Federation Australia. 2 May 2007. Archived from the original on 17 June 2011. Retrieved 2007-05-07.
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