FFA Cup: APIA Leichhardt will be fearless in quarter-final against Adelaide United
FRESH from an incredible FFA Cup win over Melbourne Victory, NPL team APIA Leicchardt are ready for another giant-killing effort. But their coach only cares that they play ‘sexy’ football.
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AN hour before APIA Leichhardt stunned and stupefied Melbourne Victory, the NPL side’s directors approached coach Billy McColl with a request.
”Bill, please tell us you’re not going to defend. Go and have a go, we don’t care if we get beat 5-0,” they said.
Unflinching, the straight-up Scotsman informed the hopeful hierarchy his part-timers were not only going to have a go, they were going to win.
In truth, McColl wouldn’t have put his house on APIA knocking off the reigning A-League champions — the kings of absorbing pressure and giving it back five times over.
But he did believe the Cup’s most famous upset was possible.
Nothing has come close to matching it for the 61-year-old since the 1987 team won the NSL.
There’s something in the air in Sydney’s inner west, and he deduces the Tigers at least have a fighting chance against quarter-final foes Adelaide United on Wednesday night.
“At the start of the year I told the boys my ambition is to win the FFA Cup,” he said.
“I want to see an NPL side win, and you have to believe.
“I’m no gambler, I’m realistic. I know for us to achieve it we have to be at our best, and we need the big boys to have an off day.
“That’s what we had against Melbourne. We had luck, the footballing gods were on our side. Ninety-nine times out of 100 Melbourne Victory would beat APIA. When we played them we had that one.
“We hope Adelaide have an off day. They’ll come to beat us, but we’ll go in with an attitude of no fear, 100 per cent effort to win.”
The inside assumption is the Reds are an even more difficult proposition, purely for the fact APIA’s fighting spirit is now a known entity.
Victory captain Carl Valeri admitted they’d underestimated them. No one will make that mistake again.
Another detailed opposition dossier has been distributed for study. Yet while knowledge is valuable, McColl doesn’t do mind games.
His team plays only one way — attack — and he cares exclusively for one reputation.
“I don’t want to be the best coach, I just want to be the sexiest coach,” he said.
“Play beautiful football and the results look after themselves.
“You’ll get coaches who tell you they coach to win, and they think they’re a good coach because they win. I don’t care about winning, I just care about watching kids think they can play the game beautifully.
“You can’t play the big boys running scared.”
It’s how McColl’s vaunted attack netted a record 62 goals over the regular NPL season — star striker Jordan Murray accounted for more than a third before getting picked up by Central Coast.
It’s also why the only buses parked at Leichhardt Oval will be outside on the street.
Desire runs even deeper after their 3-1 NSW grand-final loss to Sydney Olympic.
And unlike the fatigue-clouded Victory scalp, they have 10 days to recover for the next giant-killing mission.
But preparation must fit in and around regular jobs.
While Adelaide trains full time, Tigers skipper Sean Symons is busy laying bricks, Japanese two-goal Victory hero Tasuku Sekiya washing dishes at the Opera House, and match-winner Nathan Millgate servicing and selling automotive equipment.
Still, excuses aren’t sexy, and sexy usually wins the day.
“I keep telling them mind tells body, that we’re the best footballing team in the country and we’re the fittest, and you can run all day if you believe in yourself.
“Motivation comes from within. We can go 120 minutes, and if we have to beat Adelaide over 120 minutes and penalties we’ll do it.
“We never look for excuses, I just look for reasons to win. They believe in each other, that’s why they’ve been so good this year.”
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