Holders Macarthur FC among A-League teams heading to Darwin in bid to qualify for Australia Cup

Four A-League teams, including the defending champions, will fight for Australia Cup qualification in Darwin next month.

Ulises Davila is all smiles after scoring for Macarthur FC in last year’s Australia Cup final. Picture: Tim Allsop/Getty Images

Darwin will host next month’s Australia Cup playoffs, which will include holders Macarthur FC following their disastrous A-League season.

The playoffs will again feature the clubs that finished in the A-League’s bottom four.

Despite winning the Cup in October last year under then coach Dwight Yorke, Macarthur had an A-League season to forget, finishing with the wooden spoon.

Joining the Bulls in the playoffs, from which only two teams will qualify for the Cup’s round of 32 stage, will be Perth Glory, Newcastle Jets and Melbourne Victory.

The Glory, who placed ninth and are without a coach following last week’s departure of Ruben Zadkovich, will take on the Bulls on July 18 at Darwin Football Stadium.

The other playoff – between the Jets and the Victory – will take place at the same venue one night earlier.

Al Hassan Toure celebrates scoring for Macarthur FC in last year’s Australia Cup final. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The losers of the two games won’t be a part of this year’s Cup, with 10 A-League teams to join 22 member federation clubs in the round of 32.

Darwin hasn’t hosted a game featuring two A-League sides since a pre-season clash between Adelaide United and Melbourne City in 2015.

Football Northern Territory chief executive officer Bruce Stalder said: “I know the city will get right behind these two exciting encounters and demonstrate that the Northern Territory should host more national and international football events.”

Football Australia chief executive officer James Johnson said the sport’s national governing body was “committed to … taking elite football to as many cities as possible”.

Meanwhile, the Western Sydney Wanderers have parted ways with left-back Adama Traore, on-loan attacker Amor Layouni and 19-year-old Alessandro Lopane.