Tim Cahill raises the bar for Melbourne City’s future

Tim Cahill showed them the way, now he has challenged his Melbourne City teammates to respond.

Tim Cahill celebrates the club’s FFA Cup success with fans on Wednesday night.

Tim Cahill showed them the way and now he has challenged his Melbourne City teammates to respond by helping to set the foundations that will make the newly crowned FFA Cup winners the benchmark in Australian soccer.

Carrying the scars of a warrior but still smiling after his goal secured the club’s first trophy in their six-year existence, Cahill said he was absolutely determined to ensure that the 1-0 Cup victory over Sydney FC in front of a record crowd of 18,751 at AAMI Park on Wednesday night would not be a “flash in the pan’’.

As Melbourne City, formerly Melbourne Heart but rebranded in 2014 after the powerful and cashed up City Football Group took over, continued to soak up the celebrations yesterday, the veteran Socceroo was quick to remind everyone of what is expected from such an ambitious, success-driven club.

“Everyone has waited for this for a long time, this is history,’’ ­said Cahill, nursing an injured knee that will likely sideline him for a couple of weeks.

“The foundations have been set. But you can’t stop there. What the (Heart) boys did in the past, no disrespect to them (but) we are here now and we are here to make a difference.

“Before, we were the team that gets so close, yet too far away. We basically turn up, do the photo shoots (at the start of the season) then it blows up in the end.

“This football club now ... we have to win things.

“We have to take this momentum, regroup and stay humble and keep doing what we are doing because every time we make a mistake and lose a game, people are going to say we are a flash in the pan.

“There are two big teams in Melbourne (Victory the other), but the shift (in power) is starting and people are taking notice. There would have been lot of people praying we didn’t win, including other A-League clubs.’’

Cahill’s words echo Melbourne City’s philosophy. The club does not hide from the fact it wants to be the biggest and the best in the country, and not just on the field.

CFG, who also own the Manchester City and New York City clubs, have poured millions into the Australian operation and the fact they were prepared to spend $3 million a season — with some help from Football Federation Australia — to secure Cahill is testimony to the belief in what can be achieved.

Cahill was regarded as central to City’s ambitions and that is why they went for him in a big way.

The veteran striker is a fighter, but more importantly a winner, not just in football, but life and in business.

He is someone who not only brings hunger and power on the field but is magnetic and dynamic off of it.

City’s crowds are on the rise because of him, the corporates are attracted to the club because of him and the media circle him like moths to a bank of floodlights.

Through all of this, Tim ­Cahill does what only Tim Cahill can do. He mightn’t play well every game — and he was the first to admit he was off his game on Wednesday night — but he invariably comes up with that one, simple match-winning moment.

He talks the talk and walks the walk.

“Winning the cup is special for me but it is nice because it is in Australia,’’ he said. “I am here to add some proper value to the A-League and bring some fire. I said I was going to give it everything regardless of what people were saying about my age and body.’’

Interestingly, however, Cahill is seen in a different light by opposition fans.

As far as they are concerned, City have been given free rein by FFA and that does not sit well with them given the Melbourne club’s owners could buy and sell the A-League 100 times over and still have plenty left over.

As a result, they have targeted Cahill. “You are only here for the money’’ is often sung and aimed at him by rivals fans.

According to Cahill, the Sydney fans did it on Wednesday night before he scored and continued for a little while afterwards, though the travelling Sydney supporters hit out on social media, saying they started singing only after he had scored.

“The goal was special because just beforehand, for no reason, the fans started singing about me,’’ Cahill said. “It plays and plays in your head all the time when the fans sing negative stuff towards me. But I play for moments like that.’’