Australia Cup | |
Year: | 2023 |
Continental Cup Title: | AFC Champions League Two |
Continental Cup Qualifiers: | Sydney FC |
Country: | Australia New Zealand |
Dates: | 9 February – 7 October 2023 |
Num Teams: | 32 (main competition) |
Winners: | Sydney FC (2nd title) |
Second: | Brisbane Roar |
Matches: | 31 |
Goals: | 119 |
Scoring Leader: | Lachlan Brook (5 goals) |
Prev Season: | 2022 |
Next Season: | 2024 |
The 2023 Australia Cup was the tenth season of the Australia Cup, the main national soccer knockout cup competition in Australia. Thirty-two teams contested the competition proper, with the winner qualifying for the 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two.
Macarthur FC were the defending champions, but were eliminated by Campbelltown City in the Round of 32.
Sydney FC won its second Australia Cup after defeating Brisbane Roar in the final. This also resulted in qualification to the group stage of the AFC's 2024–25 AFC Champions League Two competition.
Round | Draw date | Match dates | Number of fixtures | Teams | New entries this round | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preliminary rounds | Various | 9 February–18 July | 746 | 778 → 32 | 770 | |
Round of 32 | 28 June | 4–14 August | 16 | 32 → 16 | 8 | |
Round of 16 | 14 August | 26–30 August | 8 | 16 → 8 | None | |
Quarter-finals | 30 August | 14–17 September | 4 | 8 → 4 | None | |
Semi-finals | 17 September | 24 September | 2 | 4 → 2 | None | |
Final | — | 7 October | 1 | 2 → 1 | None |
A total of 32 teams participated in the 2023 Australia Cup competition proper.
A-League Men clubs represent the highest level in the Australian league system, whereas Member Federation clubs come from level 2 and below.
See main article: article and 2023 Australia Cup preliminary rounds. Member federation teams competed in various state-based preliminary rounds to win one of 22 places in the competition proper (at the Round of 32). All Australian clubs were eligible to enter the qualifying process through their respective member federation; however, only one team per club was permitted entry into the competition. The preliminary rounds operate within a consistent national structure whereby club entry into the competition is staggered in each state/territory, determined by what level the club sits at in the Australian soccer league system. This ultimately leads to round 7 with the winning clubs from that round entering directly into the round of 32. Slot allocations were the same as the previous year.
The top eight placed A-League Men clubs from the 2022–23 A-League Men season gained automatic qualification to the Round of 32. The remaining four teams entered a play-off series to determine the remaining two positions.
Federation | Associated competition | Round of 32 qualifiers | |
---|---|---|---|
Football Australia | A-League Men | 10 | |
Capital Football (ACT) | Federation Cup (ACT) | 1 | |
Football NSW | Waratah Cup | 4 | |
Northern NSW Football | NNSWF State Cup | 2 | |
Football Northern Territory | NT FFA Cup Final | 1 | |
Football Queensland | — | 4 | |
Football South Australia | Federation Cup (SA) | 2 | |
Football Tasmania | Milan Lakoseljac Cup | 1 | |
Football Victoria | Dockerty Cup | 5 | |
Football West (WA) | State Cup | 2 |
The round of 32 draw took place on 28 June 2023.[1] The lowest ranked side that qualified for this round was Goulburn Valley Suns. They were the only level 4 team left in the competition.
The round of 16 draw took place on 14 August 2023.[2] The lowest ranked side that qualified for this round was Inter Lions. They were the only level 3 team left in the competition.
The quarter-finals draw took place on 30 August 2023.[3] The lowest ranked sides that qualified for this round were Heidelberg United, Melbourne Knights and North Eastern MetroStars. They were the only level 2 teams left in the competition.
The semi-final draw took place on 17 September 2023.[4] The lowest ranked side that qualified for this round was Melbourne Knights. They were the only level 2 team left in the competition.
See main article: 2023 Australia Cup final. The venue was originally set for Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, but was changed to Sydney to the Allianz Stadium due to irrigation work.