On 1oth October 2026 at AAMI Park, South Melbourne became the first-ever non-A-League (NPL) club to win the Australia Cup. They beat Melbourne Victory FC 4-3 on penalties (1-1 in extra time).
I have analysed how Melbourne Victory conceded a goal in the 117th minute against South Melbourne.
Melbourne Victory changed their approach in extra time – going to a back 5 by putting on a CB.
It was quite interesting to see how Melbourne Victory adopted a more passive defensive approach while trying to protect their 1-0 lead. While the high defensive line made sense, the lack of pressure on the ball carrier and the slow reorganisation of the front five were surprising.
Given CB Jankovic’s ability to play accurate long passes, which was evident throughout the game, applying pressure on the ball could have disrupted South Melbourne’s progression.
Credit to South Melbourne, though – their direct play was excellent, with Jankovic’s distribution, Swibel’s movement, physicality and first touch to get ahead of the LB, and Mikkola’s outstanding work rate to arrive in the box combining perfectly for the goal. A fantastic attacking play created by South Melbourne!
Do you think South Melbourne should be playing in the A-League?
