2006 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup
Tournament details
CountryAustralia
New Zealand
Dates15 July – 19 August 2006
Teams8
Defending championsCentral Coast Mariners
Final positions
ChampionsAdelaide United (1st title)
Runner-upCentral Coast Mariners
Third placeSydney FC
Fourth placeNewcastle Jets FC
Tournament statistics
Matches played24
Goals scored44 (1.83 per match)
Attendance112,254 (4,677 per match)
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2007 →

The 2006 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup was a series in the Australian A-League football competition held in July and August in the lead up to the start of the main season. The opening round was 15 July 2006. The competition featured a group stage, with three regular rounds and a bonus round, followed by a two-week finals playoff. The bonus group round matched up teams against opponents from the other group, and also offered the incentive of "bonus points" based on goals scored (1 point for 2 goals, 2 points for 3 goals, 3 points for 4 or more goals).

The Pre-Season Cup was used to enhance the A-League's profiles by playing pre-season games in regional centres including the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba, Launceston, Canberra, Wollongong, Port Macquarie, Orange and Tamworth.[1]

Group stage

Group A

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA BP Pts Qualification
1 Central Coast Mariners 4 2 2 0 5 2 0 8 Advance to semi-finals
2 Adelaide United 4 2 2 0 2 0 0 8
3 Melbourne Victory FC 4 1 1 2 5 7 2 6
4 Perth Glory 4 0 2 2 3 6 0 2
Central Coast Mariners2–1Perth Glory
Petrie 7'
Kwasnik 8'		 Bertos 62'
Central Coast Stadium, Gosford
Attendance: 5,860
Referee: James Lewis
Melbourne Victory FC0–1Adelaide United
Veart 65'
Aurora Stadium, Launceston
Attendance: 6,834
Referee: Matthew Breeze
Central Coast Mariners0–0Adelaide United
Wade Park, Orange
Attendance: 4,344
Referee: Simon Przydacz
Perth Glory1–1Melbourne Victory FC
Young 59' Allsopp 51'
Dorrien Gardens, Perth
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Angelo Nardi
Melbourne Victory FC1–3Central Coast Mariners
Thompson 4' Kwasnik 35'
O'Grady 63'
Spencer 77'
Olympic Park, Melbourne
Attendance: 6,593
Referee: Craig Zetter
Perth Glory0–0Adelaide United
Dorrien Gardens, Perth
Attendance: 3,038
Referee: Angelo Nardi

Group B

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA BP Pts Qualification
1 Sydney FC 4 3 1 0 7 2 2 12 Advance to semi-finals
2 Newcastle Jets FC 4 0 2 2 4 6 1 3
3 New Zealand Knights 4 0 3 1 2 3 0 3[A]
4 Queensland Roar 4 0 3 1 2 3 0 3[A]
  • ^
    Head-to-head results: Queensland Roar 1–1 New Zealand Knights (tied on head-to-head results, ranked on disciplinary record).
    • Queensland Roar1–2Sydney FC
    Smits 31'
    Carrara Stadium, Gold Coast
    Attendance: 7,132
    Referee: Peter Green
    New Zealand Knights1–1Newcastle Jets FC
    Richter 39' Bridge 57'
    North Harbour Stadium, Auckland
    Attendance: 804
    Referee: Neil Fox
    Sydney FC2–1Newcastle Jets FC
    Topor-Stanley 2'
    Middleby 25'    		 McFlynn 68' (o.g.)
    Canberra Stadium, Canberra
    Attendance: 7,226
    Referee: Ben Williams
    Queensland Roar1–1New Zealand Knights
    Dilevski 8' Rodrigues 24'
    Maroochydore Soccer Club, Maroochydore
    Attendance: 3,347
    Referee: Matthew Breeze
    New Zealand Knights0–0Sydney FC
    North Harbour Stadium
    Attendance: 3,121
    Referee: Peter O'Leary
    Newcastle Jets FC0–0Queensland Roar
    Port Macquarie Regional Stadium, Port Macquarie
    Attendance: 2,822
    Referee: James Lewis

    Bonus round

    Adelaide United1–0New Zealand Knights
    Veart 19' (pen.) Report
    Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide
    Attendance: 12,006
    Referee: Craig Zetter
    Newcastle Jets FC2–3Melbourne Victory FC
    North 17'
    Carle 65' (pen.)    		 Report Thompson 4'
    Muscat 62' (pen.)
    Allsopp 84'
    Scully Park, Tamworth
    Attendance: 3,126
    Referee: Matthew Breeze
    Queensland Roar0–0Central Coast Mariners
    Report
    Clive Berghofer Stadium, Toowoomba
    Attendance: 4,571
    Referee: Peter Green
    Sydney FC3–0Perth Glory
    Brosque 26', 27'
    Petrovski 57'    		 Report
    WIN Stadium, Wollongong
    Attendance: 6,634
    Referee: Strebre Delovski

    Knockout stage

    Bracket

    PlayoffsFinals
    A1Central Coast Mariners2
    Grand final
    B2Newcastle Jets FC1
    Central Coast Mariners1 (4)
    Adelaide United (pen.)1 (5)
    A2Adelaide United2
    Third place
    B1Sydney FC1
    Sydney FC2
    Newcastle Jets FC0
    A3Melbourne Victory FC (pen.)0 (4)
    Fifth place
    B4Queensland Roar0 (2)
    Melbourne Victory FC1
    Perth Glory0
    A4New Zealand Knights0
    Seventh place
    B3Perth Glory1
    New Zealand Knights1
    Queensland Roar2

    Playoffs

    New Zealand Knights0–1Perth Glory
    Young 87'
    North Harbour Stadium, Auckland
    Attendance: 1,104
    Referee: Peter O'Leary (New Zealand)
    Sydney FC1–2Adelaide United
    Carney 43' Dodd 16'
    Rees 90'
    WIN Stadium
    Attendance: 4,210
    Referee: Mark Shield (Australia)
    Melbourne Victory FC0–0 (a.e.t.)Queensland Roar
    Penalties
    Muscat soccer ball with check mark
    Vargas soccer ball with check mark
    Thompson soccer ball with check mark
    Sarkies soccer ball with check mark    		 4–2 soccer ball with check mark Lynch
    soccer ball with red X Fitzsimmons
    soccer ball with check mark Ognenovski
    soccer ball with red X Gibson
    Central Coast Mariners2–1 (a.e.t.)Newcastle Jets FC
    Petrie 52' (pen.)
    O'Grady 96'    		 Coveny 25'
    Central Coast Stadium, Gosford
    Attendance: 7,567
    Referee: Ben Williams (Australia)

    Seventh place play-off

    New Zealand Knights1–2Queensland Roar
    Bazeley 65' Reinaldo 49'
    Vidošić 88'
    North Harbour Stadium, Auckland
    Referee: Peter O'Leary (New Zealand)

    Fifth place play-off

    Melbourne Victory FC1–0Perth Glory
    Allsopp 84'
    Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne
    Attendance: 2,215
    Referee: Ben Williams (Australia)

    Third place play-off

    Sydney FC2–0Newcastle Jets FC
    Petrovski 40'
    Rudan 68'
    Campbelltown Stadium, Campbelltown
    Attendance: 5,326
    Referee: Strebe Delovski (Australia)

    Final

    Central Coast Mariners1–1 (a.e.t.)Adelaide United
    Gumprecht 77' Veart 7'
    Penalties
    		 4–5
    Central Coast Stadium, Gosford
    Attendance: 10,463
    Referee: Simon Przydacz (Australia)

    Attendances

    Round Games Average Highest Lowest Total
    Pre-Season Group Stage 16 4,954 12,006 804 79,252
    Pre-Season Finals 7 4,715 10,463 1,104 33,002
    Totals[2] 23 4,881 12,006 804 112,254

    Top goalscorers

    3 goals:

    2 goals:

    1 goal:

    References

    1. ^ "A-League Pre-Season Schedule Confirmed". 1 June 2006. Archived from the original on 30 August 2006.
    2. ^ "Totals" regarding attendances for Pre-Season Cup, including highest and lowest crowds, are excluding the unknown figure for 7th Place Playoff match.
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