2006 A-League Pre-season Challenge Cup

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).

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)
← 2005
2007 →

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

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Group A

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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'
Attendance: 5,860
Referee: James Lewis
Melbourne Victory FC0–1Adelaide United
Veart   65'
Attendance: 6,834
Central Coast Mariners0–0Adelaide United
Attendance: 4,344
Perth Glory1–1Melbourne Victory FC
Young   59' Allsopp   51'
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Angelo Nardi
Melbourne Victory FC1–3Central Coast Mariners
Thompson   4' Kwasnik   35'
O'Grady   63'
Spencer   77'
Attendance: 6,593
Referee: Craig Zetter
Perth Glory0–0Adelaide United
Attendance: 3,038
Referee: Angelo Nardi

Group B

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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'
    Attendance: 7,132
    Referee: Peter Green
    New Zealand Knights1–1Newcastle Jets FC
    Richter   39' Bridge   57'
    Attendance: 804
    Referee: Neil Fox
    Sydney FC2–1Newcastle Jets FC
    Topor-Stanley   2'
    Middleby   25'
    McFlynn   68' (o.g.)
    Attendance: 7,226
    Referee: Ben Williams
    Queensland Roar1–1New Zealand Knights
    Dilevski   8' Rodrigues   24'
    New Zealand Knights0–0Sydney FC
    Attendance: 3,121
    Referee: Peter O'Leary
    Newcastle Jets FC0–0Queensland Roar
    Attendance: 2,822
    Referee: James Lewis

    Bonus round

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    Adelaide United1–0New Zealand Knights
    Veart   19' (pen.) Report
    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'
    Attendance: 3,126
    Sydney FC3–0Perth Glory
    Brosque   26', 27'
    Petrovski   57'
    Report
    Attendance: 6,634

    Knockout stage

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    Bracket

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    Playoffs

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    New Zealand Knights0–1Perth Glory
    Young   87'
    Sydney FC1–2Adelaide United
    Carney   43' Dodd   16'
    Rees   90'
    Attendance: 4,210
    Central Coast Mariners2–1 (a.e.t.)Newcastle Jets FC
    Petrie   52' (pen.)
    O'Grady   96'
    Coveny   25'

    Seventh place play-off

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    Fifth place play-off

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    Melbourne Victory FC1–0Perth Glory
    Allsopp   84'

    Third place play-off

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    Sydney FC2–0Newcastle Jets FC
    Petrovski   40'
    Rudan   68'

    Final

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    Central Coast Mariners1–1 (a.e.t.)Adelaide United
    Gumprecht   77' Veart   7'
    Penalties
    4–5

    Attendances

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    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

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    3 goals:

    2 goals:

    1 goal:

    References

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    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.