2020–21 in Australian soccer

The 2020–21 season was the 52nd season of national competitive association football in Australia and 138th overall.

Soccer in Australia
Season2020–21
Men's soccer
A-League PremiershipMelbourne City
A-League ChampionshipMelbourne City
FFA CupNone
Women's soccer
W-League PremiershipSydney FC
W-League ChampionshipMelbourne Victory
← 2019–20 Australia 2021–22 →

Several events from March 2020 onwards were disrupted or postponed due to impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[1][2]

National teams

edit

Australia men's national soccer team

edit

2022 FIFA World Cup qualification / 2023 AFC Asian Cup qualification

edit
Second round
edit
3 June 2021 Group B Australia   3–0   Kuwait Kuwait City, Kuwait
21:30 UTC+3
Report Stadium: Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium
Attendance: 0[note 1]
Referee: Jumpei Iida (Japan)
7 June 2021 Group B Australia   5–1   Chinese Taipei Kuwait City, Kuwait
19:30 UTC+3
Report
Stadium: Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium
Attendance: 0[note 1]
Referee: Saoud Al-Adba (Qatar)
11 June 2021 Group B Nepal     0–3   Australia Kuwait City, Kuwait
19:30 UTC+3 Report
Stadium: Al Kuwait Sports Club Stadium
Attendance: 0[note 1]
Referee: Ahmed Al-Kaf (Oman)
15 June 2021 Group B Australia   1–0   Jordan Kuwait City, Kuwait
19:30 UTC+3
Report Stadium: Jaber Al-Ahmad International Stadium
Attendance: 0[note 1]
Referee: Kim Woo-Sung (South Korea)

Men's under 23

edit

Friendlies

edit

The following is a list of friendlies played by the men's under 23 national team in 2020–21.

12 November 2020 Sydney FC   3–0   Australia Sydney, Australia
19:00 AEDT
Report Stadium: Jubilee Oval
17 November 2020 Macarthur FC   1–2   Australia Sydney, Australia
15:00 AEDT
Report
Stadium: Jubilee Oval
Attendance: 0
2 June 2021 Australia   1–2   Republic of Ireland U-21 Marbella, Spain
13:00 UTC+2
Report
Stadium: Marbella Football Centre
Referee: Parejo Nieto (Spain)
8 June 2021 Australia   0–1   Romania Marbella, Spain
20:00 UTC+2 Report
Stadium: Estadio Municipal de Marbella
12 June 2021 Australia   2–3   Mexico Marbella, Spain
20:00 UTC+2
Report
Stadium: Estadio Municipal de Marbella

Men's under-20

edit

Friendly

edit

AFC U-19 Championship

edit

The 2020 AFC U-19 Championship was cancelled after the draw for the group stage was conducted.[3]

March 2021 Group stage Australia   Cancelled   Vietnam Namangan, Uzbekistan
Source Stadium: Navbahor Central Stadium
March 2021 Group stage Laos   Cancelled   Australia Namangan, Uzbekistan
Source Stadium: Navbahor Central Stadium
March 2021 Group stage Saudi Arabia   Cancelled   Australia Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Source Stadium: Lokomotiv Stadium

Men's under-17

edit

AFC U-16 Championship

edit

The 2020 AFC U-16 Championship was cancelled after the draw for the group stage was conducted.[3]

2021 Group stage Australia   Cancelled   India Riffa, Bahrain
Source Stadium: Bahrain National Stadium
2021 Group stage South Korea   Cancelled   Australia Riffa, Bahrain
Source Stadium: Bahrain National Stadium

Australia women's national soccer team

edit

Friendlies

edit

The following is a list of friendlies played by the women's senior national team in 2020–21.

10 April 2021 Germany   5–2   Australia Wiesbaden, Germany
16:10
Report Gielnik   82', 90+2' Stadium: Brita-Arena
Referee: Marta Frías Acedo (Spain)
13 April 2021 Netherlands   5–0   Australia Nijmegen, Netherlands
18:30 CEST
Report Stadium: Stadion de Goffert
Referee: Esther Staubli (Switzerland)
10 June 2021 Denmark   3–2   Australia Horsens, Denmark
18:00 CEST
Report
Stadium: CASA Arena
Referee: Lina Lehtovaara (Finland)
15 June 2021 Sweden   0–0   Australia Kalmar, Sweden
18:45 CEST Report Stadium: Guldfågeln Arena
Referee: Ivana Martinčić (Croatia)

AFC competitions

edit

AFC Champions League

edit

All three teams that qualified for the 2021 AFC Champions League – Sydney FC, Melbourne City and Brisbane Roar – withdrew from the competition after the draw.[4]

Men's football

edit

A-League

edit
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Melbourne City (C) 26 15 4 7 57 32 +25 49 Qualification for 2022 AFC Champions League group stage and finals series[a]
2 Sydney FC 26 13 8 5 39 23 +16 47 Qualification for 2022 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs and finals series[a]
3 Central Coast Mariners 26 12 6 8 35 31 +4 42 Qualification for finals series[a]
4 Brisbane Roar 26 11 7 8 36 28 +8 40
5 Adelaide United 26 11 6 9 39 41 −2 39
6 Macarthur FC 26 11 6 9 33 36 −3 39
7 Wellington Phoenix[b] 26 10 8 8 44 34 +10 38
8 Western Sydney Wanderers 26 9 8 9 45 43 +2 35
9 Perth Glory 26 9 7 10 44 44 0 34 Qualification for 2021 FFA Cup play-offs[c]
10 Western United 26 8 4 14 30 47 −17 28
11 Newcastle Jets 26 5 6 15 24 38 −14 21
12 Melbourne Victory 26 5 4 17 31 60 −29 19 Qualification for 2022 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs and 2021 FFA Cup play-offs[d]
Source: A-Leagues
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Least red cards; 5) Least yellow cards; 6) Toss of a coin in an event of a tie of two clubs.
(C) Champions
Notes:
  1. ^ a b c The top two teams entered the finals series at the semi-finals, while the teams ranked third to sixth entered the finals series at the elimination-finals.
  2. ^ Wellington Phoenix cannot qualify for Asian Football Confederation competitions as they are based in New Zealand, which is under the Oceania Football Confederation.
  3. ^ The top 8 teams qualified for the round of 32, while the bottom four teams participated in a playoff round.[5]
  4. ^ Qualified as the 2021 FFA Cup winners.
Finals
 
Elimination-finalsSemi-finalsGrand Final
 
          
 
 
 
 
20 June – Sydney
 
 
Melbourne City2
 
12 June – Gosford
 
Macarthur FC0
 
Central Coast Mariners0
 
27 June – Melbourne
 
Macarthur FC2
 
Melbourne City3
 
 
Sydney FC1
 
 
19 June – Sydney
 
 
Sydney FC2
 
13 June – Brisbane
 
Adelaide United1
 
Brisbane Roar1
 
 
Adelaide United2
 

National Premier Leagues

edit

The competition in all member federations was suspended, effective from 18 March, due to the impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia.[6] Apart from Victoria, competitions resumed in the various member federations between late June and late July.[7][8] It was announced on 3 July that the finals series for the 2020 competition had been cancelled.[9]

Cup competitions

edit

FFA Cup

edit

The competition was suspended for one month due to the impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, effective 18 March,[10] and cancelled on 3 July,[11] although the associated Lakoseljac Cup competition in Tasmania recommenced in July.[12]

Women's football

edit

W-League

edit
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Sydney FC 12 9 1 2 26 11 +15 28 Qualification to Finals series
2 Brisbane Roar 12 7 4 1 29 12 +17 25
3 Melbourne Victory (C) 12 7 2 3 25 14 +11 23
4 Canberra United 12 6 4 2 21 16 +5 22
5 Adelaide United 12 7 1 4 22 18 +4 22
6 Western Sydney Wanderers 12 4 1 7 13 21 −8 13
7 Melbourne City 12 4 1 7 11 23 −12 13
8 Newcastle Jets 12 2 1 9 14 21 −7 7
9 Perth Glory 12 0 1 11 7 32 −25 1
Source: A-Leagues
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions


New clubs

edit

Deaths

edit

Retirements

edit

Notes

edit
  1. ^ a b c d Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait, the match was played behind closed doors.

References

edit
  1. ^ "FFA to postpone remaining matches in the Hyundai A-League season due to COVID-19". Football Federation Australia. 24 March 2020.
  2. ^ "Socceroos' March and June qualifiers postponed". Football Federation Australia. 10 March 2020. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Update on FIFA Women's World Cup and men's youth competitions". FIFA. 24 December 2020. Retrieved 24 December 2020.
  4. ^ "Latest update on AFC Champions League". the-afc.com. Asian Football Confederation. 4 June 2021.
  5. ^ "FFA Cup to introduce Hyundai A-League play-off process from 2020". Football Federation Australia. 20 December 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Grassroots football temporarily suspended". FFA Cup. Football Federation Australia. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  7. ^ "Thank you to our Corporate Partners". Football South Australia. 24 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  8. ^ "Manly United set for NPL NSW kick-off". Football NSW. 22 June 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
  9. ^ "Coronavirus forces FFA Cup to be cancelled". The World Game. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  10. ^ "Grassroots football temporarily suspended". Football Federation Australia. 17 March 2020. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
  11. ^ "Coronavirus forces FFA Cup to be cancelled". The World Game. SBS. 7 July 2020. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  12. ^ Andrew Cooling (13 July 2020). "Lakoseljac Cup Round of 16 Wrap". Sliceofcheese.net. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  13. ^ "A-League announces new expansion teams Western Melbourne Group and Macarthur South-West Sydney". Fox Sports. 13 December 2018.
  14. ^ "Tributes flow as former Socceroos coach Frank Arok dies, aged 88". ABC News. 12 January 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  15. ^ "Dr Jozef Venglos: Former Villa & Celtic boss dies at 84". BBC Sport. 26 January 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  16. ^ "Vale Frank Parsons". Football Australia. 27 January 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  17. ^ Iskandar, Azhar (9 March 2021). "Alan Marnoch Death – Obituary : Alan Marnoch Has Died, Funeral, Dead". NewDeaths.com. 21CenturyMedia.
  18. ^ "Vale Alan Marnoch". Football Australia. 12 March 2021.
  19. ^ @Socceroos (29 March 2021). "We are deeply saddened to have learned of the passing of Socceroo #131, Bill Murphy. Murphy made his debut against New Zealand in 1954, playing a total of five times for Australia" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  20. ^ "Vale Alan Garside". Football Australia. 24 May 2021.
  21. ^ "Mile Jedinak, former Socceroos captain, retires from football with Instagram announcement". ABC News. 12 July 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
  22. ^ "Oriol Riera se retira: "Se va el Oriol jugador y empieza el Oriol entrenador"" [Oriol Riera retires: "The player Oriol leaves and the coach Oriol begins"]. Marca (in Spanish). 10 August 2020.
  23. ^ Rugari, Vince (12 August 2020). "Schwegler retires a winner as Wanderers, Victory end woeful seasons". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  24. ^ Monteverde, Marco (26 August 2020). "A-League: Cafe owner and Brisbane defender Daniel Bowles quits at just 28 to focus on business". News.com.au. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  25. ^ Bossi, Dominic (9 October 2020). "'It left me disenfranchised': State of game pushes Mariners player into early retirement". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
  26. ^ Manuca, David (22 December 2020). "Former Socceroo Archie Thompson hangs up the boots". Football Australia. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  27. ^ Davidson, John (25 March 2021). "Anxiety and falling out of love with football: Why Mahazi quit at 28". The World Game. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  28. ^ "Retiring Melbourne City star Rhali Dobson scores, gets engaged". ESPN. 25 March 2021. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  29. ^ Larkin, Steve (19 May 2021). "Phoenix legend Andrew Durante announces retirement from football ahead of Wellington homecoming". Stuff.co.nz.
  30. ^ Comito, Matthew (5 June 2021). "Job done in Gosford: Mariners finish third after 2-0 win over Western United". A-League. Retrieved 7 June 2021. Andrew Durante - in the final game of his storied career
  31. ^ Bryce, Bindi (11 June 2021). "Newcastle Jets captain Nigel Boogaard hangs up his A-League boots after 16 years". ABC News. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  32. ^ Monteverde, Marco (2 June 2021). "Former Socceroos captain announces retirement as new role beckons". Fox Sports.
  33. ^ Harrington, Anna (20 June 2021). "Melbourne City overcomes Macarthur Bulls to seal A-League grand final berth". The New Daily. Retrieved 24 June 2021. ...Bulls skipper Mark Milligan, in what proved his final professional game...
  34. ^ a b "Beñat & Susaeta announce retirement". A-League. 29 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
edit