The closing of the gap between A-League clubs and state league opposition has been a reality of the Australia Cup in recent years, and burst back into focus with last week’s trio of Cupsets to kickstart the 2026 edition.
Newcastle Jets and Perth Glory fell to Preston Lions (NPL Victoria) and Lions FC (Queensland) on Tuesday, before on Wednesday, Central Coast Mariners lost to Sydney United 58 after a marathon penalty shootout.
These are results that speak to the very essence of football’s competitiveness, where a single goal can hold such value. The Magic of the Cup, David versus Goliath. They are also results that, having been formerly rare, are now becoming somewhat common. At what point that might become too common is worth considering.
If splitting the Australia Cup’s modern iteration in two – using the cancelled 2020 tournament as the mid-point – then the second half has seen Cupsets firmly on the rise. Six completed editions through 2014-19 saw eight occurrences; five years between 2021-25 saw fourteen. The latter block also saw two NPL sides reach the final, which had not occurred previously.
It’s been partly by design. Shortening the months over which the Cup is contested sees more matches played within the semi-pro (loosely) winter season, and outside that of the A-League clubs’. Whereas early editions stretched from July-December, the final has for now found its place in early October.
But meanwhile, A-League finances have fallen, broadcast distribution revenue and salary caps have been slashed, and the governance of the league itself has changed hands. The raw talent-level of players clubs can attract is lower than it was in the Cups’ early years. This has not been by design – and is certainly not the fault of the NPL clubs who have, at the same time, raised their own standards.
This question of balance was writ large as Newcastle fell to Preston. Mark Milligan’s A-League Premiers initially looked the part, building a two-nil lead to half-time. But the match-hardened Lions finished much the fitter, overhauling the result 3-2 before their hungry home fans, the short-prep Jets out on their feet. A classic game of two halves, or a little too much manufacturing towards Cup magic?
‘I’m on the fence with it. I’ve been saying all week I’m quite disappointed in the A-League teams, because there’s not really any excuse for preparation,’ 10/Paramount’s Erik Paartalu told Box2Box.
‘Newcastle, ok, they got themselves to the A-League semi-finals and finished in mid-May, but you know you’re going to have fixtures two months later. So they were back early enough, Milligan had enough to work with, and with that 2-0 cushion… I thought here we go, this could be three or four.
‘But, you’re talking about teams that have played 25-30 competitive games, against teams that have [sometimes] played one or two. There’s always that argument. But for A-League teams, it is really disappointing to see three Cupsets already.’
It can sometimes be folly to try to pin isolated results on broader patterns or themes; then again when those patterns emerge strongly, they are worth reflection. While Heidelberg (five Cupsets all-time & an appearance in the 2025 final) and Sydney United (three & 2022 final) are Cupset kings, it’s the same A-League sides that continue to find themselves as the big losers.
Last week was the Mariners’ fourth Cupset loss, and Perth’s third (Wellington, presently spared the ignominy of adding to their tally on the grounds of being from New Zealand, also suffered four Cupset losses from 2014-25). Meanwhile, dual previous winners Melbourne Victory, Sydney FC and Macarthur all progressed.
Why do these patterns continue to show? Are they just another example of the haves and have-nots among A-League clubs? Perhaps failure is just in the walls? Or – most confronting to Cup romantics – do the potential spoils fail to justify the effort?
‘You could argue the Mariners have just appointed [manager] John Hutchinson and only just sorted out their ownership. Yes, Perth has to travel and maybe don’t always get two nights in the hotel. All these things come into play.
‘But it did seem like [you might wonder] how early can you come back, when your focus is on the middle of October to start the A-League? Do you want to be ready at the end of July? The answer is probably no.
‘Now, Melbourne City fielded a really young side against APIA last season and they lost. Everyone lambasted them, saying they shouldn’t have put such a young squad out as it wasn’t good for the A-League. But at the end of the day I’d much prefer fit NPL players take the field and give a good account of themselves, because some of these clubs are serial offenders in losing to NPL sides.’
Irrespective of talent or balance, or the best way to equalise a competition that by its very nature is inequitable, maybe a good portion of the increasing number of Cupsets comes down to good old fashioned desire, on the pitch and in the stands.
As the BT Connor Reserve crowd cheered Nahuel Bonada’s double and then willed in Daniel Lazarevski’s header, or as Michael Krslovic roared up the flank at Edensor Park hunting a winner at the death, it felt hard to argue the sporting intangible of red-hot passion was not playing a role.
And in addition, (and this may be the true secret ingredient that has really seen Cupsets increase) that passion and desire is frequently sharpened by the NPL calendar, with its promotion & relegation and heavier dose of knockout football, more so than in the steady-state (many argue stale) A-League. That stands for both teams and supporters.
‘Sydney United is a club that’s used to playing under pressure and doing well in knockout football, recently winning the Waratah Cup for the ninth time,’ said Paartalu.
‘The Mariners controlled that first half, but in the second you felt United had just that little bit of edge that some of the A-League teams don’t, which is purely down to not having the pressure of promotion & relegation.
‘Preston’s win was great theatre, and they’ve been there and thereabouts, so you do ask yourself the question: could they be up there in the A-League? But the other question is, what is the point of them doing so?
‘The supporter base that some of these A-League clubs have are set in stone, and are not even close to what Preston has in terms of passion. You would hate to get them in the next round!’