1988 NSL Cup
Football tournament season
| National Soccer League Cup | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Country | Australia |
| Dates | 23 January – 14 August 1988 |
| Teams | 14 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | APIA Leichhardt (2nd title) |
| Runner-up | Brunswick Juventus |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 13 |
| Goals scored | 38 (2.92 per match) |
| Attendance | 36,758 (2,828 per match) |
← 1987 1989 → | |
The 1988 NSL Cup was the twelfth edition of the NSL Cup, which was the main national association football knockout cup competition in Australia. The NSL Cup was sponsored by Beach Fashions and known as the Beach Fashions Cup for sponsorship purposes.
Sydney Croatia were the defending champions, having defeated South Melbourne to win their first title in the previous year's final, but they were eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual winners APIA Leichhardt.[1]
APIA Leichhardt defeated Brunswick Juventus 5–3 on penalties after a 0–0 draw in the final to win their second NSL Cup title.[2]
Teams
The NSL Cup was a knockout competition with 14 teams taking part all trying to reach the Final in August 1988.[3] The competition consisted of the 14 teams from the National Soccer League.
| Round | Main date | Number of fixtures | Clubs remaining |
|---|---|---|---|
| First round | Saturday 23 January 1988 | 6 | 14 → 8 |
| Second round | Wednesday 17 February 1988 | 4 | 8 → 4 |
| Semi-finals | Wednesday 6 April 1988 | 2 | 4 → 2 |
| Final | Sunday 14 August 1988 | 1 | 2 → 1 |
First round
South Melbourne and Sydney Croatia had a bye for the First round.
Brisbane Lions v Wollongong City
| 23 January 1988 | Brisbane Lions | 5–3 | Wollongong City | Brisbane |
| 18:00 AEST |
| Report | Stadium: Richlands Stadium Attendance: 2,855 Referee: Alan Kibbler |
Footscray JUST v Preston Makedonia
| 23 January 1988 | Footscray JUST | 3–2 | Preston Makedonia | Melbourne |
| 18:00 AEDT | Report |
| Stadium: Olympic Park Attendance: 3,000 Referee: John Fraser |
Adelaide City v Sunshine George Cross
| 23 January 1988 | Adelaide City | 2–0 | Sunshine George Cross | Adelaide |
| 19:00 ACDT |
| Report | Stadium: Hindmarsh Stadium Attendance: 1,287 Referee: Jim Rossis |
Brunswick Juventus v Melbourne Knights
| 23 January 1988 | Brunswick Juventus | 1–0 | Melbourne Knights | Melbourne |
| 20:00 AEDT |
| Report | Stadium: Olympic Park Attendance: 3,000 Referee: Jim Fearn |
Marconi Fairfield v APIA Leichhardt
| 23 January 1988 | Marconi Fairfield | 1–2 | APIA Leichhardt | Sydney |
| 20:00 AEDT |
| Report |
| Stadium: Marconi Stadium Attendance: 2,120 Referee: Richard Lorenc |
St George-Budapest v Sydney Olympic
| 24 January 1988 | St George-Budapest | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Sydney Olympic | Sydney |
| 19:00 AEDT |
| Report | Stadium: St George Stadium Attendance: 3,070 Referee: Terry Seacy |
Second round
APIA Leichhardt v Sydney Olympic
| 17 February 1988 | APIA Leichhardt | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–2 p) | Sydney Olympic | Sydney |
| 18:30 AEDT | Report | Stadium: Parramatta Stadium Attendance: 3,994 Referee: Chris Bambridge | ||
| Penalties | ||||
| ||||
Brunswick Juventus v Footscray JUST
| 17 February 1988 | Brunswick Juventus | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (7–6 p) | Footscray JUST | Melbourne |
| 19:30 AEDT |
| Report |
| Stadium: Olympic Park Attendance: 1,300 Referee: Jim Rossis |
| Penalties | ||||
|
| |||
Sydney Croatia v Brisbane Lions
| 17 February 1988 | Sydney Croatia | 3–0 | Brisbane Lions | Sydney |
| 20:15 AEDT | Report | Stadium: Parramatta Stadium Attendance: 3,994 Referee: Rob Davies |
South Melbourne v Adelaide City
| 2 March 1988 | South Melbourne | 5–2 | Adelaide City | Melbourne |
| 19:30 AEDT |
| Report | Stadium: Olympic Park Attendance: 1,921 Referee: Chris Bambridge |
Semi-finals
APIA Leichhardt v Sydney Croatia
| 6 April 1988 | APIA Leichhardt | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | Sydney Croatia | Sydney |
| 19:30 AEST |
| Report |
| Stadium: Marconi Stadium Attendance: 3,866 Referee: Don Campbell |
Brunswick Juventus v South Melbourne
| 6 April 1988 | Brunswick Juventus | 1–0 | South Melbourne | Melbourne |
| 19:30 AEST |
| Report | Stadium: Olympic Park Attendance: 4,151 Referee: Gary Power |
Final
| APIA Leichhardt | 0–0 (a.e.t.) | Brunswick Juventus |
|---|---|---|
| Report | ||
| Penalties | ||
| 5–3 | |
