Melbourne Victory visit Kingborough Lions United in Round 32 of the Hahn Australia Cup.
Preparations for a regular season, comprising Isuzu UTE A-League and AFC Champions League Two competition, turn up a notch when the two-time winners travel to Kitchen Centre Park on Sunday, July 26, kick-off 5pm AEST, for a meeting with the first-time entrants.
The tie, available to watch live on Paramount+, will be a first competitive outing for A-League Men’s Head Coach, Giovanni Savarese, concluding his first two weeks on the ground in Australia.
He oversaw last week’s friendly success against NPL Victoria opposition Caroline Springs George Cross, and is now preparing to face Tasmanian outfit Kingborough, who qualified by winning the Milan Lakoseljac Cup, a statewide knockout tournament.
The Boys in Blue
Former Portland Timbers boss Giovanni Savarese is not the only new face at Melbourne Victory, with the Club boosting their A-League Men’s squad during the opening weeks of pre-season, dipping into the transfer market and promoting from within.
From domestic counterparts, imposing forward Harry Sawyer and versatile defender Harry Shillington were added to the ranks, whilst further backline reinforcements were caught in a wider net. Experienced German centre-back Philipp Ziereis arrived from SpVgg Greuther Fürth and 16-time Welsh international Tom Lockyer traded the EFL for a new challenge in Australia.
Closer to home, Senior Academy stars Mikey Ghossaini, William Kengni, Jack Mihailidis and Malik Olukhale have all penned their first A-League contracts, and Jack Duncan, Brendan Hamill, Charles Nduka and Jack Warshawsky have agreed contract extensions, with Franco Lino returning on loan from parent club FK Viking.
Bolstering the roster is certainly no vanity project for Victory, who will be fighting on three fronts this season, and after last week’s ALM fixture release, is expected to discover its AFC Champions League Two Group Stage opponents next month.
Round of 32 Squad: Louis D’ARRIGO, Jason DAVIDSON, Oliver DRAGICEVIC, Jack DUNCAN, Michael GHOSSAINI, Matthew GRIMALDI, Brendan HAMILL, Joshua INSERRA, Keegan JELACIC, Franco LINO, Thomas LOCKYER, Jack MIHAILIDIS, Charles NDUKA, Clerismario SANTOS RODRIGUES, Harrison SAWYER, Harrison SHILLINGTON, Xavier STELLA, Jordi VALADON, Jack WARSHAWSKY, Philipp ZIEREIS
Unavailable: Denis GENREAU (viral infection), Nishan VELUPILLAY (leave).
Last time out
Melbourne Victory got pre-season off to a winning start last week, overcoming Caroline Springs George Cross 0-5 on Wednesday night.
Charles Nduka’s first-half effort was added to after the restart by Jack Mihailidis’ far post finish before a late avalanche of goals saw Harry Sawyer net a three-minute hat-trick.
The fixture allowed Head Coach, Giovanni Savarese, to give pitch time to 22 players at DEKA Park – at City Vista Pavilion and Sports Field ahead of entering the Hahn Australia Cup.
Kingborough Lions United secured Tasmania’s Hahn Australia Cup berth by winning the Milan Lakoseljac Cup in early June, dramatically beating Devonport City Strikers on penalties.
Eli Wright scored a late equaliser for the Lions as the match ended level before prevailing 5-4 from the spot at KGV Football Park.
The shootout’s defining save was made by Nick O’Connell, who flew to his left to push away Brody Denehey’s effort.
