Adelaide United hero Craig Goodwin says he has lived a dream with a stunning brace that delivered the Reds the FFA Cup with a 2-1 victory against Sydney FC at Hindmarsh Stadium. Key points: Craig Goodwin belts home a stunning free kick, then a volley on his weaker foot to win the Cup for Adelaide Craig Goodwin belts home a stunning free kick, then a volley on his weaker foot to win the Cup for Adelaide Second time Adelaide United has won the FFA Cup — the first club to win it twice — after its 2014 triumph Second time Adelaide United has won the FFA Cup — the first club to win it twice — after its 2014 triumph Goodwin says scoring twice in a cup final is "the kind of thing you dream about" Goodwin produced a top-shelf double in last night's final in Adelaide as United became the first club to win the cup twice. Goodwin spectacularly continued his rich run of form — he scored five goals in the tournament and also netted in the A-League last Friday night. "I'm really happy for the team and for myself," Goodwin said. "Obviously to score two goals at home in the cup final is the kind of thing that you dream about. "But for the team, it's a credit to our hard work … massive credit to the team." The 26-year-old rejected Sydney FC overtures in favour of returning to his birth city after spending the past two seasons in Holland. "That is why we tried to sign him," Sydney coach Steve Corica said. "In the end, that is what it came down to — two cracking goals from Goodwin." The Adelaide winger slotted a screaming free kick in the 25th minute to wow the parochial 14,448-strong Adelaide crowd. And after Sydney's Adam le Fondre equalised with a penalty three minutes later, Goodwin sealed the win with a crunching first-time volley in the 74th minute — which he rated the better goal, as it came from his non-preferred foot. Adelaide United became the first club to win the FFA Cup twice. ( AAP: David Mariuz Goodwin's feats, and feet, helped Adelaide turn the tables on Sydney from last year when the Sky Blues beat the Reds 2-1 in the decider. His initial goal came from the sweetest of free kicks from 24 metres out: struck with perfect timing and placement, the ball curled into the top right corner. Loading But Adelaide's joy was short-lived — two minutes, to be precise. In the 27th minute, a blunder from Reds defender Jordan Elsey gifted Sydney an equaliser — he feebly played a back pass intended for keeper Paul Izzo but the dribbling effort played in Sydney captain Alex Brosque. Brosque took a touch away from the charging Izzo, who felled the striker with le Fondre converting from the spot — his third goal in as many games for the Sky Blues. In the 53rd minute, Goodwin almost repeated his first goal: aiming from close to 30m out, he thumped a left-footed blast which narrowly missed the target. But just 21 minutes later, Goodwin secured his status as Adelaide's hero with the cup-winner. After being set-up by teammate Ben Halloran, Goodwin smacked a right-footed volley into the side netting from about a dozen metres for the Reds to follow their 2014 cup triumph. AAP<doc-sep>Craig Goodwin celebrates the second of his two stunning goals in the FFA Cup final. CRAIG Goodwin couldn’t have picked a more perfect occasion to showcase his quality. In front of nearly 15,000 fans at Coopers Stadium, the Adelaide United star fired his team to FFA Cup glory with two wonder strikes against Sydney FC. The first, a glorious free kick with his left foot, the second a rocket with his right. He didn’t know it at the time, but sitting in the stands was Socceroos coach Graham Arnold, who surely would have been impressed by what he saw. Goodwin has made an impact for the Reds this season, scoring in every FFA Cup match and shouldering the majority of Adelaide’s attack. He’s made no secret of his desire to try and push to get back into the national set-up and he could hardly have done any more to stake a major claim for a return. “Obiously good to show what I can do in front of the national team coach,” Goodwin said. “It’s always my aspiration to try and push back into that, but I know to get anywhere near that squad I’m going to have to keep performing consistently and keep doing my best for the team”. The 26-year-old made his Socceroos debut in 2013, but his last appearance for them was back in 2016 when he came off the bench against England. His push to get back into the Socceroos wasn’t helped by a difficult last few months in Holland with his then-club Sparta Rotterdam, who eventually agreed to release him after he failed to establish himself in the first team. Goodwin’s decision to re-join Adelaide United this season after turning down Sydney FC was made with an eye on getting himself back into the Socceroos set up. And Reds coach Marco Kurz says the club will do what they can to help him achieve that goal. “He’s got a clear aim to improve and also to come back to the Socceroos and we will help,” Kurz said. “He’s a very important player for us,” Kurz said. “We know his special quality with the left foot, I learned his special quality with the right foot. “A special moment for the boy, I’m very happy for him, but also for the team.”<doc-sep>
CRAIG Goodwin brought the house down as Adelaide United beat Sydney FC 2-1 to claim the FFA Cup trophy, and if there was a roof over Coopers Stadium the Reds star would have brought that down too. In front of 14,448 fans in Adelaide Goodwin fired two of the finest goals into the back of the net you’re ever likely to see in a Cup final. The win means Adelaide become the first side to win two FFA Cup trophies. There was so much to enjoy about the fifth FFA Cup final. A packed house at Adelaide’s boutique stadium creating a vibrant atmosphere on a warm night. Then there was the football. An intense, fiery battle was ultimately decided by Goodwin’s two wonder strikes. His first, a stunning free kick in the first half, was cancelled out just minutes later when Adam Le Fondre converted from the spot. The home side had dominated the opening exchanges and they got their just rewards in the 25th minute. A foul by Rhyan Grant just outside the box saw Goodwin step up to curl an absolute beauty into the top corner. Goodwin has been in superb form for the Reds and, with Ben Halloran still deployed up front, had to shoulder plenty of the attack. And he did it so well — the Socceroos hopeful has now scored in every FFA Cup match for Adelaide, his latest strikes coming in front of Graham Arnold, with the Socceroos coach watching from the stands. But the home side were afforded little time to celebrate, with Alex Brosque earning the Sky Blues a penalty after he was clipped by Paul Izzo just three minutes later. Up stepped Le Fondre and suddenly it was 1-1. The English striker is proving prolific in front of goal; that was his fifth goal in five matches for the Sky Blues across all competitions. It was also the first goal Adelaide conceded in their run to the final. The second half began as the first ended — it was pulsating. But fitting that Goodwin had the final say. In the 74th minute the ball came into Hallaron in the box, who then touched it back to Goodwin. The Adelaide man smashed an absolute rocket with his right foot into the back of the net. It’s the first time a player has scored a brace in the FFA Cup final and also the first final not to go into extra time. FFA CUP FINAL GUIDE: HISTORIC FIRST AWAITS WINNERS Re-live the action from our blog. CLICK HERE.