AND then there were two. Adelaide United host Sydney FC in the FFA Cup final at Coopers Stadium looking to exact revenge after last year’s decider. On that occasion, the Sky Blues won 2-1 after a tight contest that needed extra time to decide the winner at Allianz Stadium, Bobo scoring the decisive goal in the 111th minute. And that’s been a theme between these two sides in the FFA Cup — all three encounters have gone to extra time, with Adelaide going on to win two of them. Adelaide United coach Marco Kurz and captain Isaias Sanchez. Source: AAP TALKING POINTS Advantage Adelaide The home team has won all four previous FFA Cup finals, so it’s advantage Adelaide on that front. In fact, until last year’s decider the visiting team had failed to even score a single goal in the FFA Cup final. But the Reds have not beaten Sydney in eight matches across all competitions, with the Sky Blues netting 13 goals to Adelaide’s two during the streak. Adelaide and Sydney drew 1-1 in the opening match of the A-League. Source: AAP ‘IT’S WELCOME PRESSURE’: SYDNEY UNFAZED BY FFA CUP CHALLENGES Recent form Adelaide frustrated Sydney in the opening game of the season, earning themselves a 1-1 draw at home. Marco Kurz’s side will take plenty of confidence from that result, while Steve Corica will know his team needs a far improved performance if they hope to cause a Cupset. The Sky Blues are coming off a big derby win over rivals the Western Sydney Wanderers, but suffered a blow after Siem de Jong limped off with a hamstring injury. Key players This match could be decided by one of two players — Craig Goodwin for Adelaide, or Sydney’s Milos Ninkovic. Goodwin has scored in all three of his FFA Cup appearances this season and has been a vital addition to the Reds side. And Ninkovic was back to his scintillating best against the Wanderers at the weekend. The Serbian star has won 12 of his 14 FFA Cup appearances, scoring four and assisting twice. While Adelaide will rely heavily on Goodwin going forward, the Sky Blues have the prolific Adam Le Fondre. The English striker has two goals and two assists in his two FFA Cup appearances this season, while he’s also netted two in two A-League matches. That’s four goals in four matches. REDS DEALING WITH INJURY ‘QUESTIONS MARKS’ AHEAD OF DECIDER Milos Ninkovic and Crag Goodwin are key players for their respective teams. Source: Getty Images Stats that matter — The winner of this match will be the first team to win two FFA Cup trophies — This is the third FFA Cup final for both teams — All three meetings between these two sides in the FFA Cup have seen a red card — Adelaide are only the second team to qualify for the final without conceding a goal — Sydney were first in 2016 Where to watch? The FFA Cup final will be live on Fox Sports 505 from 7pm (AEST). You can also follow it on our LIVE BLOG.<doc-sep>Different venue, same outcome. Sydney FC's utter dominance of their A-League derby rivals continued with a clinical 2-0 win over Western Sydney at the SCG on Saturday night. Adam Le Fondre's early goal and Alex Brosque's second-half settler extended the Sky Blues' record to 10 wins and four draws in their last 15 matches against their crosstown nemesis. The Wanderers had their chances but simply weren't good enough to take them. On the one occasion they were, the VAR cruelly snatched it away. The result means Steve Corica is undefeated in six matches – four in the FFA Cup and two in the A-League – since taking over from Graham Arnold as coach. On the evidence of this derby, Corica has this team humming. It bodes very well for Tuesday's FFA Cup final in Adelaide, although a late hamstring issue to injury-prone marquee recruit Siem de Jong took some of the gloss off the victory. That's two: Adam Le Fondre scores his second goal in as many matches for Sydney FC. Credit:s It didn't take Sydney long to assert themselves, with goalsneak Le Fondre pouncing in just the fourth minute. It started with a free kick in a good position. Michael Zullo's delivery was headed clear, but only as far as Paulo Retre, a surprise starter in place of de Jong. Retre had a lash from outside the box which took a deflection. It fell to Le Fondre, whose first attempt was smothered by Vedran Janjetovic, but his second made the net bulge. The Sky Blues looked the better side for most of the first half but it should have been all square in the 19th minute. Josh Brillante lost possession in midfield and the Wanderers launched a rapid counter-attack. Alexander Baumjohann's ball unleashed Jaushua Sotirio down the right flank. Sotirio played in a great cross to Oriel Riera, but the Spaniard scooped his attempt wide and the Sky Blues were off the hook. The visitors were slowly working their way back into the contest but Sotirio let himself and his teammates down in the 25th minute. Baumjohann played the much-maligned winger in with a delightful through ball which cut out three Sydney defenders and put him clear on goal. A gentle cushioning of the ball and Sotirio would have rounded the advancing Andrew Redmayne and had the goal at his mercy. Instead, his horrific first touch almost took him out of play, and he only just saved himself from the ignominy of conceding a goal kick when he should have scored. Roly Bonevacia missed yet another golden chance just after the half-hour mark. Eventually, the Wanderers were made to pay – and again, their own sloppiness was the cause. Western Sydney were trying to play their way out of danger, but Josh Risdon's attempted pass to Rashid Mahazi was picked off by Milos Ninkovic, who set up Alex Brosque to make it 2-0 in the 53rd minute. The Wanderers thought they had closed the margin six minutes later when Bonevacia smacked a loose ball into the bottom corner, only for the VAR to make a hugely controversial intervention.<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.