Football
AAP 8y

Tim Cahill's Melb City debut could be in FFA Cup against Brisbane Strikers

Tim Cahill's professional club debut in Australia could come at the unlikely venue of Perry Park, Brisbane in the FFA Cup round of 16.

Cahill's new club Melbourne City have been handed an FFA Cup round of 16 match away to Brisbane Strikers on Aug. 24 at Perry Park in Bowen Hills.

The date is free of Socceroos commitments, meaning Cahill will be available to play the former National Soccer League club.

Unless City coach John van 't Schip opts to spare Cahill the trip to Queensland, his selection will come down to fitness.

The 36-year-old signed for City on Thursday and will link up with the club on Monday, nine days before the FFA Cup tie.

Cahill has been without a club for a month after leaving Chinese Super League club Hangzhou Greentown but is a notorious fitness freak, making a debut possible.

On Thursday, Strikers chief executive Bruce Dinsdale said he would be surprised if Cahill headed north.

"I would have thought they'd give him a couple of weeks to get into it. But hopefully he comes -- it'd be fantastic," he told AAP.

"Tim Cahill is a hero everywhere he goes. The boys are looking forward to it, they're rapt. They're pretty excited to test themselves."

On the same night, City's cross-town rivals Melbourne Victory face a rematch of last year's semi-final against Hume City, this time at the National Premier League side's Broadmeadows home ground.

Western Sydney's trip to Newcastle to face local side Edgeworth Eagles headlines four matches on Aug. 30.

Perth Glory will host Sydney FC on the same night in the only all A-League tie of the round.

The four matches on Aug. 30 are played two days before the Socceroos begin the next phase of World Cup qualifying with a match against Iraq in Perth.

^ Back to Top ^