Adelaide United greats Eugene Galekovic, Bruce Djite and Marcelo Carrusca reflect on inaugural FFA Cup win ahead of knockout final

THEY were driving forces behind Adelaide United’s maiden A-League title and inspired a generation of Reds supporters to dream big. But 18 months before their historic grand final triumph, Eugene Galekovic, Marcelo Carrusca and Bruce Djite played major roles in another momentous success. The United greats, who boast a combined 485 games for the club, guided it to glory in the inaugural FFA Cup final at a packed Hindmarsh Stadium in 2014. As holder Adelaide prepares to meet Melbourne City in Wednesday night’s knockout decider, the trio sat down to remember the night the Reds arrived. PRE-MATCH The cup’s first year was a venture into the unknown for players and fans alike. But Adelaide’s Spanish coach Josep Gombau ensured his charges took the competition seriously, as the Reds downed four A-League sides en route to the final against Perth Glory. Djite said the enormity of the decider hit home a few days before the match, when a full house was confirmed. “Anyone who has been to Coopers Stadium knows how fantastic the atmosphere is when you’ve got 12,000 there, let alone a sellout,” Djite, 32, recalled. “So we knew it was going to be a massive night. “I remember being in my backyard on the morning of the game. “It was warm and sunny and I felt like ‘we’re going to win today’. “The thought of not winning never entered my mind. “South Australians are very proud people and we wanted to win something for them and for the club.” Captain Galekovic said there was a different feeling pre-game, as 16,142 fans crammed into the home of SA soccer. “We had a massive advantage playing at Hindmarsh with the sellout crowd,” Galekovic said. “The vibe was really good and it was the first FFA Cup, so it’s special and it’s always going to be remembered.” THE GAME Djite recounted a “cagey” first half where “no one wanted to make any mistakes”. The Reds record goal scorer winced at the thought of then teenager Awer Mabil blazing the best opening of the period high and wide, after being fed by his through ball. Goalkeeper Galekovic had no memory of his heart in mouth moment, when he ventured outside his box to take the ball off Richard Garcia’s foot and sent the Glory man sprawling. But Argentinian playmaker Carrusca had a crystal clear recollection events, including his sublime defence-splitting pass which teed up Sergio Cirio’s 67th-minute winner. “The final was a very tough game,” said Carrusca, who was also hauled down by Josh Risdon for the Perth defender’s second yellow card after the break. “It was very tight and very difficult for us to play and create opportunities. “But normally you have a player who you have a good connection with and Cirio was one of them for me. “I didn’t even need to look at him, because he always knew where to be when I got the ball. “He made the run, I saw him and he scored the most important goal in his career maybe. “After Risdon was sent off, we got more chances before the end of the game. “But we had a good team and an experienced team at the time, who knew how to play these kind of games.” CELEBRATIONS The full-time whistle sparked an outpouring of emotion in the stands and on the pitch, as United added just its second major honour after the 2006 Premier’s Plate. Carrusca, who had won the Turkish league with Galatasaray six years earlier, struggled to describe the feeling. “You want to laugh, you want to cry,” the 36-year-old said. Djite shared the moment with the club’s loyal Red Army supporter group, climbing on to the cross bar at the northern end of the ground post-match. “I’d get a cramp now,” Djite, the Reds’ director of football, laughed. “But they (diehard fans) go through the good times and the bad times. “They're’ not supporters that come when you’re winning and stay home when you’re losing, so it’s always important to celebrate it with them and recognise those guys.” Galekovic became the first skipper to lift the cup, presented in the western grandstand in a fashion similar to England’s FA Cup. “It was unreal,” said the eight-cap Socceroo, who had only hazy visions of the long night of celebrations that followed at Norwood’s Republic bar. “It was the first trophy I won at the club and to lift it in the stand and involve the crowd was a special moment. “I remember Josep said ‘boys you don’t win trophies every day, go out enjoy yourselves and after that we’ll worry about the Newcastle (league) game (three days later).” LEGACY Adelaide went on to finish third in the league that season, before overcoming an eight-match winless streak at the start of the following campaign to claim its sole championship to date. Galekovic, now United’s goalkeeper coach, sensed immediately after the cup victory it would lead to more silverware. “The emotion of it was all good, but I just had that feeling where it was going to be a successful period,” said the custodian, who hung up his gloves last summer. “Gombau had come to the club and everyone loved what he was doing. “You do become closer winning trophies on nights like that, so in the end it probably helped with what we did in the future.” Ex-Argentine youth international Carrusca said the tight bond between players, on and off the pitch, carried them to a golden era. Djite concurred, claiming cup glory might also propel the current side to further accolades. “The experience of that cup win definitely helped us in 2016,” said Djite, who notched 35 goals across two Reds stints. “Learning how to win the big games … is something that only comes through experience. “But more important was the togetherness of that group. “The cup win was a precursor to bigger and better things.”