As Adelaide United prepare for a Westfield FFA Cup semi-final against Western Sydney Wanderers, one of their new boys has Cup final experience to draw on.
Danish winger Johan Absalonsen, who’s hit the Hyundai A-League with a bang by scoring goals in his first two games, is already the proud owner of a Danish Cup medal.
Absalonsen joined Odense Boldklub from Brondby at the start of the 2006/07 season and soon established himself as a first-team regular.
He played 28 of the side’s 33 games in his first season as Odense finished fourth in the Superliga.
But it was their Danish Cup run which really caught the fans’ imagination that season.
Superliga sides joined the competition in the third round, with Odense easing past FC Nordsjælland 1-0.
Absalonsen then faced his former club Brondby in the fourth round, with a 1-0 scoreline again enough to see them through.
In fact, Odense were proving to be the 1-0 specialists, beating Randers FC by the same margin in the quarter-finals.
The semi-finals were played on home and away basis and Odense were facing elimination after losing the first leg 2-1 at home to Viborg.
But in a stunning turnaround, Absalonsen’s side won 2-0 at Viborg Stadium in the second leg to advance to the final 3-2 on aggregate.
Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium was the venue for the final, meaning Odense’s opposition – FC Copenhagen – felt very much at home.
Indeed, Copenhagen’s Canadian midfielder Atiba Hutchinson opened the scoring after just a quarter-hour of the contest.
But in front of over 30,000 fans, Odense equalised through Danish under-21 international Martin Borre just before half-time.
The game’s decisive goal came early in the second half when Brazilian midfielder Bechara Oliveira netted to give Odense a 2-1 lead, which they held for the remainder of the game to claim the silverware.
Absalonsen played a key part in the victory and was named Danish Cup Fighter after the game.
