The 2008 A-League Pre-Season Challenge Cup competition was held in July and August 2008, in the lead up to the start of the Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

n A-League

A-League

The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...

 football 2008-09

A-League 2008-09

The 2008–09 A-League season was the fourth season of the Australasian A-League association football competition. Two new clubs, North Queensland Thunder and Gold Coast Galaxy had received tentative licences from the FFA but these were revoked for the 2008–09 season on 12 March 2008. Expansion...

 season.

All eight A-League

A-League

The A-League is the top Australasian professional football league. Run by Australian governing body Football Federation Australia , it was founded in 2004 following the folding of the National Soccer League and staged its inaugural season in 2005–06. It is sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company...

 clubs competed and were drawn into two groups of four teams. The format of the cup was modified from previous editions, reducing the number of matches. A group stage with three regular rounds saw team play each other in their group once, with the winner of each group advancing to the final. The final was played on 6 August, the first mid-week final in the competition history. The shortened format allowed clubs to schedule other matches in the lead up to the start of the A-League, and was completed before the 2008 Summer Olympics

2008 Summer Olympics

The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...

 in which Australia competed.

Continuing from previous years, most Pre-Season Cup matches were played at venues in regional centres to expand the profile of the clubs and the league. Bunbury

Bunbury, Western Australia

The port city of Bunbury is the third largest city in Western Australia after the State Capital Perth and Mandurah. It is situated south of Perth's central business district...

, Caloundra, Cessnock

Cessnock, New South Wales

Cessnock is a city in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, about by road west of Newcastle. It is the administrative centre of the Cessnock City Council LGA and was named after an 1826 grant of land called Cessnock Estate, which was owned by John Campbell...

, Mandurah and Mount Gambier

Mount Gambier, South Australia

Mount Gambier is the largest regional city in South Australia located approximately 450 kilometres south of the capital Adelaide and just 17 kilometres from the Victorian border....

 all hosted matches for the first time, while Launceston

Launceston, Tasmania

Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...

, Campbelltown

Campbelltown, New South Wales

Campbelltown is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Campbelltown is located 51 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Campbelltown.- History :Campbelltown...

, Port Macquarie

Port Macquarie, New South Wales

Port Macquarie is a city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, located about north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. The city is located on the coast, at the mouth of the Hastings River, and has an estimated population of 44,313....

 and Wollongong hosted matches again.

Group A

Fixtures
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Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
	3	2	0	1	3	2	6
	3	1	2	0	2	1	5
	3	0	2	1	1	2	2
	3	0	2	1	1	2	2

Group B

Fixtures
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Table

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
	3	2	1	0	5	3	7
	3	2	0	1	5	2	6
	3	1	0	2	4	7	3
	3	0	1	2	3	5	1

Final

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Top goalscorers

2 Goals: Cristiano

Cristiano dos Santos Rodrigues

Cristiano dos Santos Rodrigues , commonly known as Cristiano, is a Brazilian footballer who plays as a striker for South Australian Premier League side White City FC.-Early career:...

 (Adelaide United) Sergio van Dijk

Sergio van Dijk

Serginho "Sergio" van Dijk is a Dutch-born Indonesian footballer player, who currently plays for Adelaide United in the A-League...

 (Queensland Roar)

1 Goal: Adrian Trinidad

Adrian Trinidad

Adrian Trinidad is an Argentine football midfielder who plays for Persik Kediri in the Liga Indonesia.-Perth Glory:Adrian played his first game for Perth Glory against the Newcastle Jets in which he scored his first and only goal for the club.Trinidad came under some criticism from opposition...

 (Perth Glory) Ahmad Elrich (Central Coast Mariners) Dylan MacAllister

Dylan Macallister

Dylan Jacob Macallister is an Australian football player who plays as a forward for A-League club Gold Coast United...

 (Central Coast Mariners) Nik Mrdja

Nik Mrdja

Nik Mrdja is an Australian football player of Serbian ethnicity. He currently plays as a striker for the Australian A-League club the Central Coast Mariners.-Club career:...

 (Central Coast Mariners) Sasho Petrovski

Sasho Petrovski

Sasho Petrovski is an Australian football player. He is a striker who last played for the Newcastle Jets in the Hyundai A-League. Petrovski has two caps for the Australian national team...

 (Central Coast Mariners) Brad Porter

Brad Porter

Bradley "Brad" Porter is an football player. He currently plays as a central midfielder for the Australian A-League club Central Coast Mariners.-Club career:...

 (Central Coast Mariners) Tom Pondeljak

Tom Pondeljak

Tomislav Pondeljak is an Australian football player, who is currently playing for A-league club Melbourne Victory.-Club career:...

 (Melbourne Victory

Melbourne Victory

Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, that plays in the A-League....

) Michael Thwaite

Michael Thwaite

Michael Errol Thwaite is an Australian football player from Cairns who plays for Gold Coast United.-Club career:His career began at Sydney University in the New South Wales Winter Super League...

 (Melbourne Victory

Melbourne Victory

Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, that plays in the A-League....

) Noel Spencer

Noel Spencer

Noel Spencer was an Australian football player.-NSL:Noel played for his hometown of Wollongong from 1996–2000 and was part of Wollongong Wolves championship-winning team of the 1999/2000 season. After the championship win Noel left for Northern Spirit which he played for and later captained until...

 (Newcastle Jets) Michael Zullo

Michael Zullo

Michael Zullo is an Australian football player who plays for Utrecht in the Dutch Eredivisie.-Club career:After being signed by the former coach Frank Farina on a two year contract, Zullo played five of the six opening games of the season, coming on as a substitute...

 (Queensland Roar) Alex Brosque

Alex Brosque

Alex Brosque is an Australian professional football player who currently plays for J. League side Shimizu S-Pulse...

 (Sydney FC

Sydney FC

Sydney FC is a professional football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and competes in the country's premier football competition, the A-League...

) Iain Fyfe

Iain Fyfe

Iain Fyfe is an Australian football player who currently plays as defender for Busan I'Park in the K-League.- Club career :On completion of his SASI program in 2000, Iain joined hometown NSL club Adelaide City...

 (Sydney FC

Sydney FC

Sydney FC is a professional football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and competes in the country's premier football competition, the A-League...

) Chris Payne

Chris Payne

Christopher 'Chris' Payne is an Australian football player currently signed with A League club Newcastle Jets.-Sydney FC:...

 (Sydney FC

Sydney FC

Sydney FC is a professional football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and competes in the country's premier football competition, the A-League...

) Mitchell Prentice

Mitchell Prentice

Mitchell Prentice is an Australian football player who is currently off contract after being released by Sydney FC in the transfer window.-Club career:...

 (Sydney FC

Sydney FC

Sydney FC is a professional football club based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and competes in the country's premier football competition, the A-League...

) Troy Hearfield

Troy Hearfield

Troy Hearfield is an attacking football midfielder who currently plays for Central Coast Mariners in the A-League.Married to Deanne Hearfield.-Club career:Hearfield signed for Newcastle Jets in 2006...

 (Wellington Phoenix FC

Wellington Phoenix FC

Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. The club competes in the Football Federation of Australia A-League. Ricki Herbert has been the coach since the club's inception to the A-League in July 2007. The current club captain is...

) Adam Kwasnik

Adam Kwasnik

Adam Kwasnik is an Australian football player. He currently plays as a striker for the Australian A-League club the Central Coast Mariners.-Club career:...

 (Wellington Phoenix FC

Wellington Phoenix FC

Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. The club competes in the Football Federation of Australia A-League. Ricki Herbert has been the coach since the club's inception to the A-League in July 2007. The current club captain is...

) Ney Fabiano

Ney Fabiano de Oliveira

Ney Fabiano de Oliveira , more commonly known as Ney Fabiano, is a Brazilian football player, currently playing for Chonburi in the Thai Premier League.-Club career:...

 (Melbourne Victory

Melbourne Victory

Melbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, that plays in the A-League....

) Daniel

Daniel Lins Cortês

Daniel Lins Côrtes , nicknamed Daniel, is a Brazilian-born New Zealand football player who currently plays for Wellington Phoenix in the Australian A-League.-Club career:...

 (Wellington Phoenix FC

Wellington Phoenix FC

Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. The club competes in the Football Federation of Australia A-League. Ricki Herbert has been the coach since the club's inception to the A-League in July 2007. The current club captain is...

) Gao Leilei

Gao Leilei

Gao Leilei is a former Chinese footballer.-China:Gao began his professional career with Wuhan in 1998, before moving to Beijing Guoan in 1999. It was with Beijing Guoan that Gao first gained the public notice of Chinese football community when he scored an equalizer against Liaoning in the last...

 (Wellington Phoenix FC

Wellington Phoenix FC

Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. The club competes in the Football Federation of Australia A-League. Ricki Herbert has been the coach since the club's inception to the A-League in July 2007. The current club captain is...

) Shane Smeltz

Shane Smeltz

Shane Edward Smeltz is a New Zealand professional association football player. He plays as a striker for Perth Glory FC.-Club career:...

 (Wellington Phoenix FC

Wellington Phoenix FC

Wellington Phoenix Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, New Zealand. The club competes in the Football Federation of Australia A-League. Ricki Herbert has been the coach since the club's inception to the A-League in July 2007. The current club captain is...

)