The tradies, students and public servants of this team may thrive on being underdogs, but they will adopt a professional set-up for the next two days to chase the biggest win of their lives.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Tuggeranong United's part-time soccer players will put their day jobs on hold on Monday to prepare for an FFA Cup blockbuster against A-League giants the Melbourne Victory on Tuesday night.
The team will go into camp at the Alpha Hotel to eat together, sleep together and get a brief taste of what it's like to be a professional for the FFA Cup match that pits amateurs against superstars.
The Melbourne Victory spends $2.55 million on player salaries every season while Tuggeranong operates on a budget closer to $60,000 for everything involved at the club.
It's a David v Goliath battle and while most have given Tuggeranong little hope of toppling the likes of Carl Valeri, Mark Milligan and Archie Thompson, carpenter Chris Ruiz says the Canberra minnows want to prove a point.
"We've had to take three days of work off to focus on three days of soccer, but it will be worth it," Ruiz said.
"My boss is the vice-president of Tuggeranong, so he gave the OK for me to take some time off, but even if he wasn't I would have taken the days off anyway. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
"A-League teams have already lost in the FFA Cup. We believe we can win ... everyone in Canberra reckons we're a pushover team.
"But people write us off and we've already shown that we thrive on being the underdogs. Don't underestimate us."
Tuggeranong will take on the Victory in the round of 16 in the inaugural FFA Cup.
Tuggeranong failed to make the finals in the Capital Football Premier League, winning just six of 16 games against Canberra's best teams.
But it beat South Hobart in the opening round of the FFA Cup and now has a chance to chase a historic win against some of the players' soccer idols.
More than 3000 tickets have been sold for the match at Viking Park and it will be the biggest crowd the Tuggeranong players have seen.
It's a long way from their humble home at Kambah, which was deemed unsuitable for an FFA Cup match that will be broadcast live on national television.
To get the team focused, coach Steve Forshaw will take the team into a mini camp designed to give the players the best possible chance to beat two-time A-League champions Melbourne.
"I'm absolutely pumped, I've never played in anything like this," said striker Zac Munster.
"To play against an A-League team in a massive game is a huge opportunity if some of the boys want to make a statement to show we're not just a little club from Canberra.
"I'm thinking about asking for a [Victory jersey from a player], but I can't really give them mine, can I?"
Ruiz, 23, has mixed emotions before the biggest game of his career.
Younger brother Tom will miss the dream match up after dislocating his ankle in the last play of a warm-up game against Narrabundah last week.
It means Ruiz will run on the field with extra motivation to cause a major upset and secure the biggest win in Tuggeranong's history.
"It was sad for Tom ... but he's young and he's good enough," Ruiz said.
"He'll get another chance. For me it's once in a lifetime, but he's good enough to get another chance at something like this.
"No one wants to take this game for granted, we want to put Tuggeranong on the map."
