Limited crowds, VAR allowed as A-League locks in finals at Sydney’s Bankwest Stadium

Ed Jackson
Aug 19, 2020, updated Aug 19, 2020

Western United and Sydney FC are poised for finals action at Bankwest Stadium. Photo: AAP

A limited crowd will be able to attend this year’s A-League grand final, which will be held at Sydney’s Bankwest Stadium on August 30.

FFA announced on Tuesday all five finals matches will be played at the Parramatta venue starting with the elimination finals this Saturday and Sunday.

Those two matches are set to be played behind closed doors, but limited numbers of spectators will be allowed in the following mid-week semi-finals and the grand final.

AAP understands the crowds will be approximately 7500 or 25 per cent capacity of the 30,000 capacity.

.@BankwestStadium to host the Hyundai #ALeague Finals Series.

👉 https://t.co/LJDmEyKGqO #FootballReturns

— Isuzu UTE A-League (@aleaguemen) August 18, 2020

The finals begin on Saturday when Wellington Phoenix will face either Perth Glory or Brisbane Roar, depending on the result of Wednesday’s final regular-season match between Western United and Melbourne City.

United will face either Glory or Roar in the second elimination final on Sunday.

Premiers Plater winners Sydney FC and second-placed City have already qualified for the semi-finals, which will be played as a double header on Wednesday, August 26.

The video assistant referee (VAR) system will be reintroduced for all finals matches.

VAR has been absent during the post-COVID restart of the league in July, drawing criticism from Wellington coach Ufuk Talay after his team was on the wrong end of some crucial refereeing decisions in a loss to Sydney last month.