# 1998–99 National Soccer League

The 1998–99 National Soccer League season, known under a sponsorship arrangement as the 1998–99 Ericsson Cup, was the 23rd season of the National Soccer League in Australia.

## Overview

It was contested by 15 teams, and South Melbourne won the championship. Northern Spirit FC entered the competition.

## Regular season
### League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Sydney United | 28 | 18 | 4 | 6 | 53 | 33 | +20 | 58 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 2 | South Melbourne (C) | 28 | 17 | 6 | 5 | 50 | 26 | +24 | 57 | Qualification for the Finals series and the Oceania Club Championship |
| 3 | Perth Glory | 28 | 16 | 5 | 7 | 62 | 37 | +25 | 53 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 4 | Marconi Fairfield | 28 | 15 | 3 | 10 | 53 | 47 | +6 | 48 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 5 | Northern Spirit | 28 | 14 | 4 | 10 | 36 | 35 | +1 | 46 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 6 | Adelaide City | 28 | 13 | 6 | 9 | 39 | 26 | +13 | 45 | Qualification for the Finals series |
| 7 | Sydney Olympic | 28 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 46 | 36 | +10 | 43 | |
| 8 | Newcastle Breakers | 28 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 29 | 33 | −4 | 40 | |
| 9 | Brisbane Strikers | 28 | 11 | 6 | 11 | 41 | 47 | −6 | 39 | |
| 10 | Wollongong Wolves | 28 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 45 | 52 | −7 | 32 | |
| 11 | Carlton | 28 | 9 | 4 | 15 | 47 | 47 | 0 | 31 | |
| 12 | Melbourne Knights | 28 | 8 | 5 | 15 | 32 | 43 | −11 | 29 | |
| 13 | West Adelaide | 28 | 7 | 6 | 15 | 36 | 46 | −10 | 27 | |
| 14 | Gippsland Falcons | 28 | 5 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 44 | −27 | 25 | |
| 15 | Canberra Cosmos | 28 | 4 | 3 | 21 | 21 | 55 | −34 | 15 | |

## Finals series
### Bracket

| Elimination Finals | Elimination Finals | Elimination Finals | Elimination Finals | Elimination Finals | Major/Minor semi-finals | Major/Minor semi-finals | Major/Minor semi-finals | Major/Minor semi-finals | Major/Minor semi-finals | Preliminary Final | Preliminary Final | Preliminary Final | Grand Final | Grand Final | Grand Final |
| | | | | | 9 & 16 May 1999 | 9 & 16 May 1999 | 9 & 16 May 1999 | 9 & 16 May 1999 | 9 & 16 May 1999 | | | | 30 May 1999 | 30 May 1999 | 30 May 1999 |
| | | | | | 2 | South Melbourne | 2 | 0 | 2 | | | | South Melbourne | 3 |
| | | | | | 1 | Sydney United | 1 | 0 | 1 | 23 May 1999 | 23 May 1999 | 23 May 1999 | Sydney United | Sydney United | 2 |
| | | | | | | | | | | 1 | Sydney United | 2 | | | |
| 6 | Adelaide City | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | | 1 | Sydney United | 2 | | | |
| 6 | Adelaide City | 0 | 1 | 1 | 15 May 1999 | 15 May 1999 | 15 May 1999 | 15 May 1999 | 15 May 1999 | 3 | Perth Glory | 1 | | | |
| 3 | Perth Glory | 0 | 2 | 2 | 15 May 1999 | 15 May 1999 | 15 May 1999 | 15 May 1999 | 15 May 1999 | 3 | Perth Glory | 1 | | | |
| 3 | Perth Glory | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | Perth Glory | Perth Glory | Perth Glory | 1 | | | | | | |
| | | | | | 4 | Marconi Stallions | Marconi Stallions | Marconi Stallions | 0 | | | | | | |
| 5 | Northern Spirit | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | Marconi Stallions | Marconi Stallions | Marconi Stallions | 0 | | | | | | |
| 4 | Marconi Stallions | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | | | | | | | |

### Elimination finals

* Northern Spirit 0-0 : 1-2 Marconi Stallions
* Adelaide City 0-0 : 1-2 Perth Glory

### Major semi-final

* South Melbourne 2-1 : 0-0 Sydney United

### Minor semi-final

* Perth Glory 1-0 Marconi Stallions

### Preliminary final

* Sydney United 2-1 Perth Glory

### Grand Final

SOUTH MELBOURNE: :
| GK | 1 | Michael Petkovic |
| MF | 2 | Steve Iosifidis |
| DF | 3 | Fausto De Amicis |
| DF | 4 | Nick Orlic |
| DF | 5 | Con Blatsis |
| MF | 6 | David Clarkson |
| MF | 7 | Steve Panopoulos |
| FW | 8 | Vaughan Coveny |
| FW | 9 | Paul Trimboli (c) | 68' |
| FW | 10 | Michael Curcija | 63' |
| MF | 15 | Goran Lozanovski | 81' |
| Substitutes: |||
| GK | 20 | Chris Jones |
| FW | 11 | John Anastasiadis | 63' |
| MF | 16 | George Goutzioulis | 68' |
| FW | 17 | Jim Tsekinis | 81' |
| DF | 18 | Robert Liparoti |
| Manager: |||
| Ange Postecoglou ||||
| Joe Marston Medal: |||
| Goran Lozanovski ||||
SYDNEY UNITED: :
| GK | 30 | Mike Gibson |
| DF | 2 | David Barrett |
| DF | 4 | Velimir Kupresak (c) |
| DF | 5 | Richard Plesa |
| DF | 6 | Joe Vrkic |
| MF | 7 | Jacob Burns | 88' |
| FW | 9 | Mile Sterjovski |
| FW | 10 | Nathan Day | 64' |
| MF | 11 | Steve Berry |
| DF | 17 | Michael Santalab | 68' |
| MF | 28 | Peter Bennett |
| Substitutes: |||
| GK | 20 | Barney Smith |
| DF | 8 | Walter Ardone | 88' |
| MF | 15 | Danny Townsend | 68' |
| FW | 19 | Joel Griffiths | 64' |
| MF | 25 | Ante Moric |
| Manager: |||
| David Mitchell ||||

## Footnotes

* ↑ Reid, Michael (5 October 1998). "Foot soldiers". The Age. p. 44. Retrieved 30 August 2022.