Canberra has shown it should be home to the next A-League team and if there were no plans for expansion then one-off games should be played in the nation's capital, says Socceroos midfielder Carl Valeri.
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The born-and-bred Canberran said he was not alone with those views, with his Melbourne Victory teammates expressing similar sentiments following their 6-0 FFA Cup win over Tuggeranong United on Tuesday night.
Glowing praise also came from Victory striker Archie Thompson and former Socceroos captain Ned Zelic after 5150 fans packed into Viking Park.
Former National Soccer League striker Andy Harper, who commentated the game for Fox Sports, said it was a positive night for Canberra, but added an A-League team was dependent on having the money to finance it.
Valeri said it was a strange feeling to play against Tuggeranong, his junior club, on the national stage and he praised their efforts both on and off the pitch.
He stayed back in Canberra to spend time with his family, but will be back in Melbourne before Victory's final friendly – against Sydney FC in Tasmania next weekend.
"I think it showed Canberra is able to host these games, which means why not give them an A-League team?" Valeri told The Canberra Times.
"I think the next team, if there is going to be one, should be from Canberra.
"If not that, then maybe have some games here because it was a really fantastic atmosphere and not just from myself, but the players commented on it [as well]."
Thompson took to Twitter to give his thumbs up.
"Great effort tonight from @tufc_tuggies team. Should be very proud of the lads. Not to (sic) long before Canberra have their own a-league team," he said.
There was similar praise from Zelic.
The Canberra FC junior was also impressed with the number of fans that packed out Viking Park on Tuesday night.
Harper felt Canberra had mounted a strong case for future involvement in the A-League but said it would be decided by the almighty dollar.
Canberra mounted an unsuccessful bid to get a team over three years, led by Capital Football director Ivan Slavich, which was dashed when the Western Sydney Wanderers were admitted into the A-League in 2012.
Slavich helped raise commitments for $4 million in investment, as well as $400,000 from foundation memberships.
A meeting between Football Federation Australia bosses two weeks ago ruled out any expansion in the near future as several clubs are experiencing financial struggles.
Harper did not think the idea of one-off games would work because of a lack of investment in the visiting teams.
"I thought last night was a very positive night for the game locally, but in the end Canberra, like any aspiring market, has to convince itself and the powers that be of two things – that they've got the money to underwrite it or they can generate a crowd to find the money to underwrite it," he said.
"That's where it's going to succeed or fail. A lot of the other indicators Canberra has, but in the end it's going to get down to money.
"Do they have people with money who want to fund it? Or is there enough interest to generate crowds to fund it? Or a combination of the two?"
