FA Cup: United Through to the FA Cup Final on Penalties

Manchester United travelled to London earlier today for an FA Cup Semifinal matchup with Brighton & Hove Albion at Wembley Stadium. This match was full of intrigue for a variety of reasons. Brighton and manager Roberto De Zerbi are probably having the best season in their history, and they’ve been extremely successful with their scouting and recruiting of players who fit De Zerbi’s system. He also knows how to get the best out of his players. They play a possession-oriented style that you don’t often see from a mid-table club, and they are anchored in the center of the park by a World Cup winner in Argentine midfielder Alexis Mac Allister. United and manager Erik ten Hag were looking to right the ship after the woeful 3-0 loss to Sevilla in the Europa League. The back line was shuffled once again, with left back Luke Shaw moving into the center of defense alongside center back Victor Lindelof. The FA Cup is United’s last realistic chance of winning another trophy this season.

The first half was decidedly even. Both teams were cancelling each other out tactically, and the defenses were playing extremely well. Brighton forced an early save from keeper David De Gea on 7 minutes from a Mac Alister free kick, after which midfielder Bruno Fernandes forced a save from Seagulls keeper Robert Sanchez with a shot from just outside the box on 14 minutes. There were half chances created as the first 45 minutes wore on, but there was also a litany of fouls and injuries that really stopped the match from getting into a rhythm or flow. Neither side had a great half in terms of finishing. The final touch or shot was seemingly always just off. Winger Antony dos Santos forced a kicked save from Sanchez in stoppage time, but it was a fairly routine one at that. At halftime it was 0-0, and it was hard to give an edge to either side.

The second half was a bit more dynamic. For the first 15 minutes or so, it was all Brighton. They were dominant in possession and were winning free kicks left and right. De Gea was forced into a big reflex save on 55 minutes from Brighton forward Julio Enciso after the Red Devils failed to effectively clear a corner. United did well to weather the storm though, and they became the more dominant team as the second half carried on. The problems with finishing for both teams carried on, however. Each time someone got the ball into a promising position, it was inevitably followed by a bad touch or last-ditch challenge that ended the danger. The usual second half substitutions from both sides also slowed things down. Seagulls winger Solly March forced a low but again routine save from De Gea on 83 minutes, but that was the only goal mouth action in the latter stages of the half. As the minutes ticked down, it became clear that extra time and maybe even penalties would be needed.

The 30 minutes of extra time that ensued followed the same pattern as the previous 90. A half chance for Brighton, then a half chance for United, then Brighton, et cetera. Some very solid defensive play from both teams, coupled with more poor finishing. The best chance for United was a deflected shot from striker Marcus Rashford that sent Sanchez diving, but he got a hand to it and palmed it away. Rashford came very close again on 112 minutes after a fine pass from midfielder Casemiro found him on a run, but his curling effort from 16-17 yards went wide of Sanchez’s far post. After 120 minutes of football and stoppage time it was still 0-0, and the ominous aura of penalties loomed large.

The weather seemed to understand the importance of the moment too, as what was previously a sunny day in west London suddenly became a downpour just before the shootout began. Water on the pitch is not what a penalty taker wants, but both De Gea and Sanchez would have been pleased to see it. Mac Alister went first for Brighton and dispatched his penalty expertly, as did Casemiro for United after him. Seagulls defender Pascal Groß then converted his penalty, after which United full back Diogo Dalot dispatched his as well. That’s how it went for the first five penalties for each side – clinical finishing. Sanchez did get a hand to midfielder Marcel Sabitzer’s sixth penalty, but he couldn’t keep it out. The big break for United came when March skied penalty number 7 over the crossbar, which allowed Lindelof to step up to the spot and send Sanchez the wrong way! United won 7-6 on penalties and advanced to the FA Cup Final!

Tons of talking points from this one but I want to highlight United’s makeshift back four of Shaw, Lindelof, Dalot, and right back Aaron Wan-Bissaka. All four of them were immense today, as was De Gea with some key saves. Lindelof in particular was impressive. It’s true he’s fallen down the pecking order this season due to the play of center backs Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane, but he has proven himself to be a reliable option when those two have not been available. Having Shaw next to him was a risky but ultimately correct decision as well. He doesn’t usually play centrally, but the two of them work very well together. Lindelof’s cool and steely approach to taking what was ultimately the winning spot kick is part of the reason why he’s called Iceman. I hope ETH sticks with those four players at the back until Varane is fit to return.

All of the penalties taken in this shootout though – aside from March’s – were excellent. Credit to Rashford and winger Jadon Sancho in particular. The last time those two took part in a shootout was the disastrous England match against Italy at Euro 2021 where they both badly missed, but you never would have known that judging by their confidence today. Sancho buried his penalty high and in the opposite corner, which is unstoppable if it’s executed correctly. There was a confidence about the penalties that I haven’t seen from United in a long time. March was unlucky to miss his, but sometimes that’s how these things go. Penalty shootouts are always a roll of the dice, and for Brighton today they came up snake eyes. They will rue their poor finishing today, just like United would have done had they lost. Some real nerve on display from the lads today, which was a nice contrast to the previous match where they looked like they couldn’t be bothered.

United will play in the first ever Manchester Derby FA Cup Final against fierce rivals Manchester City on June 3, 2023 at Wembley. Between now and then though are the final 8 matches of the Premier League campaign, with the first one being yet another trip to London to play Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday. United are temporarily in 4th place due to Newcastle’s victory over Tottenham today, but United have a game in hand. This match against Spurs is a big one in the race for the top-4. Win, and United will be a virtual lock for the Champions League next season.

Glory Glory Man United! Glazers Out!

United Grind Out a Win

The Red Devils traveled to South London today to take on Crystal Palace at a now-customarily empty Selhurst Park. With only three matches to go in the Premier League, points are at a premium and the race for the top-4 is incredibly close. Chelsea beat Norwich yesterday and Leicester City defeated Sheffield United earlier in the day, so Manchester United needed a victory to maintain control of their own destiny with top-4 qualification.

Crystal Palace are an interesting side, and it was difficult to predict just how motivated they would be to play. They are safe from relegation, but they are also nowhere near qualification for Europe. With little to play for, you figure they would either be utterly disinterested or because we have something to play for they would come out and treat the match like its a cup final and try to play spoiler. United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made some changes to his starting XI for the first time in five matches, opting to bring in Scott McTominay for Nemanja Matic and the surprising addition of Timothy Fosu-Mensah at left back, in for the injured Luke Shaw and Brandon Williams. Fosu-Mensah hadn’t played as a starter in the Prem for over a year, and I had temporarily forgotten he even played for us!

United once again got off to a slow start, and it was Palace doing all the early running. Our midfielders and defenders were harassed when on the ball and David De Gea was called into action very early on to make a strong save from Palace striker and shithouser extraordinaire Jordan Ayew. Ayew was by far my least favorite player by the end of the match for his general shit-stirring demeanor, but it was a good shot from him nonetheless and United were put on notice that Palace was going to try and beat us. De Gea was forced to make several important saves in the first half.

United weren’t really clicking in the attacking third, as our best opportunities were coming from a few near misses on headers from Harry Maguire on set pieces. To their credit, Palace kept up the pressure. Winger/forward Wilfried Zaha ran into the box on a break with the ball and went down under a challenge from United center-back Victor Lindelof. There was contact between them, but replays showed Lindelof got contact with the ball first and Zaha went down after the ball was cleared away. The referee waived off the penalty shouts by Zaha and his teammates, and interestingly I don’t believe VAR was used to check for a penalty.

That bit of fortune swung the game a little bit, and United opened the scoring just before half time. I love goals just before half time because they are demoralizing to the other team when they’ve been playing well. It sucks to keep a team like United out for 45+ minutes, only to concede just before going into the locker room. A 0-0 at halftime is much, much better than 1-0 down. McTominay played the ball into Bruno Fernandes about 25 yards from goal, who played a quick 1-2 with Anthony Martial. Martial hit it back to Bruno as he ran forward into the penalty area. Marcus Rashford had made a diagonal run across his marker and Bruno played a pass to him. Rashford knocked the ball into the space on his left, then stopped on a dime. The defender marking him fell down, and Rashford slid the ball along the ground into the net with the keeper beaten as well. Excellent buildup in passing, excellent run and finish by Rashford. Credit to Martial for making a dummy run into the box as well to create additional space for Rashford.

As we say in America, he broke his ankles!

A one goal lead is not enough in the Premier League though. You never feel comfortable up by only one. United were very lucky to not be back on level pegging 10 minutes into the second half when a scuffed shot by Zaha was turned in to the United goal by Ayew. VAR checked for offside and after a lengthy review it was found that Ayew was maybe an inch or two ahead of Aaron Wan-Bissaka when the ball was hit by Zaha. Palace probably felt they got the short end of the stick on the referee decisions today, and in the pre-VAR days their goal likely would have stood. Still though, United got the short end of the stick last week against Southampton so it was our turn for a bit of luck it seems.

Palace kept plugging away but encountered stiff resistance from the United defense and De Gea himself. Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic struck a sweet free kick from the left channel that De Gea did very well to save. World-class level really, and just as valuable as a goal. De Gea had a real return to form today after some questionable performances of late. United goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel, who is now a pundit, pointed out that De Gea is a goalkeeper who does his best when he has a lot to do. If he is routinely and consistently making saves throughout the match, he tends to play well. It’s when he is largely untested that he is the most error-prone. I would tend to agree with that. De Gea is world class for this club when he is required to be, which in the past few years was quite frequently due to an inconsistent defense and lack of possession in midfield. The challenge for De Gea will be consistency going forward because the team is generally playing better now. This is the business end of the season and we need him to be in his best form.

United were able to work another slick passing move that ended in the vital second goal. in the 78th minute. They had been knocking on the door previous to that, with Bruno unlucky to not have scored when he hit the left post after great work by Martial in the box. For the goal, Bruno and Martial were at it again. Bruno brought the ball forward in the left channel and played an excellent pass to Rashford through the legs of a defender. Rashford one-touched it to Martial who had made a diagonal run across his defender. He took a touch his right foot and then curled it into the goal. Another very well-worked goal that was well-deserved for Martial. Whatever OGS said to him recently it seems to have worked, as he is in the best form his career by far. He and Rashford are now level on goals with 22 apiece this season. I think bringing on Matic for McTominay was key to improving our midfield shape and really solidifying our possession, which eventually led to the goal.

Celebrations were soured a bit though as there was a particularly nasty shoulder injury to Palace right back Patrick Van Aanholt on the tail end of the goal when he fell over the body of Martial. Treatment took several minutes and really killed momentum in the game for each side. Zaha got another half chance when he chased down a long ball in the 90th minute, but his shot was well saved by De Gea at a tight angle. After an agonizingly long 11 minutes of stoppage time in which United had the most possession and chances, the ref blew the whistle and United were home and dry with 3 points and clean sheet.

You can’t really ask for more than that in an away match towards the end of the season. Sure it was scrappy and a bit disjointed, but we won and that’s really all that matters. Can’t say enough about the form of Bruno, Rashford, and Martial in particular. As I stated, Martial is in the form of his life and his really doing it all. He always was a goalscorer but he has added passing, vision, and hold-up play to his repertoire as well. What a striker he is and OGS/his staff must be credited with his improvement. Rashford is having his breakout season and also assisted Martial’s goal. Bruno dramatically improved from the last match and looked to be back to his usual self.

Today also illustrated that we need another defensive midfielder when the transfer window re-opens. It’s very clear that Matic is our best defensive mid, and anyone deputizing for him is doing just that – deputizing. No insult to McTominay of course, but he appears to be more of a box-to-box midfielder instead of a purely defensive one. He can play the position in a pinch, but he’s better alongside Pogba or Bruno than he is playing behind them. A good DM is key to unlocking the full potential of the two mids in front him, but Matic is 31 and not capable of playing every game. A younger and more athletic natural DM is needed if we want to have any chance at competing in the Champions League next season.

Speaking of, only 2 games left now. United face relegation-battlers West Ham at Old Trafford next week, then the final game away to Leicester City which will decide the top-4. United are level with Leicester on points but are in 5th on the goal differential tiebreaker (-3). Leicester play Tottenham next and I am hoping former United manager Jose Mourinho will do us a favor and ensure that Leicester drop points. No matter what though, United will still be in striking distance of the top-4 on the last day. If we win our last two games, we are in.

Next match is against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium for the FA Cup semifinal. I hope that OGS prioritizes the Prem over this tournament with his squad selection, because even though its an important tournament its nowhere near as important as qualifying for the Champions League. I’d like to see some rotation where the younger lads get a run out, maybe with 1-2 of the established stars in support. I won’t be devastated if we lose out on the FA Cup if it means we go into Europe next year.

Glory Glory Man United!

Football in the Age of COVID-19 and Black Lives Matter

It’s been over two months since I last posted, mainly because there hasn’t been much to write about and also due to my own reservations about posting a footie/soccer blog when so many other more important things are happening. Of course this is not supposed to be a political or social issues blog, but the stunningly bizarre aspects of 2020 have forced me to acknowledge a little bit of what’s going on. It would highly privileged of me to not discuss these goings on. Lets get these statements out there right now:

COVID-19 is real and its not going away any time soon.

Black Lives Matter.

LGBTQIA+ Lives Matter.

The Bundesliga in Germany and La Liga in Spain resumed a few weeks ago, and the Premier League resumed on June 17th. Empty stadiums of course, and it seems there are some pretty rigorous testing standards have been implemented in order to keep players and coaches safe. There is no way to prevent the spread 100%, but it seems that everyone is getting checked routinely. What’s weird is that most of the leagues have banned group celebrations after goals, even though man-marking in close spaces is the same thing as doing a group celebration. I appreciate the caution they’re using, but some of the rules seem a little counter-intuitive.

Professional football being played in an empty stadium is the weirdest shit of all time. For some broadcasts fake crowd noise is being pumped in, and for some others it is not. I don’t think the presence or absence of a crowd gives an advantage to a team one way or another, but it’s still really freaking weird to see someone score and there’s just no reaction from the stands, cuz no one is there! I kind of wish they would stop with the fake crowd noise as well. It might make the experience seem more authentic for some, but for me, as a student of the game, I love hearing the players and coaches talking to each other. In Manchester United’s recent match against Sheffield United, there was a moment where one of the sound microphones caught captain Harry Maguire yelling at Luke Shaw to “fucking switch on!” after he made an error due to not paying attention. It was hilarious. This could be an opportunity for people to learn more about how the game is played, and fake crowd noise really kills that.

While the sports leagues in the USA seem to be not quite sure how to treat the Black Lives Matter movement, the European leagues have made their official position quite clear. All players have been taking a knee in solidarity before the whistle starting each game, and during the first weekend of the return to play every single player had “Black Lives Matter” emblazoned on the backs of their shirts in lieu of their last names. This does not fix the problems of police brutality and systemic racism of course, but it provides visibility to the movement and that’s really all a sports league is suited to do.

I am especially proud of United’s Black players for also raising their fists in solidarity. Striker Marcus Rashford in particular has been very vocal in his support of the movement, and has also done quite a lot to help feed poor and impoverished children in the UK. Rival fans don’t like Rashford on the pitch, but everyone is very much in favor of his nutrition and meal programs he has set up, partly with his own money. Not bad for a guy who is all of 22.

This is not to say that the UK doesn’t have problems, because it does. Last weekend, before a match between Man City and Burnley, a plane was spotted flying over the stadium where the match was to be played towing a banner that said “White Lives Matter.” The overwhelming majority of people were disgusted by the act and rightly so, and the Burnley fan who hired the plane was fired from his job (also rightly so). There is no room for that nonsense in this game. If you don’t support Black people and their struggle for equality, you shouldn’t be allowed to watch or otherwise partake in this sport.

As for the football itself, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag for Manchester United supporters. We are playing well and currently are on a 14 game unbeaten run, and we do generally seem to be on our way back in terms of playing style and general form. All of that news was soured though by Liverpool winning their first title in 30 years. They’ve been the best team this season so of course I can’t really begrudge them too much, and it was inevitable that they would win it once the season resumed. They were just too far ahead for anyone to have a realistic chance at catching them. I was hoping for a cancellation of the season just to see Liverpool fans completely lose their shit, but it didn’t happen. Even though this is their 19th title, they’re still one behind the Red Devils 🙂

United are still in the hunt for a top-4 spot, and currently sit 5th. The first match back was a lackluster 1-1 draw with Tottenham, which didn’t really help us that much. Anthony Martial then really got things going by scoring a hat-trick against Sheffield, the first United hat-trick in the Premier League since 2012. The most recent match was an FA Cup quarterfinal match against Norwich City, which was much more difficult than it needed to be. There are no draws/ties in the FA Cup, and in the United match an extra half an hour was needed to find a winner, which Maguire scored after Norwich failed to clear a pass from Paul Pogba into the box. United are in to the semifinals of the FA Cup, which is a good achievement in this fantastically weird season.

Bruno Fernandes and Pogba have shown some excellent signs of forming a good partnership in midfield, and with a rested Nemanja Matic and Scott McTominay anchoring the middle, we finally are beginning to look like a world-class side. Not quite there yet, but I think with more time and training Bruno and Pogba will become the best midfield combination in the world. They have the raw talent to do it and their skill-sets compliment each other. We just need them to gel a little bit more and I think we will see some truly world-class football from them.

It’s all about the race for the top-4 now for United. Chelsea and Leicester City are both within reach, but Leicester look far more likely to slip up in the final few games. Chelsea have discovered some form of their own, and it was their victory over Man City that led to Liverpool mathematically clinching the title. If United win the FA Cup and clinch the top-4, I will consider this odd season to be a success. United will face either Chelsea, Arsenal, or the winner of Man City/Newcastle in the semifinals of the FA Cup.

United have four Premier League matches left this season, and I expect us to take 3 points each time. Brighton, Bournemouth, and Aston Villa are all fighting relegation though, so none of those matches will be easy. When teams play Man United they tend to come at us as if it’s the biggest game of their lives, and that will be especially true with the threat of relegation added in. We need to win all four matches and then hope Chelsea and/or Leicester slip up – and I think one of them will.

Premier League/FA Cup Recap, Barcelona Preview

It’s been a big week in English football, with the title race as tight as ever, as is the race for the top 4. At the bottom of the table, both Fulham and Huddersfield Town have already been relegated. Only one more team will join them in the Championship next season, the likely candidate being Welsh side Cardiff City. They are 5 points from safety with 5 games to play. They aren’t out yet, but they need to start winning quickly if they want to stay in the top-flight.

To compound Manchester United’s misery after the loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday, both Chelsea and Tottenham coasted to victory on Wednesday, causing United to slip down to 6th in the table. However, as has been the case many times this season, there is a silver lining to the weekend. Arsenal lost at Goodison Park to Everton today, meaning they move no higher than 4th. They could have really cemented a grip on the top 4 today with a victory, but their terrible away form this season continues to haunt them. Given that United are still only 3 points off of 3rd place after the results of this week, everything could be much worse. There is a tough run-in for both Arsenal and United, but the race for 3rd and 4th place is certainly far from over.

This weekend was also the semifinals of the FA Cup, which are held at Wembley Stadium in London every year. Manchester City narrowly defeated Brighton & Hove Albion to advance to the final in May, while Watford came from behind and beat Wolves in extra time to seal their passage to the final. It was an absolutely thrilling match, with Spanish winger Gerard Deolufeu in top form. Watford will be a tough test for City and I don’t expect it to be a walk in the park for them. Interestingly, City are still in contention for what’s known as a “quadruple” of trophies. They have already won the League Cup, they are 2nd in the Premier League with a game in hand on Liverpool, they’re in the final of the FA Cup, and the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Should they manage to win all four of the most important trophies they’re eligible for, it will be a first in the history of English football.

Speaking of the Champions League, United face the monumental task of playing Barcelona at Old Trafford on Wednesday afternoon America-time. For a preview of Barcelona, it is time to turn once again to my colleague Jose, a life-long Barcelona supporter and close follower of La Liga. Our readers with sharp memories will remember Jose’s top contribution to this blog on the Mexican national team during the World Cup last summer.

“Barcelona have been in wonderful form for the past couple of weeks. With Barcelona taking Real Madrid out of the Copa del Rey and making an even bigger gap in points between them and Atletico Madrid in La Liga, Barcelona is on track to possibly achieve a third treble. Now with no real competition in the league and in Cup, the next real challenge would of course have to be Champions League. I was secretly hoping for a United match-up. Manchester is a very well balanced team with a good attacking front.

The problem with United from my perspective would have to be Barcelona attacking play. With what I consider a great trio in Ousmane Dembele, Luis Suarez, and Lionel Messi; the question would be how do you stop one of if not the greatest player to have ever lived? Messi will be able to open the game up for someone like Suarez, Dembele, or even midfielder Ivan Rakitic. The biggest downfall for United will ultimately be can the defense hold up an attacking trio. I think Messi will yet again destroy another EPL team.

The issue for Barcelona will be the pace and physical contact of Manchester United. EPL teams are more physical on the ground and air than Barcelona is used to. With Barcelona having an advantage of possession and fast pace movement, United have a considerable advantage as well with a strong forward in Romelu Lukaku and a very dominant Paul Pogba to control their side of the pitch. Not to include the young hero himself Marcus Rashford who comes off a great showing in Paris. My prediction for the match would be Barcelona 4- 1 Manchester United.”

While I disagree with Jose’s scoreline prediction, he does bring up several valid points, mainly about Messi. For those who have been living under a rock for the past 12 years, the diminutive Argentine forward is probably the best football player in the world, and probably one of the best of all time. The debate about where he ranks all time is beyond the scope of this post, but it’s safe to say his name belongs up there with the likes of Pele, Diego Maradona, and Johan Cruyff. He’s the best dribbler and shooter, an elite passer, and his football intelligence is almost unparalleled. He’s won everything there is to win at the club level with Barcelona and then some, and he almost single-handedly dragged Argentina to World Cup success in 2014.

So how do you stop someone on the level of prime Michael Jordan or prime Tom Brady? Well, one method is to prevent him from getting the ball in the first place. Hard for Messi to score if he doesn’t have the ball, etc. That means a lot of hard covering work from United’s midfielders, who would need to constantly harass Rakitic and keep him from feeding Messi the ball.

But, you won’t be able to keep him off the ball the whole game. He will eventually find the ball at his feet, so what do we do then? Well, I am not sure. He has beaten all kinds of tactical plans and made even the best managers look like idiots. You basically just have to constantly harass him and hope for the best. You can’t give him as much as a foot of space in the box either, because he can get powerful shots off from insanely tight angles. You also can’t foul him any where near the penalty area either, because he’ll just unleash a deadly free-kick into the top corner. He’s also very good at finding one of his talented teammates on the rare occasion a defender can stop him. Bottom line: Messi can be unplayable at times and you have to hope he’s off his game in order to neutralize him.

To be clear, Barcelona are a very good team through and through. Elite attack, great midfield, and above-average defense. However, they are not invincible. No football team is, and Jose correctly pointed out that United can cause problems for Barcelona’s defense with our pace in attack. Lukaku’s physicality might make him a good substitute when the opposition are tired. Pogba, on his day, is capable of masterminding counter-attacks that can hurt any opposition. Barcelona always seem to be a bit slow out of the gate as well. They’re a well-oiled machine, but they’re a machine that can take awhile to get going. I expect United to sit back and absorb pressure as much as possible, then use the pace of Rashford and Jessie Lingard to get behind the defense. I would totally take any kind of draw here, but I do not expect a whole lot. Barca are just that good. Given our fragile mentality in the past few games, I have extra reason for doubt.

But we have to believe in ourselves and execute the game plan. We better make them nervous at the very least! Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has his work cut out for him.