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!

A Much Needed Victory Over Brighton

Apologies for missing the recap of the last match, but there wasn’t much new to report on. A third straight 1-1 draw at Old Trafford against Southampton with United failing to be clinical in front of goal and scoring only once, paired with some schoolboy defending that led to their equalizer. It wouldn’t have been harsh to call us 1-1 FC. Lots of questions about whether manager Ralf Rangnick’s tactics were suited to the players he had, and even more questions about the individual player’s willingness (ability?) to play the style of football Rangnick wants.

But every new match is a new opportunity to go and make it right, and thanks to the stuttering form of the teams around Manchester United, the final spot in the top 4 of the Premier League table was up for grabs. United welcomed Brighton & Hove Albion, a team from the south coast of England, as their next opponents at Old Trafford. They are having themselves a decent season under manager Graham Potter, as they came into the match in the top half of the table themselves. They had their eyes on a European qualifying spot as well.

The first half ended goalless with United creating a few decent chances, but what was worrying was that Brighton were often the team on the front foot. Too many times the United defense was caught in a bad position, or failing that they would miss a key tackle or interception. Brighton could not find the back of the net though, and it must be noted that United keeper David De Gea is (for the millionth time) a big part of the reason for that. His flying save from a Brighton header around the half hour mark was particularly of note. The man is probably the best pure shot-stopper I have ever seen play the game. His positioning, reflexes, and size make it incredibly difficult to get the ball past him. That’s a damn good thing as well, because he has played behind some terrible defenses during his career at United.

The second half got underway similarly to the first, with both sides not really doing much to create chances. However, United found themselves in the lead on 51 minutes thanks to striker Cristiano Ronaldo, who snapped a six match goal drought with a very sweet right-footed finish into the right side of the goal. Brighton were pressed on the ball while in their own half, and midfielder Scott McTominay did very well to block/deflect a pass attempt almost straight at Ronaldo about 20 yards away off to his left. Ronaldo took about two touches as he ran towards the Brighton back line, and they couldn’t get close enough to get a challenge in without fouling him. He lashed his shot home and United had themselves a second half goal for the first time in weeks! Sometimes all it takes is one mistake by the opposition, especially with Ronaldo on the pitch.

About a minute after the goal, United were given another advantage when Brighton center back Lewis Dunk was sent off on a straight red card for a foul on United forward Anthony Elanga. Elanga had won the ball off Dunk and was through on goal before being pulled back. It was initially just a yellow, but a VAR review was called for and it was upgraded to a red card as Dunk was adjudged to have stopped a clear goal-scoring opportunity for United. Brighton were down to 10 men for the final 38 minutes and now really under a lot of pressure to not fall apart completely.

United should have had a second goal on 72 minutes after Brighton keeper Robert Sanchez gave the ball away directly to Ronaldo on the edge of the penalty area. Ronaldo was quickly marked, but he found Bruno Fernandes in space in the center of the area. Bruno took a shot, but Sanchez redeemed himself a bit with a save. Bruno really should have done better though in that position, and I was worried that the missed chances would come back to haunt us again. There was still plenty of time left in the match, and Brighton had given a very good accounting of themselves. They were dead even with United in possession and were throwing men forward into attacks to try and gain their equalizer. They came closest around 77 minutes when a cross/shot from just outside the left corner of the box rattled the top of the crossbar. It was a splendid effort, and United were once again lucky that the crossbar was in the way. Not even De Gea could have gotten to that one.

Brighton’s pursuit of a goal left them exposed at the back though, and United were often able to run at them in the final 15-20 minutes of the game or so. All of those runs were finally capitalized on in the final minute of stoppage time. United won a foul inside their own half and took it quickly, with Paul Pogba sharply finding Bruno on his own in the right channel near midfield. Bruno carried the ball about 50 yards on his own largely unchallenged, as Ronaldo was running alongside him as a passing option. The lone Brighton defender couldn’t decide who to commit to, and Bruno was eventually able to get an angle around him for a shot. He dummied his first attempt to get Sanchez to dive, then quickly struck the ball around him and into the back of the net. Great awareness from Pogba, good run from Ronaldo, and a great run/finish from Bruno.

United move at least temporarily into 4th with this result, even despite our recent struggles. Now that Rangnick has had a good amount of games in charge, the statistics are starting to show what this team’s struggles are. Under former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United were good at scoring goals but also good at conceding them. Under Rangnick, United don’t score as many goals but we also do not concede them as much. The defense has improved under Rangnick, but the offense has struggled. In the three matches prior to this one, United registered over 70 shots but scored a pitiful three goals. They did score two yesterday, but the lack of finishing was still a problem in that match too. It finished 2-0 but it should have been 4 at least. In the Premier League you have to kill off the opposition. If they sense they can get back into it, they usually have the talent to do so.

Still, improvement is improvement. Good matches from Pogba and Bruno, and I think Ronaldo is now going to kick in to high gear as we get closer to the business end of the season. De Gea has to be Man of the Match though. He now has 128 clean sheets for United, which ties him with club legend Peter Schmeichel. A remarkable achievement in any context, but especially so in this case given the aforementioned bad defenses De Gea has had to play behind. It’s been some lean times at United the past decade or so, but they would have been much worse without Big Brave Spanish Dave.

United face a tough test away to Leeds United next Sunday, and even tougher one after that as the Champions League resumes and they travel to Madrid to take on Atletico. United are currently 4th in the Premier League as mentioned, but there are several other clubs close behind with games in-hand.

Glory Glory Man United!