12/21/24
April 19, 2009
Everton, Chelsea Reach FA Cup Final: Everton defeated Man United on penalty kicks Sunday, sending the Toffees to the FA Cup Final where they will meet Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on May 30. Anyone else following the most democratic playoff competition in a major pro sport?
I watched today's match. Ferguson was brave to continue with his reserve team most of the way, risking and ultimately losing his shot at a quintuple. Everton were not great despite playing a first choice XI and were lucky:
(a) not to have Fellani sent off (b) Riley did not call a penalty against Phil Jagielka in the second half (c) that the first MU PK went into the stands
TV Note: For the first time in recent memory the FA Cup final will be on Fox Soccer Channel in the US rather than pay-per-view.
posted by billsaysthis at 05:13 PM on April 19, 2009
I agree with the penalty non-call. The foul was too much in doubt to blow the whistle and give Man U a penalty kick.
Did you see how gassed Fellani was before Everton subbed him out? He didn't even move towards at a couple of balls played into the box.
posted by rcade at 05:20 PM on April 19, 2009
I've been following it as much as one can without FSC or anything of the like. I love the concept, but this year was certainly a year for the big teams, seeing as the last four were identical to the Champs League last four if you switch Everton for Bara.
posted by boredom_08 at 05:28 PM on April 19, 2009
Last year was a bit more 'democratic', with Portsmouth and Cardiff in the final.
Prediction - a nil all borefest until the last minute, when Drogba puts the worldwide audience out of their misery.
posted by owlhouse at 08:44 PM on April 19, 2009
By getting his tits out?
Again?
I've been invited to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night to see how Everton manage against Chelsea on a pitch that doesn't play like a ploughed field.
posted by JJ at 07:12 AM on April 20, 2009
Cool. In The Shed with the Headhunters, then?
Note to Moyes, David: just make sure Timmy Cahill isn't injured. The week after the Cup Final we have two WC qualifiers, and I want to see him play the second one in Sydney.
posted by owlhouse at 11:44 PM on April 20, 2009
To give you an idea of what the FA Cup is like...
To give you an idea of the "magic of the Cup", look at last year's semi-finalists: Barnsley, West Brom, Cardiff and Portsmouth. To give you an idea of what the FA Cup has become most years: look at Man Utd's starting XI.
Oh well.
posted by etagloh at 10:40 PM on April 23, 2009
To give you an idea of what the FA Cup is like, imagine if baseball had a playoff that included every team from the Major Leagues all the way down to the lowest minor league designation, and even the lowliest team had a chance to draw the Yankees as an opponent and share the gate revenue.