Wembley Awaits, But Have Sunderland Landed a Pyrrhic Victory?

Article by Ben Mummery

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It took extra time and penalties, but Sunderland recorded a dramatic win over Manchester United in the League Cup semi-final second leg, to earn their first cup final place at Wembley since 1992’s FA cup final defeat to Liverpool. In a game that lacked any of the real quality one expects of premier league teams scrapping for a cup final spot, the momentum swung from end to end, as two even sides battled for those all important goals in a fixture that must have been enjoyable for the neutral.

Looking at Sunderland’s season thus far, there really has been very little to cheer about. Apart from the league cup, and a couple of decent performances in the league since the arrival of the new gaffer, most fans would agree that there is still a real threat of relegation should league form continue to elude Gus Poyet’s men. Inconsistent showings are largely to blame for their position in nineteenth place, however with a lot of football still to be played, and the January window still open, hope remains for the Black Cats that if the desire, commitment and passion they showed on Wednesday night is anything to go by, this set of players should be able to dig deep and find what it takes to stay in the Premier League.

There is no doubt Manchester United are a team in transition, and with big names like Van Persie and Rooney absent from the squad, as well as their talismanic captain Vidic suspended, there was a real feeling in midweek that this was a team ready for the taking. With a 2-1 first leg advantage in the bank, it was all or nothing for Sunderland.

A word on Manchester United whilst we’re on the subject – Personally, I believe this is a short term lull in form, while wholesale changes are being made at the business end of the club. No team stays on top indefinitely, not even the “vintage” Barcelona team of 2010/11, and a club the size of Man Utd will always sort these changes out, and it won’t be long until they’re riding high again, and beating all comers to sweep aside all silverware in their path.

Any team would be forgiven for being tempted to park the bus in a game like Wednesday’s, having taken the lead in the first leg, it would be only natural for a side to stock the midfield, and make sure not to concede, however that is not Poyet’s style, and with the extra incentive that a goal would as good as kill the tie, Sunderland set up in a solid 4-2-3-1 formation, with players like Borini, Fletcher, Johnson, and Ki all able and looking to get the ball up the field in the hope of netting that all important winner. Sunderland have looked incredibly comfortable in possession at times under Poyet, and there was no change here. Throughout the first half, passing was crisp, precise, and with intent. Without the ball, we were organized, and kept our discipline. Fabio Borini escaped a card on the 12 minute mark with a scything late tackle on Adnan Januzaj, who looked by far and away United’s most dangerous outlet. His pace and agility got the better of Marco Alonso on more than one occasion, however the Spaniard was able to keep him quiet on the whole for the majority of the first period.

When the breakthrough came, it was fair to say it was a clumsy lapse of concentration of the part of skipper John O’Shea, who left his marker from a corner, as former Black Cat Danny Welbeck flicked on Januzaj’s delivery for an unmarked Evans to head home from close range.

To credit Sunderland, they did not allow the goal to change their approach, and united missed a massive opportunity to bury the tie then and there in the period shortly after scoring, as one got the feeling a true Manchester United team of old would have pounced ruthlessly on a now penetrated Sunderland, and made sure one goal became two in quick succession to put pain to any hopes of a revival.

Sunderland came out of the dressing room after half time looking energized, and chased down every loose ball, and seemed to arrive first to everything, as they piled forward in search of a goal. At the hour mark, it would have been fair to say that with the possession stats just in their favor, and momentum definitely swinging their way, Sunderland were the better side, however they were still unable to penetrate United’s organized defense.

Poyet left it late on to make changes, and after Borini received a deserved yellow for arguably his 3rd bookable offense of the game, Gardner took over from a weary Cattermole, and Joze Altidore relieved the terrier like Italian. There were chances at both ends, as Antonio Valencia came on for a fairly unnoticeable Kagawa, and broke clean to play in the ever present Januzaj, only for the 19 year old to fluff his chance wide of the sticks. At the other end, Steven Fletcher latched onto the end of a good Phil Bardsley cross, but headed wide and high. When the Scotsman was brought down by Chris Smalling towards the end of normal time, hearts were in mouths as he appeared to be last man, however Lee Mason chose to ignore the decision, even though replays clearly showed the defender had Fletcher completely wrapped in his arms. Marco Alonso produced a fine effort from left of the Man United box, which De Gea had to palm away for the next in a string of Sunderland corners. Chances continued to rain for Sunderland, who just couldn’t poke their slight advantage home, but when united broke, and John O’Shea brought down Hernandez on the edge of the Sunderland area, this looked like a fine chance to pinch it for the reds, however Vito Manonne produced a fine save to force extra time.

Normal service resumed after a short break, but there were tired legs on both teams. Substitutes were showing, and Valencia in particular looked fresh as he rounded Alonso, and closed in on goal, only to have his pass well cut out by Manonne. A fine break away opportunity for Sunderland came to nothing, when Altidore sprayed his wide pass far too early, when the better option would have been to get his enormous head down and run at the scrambling united defenders. Corners mounted for Sunderland, however Man U had the quality to absorb their pressure, and with the away goal from the stadium of light now coming into play, United only had to hold on.

As the second half of extra time commenced, the game was slipping away from Sunderland, who were still mounting pressure from a repeated string of corners, but when Ki wriggled free from his marker in the united box, and found Bardsley, miraculously healed from a scathing challenge moments before, the Salford born ex Man Utd man got his shot away, only to find the waiting arms of De Gea, who managed to parry the ball superbly out of his outstretched arms, and deflect it into the corner of his own net.

Elated scenes from the nine thousand, who took the roof off Old Trafford, only to have their hearts broken moments later, when a sweeping Manchester counter attacking move saw Januzaj square the ball to Hernandez, only for the little Mexican to poke the ball into Manonne’s goal off the bottom side of the cross bar – heart break, and cue the worst moment of any cup tie, penalties!

Sunderland are notoriously terrible in cup shootouts, however with Craig Gardner stepping up to take the first shot of the night, every Sunderland fan could have been forgiven for breathing a sigh of relief that Mr. Reliable from the spot would at least score our first shot.

No.

The midfielder allowed the pressure to build, and had to watch his shot fly over the bar and into the delighted home crowd. This rather set the tone for this shootout, as pressure got to the likes of Welbeck, Januzaj, Fletcher, and Johnson. Three out of ten penalties is a pretty pitiful conversion rate for two premier league teams, and when Darren Fletcher buried his effort, Sunderland fan’s hearts were in their mouths. Alonso slotted home coolly, but when Johnson’s turn came along, the pressure was on the ex Man City winger to break the hearts of his former club’s bitter rivals. It was not to be, with De Gea getting down low to deny the man in red hot form, and pile the pressure on both Rafael, and Vito Manonne. Should the right back score, the shoot out was still alive, however, should he fail, Sunderland were through. Step up Vito Manonne – the shark faced Italian stayed cool, calm, and collected to batter away the Brazilian’s hard struck shot well down to his right, and send the faithful nine thousand into scenes of utter jubilation.

The win will give the whole club a massive lift, during a season where wins have been in very short supply. The fans, and hopefully the players will be buoyed by their ability to win when it matters, however the hope is that Poyet’s men have not put all their eggs into one basket, and given too much attention to the league cup. The premier league is Sunderland’s bread and butter, and with their current status in jeopardy, there is not one fan in the whole of Wearside who would not love to see the players take the form they showed on Wednesday night into the upcoming league fixtures, lest the status of Cup Finalists be all for nothing, and a victory where the greater good was sacrificed for a smaller cause.

This said, with Stoke at home the next league fixture, and with the hope that Poyet is still eyeing further signings in the attacking department, all is not lost for Sunderland. The heart and soul showed on Wednesday will not be enough to avoid relegation without application, and the addition of true quality, however for now, let’s get Kidderminster Harriers out of the way, and enjoy something we haven’t been able to enjoy for twenty two years; We’re going to Wembley, and after all – it’s only Man City!

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