F.A. Cup

[WuDrWu]

Not sure if anyone happened to catch Ipswich Town at Lincoln City yesterday, but the Red Imps pulled off the 1 nil shocker at Cincil Bank Stadium yesterday in their 3rd round replay match against the English Championship League side.

Lincoln City is essentially a 5th division team playing in the National Division of football across the pond.

The Red Imps are one of just 32 sides remaining in this season's version of the FA Cup.

It's pretty unusual to see a non league team advance to the round of 32....I haven't seen the draw yet, but there are enough Premier League teams left (considering they just entered the draw this round) to make Lincoln City's advancement all but impossible.


However, that's why the play the matches.


Go Red Imps!

[WuDrWu]

Actually I missed that non league Sutton United defeated AFC Wimbledon 3-1 to also advance to the 4th Round Proper.

Sutton United will host Leeds United AFC later this month while Lincoln City will host Brighton & Hove Albion.

At least the Sweet 16 won't all be Premier sides.


Looking forward to the above matches as well as Derby County hosting Leicester City, Rochdale hosting Huddersfield Town and Middlesborough hosting Accrington Stanley.

[LuskingforGuttin]

Love the EPL and also the FA Cup. Major American team sports have nothing similar to the FA Cup. I mean obviously in soccer there is the US Open Cup which I do enjoy but it isn't the same as like seeing the Joplin Blasters play the Chicago Cubs or something.

It's really cool when the teams from the Championship and lower leagues get drawn as hosts too. Seeing Manchester United or Chelsea traveling to Preston North End or Oldham Athletic is neat.

[Shock Top]

Hope United can pull of the repeat! ;)

[Shock Top]

Love the EPL and also the FA Cup. Major American team sports have nothing similar to the FA Cup. I mean obviously in soccer there is the US Open Cup which I do enjoy but it isn't the same as like seeing the Joplin Blasters play the Chicago Cubs or something.

It's really cool when the teams from the Championship and lower leagues get drawn as hosts too. Seeing Manchester United or Chelsea traveling to Preston North End or Oldham Athletic is neat.

I'm a United fan, and I enjoy seeing them play in the tiny stadiums during the FA Cup. It's part of what makes it awesome.

[ShockerPrez]

I do like the relegation and elevation aspects of the EPL. It would be so cool to have the ability to buy say a single A ball club and work and work to make it a potential major league team.

The Leicester City championship was so awesome last year.

I'm guessing that what they felt is similar to how I felt when WSU going to the Final 4. After living through the 90s.

[WuDrWu]

Actually I missed that non league Sutton United defeated AFC Wimbledon 3-1 to also advance to the 4th Round Proper.

Sutton United will host Leeds United AFC later this month while Lincoln City will host Brighton & Hove Albion.

At least the Sweet 16 won't all be Premier sides.


Looking forward to the above matches as well as Derby County hosting Leicester City, Rochdale hosting Huddersfield Town and Middlesborough hosting Accrington Stanley.

Success!

Lincoln City 3 Brighton & Hove Albion 1 as the Red Imps continue their dream run to the round of 16!

Sutton United 1 Leeds 0 and 2 non league sides are through to the Round of 16.

With 1 match left today, and then a replay of Derby at Leicester later this week, there will be at least.....

2 Non league teams (Sutton and Lincoln)

2 League 1 teams (Millwall and Oxford United)

4 Championship teams (Huddersfield Town, Blackburn, Fulham and Wolverhampton)

6 Premier sides (Chelsea, Manchester City, Middlesbrough, Tottenham, Aresenal & Burnley)

Manchester United is hosting Wigan and then Wednesday I think Leicester hosts Derby County with results that could push the Premier side numbers as high as 8.

Wigan and Derby are both Championship sides. Wigan may well be relegated to League 1 status next season.


Round 5 Proper (round of 16) draw will be tomorrow around 1pm our time. It's a blind draw so it will as always be interesting.

[WuDrWu]

Here are the Round 5 Proper Draws:

Lincoln City @ Burnley


Tottenham Hotspur @ Fullham

Manchester United @ Blackburn Rovers

Arsenal @ Sutton United

Oxford United @ Middlesbrough

Chelsea @ Wolverhampton Wanderers

Manchester City @ Huddersfield Town

Derby County or Leicester City @ Millwall

Would have liked to have seen more Premier vs Premier but still a decent draw, entertainment wise. Lots of big boys on the road.

[WuDrWu]

Here are the Round 5 Proper Draws:

Lincoln City @ Burnley


Tottenham Hotspur @ Fullham

Manchester United @ Blackburn Rovers

Arsenal @ Sutton United

Oxford United @ Middlesbrough

Chelsea @ Wolverhampton Wanderers

Manchester City @ Huddersfield Town

Derby County or Leicester City @ Millwall

Would have liked to have seen more Premier vs Premier but still a decent draw, entertainment wise. Lots of big boys on the road.

Burnley 0 Lincoln City 1

The Red Imps, wearing of course their road green unis, really played Burnley tough the entire game before scoring just before the 90 minute mark. Awesome game. Lincoln City becomes the 1st non league team to make the Final 8 since QPR almost 100 years ago.

Middlesbrough 3 Oxford United 2

Middlesbrough jumped out to a 2 nil lead only to have Oxford United tie the match with goals 11 minutes apart in the 2nd half. But the recently promoted Premier side saved some embarrassment with a late goal to advance to the quarters.

Wolves 0 Chelsea 2

Chelsea continues to be the strongest team in England with a solid if unspectacular 2 nil win over Wolves.

Huddersfield Town 0 Man City 0

Man City, sporting some unique Evansville like orange and purple road unis, and Huddersfield Town played to a scoreless tie at Kirkless Stadium in Huddersfield. The Terriers had the better chances but couldn't put one in the back of the net and now must travel to Manchester for the return game.

Millwall 1 Leicester City 0

In the 2nd big upset of the day, League 1 Millwall, reduced to 10 men early in the 2nd half when Jake Cooper was sent off for his 2nd yellow card, scored in the 90th minute and survived 5 extra minutes to defeat the defending Premier League champions. This was a fantastic match and the home fans stormed the field after the final whistle.

[WuDrWu]

Sunday's action provided no surprises.

Fulham 0 Tottenham3

Harry Cane's hatrick propelled Spurs into the final 8 and ended the former Premier league team's dream of advancing. This game was not competitive even though it was played at historic Craven Cottage.

Blackburn 1 Manchester United 2

Rovers took the early lead on an exquisite finish by Danny Graham in the 17th minute. The defending champions drew level 10 minutes later then were saved from embarrassment at Ewood Park when substitute Zlatan Ibrahimovich cracked home the winner in the 75th minute. Outstanding match but United's reward is Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the quarterfinals.

The 7th round proper draw is as follows:

Chelsea hosts Man United

Tottenham hosts Millwall

Middlesbrough will host either Man City or Huddersfield Town

and in what could be an EPIC FIRST TIME EVER quarterfinal matchup between 2 non league sides

Either Sutton United or Arsenal will play host to Lincoln City. If somehow Sutton United can beat Arsenal this would be an incredible matchup of 2 teams playing at a Wingnuts level, 2 steps from the World Series.


It will be Arsenal hosting Lincoln City.

We await the match that will decide if Man City or Huddersfield Town visits Middlesbrough.

[WuDrWu]

Sutton United 0 Arsenal 2

A largely nondescript game ended somewhat of a circus for the non-league side.


Apparently my twin may play goalie for Sutton United.

[Shock Top]

Although my father is a big Arsenal fan, we were both rooting for Sutton today. Would have been so cool to see two non-league teams play against each other in the quarters, assuring one of them would get to play at Wimbley in the semis!!

Arsenal go the draw of the century, facing two non-league sides in a row to make it to the semis. Arsène himself could play and they would still advance.

----

Tin-foil hat time:
- Emirates sponsors The FA Cup
- Emirates sponsors Arsenal
- Arsenal "happens" to get that amazing draw
- Chelsea and Man United "happen" to get drawn against each other; assuring a good team gets knocked out.

Ergo, Emirates wants the Cup to go to Arsenal. Crazy? This isn't FIFA, but you never know! haha

[Shock Top]

Sunday's action provided no surprises.
Blackburn 1 Manchester United 2

Rovers took the early lead on an exquisite finish by Danny Graham in the 17th minute. The defending champions drew level 10 minutes later then were saved from embarrassment at Ewood Park when substitute Zlatan Ibrahimovich cracked home the winner in the 75th minute. Outstanding match but United's reward is Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the quarterfinals.

Nothing would please me more than seeing The Special One lay a beatdown on his former club!!!

[LuskingforGuttin]

Although my father is a big Arsenal fan, we were both rooting for Sutton today. Would have been so cool to see two non-league teams play against each other in the quarters, assuring one of them would get to play at Wimbley in the semis!!

Arsenal go the draw of the century, facing two non-league sides in a row to make it to the semis. Arsène himself could play and they would still advance.

----

Tin-foil hat time:
- Emirates sponsors The FA Cup
- Emirates sponsors Arsenal
- Arsenal "happens" to get that amazing draw
- Chelsea and Man United "happen" to get drawn against each other; assuring a good team gets knocked out.

Ergo, Emirates wants the Cup to go to Arsenal. Crazy? This isn't FIFA, but you never know! haha

I hadn't thought about it in terms of a conspiracy but I was thinking that Arsene seems to have great luck getting a good draw in the FA Cup when they are struggling in the EPL and in Europe.

It seems like the FA Cup is losing prestige unfortunately. EPL teams seem to have kind of a meh attitude about it and it looks like it is extending to even some of the Championship sides as well. I hate it because I really enjoy the FA Cup.

[Shock Top]

The thing that is tough for the top teir EPL teams is that they are playing in the FA Cup, one of the European cups, and playing EPL matches all at the same time.

That's why managers try to give some youth players experience in the FA Cup, since usually they are playing a lesser side. It give the youth players first-team time, while giving them a good chance of winning still, while resting some players for a European Cup run or an EPL title run.

I think to some managers and players it is still very important, but it's like all sports though in the fact that sometimes the big club comes in and thinks the match will be a walk in the park and the smaller club comes in hungry and fired up. Once you've turned off the switch for a game, it is hard to flip it back on.

Unlike other sports too, if the lesser side scores an early or ""lucky" goal they can park the bus and hold on. Sometimes that works sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the better club scores 5 goals in 5 chances, sometimes they score 0 in 20. I guess that's why they call it the beautiful game.

All that being said, as long as Man City or Chelsea don't win, I'll be a happy camper!