Nottingham Forest berhasil mendominasi West Ham United yang tampil dengan banyak mengandalkan pemain muda. Dalam hal ini, tim Divisi Championship itu sukses menekuk The Hammers lima gol tanpa balas guna melangkah ke babak keempat Piala FA. Di pertandingan ini, Jamie Paterson menjadi bintang dengan mencetak hat-trick di babak kedua setelah sebelumnya sepakan penalti dari Djamel Abdoun di menit ke-12 babak pertama membawa Forest unggul 1-0.
Tertinggal
1-0 rupanya meruntuhkan semangat muda West Ham di paruh kedua
sebagaimana Paterson mempermalukan kiper Adrian di menit ke-64, 70 dan
78 sebelum kemudian Andy Reid menutup pesta di menit
terakhir. Dengan kemenangan ini, maka anak asuh Billy Davies berhak
lolos dan bergabung dengan tim-tim lainnya untuk menyemarakkan putaran
keempat.
SUNDERLAND
3
1
CARLISLE UNITED
Sunderland sukses lolos dari putaran ketiga Piala FA dengan mengemas skor 3-1 atas klub League One Inggris, Carlisle United. The Black Cats baru bisa memecah kebuntuan di menit ke-34 melalui Adam Johnson, yang tendangan bebasnya terlalu bagus buat kiper Greg Fleming.
Tim arahan Gus Poyet, yang unggul 36 anak tangga dari lawannya, justru tertahan saat babak pertama berakhir sebagaimana Matty Robson menyamakan kedudukan hasil dari kesalahan lini belakang. Akan tetapi, sebuah gol bunuh dari dari Sean O’Hanlon di menit ke-50 dan lesakan menit terakhir dari El Hadji Ba membuat skor akhir menjadi 3-1 dengan Sunderland yang berhak lolos ke babak berikut.
PORT VALE
2
2
PLYMOUTH ARGYLE
Port Vale, yang di musim lalu promosi ke League One, harus mengadakan laga replay setelah Plymouth Argyle
yang merupakan tim dari liga kasta keempat menahan imbang mereka dengan
skor 2-2. Di babak pertama, tim tuan rumah sejatinya sudah unggul dua
gol terlebih dahulu berkat kreasi Gavin Tomlin dan Tom Pope
di menit ke-15 dan 31. Meski tertinggal, Plymouth pun menyerah dan
terus menekan hingga akhirnya mampu mencetak gol-gol penyama melalui upaya Reuben Reid di menit ke-51 dan Ben Purrington 16 menit jelang bubaran.
Liverpool mengikuti jejak Chelsea lolos ke
babak empat Piala FA musim ini setelah menundukkan Oldham Athletic 2-0
di Anfield, Minggu (5/1) malam WIB.
Liverpool kini tinggal menunggu hasil pemenang laga antara Burton dan Bournemouth untuk mengetahui siapa lawan yang akan dihadapi di babak lanjutan.
Babak I
Kartu
kuning langsung keluar dari saku wasit ketika laga berjalan dua menit.
Adalah kapten Oldham Smith yang mendapatkan kartu karena menjegal Steven
Gerrard.
Laga kembali dilanjutkan dan ancaman pertama ke gawang
Oldham tercipta di menit 22, lewat sepakan jarak jauh Luis Alberto.
Namun bola masih bisa diblok penjaga gawang Oldham.
Di menit 28,
Kelly melepas tendangan setelah merangsek masuk ke kotak penalti Oldham.
Akan tetapi bola masih bisa diamankan pemain tamu.
Liverpool terus menekan dan sejumlah kesempatan sempat tercipta. Tapi hingga 45 menit pertama rampung, skor 0-0 bertahan.
Babak II
Di
babak kedua, Liverpool tampil lebih menekan dengan Gerrard diposisikan
lebih ke depan, menggantikan peran Luis Salberto yang digantikan Lucas
Leiva. Hasilnya di menit 51, sundulannya nyaris menggetarkan jala lawan.
Liverpool baru bisa memimpin di menit 53. Berawal dari pergerakan Raheem Sterling, Iago Aspas menuntaskannya dengan gol cantik.
Di
menit 54, Aspas bisa saja mencetak gol keduanya buat Liverpool, jika
saja bola hasil sundulannya, memaksimalkan umpan silang Sterling,
mengenai mistar.
Oldham mengalami kesulitan dalam membalas karena
bola lebih banyak dikuasai pemain Liverpool. Di menit 69, gawang tim
tamu bahkan nyaris kembali jebol.
Lagi-lagi Sterling melakukan
pergerakan cantik dan mengirim bola kepada Gerrard. Kapten Liverpool itu
langsung melepas tendangan, tapi bola hanya mengenai jala di samping
gawang. Brad Jones juga beraksi di menit 72 dengan membendung bola
sepakan Petrasso.
Di menit 82, keunggulan Liverpool bertambah.
Tarkowski mencetak gol bunuh diri karena salah mengantisipasi datangnya
bola yang dilepas Sterling.
Dengan keunggulan ini, Liverpool pun berhak lolos ke babak empat Piala FA, mengikuti jejak Chelsea yang lebih dulu lolos. Burton atau Bournemouth akan jadi lawan Liverpool berikutnya.
Klub Divisi Championship Inggris, Derby
County, harus tersisih setelah perlawanan mereka dihentikan oleh Chelsea
yang meraih kemenangan 2-0 dalam putaran ketiga Piala FA, Minggu (5/1)
malam WIB.
Bermain di Pride Park Stadium dengan mengandalkan beberapa pemain kenamaan, pasukan Jose Mourinho yang sempat menemui deadlock di babak pertama akhirnya meraih tiket ke babak berikut.
Babak Pertama Di
menit awal, Chelsea langsung menekan dengan mewakilkan Oscar yang
melewati beberapa bek Derby sebelum akhirnya gelandang John Eustace
menutup pergerakannya.
Setelahnya, jalannya laga bisa dibilang
monoton dengan kedua tim yang terlihat berhati-hati dalam bermain,
hingga membuat 20 menit pertama tak banyak menghasilkan peluang.
Memasuki menit ke-22, The Blues
coba keluar menyerang. Samuel Eto’o yang mendapat sodoran umpan dari
tengah langsung menusuk hingga ke dalam kotak penalti sebelum
tembakannya ditutup oleh barisan belakang The Rams yang tampil sigap.
Peluang
matang baru benar-benar bisa dihasilkan anak asuh Mourinho ketika
mereka mendapati tendangan bebas di menit ke-30. Oscar yang maju sebagai
eksekutor menembak bola dengan baik, namun tak cukup tepat untuk
membobol gawang kawalan Lee Grant.
Kombinasi serangan Chelsea di
sisa pertandingan dapat dimentahkan berkali-kali berkat rapatnya barisan
pertahanan Derby. Dan hingga wasit Andre Marriner memerintahkan para
pemain untuk turun minum, skor di Pride Park masih 0-0. Babak Kedua Seketika
bola kembali digulirkan, Chelsea langsung menyerang pertahanan Derby
dengan Eto’o yang menekan dari sisi kiri. Pergerakan pemain asal Kamerun
itu sempat mengecoh bek kanan tim tuan rumah, namun umpan kirimannya
bisa dihalau berkat sigapnya Jake Buxton.
Mendapati Derby yang
menumpuk sejumlah pemain di area pertahanan, tim asal London yang
berstatus sebagai salah satu kekuatan di Inggris itu lantas melakukan
pergantian strategi dengan memasukkan Eden Hazard dan Fernando Torres
untuk mengisi posisi Michael Essien dan Eto’o.
Dan di menit
ke-66, kebuntuan pun pecah dengan nama John Obi Mikel yang terpampang di
papan skor. Gol itu sendiri lahir dari sebuah tendangan bebas Willian
yang mampu diteruskan lewat sundulan kepala oleh Mikel guna memperdaya
Grant.
Usai gol tersebut, momentum secara otomatis menjadi milik
tim tamu sebagaimana Oscar menambah keunggulan timnya lima menit
berselang. Dalam hal ini, gol kedua tercipta setelah pemuda Brasil itu
menerima umpan pelan Hazard di dalam kotak penalti.
Keunggulan
2-0 rupanya tak membuat mereka puas, dan masih saja melangsungkan
berbagai upaya untuk menambah keunggulan. Akan tetapi, hingga wasit
menyudahi pertandingan, tak ada gol lainnya yang tercipta.
ITV
Sport pundit and former Manchester United captain Roy Keane called
Tottenham Hotspur supporters idiots on live television today after their
reaction to Theo Walcott’s gesture when he was stretchered off the
pitch.
The incident happened during Arsenal’s 2-0 victory versus Tottenham
Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium today in the FA Cup Third Round.
Arsenal’s Theo Walcott rubbed in the Gunners victory against Tottenham
by reminding them of the score after being carried off on a stretcher.
As Walcott was carried toward the tunnel, Tottenham Hotspur fans
directed verbal abuse toward Walcott.
Surprisingly, ITV pundit Roy Keane called Tottenham Hotspur fans
idiots for the way they responded to Walcott, who — as Ian Wright said
— was simply trying to remind Spurs fans what the score was.
Should ITV force Roy Keane to apologize to Tottenham Hotspur
supporters, or did he have every right to criticize the negative
reaction from Spurs fans? Share your opinion in the comments section
below
Barcelona
manager Gerardo Martino says Lionel Messi has returned to fitness from
his injury layoff, but won't play his star forward in Sunday's league
game against Elche.
"In my view Messi is full of desire, I think he is in very good shape
physically and has the look of a killer," said Martino. He needs to gain
more rhythm from training with his teammates and then in competitive
action, but he is doing very well."
Messi trained with his teammates this week for the first time since
tearing his left hamstring in November and spending time in Argentina
doing rehab.
While Messi improves his fitness, goalkeeper Victor Valdes made the
squad for Sunday's game against Elche. Valdes hasn't played for six
weeks since injuring his right leg. Xavi Hernandez also returns from
injury, while Dani Alves is out with a fever. Yet, Martino remains
confident over Barcelona's chances against Elche.
"There is no reason why we should take a step back in the way we have
been playing," said Martino in a press conference. "The players have
returned in good shape and we hope to start the league again with a high
level of performance."
Robert Lewandowski will join Bayern Munich at the conclusion of the 2013-2014 season. (Frank Augstein/AP)
The reigning German, European, and world champions will add yet another high-caliber piece in 2014.
Bayern Munich officially announced the long-rumored signing of
Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski on Saturday, officially
capturing the services the Polish international starting with the
2014-2015 season. The deal comes just seven months after Lewandowski
lined up opposite the Bavarians as a member of Borussia Dortmund in the
2013 Champions League Final.
Lewandowski’s contract with Dortmund runs out after this campaign,
after which his new five-year deal with Bayern will kick in. The
contract is reported to be
worth €11 million (a shade under $15 million) per season. Another
member of that 2012-2013 Dortmund team, Mario Götze, made a similar
arrangement with Bayern Munich last season, though he didn’t play
against his future team in the Champions League final due to a hamstring
injury.
Lewandowski’s unsure club future hasn’t seemed to slow him down on
the field. The striker has netted 11 goals with four assists in 17
Bundesliga games, along with four goals in six Champions League games.
At Bayern, Lewandowski will in theory compete with Croatian striker
Mario Mandzukic, another big-bodied striker who once again leads Bayern
in scoring this season.
Clint Dempsey’s return to MLS with Seattle was a shocking development in 2013. (Ted S. Warren/AP)
My look back at the moments and stories of 2013 in American soccer began with Part I.
Here’s Part 2, which touches on the second half of the year that
included the CONCACAF Gold Cup, Clint Dempsey’s shock return to MLS,
Mario Balotelli gracing the cover of SI magazine, the wild end to the hex and so much more.
Enjoy:
The U.S. men topped Panama in July to capture the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Chicago. (Nam Y. Huh/AP)
JULY
BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, Wash., July 3
— As more Americans embrace soccer, I’ve enjoyed following my own
retired parents’ growing immersion in the game, a process I finally
write about during our annual 4th of July week vacation in the Pacific
Northwest.
PORTLAND, Ore., July 9
— The long Gold Cup adventure begins with the U.S. dismantling Belize.
The journey will take us from Portland to Salt Lake City to Hartford,
Conn., to Baltimore, Dallas and Chicago. Anytime you can go to Portland
it’s a treat, though, plus I get the chance to sit down for the first
time with Timbers coach Caleb Porter.
SALT LAKE CITY, July 12
— After our Fox Sports meeting the night before USA-Cuba in the Gold
Cup, Gus Johnson is initially skeptical when I say he should join us at
the American Outlaws night-before party in town. “Gus, this will give
you street cred with U.S. soccer fans,” I tell him. “You mean to get
street cred I have to hang with a bunch of white people?” jokes Gus,
who’s game. It turns out to be an enormous success, and AO gives Gus an
honorary membership.
CHICAGO, July 28 — A day after Eddie Johnson provides a glimpse behind the curtain with him, the U.S. rides a Brek Shea goal to a 1-0 victory over Panama in the Gold Cup final.
The final has emotional extremes, from Landon Donovan sealing his
return to the national team to Stuart Holden suffering another long-term
injury. Other July stories that I’ll remember:
Brian Phillips on Donovan.
Brian Sciaretta, the tireless tracker of Yanks Abroad, on Julian Green.
From the video vault, the MLS All-Stars fantastic old-school rap video.
AUGUST
Mario Balotelli graced the cover of SI magazine in August, breaking new ground. (Jeffrey A. Salter)
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2
— Early August is when top European teams invade the U.S. for their
preseason camps, highlighted this year by the Guinness International
Champions Cup. Chelsea manager José Mourinho is in fine form for our
sit-down in the nation’s capital.
MIAMI BEACH, Fla., Aug. 6 —
A year after I started trying to land a Mario Balotelli interview, the
most interesting man in the world, soccer variety, gives an entire
morning to SI for a photo shoot with Jeffrey Salter and a lengthy
interview with me. The result is one of my favorite SI covers of all
time.
SEATTLE, Aug. 25 —
Clint Dempsey makes his home debut for the Seattle Sounders a couple
weeks after making what I would consider the most surprising transfer in
MLS history, including a rollicking cloak-and-dagger story of how it
happened. Other August stories that I’ll remember:
Luke O’Brien went to Rome for this excellent piece on Michael Bradley.
Speaking of Roma, Brian Straus did a terrific feature on the club’s American owner, James Pallotta.
Joshua Mayers is one of the top local beat writers in MLS, and he traveled to Texas for this feature on Clint Dempsey.
Brian Phillips had me in tears with this retrospective on the notorious 2002 USMNT photo shoot.
Colorado goalie Clint Irwin on the economic realities of being a pro soccer player in the U.S.
Steven Goff on Arsenal (and potentially U.S.) prospect Gedion Zelalem.
Jason Sudeikis as Ted Lasso:
SEPTEMBER
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica, Sept. 6 — The amusing U.S.-Costa Rica soccer rivalry, post-SnowClásico, gets the treatment it deserves from Keith Olbermann.
Meanwhile, I have my first sit-down with emerging forward Aron
Jóhannsson. But Costa Rica turns out to be its usual house of horrors
for the U.S., which loses Michael Bradley to a freak injury in
warm-ups—and then loses the game 3-1.
Landon Donovan celebrates in the midst of another Dos A Cero triumph over Mexico in Columbus, Ohio. (Cal Sport Media/AP)
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 10
— In another “Dos a Cero” for the ages, the U.S. thumps archrival
Mexico and qualifies for World Cup 2014 with two games to spare.
CAIRO, Sept. 13
— Less than three days after the U.S. secures its World Cup bid, Bob
Bradley sits down with me in Cairo for the first of several long
interviews for an SI magazine story on his remarkable tenure as the
coach of the Egyptian national team.
DOHA, Qatar, Sept. 18 — For an SI story that will appear in 2014, I
parachute into Qatar for the first time, conducting interviews, visiting the site of the 2022 World Cup final and witnessing what a falcon store looks like. Other September stories that I’ll remember:
Pete Pattisson’s reporting on the treatment of Nepalese migrant workers in Qatar is jaw-dropping (including the video).
Sam Borden on the challenges of building a World Cup stadium in the middle of the Amazon is especially pertinent after the U.S. draws a game in Manaus.
Kyle McCarthy on U.S. soccer player development.
Brian Straus on Columbus as the home of Dos a Cero.
Graham Zusi and Brad Davis celebrate after connecting for the goal that
eliminated Panama and kept rival Mexico alive in World Cup contention.
(Arnulfo Franco/AP)
OCTOBER
KANSAS CITY, Kan., Oct. 10
— On the night before the U.S. beats Jamaica in a World Cup qualifier,
Jurgen Klinsmann sheds light that he wants to continue in his job as
U.S. coach beyond World Cup 2014. It’s a precursor to the December
announcement that Klinsmann has extended his contract through 2018 and
become the U.S. technical director as well.
NEW YORK CITY, Oct. 15
— With nothing at stake for the U.S., I skip my only Hex game of the
year, but that doesn’t mean the night is without high drama. With a
stoppage-time goal by Graham Zusi, the U.S. saves its biggest rival,
Mexico, from World Cup elimination and bounces Panama from the playoff
against New Zealand. Zusi will end up getting the nickname Saint Zusi
from thankful Mexico fans.
Other October stories that I’ll remember:
Will Parchman compares MLS players to literary figures.
Brian Straus interviews Salt Lake’s (now NYC FC’s) Jason Kreis (Part 1 and Part 2).
Graham Parker writes on New York’s Mike Petke (Part 1 and Part 2).
Doug McIntyre gets a unanimous response from MLS coaches on Donovan vs. Dempsey.
NOVEMBER
NEW YORK CITY, Nov. 8
— France ’98 World Cup hero Lilian Thuram is also a leading voice on
racism and soccer, and that’s the topic for our talk on the stage at New
York University. Other November stories that I’ll remember:
Ives Galarcep with a long and insightful portrait on Portland manager Caleb Porter.
Sam Borden on the American in Barcelona’s youth academy, Ben Lederman.
Leander Schaerlaeckens’ in-depth series on college soccer.
Jeré Longman and Taylor Barnes on a horrific double-murder in Brazil.
Jonathan Wilson on Iceland’s movie-directing goalkeeper.
Caitlin Dewey on Briana Scurry’s battles with concussions.
Rick Maese on Shawn Kuykendall’s fight against cancer.
The USA was drawn into a true Group of Death for the 2014 World Cup,
getting paired with Germany, Ghana and Portugal. (Silvia Izquierdo/AP)
DECEMBER
COSTA DO SAUÍPE, Brazil, Dec. 6 — While Straus covers a dramatic MLS Cup final won by Kansas City for SI.com,
I get to see the U.S. draw its most difficult World Cup ever: Germany,
Portugal and Ghana. Still, though, it’s a group that’s filled with
opportunity, as Klinsmann explains. Bahia is just one stop on a two-week
trip to Brazil for a 2014 SI magazine story, and for all the
dissatisfaction among Brazilians over the public spending on the
tournament, it’s still the world’s spiritual home of soccer. That hits
home when my Fox Sports producer, Kayla Knapp, and I are given an
official World Cup match ball and see how excited Brazilians are to have their pictures taken with it.
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen lifts the MLS Cup trophy
after coming up big in a tense penalty kick shootout. (Colin E.
Braley/AP)
Other December stories that I’ll remember:
Wright Thompson tremendous again, this time on the protest movement in Brazil.
Brian Straus goes one-on-one with MLS commissioner Don Garber: Part 1 and Part 2.
David Roth gives you a great idea of what it’s like to be on the ground in Qatar.
Richard Sandomir with a great profile on commentator Ray Hudson.
Doug McIntyre on whether MLS is expanding too fast.
————
I hope you enjoyed following soccer in 2013 as much as I did. And the great thing is 2014 should be even better!
