Yaya Toure ends Red Devils’ aspirations of a treble, as Scholsey sees red…
Match Report – Manchester City 1-0 Manchester United
Competition: FA Cup, Semi-Final
Kick-Off & Date: 5:15pm, Saturday, 16th April 2011
Venue: Wembley, London (Neutral)
Attendance: 86,549
Manchester United put a powerful first half display on show against Manchester City in The FA Cup Semi-Finals at Wembley, but a wasteful performance led to The Blues getting back into the game. Yaya Toure snatched City’s winner following some calamitous defending, and if Wayne Rooney’s suspension wasn’t enough of a handicap from The FA – referee Mike Dean killed-off The Red Devils by showing Paul Scholes a red card late on in the second half…
Sir Alex Ferguson rested Ryan Giggs, leaving him out of the squad as Dimitar Berbatov started alone in attack. Antonio Valencia, Ji-Sung Park and Luis Nani supported the Bulgarian striker, while Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick dropped further back in midfield. Nemanja Vidic captained the side, alongside John O’Shea, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra. Edwin Van Der Sar was, as usual, between the sticks.
Among the 86,000+ strong Wembley contingent, United supporters were making themselves heard the loudest within the sparring rounds, as Sir Alex’s side were dominant in possesion. It was, of course, the day City would put and end to The Red’s FA Cup title challenge and go on to tear the ’35 Years’ banner down. But with kick-off, Roberto Mancini’s men looked anything but in command. Berbatov, though, was wasteful.
The 30-year-old Bulgarian forced a fantastic save from Joe Hart having been put one-on-one with the goalkeeper by Ji-Sung Park. That effort was close, but his second chance less than 30 seconds later was unforgivable. Luis Nani struck an inch-perfect grounded cross to Berba, only for him to mis-connect and fire the glorious opportunity over the bar – not the clinical striker we have come to watch over the past season.
Dimitar Berbatov flushes United’s best chances down the drain
At the other end, City fans were celebrating momentarily when they thought Gareth Barry’s shot had hit the back of the net. It hit the side netting and the travelling Blues were left feeling slightly embarrassed. The official home side, City in this case, hadn’t visited ‘home’ (or the new Wembley) ever before. In that time, United have played nine times on the relatively new London soil. But that didn’t stop Mancini’s side from waking-up and ‘having a go’.
Before Mike Dean’s half-time whistle, Mario Balotelli had Edwin Van Der Sar in action with a blistering strike from 40 yards before Joleon Lescott fired over the top with his volley from a City corner. The sides went under the stands level at the interval. With the second half underway, it started the opposite way as the first half had – this time Man City took the initiative and attacked the United goal.
The Blues may have held-out United’s first half bombardment, but within 7 minutes of the second period, City put The Reds to the sword. Van Der Sar survived a deplorable clearance, as Michael Carrick regained the ball – but what the midfielder did was even worse. He gifted the ball to Yaya Toure, breathing down on the United box, who smashed it past Van Der Sar and into the net. A serious of unfortunate events, or just plain error ?…
Manchester City punish Michael Carrick’s error, with Yaya Toure scoring in the 52nd minute
… the latter. But as City did the ‘Poznan Celebration’, United had a brief moment to reflect and attempt to rectify their terrible lapse of defensive concentration. Their plan clearly wasn’t effective, as Mancini’s mercenaries turned into players and protected their precious lead. But it wasn’t through defending that they achieved the upper hand – instead wave of attack after attack put United firmly on the back foot.
Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez and Oliveira Anderson replaced Antonio Valencia and Dimitar Berbatov respectively, but neither could grab the headlines as ‘super sub’. They tried, indeed, but just couldn’t hit the back of the net… And when Nani’s free-kick was tipped onto the bar by Hart – the gods weren’t helping Manchester United’s fight.
City were being far the more vicious team, with ref. Mike Dean booking Pablo Zabaleta, Mario Balotelli, Nigel De Jong and Vincent Kompany. However, it was Paul Scholes who was given the severest of punishments. The veteran midfielder and Zabaleta went in for the ball – both studs raised – but it was City’s defender who came off the worst. Mike Dean reached into his back pocket. No complaints, but it was hardly consistent refereeing.
Nevertheless, United have been known the defeat the impossible. But this uphill struggle proved too steep even for Sir Alex Ferguson’s Red Army. Neither Dimitar Berbatov or Michael Carrick can be held accountable for the heart-aching loss, as Red Devils finally get to feel what it’s like being a City supporter. But we have bigger fish to fry and despite losing our bragging rights – we have the Premier League and Champions League to tend to…
Afterall, we are United.
Paul Scholes given a red card by Mike Dean in the 72nd minute. Game over…
United Team: Edwin Van Der Sar, John O’Shea (Fabio Da Silva ’84), Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Park Ji-Sung, Michael Carrick, Antonio Valencia (Javier Hernandez ’65), Luis Nani, Paul Scholes, Dimitar Berbatov (Oliveira Anderson ’74).
Sent-Off: Scholes ’72
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