Minnows With Frickin' Lasers Again

Yeah, I know I used that headline last year but the minnows (lower ranked teams) upgraded their technology and wreaked even more havoc in this year's 3rd round FA Cup action.  The favorites actually lost or drew more than they won (14-9-9) and the Premier League sides that faced opposition from lower divisions went 6-3-3.

Recall that there is no seeding within each round and there was a wide range in the relative strength of the opponents.  At one end of the spectrum, we had 19th place Swansea City taking on 20th place Hull City, a difference of just one; I'm sure everyone was just begging for another match between these two sides.  At the other end, Wycombe Wanderers, sitting 5th in the League Two (4th division) hosted Stourbridge who are currently 11th in the 7th division, a difference of 88 spots in the combined tables.  The Wanderers, with a late goal from BFS fave Adebayo Akinfenwa (above), advanced with a 2-1 win.  Akinfenwa is still listed in the program at 5-11, 189 pounds.

Liverpool (2nd in the EPL) was generously matched against Plymouth (2nd in League Two), a difference of 68 spots; that matched ended in a 0-0 draw so Liverpool just picked up an extra mid-week road match that Jurgen Klopp really didn't need.   Biggest outright upset of the weekend was probably Millwall's (10th in League One) 3-0 thumping of Bournemouth (9th in EPL).

Other than Liverpool, most of the top EPL sides got through.  Both Manchester clubs clobbered their opponents, Tottenham took their time but ground down Aston Villa,  Arsenal spared themselves a replay with a late goal against Preston North End.  Claudio Ranieri needs to figure out some way to fool his squad into thinking EPL matches are some kind of cup competition.  Leicester can't buy a league win but are in the knockout stages of the Champions League and beat an in-form Everton 2-1 on Saturday to advance to the 4th round of the FA Cup.

After making fun of dodgy pitches in lower divisions, I will note that the lowest remaining team to host a 3rd round match - Sutton United - plays in an recently refurbished stadium on some kind of artificial turf.  What?  Apparently artificial surfaces are approved for use below the 4th division (i.e. non-League) and for FA Cup matches. See this article for a discussion on the economic advantages of the ersatz grass that may win out over what it does to the game.


The Other Cup

Action also heated up in England's second favorite cup competition, the League Cup, with the first matches of the two-legged semi-finals this week.  The League Cup, step-child to league play and even the FA Cup, is famous for seeing managers trot out their reserves.  However, when you get to the semi-finals you are pretty close to winning some hardware so the first teamers are usually back on the pitch.  Hull City put up a game effort at Old Trafford but goals by Mata at 56 minutes and Fellaini at 87 minutes put Man United in the driver's seat.  In the other match, Southampton let Liverpool control the match but absorbed the pressure well and nicked a goal on a quick counter to leave St. Mary's Stadium with a 1-0 result.  Great keeping by Karius kept the score from being worse for Liverpool.  This one feels more up for grabs, though Liverpool's failure to score an away goal leaves Southampton with some hope.


Philadelphia - The City of the Lesser Brother

The Phillies are famous for getting the less talented brother on their roster.  Other clubs got Joe and Dom DiMaggio, George Brett, Joe Torre, Greg Maddux, and Jason Giambi.  We got Vince, Ken, Frank, Mike and Jeremy.  With the signing of Giliano Wijnaldum, younger brother of Liverpool's Georginio, the Union may be taking a page from that playbook.  Earnie Stewart thinks Giliano is a potential steal who will provide some depth at left back.  He was playing in the second division of German football.

The Union also signed striker Jay Simpson from fourth tier Leyton Orient.  He's had modest success there, with 33 goals in 87 appearances.  But even the biggest critics of the MLS would likely concede that the league is equivalent to upper third tier/lower second tier of English football so it's not clear how Simpson's scoring record will carry over into the MLS.  On the other hand, some point out that the physicality of lower level English football is not suited to skill and pace players like Simpson and that he could find life easier in MLS.  Ze Roberto points out that having the phrase "released by Hull City" on your resume is not a ringing endorsement.  In sum, certainly not blown away by either signing but I'm willing to give Stewart the benefit of the doubt.

Keegan Rosenberry and Chris Pontius joined Alejandro Bedoya at the USMNT January camp.  Even if they don't see international action, you would think this is good for their development as professionals.


Five Men from USA - 15 Minutes of Fame

We continue to milk the trip for all its worth, as you can see from this article in the Chestnut Hill Local.  The paper's editor, Pete Mazzaccaro, is himself a big fan of the game and you can probably tell from the context he adds to the story.  He was proudly wearing his Liverpool scarf during the interview.


I Like to Sleep Late in the Morning (musical accompaniment courtesy David Bromberg)

But the five hour time difference with England and 7:30 am matches make it difficult.

Newcastle are away to Brentford, who sit 14th in the Championship table.  This should be an easy fixture but off of recent form, who knows.  Primary rivals Brighton and Reading have eminently winnable matches against Preston North End and QPR respectively.

Sunday is definitely the more interesting day for the EPL, with a Manchester double header. The early match has Everton hosting Manchester City while the 11 am fixture is Man United vs Liverpool at Old Trafford, both on NBCSN.  I'm particularly interested in the latter contest, with Man United having pulled themselves into Champions League contention and Liverpool trying to stay with Chelsea.  Saturday's early match with Spurs hosting West Brom (7:30 NBCSN) might be worthwhile; the Baggies have generally beaten the sides they should and played the top teams close but Tottenham are really in form right now and the match is at White Hot Hart Lane.  Swansea-Arsenal is live at 10 on NBCSN but not sure if that will be pretty.  Same for Leicester-Chelsea in the 12:30 contest on NBCSN.