Middlesboro' 0-1 Man Utd (Rooney) Latest

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/6434865.stm

 

:dance:

Middlesbrough 2-1 Man Utd .....up dated :devil: Manc scum out! :laugh3:

Middlesbrough 2-2 Man Utd

 

 

Cristian Ronaldo's penalty earned Manchester United a replay after Middlesbrough threatened a shock in the FA Cup quarter-final at the Riverside.

 

United lost keeper Edwin van der Sar in the warm-up, but Wayne Rooney's low drive put them ahead after 23 minutes.

 

Lee Cattermole volleyed Middlesbrough level on the stroke of half-time.

 

George Boateng headed Boro's second a minute after the interval, but then handled Rio Ferdinand's header after 66 minutes and Ronaldo equalised.

 

The replay will be at Old Trafford on 19 March, giving England coach Steve McClaren a fixture headache as he prepares to fly out with his squad to Tel Aviv for the Euro 2008 qualifier against Israel.

 

McClaren must now hope influential figures such as Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney emerge unscathed.

 

United suffered a set-back before kick-off when Van der Sar suffered a calf injury in the warm-up and was replaced by Tomasz Kuszczak.

 

He was quickly in action, making a vital block from Stewart Downing as he raced on to Julio Arca's pass.

 

United settled, however, and took the lead after 23 minutes when Rooney drove in a low shot following good work by Ryan Giggs.

 

Middlesbrough remained a threat and almost equalised six minutes later when Yakubu out-muscled Rio Ferdinand and brought another fine save out of Kuszczak.

 

What do you think? Rate the players

 

Giggs thought he had doubled United's lead 10 minutes before the interval when his shot from Gary Neville's cross beat Mark Schwarzer but bobbled to safety off an upright.

 

It was a reprieve for Middlesbrough and they took full advantage to draw level on the stroke of half-time.

 

Kuszczak only half-cleared, and when Arca headed the ball back into the danger zone, Cattermole controlled cleverly and volleyed home on the turn.

 

And the turnaround was complete a minute after the interval as Boateng rose unchallenged at the far post to head Downing's corner past Kuszczak.

 

United were suddenly in trouble, and they saw desperate penalty appeals waved away as Rooney tumbled under challenge from Stuart Parnaby.

 

But Boateng was the villain after 66 minutes when he handled Rio Ferdinand's header - referee Rob Styles pointed to the spot and Ronaldo coolly slotted home the penalty.

 

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Parnaby, Woodgate, Pogatetz, Taylor, Cattermole (Morrison 80), Boateng (Euell 89), Arca, Downing, Yakubu, Viduka (Lee 89).

Subs Not Used: Jones, Xavier.

 

Goals: Cattermole 45, Boateng 47.

 

Man Utd: Kuszczak, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Heinze, Ronaldo, O'Shea, Carrick, Giggs, Rooney, Larsson.

Subs Not Used: Brown, Park, Smith, Richardson, Eagles.

 

Booked: Larsson.

 

Goals: Rooney 23, Ronaldo 68 pen.

 

Att: 33,308

 

Ref: R Styles (Hampshire).

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/6415073.stm

Chelsea v Tottenham

 

 

Stamford Bridge

Sunday, 11 March

Quarter-Final

Kick-off: 1245 GMT

Referee: Mike Riley (Yorkshire)

Replay date (if required): Monday, 19 March, 1945 GMT

Live on BBC One, with coverage on the BBC Sport website and BBC Radio Five Live

 

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has to decide whether to recall head-injury victim John Terry.

 

Chelsea have no fresh injury worries following their midweek Champions League win over Porto, with Joe Cole (foot) their only long-term absentee.

 

Spurs have a wealth of injury problems, with Paul Robinson (thigh), Robbie Keane (ankle), Ledley King (foot) and Jermaine Jenas (groin) all ruled out.

 

Mido returns from a knee problem though in what could be a makeshift first XI.

 

CHELSEA against Tottenham in front of live BBC Match of the Day cameras, guarantees a London club in the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the 15th successive year. The Blues won the last final to be contested at the old Wembley, beating Aston Villa 1-0 in 2000. Now they're aiming to be the first to lift the Cup at the new stadium. They've been drawn at home in every round, defeating lower ranked opposition in Macclesfield, Nottingham Forest and Norwich with an impressive aggregate of 13-1.

 

The Carling Cup winners, Champions League quarter-finalists and defending Premiership champions, who are nine points behind Manchester United in second place, are undefeated in 10 games in all competitions and have won their last three, including Tuesday's 2-1 home victory over FC Porto. That was their eighth successive victory at Stamford Bridge, where Jose Mourinho has lost only once in 79 fixtures, excluding the defeat on penalties to Charlton in last season's League Cup. But the FA Cup continues to elude Mourinho and owner Roman Abramovich, despite investment of over £400 million.

 

The west Londoners reached the semi-finals for the 16th time in their history last season, when they were beaten by eventual winners Liverpool 2-1 at Old Trafford. The three times winners and four times runners-up, have not been defeated by Tottenham on home turf in 18 matches.

 

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR are on a roll. Thursday's Uefa Cup victory over Braga was their fifth win in a row. They face London derbies on successive Sundays after last weekend's dramatic 3-4 Premiership victory at relegation threatened West Ham. It was the third time in four outings that Martin Jol's side had registered four goals in a game. Spurs have been somewhat free scoring in this Cup run since the goalless draw with Cardiff at Ninian Park in the third round. They won the replay 4-0, beat Southend 3-1 in round four and humiliated Fulham 0-4 at Craven Cottage in the last 16. Now they look to eliminate London Premiership opposition away from home, for the second successive round.

 

Spurs have already beaten Chelsea at home in the League, when the Blues had skipper John Terry sent off.

 

Tottenham 2-1 Chelsea - Match report

The victory on Guy Fawkes' Day was Tottenham's first in 11 against Chelsea in all competitions. The White Hart Lane club have drawn six and lost 12 of their last 18 visits to the Bridge, and have not won there since a 1-2 top flight triumph on 10 February 1990.

But in the FA Cup, Spurs hold a narrow lead by four wins to three, despite losing their most recent meeting 0-4 in the quarter-finals at the Lane on 10 March 2002, when Eidur Gudjohnsen got a double, and William Gallas and Graeme Le Saux helped themselves to one each. The previous meeting was also at this quarter-final stage on 6 March 1982. Steve Archibald, Glenn Hoddle and Mike Hazard scored in a 2-3 victory at the Bridge, and Spurs went on to lift the trophy, beating Queen's Park Rangers in the final, after a replay.

 

The north Londoners were the first side to win the FA Cup as a non-League club in 1901. They've lifted the Cup on eight occasions. Only Manchester United (11) and Arsenal (10) can beat that. Since their most recent success in 1991, Tottenham have reached the semi-finals on four occasions. They're hoping to qualify for this stage for the 18th time in their history and the first time since 2001.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/6415115.stm

Blackburn v Man City

 

 

Ewood Park

Sunday, 11 March

Quarter-Final

Kick-off: 1600 GMT

Referee: Mike Dean (Wirral)

Replay date (if required): Monday, 19 March, 1945 GMT

Coverage on the BBC Sport website and BBC Radio Five Live

 

Blackburn will be without David Dunn (suspended) but Congo striker Shabani Nonda is set to return after illness.

 

Andy Todd is still out after undergoing an operation on his injured knee.

 

Manchester City's Emile Mpenza is pushing for his first start as Georgios Samaras and Bernado Corradi were both ineffective in the defeat by Wigan.

 

Darius Vassell (hamstring) and Paul Dickov (toe) could also come into contention after being sidelined through injury.

 

BLACKBURN ROVERS are plotting to knock out a third Premiership club this season, in order to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup for only the second occasion since 1960, and 18th time in their history. Having breezed past Everton in the third round at Goodison Park, and adopted ultra-defensive tactics against Arsenal in the last 16 before beating them in the Ewood Park replay with a late effort from "goal-per-round" Benni McCarthy, Mark Hughes' side now prepare to host Manchester City.

 

Rovers have already 'doubled' City in the Premiership with an aggregate score of 7-2. They were bottom of the table when they entertained them in mid-September and gained their first victory of the season.

 

Blackburn Rovers 4-2 Manchester City - Match report

Manchester City 0-3 Blackburn Rovers - Match Report

Blackburn are unbeaten in seven League encounters against City. They go into this north-west derby on a five-game undefeated run, having conceded just one goal in the five games. They've won their last three in League and Cup, and kept three consecutive clean sheets in front of the home supporters.

Mark Hughes was the only player to have picked up four FA Cup winners' medals in the 20th century. He tasted success with Manchester United in 1985, 1990 and 1994 and with Chelsea in 1997. But he is not the only player to have collected four - indeed in the previous century three players picked up five each.

 

Hughes is hoping to steer his side to the silverware for the seventh time in their history, and the first in 79 years. They last figured in the Wembley showpiece in 1960, after defeating Sheffield Wednesday in the semi-finals. They then lost 3-0 to Wolves in the final. Their only semi-final appearance since was two seasons ago, when beaten 3-0 at the Millennium Stadium, by eventual winners Arsenal.

 

MANCHESTER CITY take a diversion from the Premiership, where they sit immediately above the relegation zone, separated from the bottom three by some six points. Home victories over Sheffield Wednesday in the third round replay and Southampton in the fourth round, and the 1-3 eclipse of Preston at Deepdale in the last 16 have been interspersed by four League defeats. Now Stuart Pearce's men prepare to face Premiership opposition for the first time in this Cup run.

 

The four times winners and four times losing-finalists are making a second successive appearance in the last eight, and attempting to reach the semi-finals for the 11th time in their history. They were knocked out by eventual runners-up West Ham at this same stage twelve months ago. City last lifted the silverware 38 years ago, beating Leicester 1-0 in the final. On the way, they eliminated Blackburn with a 1-4 victory at Ewood Park in the fifth round on 24 February 1969. Francis Lee and Tony Coleman scored a brace a piece. It was the fourth and most recent occasion these clubs had been drawn together in the FA Cup, and the third time in a row City had knocked out their Lancashire rivals.

 

Stuart Pearce is one of those managers who knows what it's like to play in the FA Cup final and suffer defeat. The City boss collected a runners-up medal with Nottingham Forest in 1991, when his free kick (conceded by Paul Gascoigne's reckless challenge on Gary Charles) put Forest ahead. Spurs equalised through Paul Stewart, and then won the trophy courtesy of Des Walker's own goal in extra time. Pearce was also a losing finalist with Newcastle in 1998, when the Magpies found themselves unable to prevent Arsenal from achieving the League and Cup double.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/6415101.stm

Plymouth v Watford

 

 

Home Park

Sunday, 11 March

Quarter-Final

Kick-off: 1800 GMT

Referee: Chris Foy (Merseyside)

Replay date (if required): Monday, 19 March, 1945 GMT

Live on BBC One, with coverage on the BBC Sport website and BBC Radio Five Live

 

Plymouth have been boosted by the return to fitness of top scorer Barry Hayles after injury and suspension.

 

Striker Rory Fallon is unavailable as he is cup-tied while Nick Chadwick has been ruled out with a groin injury.

 

Watford welcome back goalkeeper Ben Foster after he missed the last two matches with a dead leg.

 

But Aidy Boothroyd's team will be without Jordan Stewart (calf), as well as Cup-tied trio Will Hoskins, Lee Williamson and Gareth Williams.

 

PLYMOUTH ARGYLE, are the lowest ranked surviving club in the FA Cup and the only representatives from outside the Premiership, who are hoping to match their club record best performance in the competition of 23 years ago. The Pilgrims were in the third tier when they reached the semi-finals in 1983-84 and came up against Graham Taylor's Watford, having beaten Derby in the quarter-finals. This time around history is repeating itself. Ian Holloway's side beat the Rams in the last 16 to qualify for their first FA Cup meeting with the Hornets since that exchange on 14 April 1984. On that occasion, Plymouth took 20,000 fans to Villa Park for the semi-final but lost 1-0, to a goal from George Reilly.

 

Argyle trail Watford - the second lowest ranked FA Cup survivors - by 13 places on the League ladder. But they stand all square in the FA Cup head-to-head standings. This is the fifth occasion the clubs have been drawn together in the competition - each has won two of the previous four.

 

The Pilgrims won a tie in the FA Cup for the first time in four seasons, when they knocked out Peterborough in the third round in January. Posh were also their opponents, when they last beat higher ranked opposition. The London Road club were in Division One at the time and Plymouth a third tier outfit, when the Pilgrims won 3-2 at home in the second round on 9 December 1992. Arygle have not dismissed top flight opposition since knocking out West Brom in the fifth round on 18 February 1984. Tommy Tynan scored the only goal at the Hawthorns.

 

The Devon outfit are undefeated in five games in League and Cup. The last three have finished 1-1. They play this tie on the eve of manager Holloway's 44th birthday.

 

WATFORD enjoyed their finest hour in the FA Cup in 1984. Their victory over Plymouth in the semi-finals gave them a place in the final for the only time in their history. Graeme Sharp and Andy Gray scored in a 2-0 victory for Everton in the Wembley showpiece, to end what had been a dream run for the Hornets, culminating in the tears of chairman Elton John.

 

The Hornets shared four goals with fellow relegation strugglers Charlton last time out, and moved off the foot of the Premiership table for the first time in three months. Aidy Boothroyd's side have won four of the last nine matches in all competitions. Two of those victories were against West Ham (0-1 away) and Championship Ipswich (1-0 home) in the fourth and fifth rounds of the FA Cup respectively. They make the journey to Home Park for this tie, covered live by BBC Match of the Day cameras, looking for a first victory in four since the last Cup win.

 

Knocked out by Premiership opposition in each of the last six seasons, Watford were a top-flight club themselves when last dismissed by lower ranked opposition. Division One Birmingham defeated them 0-1 at home in the third round on 22 December 1999.

 

The Vicarage Road club have qualified for the semi-finals four times in their history, but only once in 20 years. They were beaten in the last four by eventual runners-up Southampton at Villa Park on 13 April 2003. They have not defeated Plymouth in three League meetings, drawing both Championship fixtures last season. Watford's last victory at Home Park was 0-1 in League One on 2 September 1997.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/6415123.stm

That was never a penalty...

 

...all well, another 90 minutes of wear & tear onto the 'glory' squad as another game gets sandwiched into their busy schedules, of which they will play with the big guns on the pitch to avoid themselves getting tired out.

i wasnt watching,we havent tv and pc more than week

3-3 in the Chelsea/Spurs game

Blackburn 2-0 Man City (F)

 

Plymouth 0-1 Watford (FH) come on Watford

Plymouth Arg 0-1 Watford (FT)

 

Plymouth rue their missed chances, Watford into semi-finals

City played piss poor again....

3-3 in the Chelsea/Spurs game

we were loosing 3-1,then i needed to go ,wow:shocked3:

Big two kept apart in FA Cup draw

 

 

Manchester United and Chelsea could meet in the final of the FA Cup after the semi-final draw kept them apart. Blackburn came out of the hat first and will play the winners of the replay between Chelsea and Tottenham.

 

The winners of the replay between Manchester United and Middlesbrough will play Premiership strugglers Watford in the other tie.

 

The semi-finals will be played on the weekend of 14-15 April at venues yet to be decided.

 

Draw for the FA Cup semi-finals:

 

Blackburn v Chelsea or Tottenham

Watford v Middlesbrough or Manchester United

 

Ties will be played the weekend of 14 and 15 April 2007

im looking forward

Good Good.

 

Man Utd. vs. Chelsea final will be good.

the best :shocked3:

Man United 1 - 0 Middlesbrough

Tottenham 1 - 2 Chelsea

and Frank Lampard almost gets punched in the face by a fan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_55Q-9h11lA

:huh: i saw in news that Tottenham lost 1-2 not 0-2

Tottenham is my second favourite club,but nobody will punch my favourite player although the players wasnt fault!

They cant do anything against stupid fans,but again nobody will punch my favourite player even the man missed him!:laugh4: stupid creep

That wasn't a penalty, Ronadlo dived.

:huh: i saw in news that Tottenham lost 1-2 not 0-2

yeah sorry my bad :)

oh so i wasnt wrong

Watford - Manutd 1-4

:dance:

Rampant Man Utd into FA Cup final

 

 

Watford 1-4 Man Utd

 

Wayne Rooney inspired Manchester United as they broke Watford's brave challenge to reach the FA Cup final at Wembley.

 

Rooney powered home a brilliant 20-yard drive after only six minutes, but Watford levelled with Hameur Bouazza's 26th minute overhead kick.

 

Cristiano Ronaldo bundled in Rooney's cross two minutes later as United swiftly restored their lead.

 

Rooney's close-range finish wrapped up the win after 66 minutes and substitute Kieran Richardson chipped in a fourth.

 

The scoreline looks comprehensive, but Watford were well in contention until Rooney's crucial second and United's third.

 

The only low point for United was a first-half injury to Rio Ferdinand, who limped off with a groin problem.

 

United resisted the temptation to rest their stars after the spectacular Champions League win against Roma - and the move paid dividends as Rooney struck brilliantly after only six minutes.

 

Alan Smith dummied Michael Carrick's pass, and Rooney's first touch was instant before he lashed a rising 20-yard drive past Richard Lee.

 

United threatened to run away with the semi-final in the early stages, but Watford held on and were rewarded with a stunning equaliser after 26 minutes.

 

Edwin van der Sar had just received lengthy treatment for a nose injury, and he was still recovering when Tommy Smith headed into the path of Bouazza, who sent an overhead kick into the top corner via a deflection off Gabriel Heinze.

 

But Watford's celebrations were short-lived as United regained the lead two minutes later.

 

Rooney was the creator, racing clear and crossing for Ronaldo to bundle in from six yards.

 

United suffered a blow six minutes before half-time, when Ferdinand was forced off with a groin injury and was replaced by Darren Fletcher.

 

Watford keeper Lee then kept his side in the game with a fine one-handed save from Rooney after a slick exchange with Ryan Giggs.

 

Fletcher then headed inches wide as United ended the first half in the ascendancy.

 

Watford, backed by thousands of fans bedecked in yellow, started the second period with real vigour, and Bouazza turned a close-range effort agonisingly wide as the Hornets threatened an equaliser.

 

But it was effectively all over after 66 minutes, and Rooney was once again United's main man.

 

Slack marking by Watford allowed Smith too much space, and he cleverly picked out Rooney for a simple finish.

 

Watford were in danger of being swamped by United, and Lee needed to be alert again to deny Giggs.

 

There was one bonus for Watford late on when striker Marlon King, who has been out for virtually the whole season with knee injury, came on as a substitute to a rousing ovation.

 

Ronaldo was rested to give Richardson a run-out, and he made the most of it by running on to another superb pass from Smith to lift a finish over Lee with eight minutes left.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/6534697.stm

Ballaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

omfg the final