Vocalizing Sport

Let’s face it, no matter which league you are in, any English team can have a good run of results and achieve a few giant killings in this Cup competition. The oldest football cup competition the FA Cup is back, and the defending Champions Portsmouth, started on rather a low note, being held to a 0-0 draw by Bristol City at Fratton Park.

Meanwhile the most successful team in the FA Cup’s history, 11 time winners Manchester United cruised to victory against 10-man Southampton at St. Mary’s in a 3-0 scoreline, with Danny Welbeck, Nani and Darron Gibson all getting their names on the score sheet.

Several shock results came out of the matches at the weekend, with Southend, Nottingham Forest and Hartlepool providing the biggest of the shocks. Hartlepool knocked out Premier League new boys Stoke City in a 2-0 scoreline at Victoria Park, home of the underdogs Hartlepool. Southend managed to overcome the atmosphere (if they have one) at Stamford Bridge to earn a replay against the Blues at Roots Hall after Southend managed to score a late equaliser to provide a 1-1 draw at the Bridge. Nottingham Forest provided perhaps the biggest shock of them all, by knocking out the richest team in the world, Manchester City, 3-0 at the City of Manchester Stadium, with Forest even having to take on an almost full strength City squad.

The FA Cup has always had the magic of being able to produce the giant killings, the results that no one would think possible, with last season seemingly reigniting that magic, after Barnsley managed to beat two of the “Big Four”, Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield, and Chelsea 1-0 at Oakwell. With three of the semi finalists having been playing outside of the top division that season, it really did produce the idea that in the FA Cup, it doesn’t matter which league you are from, impossible is nothing, the biggest of giants can lose to the smallest of minnows, and isn’t that why we all just love the competition?