Manchester United Kalah Tiga Kali Berturut-turut
Manchester United Suffer Third Straight Loss
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
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Sunderland (B2B) - Sunderland mampu meredam nama besar Manchester United dengan kemenangan 2-1 dalam laga semifinal leg pertama Capital One Cup di Stadion Light, Rabu dinihari (WIB).
Bermain di kandang, klub penghuni urutan terbawah papan klasemen Liga Utama Inggris Sunderland, mampu mematahkan serangan-serangan gencar punggawa depan United.
Sunderland bahkan beberapa kali mencetak peluang, di antaranya melalui Borini pada menit 12, tapi sayang tendangannya masih melebar, seperti dilansir Yahoo News.
Pada menit 23, Januzaj melayangkan umpan panjang ke depan gawang Sunderland, namun Evra yang sudah menunggu gagal menyundul bola dan justru mengarahkan bola dengan tangannya. Aksi Evra itu berbuah kartu kuning pertama untuk United.
Dua menit kemudian United mencoba membangun serangan lagi, Giggs yang mengolah bola di luar kotak penalti, melayangkan tembakan jarak jauh yang tidak bisa dibendung kiper Vito Mannone, tapi kurang beruntung, bola membentur mistar atas gawang dan keluar lapangan.
Memasuki menit 38 Januzaj menyapu bola blunder dari kotak penalti Sunderland dan masuk, tapi gol Januzaj dianulir karena Giggs yang berada persis di depan gawang Vito sudah dalam posisi offside.
Setelah sejumlah serangannya tak bisa membuahkan gol, pada menit kedua waktu tambahan babak pertama, Sunderland mampu memecah kebuntuan, umpan deras Wes Brown berbuah gol bunuh diri oleh Ryan Giggs.
Gol bunuh diri Giggs yang menghadiahi Sunderland keunggulan 1-0 itu tercipta saat Giggs berduel dengan Bradsley di depan gawang Manchester United.
Pada babak kedua, Sunderland tetap tampil konsisten. Tapi pada menit 52 tendangan pojok untuk United mengubah keadaan.
Vidic dengan sundulan kepalanya mampu menyamakan kedudukan menjadi 1-1.
Skor imbang 1-1 tidak berlangsung lama, beberapa saat setelah pelatih Poyet menarik keluar Emanuele Giaccherini dan memasukkan Adam Johnson, Sunderland mendapatkan peluang emas.
Pelanggaran Cleverley terhadap Adam Johnson berbuah tendangan penalti dan dieksekusi dengan baik oleh Borini yang membuat Sunderland kembali unggul menjadi 2-1 menit 64.
Melewatkan sisa waktu babak kedua, United yang sering menghadapi ancaman berbahaya pemain depan tuan rumah, tidak juga mampu menambah gol.
Upaya keras Manchester United hanya menyisakan frustrasi dan mereka harus mengakhiri pertandingan dengan kekalahan 1-2.
Kekalahan di kandang Sunderland itu merupakan kekalahan menyakitkan ketiga kali beruntun bagi Manchester United di bawah kepelatihan David Moyes, setelah kalah 1-2 dari Tottenham Hotspur 1 Januari lalu, kemudian kalah 1-2 lawan Swansea di Piala FA 5 Januari.
Manchester United masih punya peluang saat menjamu Sunderland pada leg kedua nanti, sementara pada 9 Januari dua kontestan semifinal Capital One Cup lainnya yakni Manchester City dan West Ham akan bertarung, demikian mengutip laman resmi Capital One Cup.
Sunderland - Sunderland gained the upper hand on Manchester United by deservedly winning their League Cup semi-final, first leg 2-1 on Tuesday to intensify the pressure on visiting manager David Moyes after a testing week.
Italian Fabio Borini scored a second-half penalty to give the Premier League´s bottom club a one-goal lead ahead of the return at Old Trafford after a 52nd minute Nemanja Vidic header cancelled out Ryan Giggs´s own goal in first-half stoppage time.
It was United´s third straight defeat after they were beaten at home in the FA Cup third round by Swansea City on Sunday and by Tottenham Hotspur in the league the previous week, heaping pressure on Moyes in his first season in charge.
The second leg will be on January 22 to decide who will face either favourites Manchester City or West Ham United, who play at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, in the final on March 2.
For beleaguered United manager Moyes, the League Cup has developed added significance with the club already out of the FA Cup, looking unlikely to retain their Premier League title and long odds to win the Champions League.
For the fans who booed them off the pitch following the loss to Swansea, there was little to perk up the spirits.
This was the first time since 1932 that United had lost their opening three games of the year and the first time since 1992 that they had lost three times in a week.
Sunderland have only reached the League Cup final once, in 1985 when they lost to Norwich City, and their fans do not need reminding they were relegated from the top flight that season.
The knockout competitions have again provided Sunderland with their only moments of relief in a miserable campaign, having won all five home ties in the League and FA Cups.
There were rows of empty seats at the Stadium of Light but those who ventured into the cold saw them make a bright start.
They kept possession well in the opening minutes, subduing a United side for whom exciting Belgian teenager Adnan Januzaj provided a lone attacking threat.
After Giggs rattled the bar with a dipping drive, the 18-year-old Januzaj had the ball in the net seven minutes before halftime only to be denied the opening goal by the offside flag.
In the end it was Sunderland who made the breakthrough in first-half injury time. Jonny Evans gave away a needless free kick and Seb Larsson´s whipped set piece was diverted in by Giggs under pressure from former United player Phil Bardsley.
It was the first goal United had conceded in the competition all season.
The gloom among the travelling fans was briefly lifted seven minutes into the second half when Serb defender Vidic, returning to the side, drew them level with a towering far post header.
Yet it was Sunderland who displayed a resilience lacking for much of their league campaign, retaking the lead through on-loan Liverpool forward Borini from the penalty spot after Adam Johnson had been felled in the area by Tom Cleverley.
