Manchester United Kalah Adu Penalti dari Sunderland
Sunderland Sink Manchester United on Penalties
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
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Manchester (B2B) - Sunderland sukses melaju ke final Piala Liga (Capital One Cup) setelah memenangi drama adu penalti atas Manchester United di Stadion Old Trafford, Kamis pagi WIB.
Sunderland memenangkan adu penalti dengan skor akhir 2-1, hanya tiga gol yang bersarang ke gawang karena baik kiper United Dea Gea maupun penjaga gawang Sunderland Mannone sama-sama tampil mengesankan.
United memastikan tersingkir setelah penendang terakhir, Rafael, gagal mengelabui Mannone, sementara dari empat eksekutor sebelumnya hanya penendang kedua, Darren Flecher, yang bisa menembus hadangan Mannone.
Bola sepakan penendang pertama United, Danny Welbeck, dengan mudah ditangkap kiper Sunderland, demikian juga tendangan Januzaj, sebelum menyusul kegagalan Phil Jones dengan bola tendangannya melambung jauh di atas gawang, seperti dilansir ESPN.
Pahlawan Sunderland dalam drama panjang di Old Trafford kali ini jelas adalah sang penjaga gawang Vito Mannone.
Bukan hanya dalam adu penalti, sepanjang pertandingan Mannone sedikitnya tiga kali menyelamatkan gawangnya, dari ancaman sundulan Javi Hernandez, sepakan Kagawa, dan menyusul kemudian menghadang bola tendangan Welbeck, selain bola lemah tendangan Januzaj.
Kiper Manchester United De Dea juga sudah menampilkan kemampuan terbaiknya, mungkin bisa mengatar ke keadaan berbeda jika saja tendangan eksekutor penalti keempat tuan rumah Phil Jones tidak melambung jauh di atas gawang.
Dea Gea telah menghadang dengan baik bola tendangan dua eksekutor penalti Sunderland, Adam Johnson dan Steven Fletcher, sementara tendangan algojo terakhir Sunderland Craig Gardner melenceng.
Sebelum adu penalti, Sunderland dan Manchester United terlibat dalam pertarungan menegangkan juga tak kalah dramatisnya dalam dua kali 15 menit babak perpanjangan waktu.
Adu penalti harus dilakoni kedua tim setelah Javi Hernandez pada menit akhir dua kali 15 menit perpanjangan waktu mencetak gol untuk menyamai agregat menjadi 3-3.
Gol Hernandez menit 121 itu telah menggagalkan perayaan Sunderland yang sudah di ujung kemenangan berkat gol Philip Bardsley menit 119.
Dalam dua kali 45 menit pertandingan, babak pertama dan babak kedua, hanya tercipta satu gol oleh Jonathan Evans pada menit 37 untuk mengantar Manchester United menyamai agregat gol 2-2.
Namun, perjalanan panjang melelahkan Manchester United harus berakhir dengan kekecewaan, ongkos yang harus dibayar dari penampilan kurang apik pertandingan leg pertama di kandang Sunderland saat mereka kalah 1-2 dari tuan rumah.
Dengan kemenangan leg kedua di Old Trafford, Sunderland sudah ditunggu calon lawannya pada final nanti, Manchester City, yang pada semifinal tampil mengagumkan dengan kemenangan agregat 9-0 atas West Ham United.
Kemengangan agregat 9-0 diraih City dari kemenangan 6-0 leg pertama dan 3-0 kemenangan laga leg kedua.
Manchester - Manchester United endured a penalty shoot-out nightmare as Sunderland claimed a place in the Capital One Cup final at Old Trafford.
United scored just once from their five kicks, with only skipper Darren Fletcher converting, as Sunderland´s two successes proved enough to book a Wembley date with Manchester City on March 2.
In a season of utter misery for United boss David Moyes, it was yet another hammer blow.
His side had seemed to be on the verge of victory thanks to Jonny Evans´ first-half goal as the tie ticked towards the final minute of extra time. But when Phil Bardsley let fly from 20 yards, David de Gea inexplicably allowed the former United man´s shot to slip through his grasp.
Amazingly, United earned themselves a reprieve in injury time as his players summoned up the spirit for which they are so famed and with virtually their last attack, Adnan Januzaj crossed for Javier Hernandez to bundle home from close range.
Moyes might have hoped fortune was to smile on him.
Even in a ridiculously bad shoot-out, De Gea´s save from Adam Johnson meant Sunderland had only scored twice. United could not match it though. And while it is anticipated Juan Mata will be having a medical tomorrow ahead of a club-record transfer from Chelsea, he will do so against a backdrop of even more gloom.
News of United being close to completing a £37million deal to sign Mata from Chelsea had lifted the sense of foreboding spreading around the club.
With 9,000 Sunderland fans present to roar their team towards the final for the first time since 1985, it made for a lively atmosphere, which might well have triggered Fabio Borini´s rash early challenge on Januzaj.
United almost profited from the free-kick, which Javier Hernandez met at the far post, his header bouncing down from barely six yards and palmed away by Vito Mannone.
Despite the positive start, United quickly got bogged down, as they have done so often this season. Neither Wayne Rooney nor Robin van Persie was around to help, having been ruled out through injury, and when Borini launched a dipping 25-yard effort at the United goal, home hearts were in mouths before it dropped just over.
For a good while afterwards, it was all somewhat humdrum. Even Michael Carrick´s normally accurate passing was off as the hosts searched for that elusive spark Mata will be expected to supply.
The dynamic changed seven minutes before the interval when, after Darren Fletcher had prodded against a post and Mannone denied Danny Welbeck with the rebound, Januzaj curled over another corner.
Welbeck met it but could not divert the ball on target. However, former United man John O´Shea completely lost his man and as Borini played him onside, Evans duly finished at the far post.
Rafael was not too far away from doubling the advantage immediately after the break but Sunderland were putting up a decent showing for their impressively loud fans and a home defence shorn of its suspended skipper Nemanja Vidic was at full stretch to keep the visitors at bay.
