 |
TRANSFER TALK: Who do you think should be Sunderland's first choice targets in the
summer? Which positions do you feel the club need to strengthen?
• Share your views here |
Boro fail to recreate Steaua spirit
Middlesbrough 0 Cardiff City 2
PRIOR to yesterday's FA Cup quarter-final, thousands of coloured posters were held aloft by Middlesbrough supporters illustrating the 'Sporting Glory' ethos which is hoped can be achieved at the Riverside Stadium.
By the end, the solitary Cardiff City fan who ran across the foot of the South Stand, holding a cardboard mock up of the famous old trophy, was a more appropriate symbol for the day.
It is Cardiff, of the Championship, who booked a last four place at Wembley for the first time in 81 years. Middlesbrough, of the Premier League, are left to reflect on what might have been.
This year's FA Cup has thrown up surprise after surprise, and while the top flight looks like boasting four teams in the Champions League quarter-finals, arguably the best league in the world only has one in the domestic game's knock-out competition.
From the moment Peter Whittingham curled in a stunning opener, there was no way back for Middlesbrough and a neat header from Roger Johnson completed the win inside 23 minutes.
This was a Boro performance that will rank among the worst.
There were hardly any positives to be drawn from a defeat that has left the club with nothing more to look forward to this season than a relegation fight.
Semi-finalists in 2002 and 2006 and runners-up in 1997. The year 2008 has not worked its way onto that list and the only statistic which matters this morning is that Middlesbrough have lost an FA Cup tie at the Riverside for the first time in ten years.
And it was not just any cup tie. A chance of claiming a place in a Wembley semi-final was up for grabs and, given how Portsmouth are the only top-flight team left in the mix, the chances of winning the trophy for the first time had never been greater.
Cue, though, the worst performance of the season and, even after a half-time regroup, there was no memorable comeback for Middlesbrough, as there has been on other famous nights down by the River Tees.
Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink, wearing Cardiff colours, must have feared one having been a part in the euphoric successes over Basle and Steaua Bucharest two years ago, when Middlesbrough trailed by three.
There was, however, to be no repeat. A first half shot from 20 yards from Afonso Alves was all that Middlesbrough could muster in response to Cardiff's desire to progress to Wembley.
With Robert Huth available again after a recent foot problem, the towering German was reinstated at the heart of the Boro backline and that should have instilled fresh confidence following last week's defeat to Reading.
And one of Huth's first touches was as a striker, as Gareth Southgate's instructions to attack from the whistle were carried out by his team. Cardiff, however, defended soundly and the tide quickly turned.
The initial purpose and drive shown by Middlesbrough evaporated too quickly. Cardiff's willingness to chase every loose ball, and everything else, stunned the men in red.
It was from the visitors' first real attack that Whittingham conjured up his moment of magic to edge his side in front.
The former Aston Villa man instantly controlled a nod down in the area. A cheeky little drag back left five Middlesbrough players bemused and, after a challenge failed to materialise, he curled into Mark Schwarzer's top far corner.
Whittingham's brilliance rocked Boro. For the remainder of the half, apart from the occasional flurry forward, Cardiff ruled the roost.
Southgate's men lacked shape and the ability to keep possession for long periods, opening the door for their lower league opponents to regularly make progress in the home half.
Quite why is unknown. This, after all, was an FA Cup quarter-final, with a place at Wembley at stake. The Bluebirds were on song and Middlesbrough could not muster a note of their own.
Two minutes after Whittingham's opener, Hasselbaink went close with a near post diving header, which he should have done better with; and Paul Parry curled a yard or so wide from distance after being allowed to cut inside from the right.
But Cardiff's endeavour and Middlesbrough's sloppiness heralded a second for the men from south Wales with half of the first period played.
A ridiculous and pointless foul by Fabio Rochemback on Hasselbaink gifted Cardiff with an opportunity well inside Middlesbrough territory.
Whittingham, at the hub of everything positive for Cardiff, delivered the set-piece to the back post. Johnson, allowed to coast in behind Emanuel Pogatetz, arrived to head into Schwarzer's bottom right corner.
The huge throng of Cardiff supporters went crazy, while the 30,000 or so fans from Teesside were silenced.
Something special was required. It never arrived.
Alves, again given little chance to show the skills which persuaded Southgate to spend £12.7m on him, did have a powerful long range shot turned away by goalkeeper Peter Enckelman.
And the Brazilian, hauled off at half-time and replaced by Mido, also had a penalty claim waved away by referee Mike Dean, when Kevin McNaughton came away with the ball after bringing the forward down in the box.
But Cardiff were worthy of retaining the two-goal advantage. In fact their lead should have been stronger and Whittingham was again the one causing the problems.
Another of his free-kicks, this time from just inside the Middlesbrough half, dropped on to the head of Johnson. This time, despite working his way free once again, the ball rolled safely into Schwarzer.
Even the half-time team-talk failed to inspire anything from Middlesbrough.
The introduction of Mido was required, as was the call-up of Adam Johnson from the bench. Neither, though, changed the course of the game.
Cardiff's collection of bargain buys and free transfers kept plugging away and frustrated.
The biggest surprise was that the deficit remained the same.
A semi-final place is the perfect tonic for a club who head to the high courts tomorrow to fight a £24m survival battle. When they do, the inquest into what happened to Middlesbrough yesterday is likely to be still going on.
Downing's free-kick just after the hour, which flew just the wrong side of the post, would have given Middlesbrough the lifeline they needed to go on and force a replay.
Julio Arca, the captain who normally retains possession with consummate ease, was as guilty as anyone for failing to find his man. Factors like that made it extremely difficult for the Teesside outfit to gather any sort of momentum.
By the time the full-time whistle rang out, the Cardiff fans were dancing to the tune of Wembley, while the Middlesbrough fans who had bothered to stop around are likely to have done so in disbelief.
2:02am Monday 10th March 2008
Print 
Email this 
CommentPosted by: NUFC Fan, Darlo on 8:44am Mon 10 Mar 08
Boro are such an irrelevance.
Looking forward to hearing Slaven eating humble pie on the radio tonight.
Boro are such an irrelevance.
Looking forward to hearing Slaven eating humble pie on the radio tonight.
Posted by: Smigga on 8:50am Mon 10 Mar 08
Just like NUFC will be an irrelevance when they play Cardiff at home in the first Championship fixture of next season! Just remind me who the Messiah's flops played in the cup yesterday??? Oh that's right you were knocked out ages ago! Could have been worse we could have let five in like some club not too far away did at home against Championship opposition last season!
Just like NUFC will be an irrelevance when they play Cardiff at home in the first Championship fixture of next season! Just remind me who the Messiah's flops played in the cup yesterday??? Oh that's right you were knocked out ages ago! Could have been worse we could have let five in like some club not too far away did at home against Championship opposition last season!
Posted by: NUFC, Darlo on 7:21pm Fri 14 Mar 08
Like I said, Boro are irrelevant.
Like I said, Boro are irrelevant.
What are these links for?
If you liked this article and would like to share it with others on the web who might be searching for good content we've made it easy for you to do it.
At the bottom of all articles, you'll see links to six sites. These sites - commonly called 'social bookmark' or 'social news' sites - have large communities of web users who share and rate interesting, useful and fun things on the web.
Clicking the links will automatically add the address of the story you are reading to one of these sites, letting you share it with others. Each site will ask you to register to share stories. Registration is free and once a member, you can store, recommend and search for stories that interest you.
More on Digg
More on del.icio.us
More on Furl
More on reddit
More on NowPublic/
More on Yahoo!
