Cherry Cup Final Match Report

The 606v2 Euro Division Times wrote:
Baggins Seal Inaugural Cup Victory

Cup competitions can be decided by the finest of margins, and so it proved to be again here, as Hero led his side to a penalties victory.

There should be no surprise as to the eventual winner of the Cherry Cup – Bilbao Baggins have had a strong season among a competitive league and kept the title race going to the very last day before their challenge was vanquished. The surprise is arguably that they made such hard work of it against a side many had expected them to roll over with a great deal more ease than they did.

Credit must be given to manager cherriesfan and his FC United side; firstly for making the final in the first place, and secondly, for making it such an intriguing contest. The samba beat was, however, not enough to see them dance past Bilbao Baggins in the nerve shredding spectacle of the penalty shoot out.

The final of a cup may not be the best place for a shock team selection and formation change, but Hero bravely set his side up with three at the back, two of whom were natural full backs – and attack minded ones at that. This left the anchoring midfielders of Motta and Cambiasso with a heavy defensive remit against the attacking style of FC United, and for a while it didn’t seem capable of keeping Neymar and company at bay.

Neymar it was who opened the scoring in the 18th minute, finding himself one on one with Subotic and able to beat his man in a one on one and slide the ball coolly home – a big player for the big occasion indeed.

Baggins had struggled to settle down to the game – perhaps still adjusting themselves to the new formation – and they could count themselves fortunate that David De Gea was on hand to deny both Neymar and Costa from delivering potentially fatal blows.

One thing that Baggins always have is attacking verve, however, and in Mario Gotze they have a player touted as the best of the season. Coming in from the left hand side he was able to begin to ask questions of Maicon’s sometimes wavering commitment to his defensive duties and hints of chances for the deadly Cisse and ever potent Dost began to emerge.

Eventually, the pressure told and Toni Kroos who had previously been followed diligently throughout by Casemiro found himself in space and with a neat one two with compatriot Gotze found the perfect angle to slide the ball through to Cisse. No mistake from the uncrowned Striker of the Year who beat Jefferson high to his right with a powerful shot.

Cherriesfan was visibly irked that his side couldn’t hold their lead into the interval, and his assistant Emile Heskey pointed threateningly at Casemiro and then back to his own groin in a gesture that we can only assume (and hope) was tongue-in-cheek. Hero on the other hand allowed a smile to cross his face for the first time since his side had gone behind and could begin to believe his side had settled at last into the new tactics he was employing.

As the sides emerged from the dressing rooms for the start of the second half, FC United appeared refocused, and aside from a mystery limp Casemiro seemed to have developed during the break, they shot out of the blocks with the same tenacity and belief that got them to the final to begin with.

It was backs to the wall for Baggins, as wave after wave of well constructed and well rehearsed attacks rained down on a back three that was creaking; Abate and Cole had seldom been able to break forward during this game and now their task was purely to batten down the hatches and keep their side in the game.

Fernandinho struck the upright from distance with De Gea unsighted, and beaten. Hernanes began pulling the strings and occupying both defensive midfielders with intelligent movement and his ball over the top fell to Neymar who dragged a delicious ball back across goal only to see Dudu on his heels and unable to reach it. The look on his face was exasperation; perhaps mostly in the knowledge that had he been in the box he’d have gobbled that chance up with vigour.

He can’t have been exasperated long; as the 66th minute ticked by, Douglas Costa received the ball in acres of space on the right and ran directly at Cole. Cutting one way and then the next he found a split second window to get a shot in to which De Gea was equal. But by sheer bad luck, his parry fell to the left foot of Neymar who didn’t hesitate to tap the ball home. 2-1, and looking comfortable. The shock was on.

The problem with playing strong teams is that you know they will always get their chances, and despite being sluggish for large periods, Baggins knew it was now or never. FC United with a lead in hand perhaps subconsciously began to be dragged back towards their own goal. The assured attacking replaced by dogged defending and harrying of the ball that had for almost the entire second half been their exclusive property.

Belief began to seep back in to Baggins, and Cazorla and substitute Ayew began to lead their fullbacks on a merry dance, and dangerous crosses into the box for Cisse went unrewarded, but the threat was building. The ball was camped in FC United's territory and chances were falling, but being missed, each one ramping up the tension inside the stadium a little more. Cisse flashed a shot across goal, Ayew connected weakly with a header at the back post, and Cazorla hit a free kick that whistled over the bar with Jefferson unmoved.

The game then went in to a curious period of attritional football and as 80 minutes rolled around cherries made his move to protect the game and deliver the cup. Zouma came on for the excellent Hernanes and a shift to five at the back left Baggins with a mountain to climb in record time. The defensive changes had the desired effect and while Kroos tested Jefferson’s handling with a low drive, and Ayew continued to use his pace to twist Maicon in knots, it began to feel in vain, and the trophy was slipping away.

It’s moments like these that you need players like Cisse. An immensely impressive season and a penchant for the spectacular all came together one last time, and perhaps frustrated by the lack of space he found in the trenches dug by FC United’s back line, he dropped deep. As the ball was scrappily moving between desperate challenges and misplaced passes, it broke for a moment, and Cisse’s instincts kicked in – instincts or frustration. He put his foot through the ball before it could hit the floor and the sheer velocity on the football would probably have taken Jefferson into the net with it – had he been anywhere near it. It ripped past him and into the top right corner of the net, and FC United players dropped to the ground as Baggins players and staff gathered joyously on the side lines, scarcely believing what they had seen.

And so extra time it would be, with a 2-2 scoreline and it truly being anyone’s game.

Is extra time the biggest anti-climax in football? Quite probably. Both sides were exhausted, scared of making a mistake, and now happy to hold their defensive shapes and commit to the lottery of the penalty shoot-out.

Penalties are almost never an anti-climax. And while you must always feel for the losers, and the villain that will inevitably be created, you can’t peel your eyes from the spectacle. FC United won the toss and elected to go first in front of their fans.

Neymar stepped up; and beat De Gea to his left. Cisse stepped up for Baggins, and blasted it home down the middle.

Relief that the two heroes of normal time were safe from the ignominy of penalty misses.

What followed was a lesson in calm heads and good penalties. Costa, Cole, Fernandinho, Cambiasso, Maicon, Cazorla – all scored and went back to the centre circle relieved.

Then we found our villain. Casemiro, already coming off a shaky 90 minutes and a mystery groin ailment stepped up and placed his penalty low to the right. De Gea guessed correctly and ran off celebrating wildly, with one hand now on the cup.

A moment or two passed before the final regular penalty taker stepped forward for Baggins. Toni Kroos, in his final appearance for the club, could sign off in style, and he could be forgiven for being a little put out that the pressure should lay with him. He placed the ball, and from a short run up seemed to scuff his shot somewhat. It travelled with barely any power towards the goal, but Jefferson had moved early; he was committed to the left and the ball had stayed true and down the centre. A last gasp adjustment saw him flick a hopeless leg at the ball, missing, as it nestled home. Scarcely believing his luck, Kroos was mobbed by his team, for the last time.

Before the match, no one would have believed that a Baggins win could be dubbed ‘unlikely’, but up to 88 minutes the description was apt. Cherries and FC United can take great heart from their performance and their improvements this season, even if they can’t see past a shattering defeat right now.

Baggins take the trophy home, and it was ultimately a deserved success for them to crown a good season, and they can look forward to the next with optimism that they will be a force to be reckoned with once more.

nick_fury wrote:
Cherries, he beat you with only one center back

well done Hero

yes nice cup run u had nick