[ad_1]
BIRMINGHAM, England – Even when faced with unprecedented difficulties and uncertainty caused by the continuing impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the FA Cup still manages to lift football morale.
On a night when Aston Villa’s youngsters were expected to be overwhelmed by Liverpool, the boys gave Premier League champions Jurgen Klopp a real scare before finally succumbing to their A-list quality. It was 4-1. in the end, but don’t be fooled by the score. Liverpool left Villa Park, having safely booked a spot in the fourth round, only after being forced to fight for their victory.
– Stream FA Cup matches on ESPN + (US only)
That this tie actually took place was an achievement in itself considering the backdrop of a sharp rise in COVID-19 infections, not just within the English game, but in wider society in the UK. Shortly before this game began, the UK government announced 1,325 COVID-related deaths in the past 24 hours, a worrying record, with 68,053 positive tests over the same period.
Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce had said earlier that day that he felt “morally wrong” for football to continue at a time when the country was in the midst of a health crisis, especially when so many positive cases were recorded in the game. supposedly safe COVID bubble. Villa was forced to play this game without his entire first team squad after 14 positive cases at his training camp on Thursday. Nine of that number were players, and the coaching staff made up the other five, so in the absence of coach Dean Smith, youth team coach Mark Delaney took over a team with an average age of just over 18. .
Some will wonder if Villa should have been put in the position of having to play and if the FA Cup has been compromised due to the disruption caused by COVID-19, but the romance of the cup will have to take a back seat this season. . Other third-round qualifiers have been hit by the pandemic, with Southampton’s match against Shrewsbury postponed due to a significant outbreak at the EFL League One club. Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday’s ties are in doubt after the fields closed. training sessions for the two championship clubs, while Derby County visits Chorley without its first team players and interim manager Wayne Rooney due to a COVID-19 outbreak.
With the English FA warning that he risked losing ties if a club couldn’t line up at least 14 fit players, an insistence born of the need to simply play the matches without causing a backlog of matches, Villa seized on. He was forced to go to the children simply to honor this accessory. And make no mistake, Delaney’s team were kids. Due to COVID protocols, players had to arrive separately and, according to Villa CEO Christian Purslow, parents left most on the ground because their children were too young to drive themselves or had not yet passed. your driving test. .
And when they lost 1-0 in three minutes, following Sadio Mane’s header, Villa’s youngsters looked as if they were about to be taken to school by the Premier League champions. After suffering a 5-0 defeat in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals here in December 2019 after lining up an under-23 team due to a clash with Liverpool’s FIFA Club World Cup commitments in Qatar coach Jurgen Klopp appointed a strong team, perhaps to get revenge for that. hard defeat 13 months ago.
October’s 7-2 Premier League loss here may also have been on his mind when Klopp chose his starting eleven. But instead of giving in after falling behind, Villa’s children responded with courage and determination to make Liverpool work hard for their victory.
“First of all we have to say that the children did very well, so that’s good. We had football problems, and in the second half we solved them with football. We needed a little more time, but from from then on it was completely clear and completely comfortable and completely as it should have been, “Klopp said.
19-year-old goalkeeper Akos Onodi made a series of impressive saves to keep Liverpool at bay, while 18-year-old Mamadou Sylla launched one last challenge to deny Jordan Henderson as the Liverpool captain looked ready to score from close. Sylla was impressive throughout, as was winger Callum Rowe, a 21-year veteran, and scorer Louie Barry.
“We are all very proud, as a club, as coaches and as players,” Delaney said. “It really was a monumental effort, considering what the players have had to go through in the last few days.”
Barry, 17, arrived from Barcelona on an £ 880,000 transfer last January after a brief stint in Spain following a move from the West Bromwich Albion childhood club. The forward is bent on great things by those who have seen him develop in the Midlands, and he lived up to expectations with his goal, which saw him hold the attention of defender Rhys Williams to hold onto Rowe’s pass before calmly passing. to the archer. Caoimhin Kelleher.
“We said if Louie had a chance, he would save it because he’s a natural scorer. We see him in practice every day, but doing it on this stage was awesome,” Delaney said.
Barry’s goal ensured Villa was equalized at half-time, but Liverpool’s superior quality, experience and fitness would always tell, especially once Thiago Alcántara came off the bench early in the second half to bring some control. to your game. And by the time the clock hit the 65-minute mark, Liverpool had cleared out, going 4-1 ahead with goals from Georginio Wijnaldum, Mane and Mohamed Salah.
At that stage, Liverpool was safe in the next round, but this was not the ride that many had predicted before the game. Villa, a seven-time FA Cup winner, made it competitive and spared the FA the embarrassment of a major defeat for one of the most successful clubs in the competition due to circumstances beyond its control.
In such difficult times, football and the FA Cup are simply struggling to get through as best they can, with little control over the situation they find themselves in. Despite losing, Aston Villa gave the game a much-needed boost with their performance. In the coming weeks, soccer will need more uplifting moments and lively performances.
