Football Live

Sunday January 27, 2008 Finished

Manchester United 3 - Tottenham 1

Manchester United

  • Tevez 38’
  • Ronaldo 69’ (pen.), 88’

Tottenham Hotspur

  • Keane 24’
  1. Ronaldo downs ten man Spurs

    Ronaldo downs ten man Spurs

    Cristiano Ronaldo netted twice as Manchester United came from behind to beat ten man Tottenham 3-1 in the fourth round of the FA Cup. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Manchester United
    • Tottenham Hotspur
    • FT And there is the final whistle - United move on but Spurs will be left thinking what might have been.
    • 90+1 Defoe nearly gets one back but his late effort is blocked.
    • 88' RONALDO SEALS THE WIN!!! But it is a howler from Cerny - Ronaldo cuts in from the right and puts in a low shot. A little deflection off Gunter but Cerny shouldn't allow the ball to spill under his body like it did.
    • 87' Spurs are pressing in these final moments - it is not over yet - although Anderson has just put a great ball in behind the defence - Rooney makes a good run but he can't get enough on a litte attempted lob!
    • 85' OFF THE POST FROM BERBATOV!! That could have been a sensational equaliser - Malbranque whips in a good low cross and the Bulgarian gets in ahead of Brown - both men stick their leg out and it might have even been Brown who put it onto the post.
    • 82' A change at either end - on comes Anderson for Tevez for United, while Spurs are going to have a go - Defoe is on for Tainio.
    • 80' Another chance from a free-kick for O'Hara but it is blocked before it can hit the target.
    • 77' Hard to see a way back into this match for Spurs now - if they commit too many players forward United could exploit the space; meanwhile, Rooney looks to have recovered from his little knock.
    • 74' Scholes found in lots of space 25-yards out but he drags his shot wide. Understandably rusty I suppose.
    • 73' Change for Spurs - with Boateng coming on for Lennon.
    • 71' Rooney on the edge of the box tries to volley a corner directly in - it is blocked by Jenas though - and Rooney seems to have hurt himself - we will keep an eye on that.
    • 69' And Ronaldo puts Cerny the wrong way for the goal!!! The penalty came when Van der Sar boomed a long goal-kick all the way into the Tottenham box - Dawson missed the header, Rooney then took the ball down in style and Dawson used his hand to push it out of his way.
    • 68' PENATLY FOR UNITED - AND DAWSON SENT OFF!!!!
    • 67' Berbatov has been very quiet in the second-half - he may have picked up a knock or he might just be disinterested. Either way - he is doing nothing!
    • 66' Tevez with a snap shot from distance - decent effort but over the bar.
    • 64' Big applause from the United fans because here comes Paul Scholes !!! Back from injury after three months out - Michael Carrick is the man who makes way.
    • 63' United starting to spend more and more time in the Tottenham half but to be fair the Spurs players are popping up everyone and getting some great tackles in. Ronaldo has just fired another wild shot miles wide.
    • 60' Lee, who picked up a knock, is forced off with recent signing from Cardiff Chris Gunter coming on for Spurs.
    • 60' GREAT CHANCE FOR RONALDO - Tevez chipped in a superb pass behind O'Hara and Ronaldo looked all set to score but he fired into the side-netting.
    • 59' Cracking cup tie this - another spell of United pressure ends when Giggs cannot make contact on a ball that landed to him in the box.
    • 57' Very good defending from Lee at the post to head away a Ronaldo cross, after the winger had finally managed to skip past O'Hara for once.
    • 55' GREAT CHANCE FOR SPURS - Jenas is put free by a lovely first time ball from Keane - again he runs into the box unchallenged but this time he makes a mess of the shot. You can't really miss chances like this against United and expect to get away with it.
    • 54' Spurs win a free-kick in a central position about 30 yards - O'Hara curls it with decent power with his left foot. It is a decent effort too - it goes just wide although Van der Sar looked to have it covered.
    • 52' Tevez neatly takes down a ball from Evra but he has no space to get any power on the shot and Spurs survive.
    • 49' A couple of United attacks in succession are broking up by Jamie O'Hara - good stuff from the youngster.
    • 47' Lennon leaves Evra on his face again with another great break - he chips it into the box but it is neither a shot or a cross and it loops over. Keane was in a great position at the back post.
    • 46' And we are back underway.
    • 46' Players back out now with neither side making any changes.
    • HT And there is the half-time whistle - very entertaining stuff - still all to play for.
    • 45+1 break from midfield by Jenas and then he is put clear by a super pass from Malbranque - Jenas storms into the midfield and fires a good low drive to the corner but Van der Sar gets down low to make a very good save.
    • 44' First player into the book is Evra who leaves a trailing foot in and he will now face a suspension.
    • 41' Lovely build up play agin by United - a nice little flick by Tevez left the onrushing Carrick with a great chance to curl an effort on target but he skies it.
    • 38' BUT NOW UNITED ARE LEVEL - Tevez!!! A long ball into the box is only headed up in the air by Dawson, Giggs then shields it down under pressure from Lee and Tevez is then able to drive low into the net.
    • 37' Great play from Carrick sets up Giggs who is free inside the box on the left - his first touch lets him down though and the ball bounces up making the shot difficult. Cerny is able to tip over.
    • 35' Ronaldo's play is just not quite clicking into gear so far today. He cuts in from the right again but can't get a proper contact on a left foot drive. Spurs coping well so far.
    • 33' Great ball by Rooney sets up Ronaldo on the right and he then wins a corner. A little panicky be Spurs in defending it - Cerny has to put his hands around Tevez to push the ball away and then United appeal that O'Hara handled the ball - never a penalty though.
    • 32' Lennon with a chance to take on Brown or even to feed to Keane but he tries to shoot and he can't get a decent contact on it.
    • 31' A Tottenham clearance lands straight onto the head of O'Shea but he can only direct it straight into the hands of Cerny.
    • 30' United look a little samey in midfield. Hargreaves and Carrick are two undoubted talents but maybe a bit too similar? Ferguson has plenty of options on the bench though with Anderson, Nani, and Scholes all kitted out.
    • 28' Ronaldo with a poor cross straight into the hands of Cerny - he has been strangly quiet so far. He goes down claiming his was fouled but he is up again moments later and it was never a free-kick.
    • 26' The Spurs fans are loving this - cries of "Keano, there is only one Keano" Roy who? And also "Are you Arsenal in disguise?" Oh the wit of football fans!
    • 24' TOTTENHAM GO IN FRONT - IT IS ROBBIE KEANE for Spurs but it was made by Aaron Lennon on the right who skipped past Evra and then put in a low cross. Robbie Keane was there to side-foot home from less than six-yards out but where was the marking???
    • 21' Good little passage of play from Spurs sees Lennon get in a low cross from the right - Ferdinand boots it away though.
    • 20' Rooney gets the ball on the left edge of the area and a quick shift allows him to get a strike away with his right foot - too straight and not enough power though - Cerny saves with ease.
    • 19' Huddlestone shows a bit of class to show good feet in the corner and then play the ball out despite being under pressure from Rooney.
    • 16' OFF THE LINE FROM UNITED - Berbatov gets his head on a corner from Lennon but Rooney is in exactly the right spot on the line to head away.
    • 14 Spurs give Ronaldo an inch of space 25-yards out and the Portuguese man takes the opportunity to strike - his low drive just goes wide though. So he IS human after all.
    • 12' More of a conservative patter starting to emerge and it is perhaps what you would have expected to see - Spurs getting plenty of men behind the ball and then trying to catch the hosts on the break.
    • 9' Still no real chances in which to speak of but it does look like it could be an open enough game once it gets going.
    • 6' Tottenham are certainly not sitting back in the early stages - they have just had their first "shot" of the match but it is a poor low effort dragged well wide from Berbatov.
    • 4' Open start to this match and the first-half chance falls to United - great reverse ball from Giggs who had drifted to the right of the area - he pulled it back to Rooney, but under pressure, the England man could only fire into the side-netting.
    • 1' Spurs are not playing as we expected - Tainio is playing in midfield with Lee at righ-back and O'Hara at left-back.
    • 1' And we are underway - Spurs have an awful record here but Ramos is the cup king - can they cause an upset.
    • - The reason why Vidic is not in the side is because he has a virus. Meanwhile, Ledley King is out for Tottenham with Tom Huddlestone moving to centre-back.
    • - Welcome to this plum FA Cup tie between Manchester United v Tottenham - and if you are a Spurs fan hoping that United were going to rest their big stars - think again! Vidic the only big name out with Scholes back on the bench.

  • Summary

    • 88' RONALDO SEALS THE WIN!!! But it is a howler from Cerny - Ronaldo cuts in from the right and puts in a low shot. A little deflection off Gunter but Cerny shouldn't allow the ball to spill under his body like it did.
    • 85' OFF THE POST FROM BERBATOV!! That could have been a sensational equaliser - Malbranque whips in a good low cross and the Bulgarian gets in ahead of Brown - both men stick their leg out and it might have even been Brown who put it onto the post.
    • 69' And Ronaldo puts Cerny the wrong way for the goal!!! The penalty came when Van der Sar boomed a long goal-kick all the way into the Tottenham box - Dawson missed the header, Rooney then took the ball down in style and Dawson used his hand to push it out of his way.
    • 68' PENATLY FOR UNITED - AND DAWSON SENT OFF!!!!
    • 60' GREAT CHANCE FOR RONALDO - Tevez chipped in a superb pass behind O'Hara and Ronaldo looked all set to score but he fired into the side-netting.
    • 55' GREAT CHANCE FOR SPURS - Jenas is put free by a lovely first time ball from Keane - again he runs into the box unchallenged but this time he makes a mess of the shot. You can't really miss chances like this against United and expect to get away with it.
    • 38' BUT NOW UNITED ARE LEVEL - Tevez!!! A long ball into the box is only headed up in the air by Dawson, Giggs then shields it down under pressure from Lee and Tevez is then able to drive low into the net.
    • 37' Great play from Carrick sets up Giggs who is free inside the box on the left - his first touch lets him down though and the ball bounces up making the shot difficult. Cerny is able to tip over.
    • 24' TOTTENHAM GO IN FRONT - IT IS ROBBIE KEANE for Spurs but it was made by Aaron Lennon on the right who skipped past Evra and then put in a low cross. Robbie Keane was there to side-foot home from less than six-yards out but where was the marking???
    • 16' OFF THE LINE FROM UNITED - Berbatov gets his head on a corner from Lennon but Rooney is in exactly the right spot on the line to head away.

Live Team Line-Up

  • Manchester United

    Manager: Alex Ferguson

    Captain: Ryan Giggs

    On the Field

    • van der Sar
    • O'Shea
    • Ferdinand
    • Brown
    • Evra Yellow Card Substitution Out (90′)
    • Ronaldo Goal
    • Carrick Substitution Out (64′)
    • Hargreaves
    • Giggs
    • Tevez Goal Substitution Out (81′)
    • Rooney

    Subs

    • Scholes Substitution In64′
    • Kuszczak
    • Nani
    • Anderson Substitution In81′
    • Simpson Substitution In90′

    Injured

    • Neville
    • Saha

    Suspended

    None

  • Tottenham Hotspur

    Manager: Juande Ramos

    On the Field

    • Cerny
    • Young-Pyo Substitution Out (60′)
    • Dawson Red Card
    • Huddlestone
    • O'Hara
    • Lennon Substitution Out (73′)
    • Jenas
    • Tainio Substitution Out (82′)
    • Malbranque
    • Keane Goal
    • Berbatov

    Subs

    • Robinson
    • Defoe Substitution In82′
    • Kaboul
    • Boateng Substitution In73′
    • Gunter Substitution In60′

    Injured

    • Gardner
    • Bent
    • Assou-Ekotto
    • Bale

    Suspended

    • Chimbonda