Yesterday my wife and I started out early for a Saturday morning so we could have a weekend getaway for the night. We drove a couple hours just to do some reminiscing in the small town we went to college. Still, leaving our apartment at 9 am posed a challenge. How could I follow Oxford United’s FA Cup match against Sheffield United which also started at 9? With my handy new iPhone of course! (Luckily we each purchased one just a few weeks ago.) I mean really, how did I function without one? While we were driving through the middle of nowhere rural Wisconsin, I was following not only the live match tracker but also following an Oxford United forum about the match. While we zoomed past cows, “blink and you miss it” towns, and Amish buggies (there were apparently Amish communities nearby), I was following a soccer match that was happening halfway around the world. I thank thee Apple and the late Steve Jobs for enabling my football addiction.
Oh oh, yes yes. I also thank my wife for agreeing to drive so I could follow the match. Not that I don’t already tell her thanks for enabling my football addiction… but I’m sure she appreciates the gratitude anyhow.
Now, onto the match. Well, it really wasn’t much of one. Oxford United were still struggling through some injuries so the team that started the match really was part of the first squad and part of the second. Unfortunately too, the biggest injuries were on the back defensive line – probably the last place you want injuries when playing a team that’s a whole league above you. To add to that, Manager Chris Wilder oddly did not start James Constable who is the team’s leading striker. Whether all the aforementioned mattered or if Sheffield United just came out to win, Sheffield was winning 2-0 by the 19th minute. Their striker Ched Evans scored the brace and probably was hoping for a hat trick. (Oh and yes, his name is not Chad nor Chet, but strangely Ched. Who knows?) With Oxford down that bad so early, I really was just following the game and at the least hoping for a goal. I just wanted the Yellows to save face. Sure, I wouldn’t have minded one of the best comebacks in FA Cup history but just a goal would have satisfactory.
Sadly, neither a simple goal nor a spectacular comeback was meant to be. Constable would be brought on for Oxford in the second half which would provide a spark, but it just wasn’t enough. Sheffield United actually piled another goal on in the 71st minute to make things worse as well. At that point for me the comeback was completely out the window, and not only was I hoping for a goal but even an own goal from Sheffield. Really I just wanted something to remove the big fat zero from Oxford’s side of the scoreboard. Again, it wasn’t to be. The game ended in a 3-0 loss for Oxford United.
Of course, I wanted the Yellows to win and it least go to the next round of the FA Cup, but there is a small blessing in disguise. With being out of the FA and JPT cups, Oxford now only has league matches to play. This means they can fully concentrate on their fight to be promoted at the end of the season. As it stands, they are right on the cusp of being in the promotion zone. They just need that little extra push and whether it comes from only having league games left to play or from a new signing in the January transfer period, anything will help.
No comments:
Post a Comment