RESERVES FLOP OUT OF CARLING CUP, FIRST TEAM SEE OFF BRUM

 

 

Well after the big win last weekend, United had what looked to be more straighforward challenges. First, the Carling Cup was up and running again and we looked to match last year's extra time win over Crewe to get what would probably a reserves team another match in the competition. Then came our first Premiership match against Birmingham since beating them 3-0 at Old Trafford in 05/06 with United now in the title race having picked up solid form.

The Carling Cup 3rd round match involved now-Championship Coventry visiting Old Trafford for the first time since their Premiership days in 00/01 and the first time in the League Cup since '81 - we'd never beaten them. That record certainly didn't change. Michael Mifsfud opened the scoring for the second tier high fliers even if it was against the run of play and the Maltese guy got his second to leave United eliminated from the Carling Cup by non-Premiership opposition for the second year in a row with Bolton vs Man City at the Reebok Stadium looking the best of the round 4 ties.

The first team were back in action for the Premiership game at St Andrews with Steve Bruce's crew surviving in midtable. Brum gave us enough headaches in the first half to show that we clearly weren't on top form yet but Ronaldo hit the net in the second half with what turned out to be the winner. That allows us to remain in 2nd place in the Premiership, one point ahead of City and the Champions League preliminaries though two points behind leaders Arsenal.

North of the border, Aberdeen also had a mixture of Cup and League action. First up was the CIS Insurance Cup 3rd round where they faced D1 Partick at Firhill and beat them 2-0, setting themselves up with a quarter final clash against Inverness CT at Pittodrie. Then came a return to SPL action, a 2-0 win over Gretna at Pittodrie, taking the Reds up to 8th in the SPL, three points behind 6th place Hearts and the top half od the table but four points ahead of Gretna and relegation.

Elsewhere, the Women's World Cup has finished. In the semi finals, Germany beat Norway 3-0 in the Tjanin Olympic Center and Brazil beat the USA 4-0 in the Hangzhou Dragon Stadium. That set up a Germany vs Brazil final in the Hongkou Stadium and the Germans won the match 2-0 to win the tournament for the second time in a row, even if Brazil can't complain about making the final for the first time as a rising power in the women's game.

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