The Red and Blue Soccer Chat - 3/20/24

The Red and Blue Soccer Chat

Greetings, Reds and Blues! The last 2 weeks have been full of goals and excitement for both clubs, which is not something we’ve been able to say much this season. Let’s dive into their performances and results.

Chelsea needed a win over Newcastle to keep them within touching distance of the top 10, and possibly even an outside chance of a spot in a Europa competition next season. It was another see-saw affair that Chelsea managed to turn in their favor, but another late opposition goal remains worrying. And that tendency almost got them in trouble again against Championship side Leicester in the FA Cup Quarters. Seemingly in full control, it was a wayward back pass that ended up in their own net that started the nerves jangling. Leicester gained confidence and threw caution to the wind in finding an equalizer. But they were reduced to 10 men after a red card, and Chelsea went in search of victory. They would rain a total of 26 shots down on Leicester, and their efforts paid off in stoppage time as Chukwuemeka and Madueke both got late goals to seal passage to the Semifinals where City awaits them at Wembley. Chelsea will finish the month of March at home to Burnley after the upcoming international break. They’ll be hoping to build on their current momentum before a packed April schedule is upon them.

United have also won 2 in a row thanks to their ability to weather a storm. Everton could – and probably should – have been up at least a goal early on before the young Garnacho took matters into his own hands, winning 12th- and 36th-minute penalties while bamboozling the Everton defense. Bruno and Marcus dispatched them, respectively, but the wayward shooting of the Toffees contributed as much to the victory as they took 23 with only 6 on target. Allowing fewer shots would have definitely been on ManU minds as they prepared to take on Liverpool in their own FA Cup Quarterfinal. And with good reason. United (28/11) and Liverpool would (25/11) combine for 53 total shots and 22 on target in what is definitely an instant classic for the FA Cup. McT came in for the recently injured Casemiro and had an instant impact, scoring in the 10th minute from a spilled save. United could have added a couple more before Liverpool began to push them back, and it seemed they would rue such misses as Liverpool hit a quick-fire double before halftime. It was through the struggling Antony that United were able to prolong a truly thrilling contest, swiveling onto his weaker right foot before slotting into the corner. And so, we got BONUS FOOTBALL! And we were rewarded by 2 teams hell bent on going for the win. Liverpool edged out the first period with a deflected goal through Harvey Elliott. But United’s DNA, even in these rough patches, never goes away. Desperate defending turned into instant offense as McT led a breakaway before feeding Marcus to slot home. And 10 minutes later they got the biggest reward for their efforts. The rarely used Amad came on late to get the winner after charging down a misplaced corner and breaking away before receiving a terrific pass from Garnacho (who is AG’s MOTM). Liverpool had little time to find their own game-saver, and United will now meet Championship side Coventry City at Wembley for a shot at a trophy that could save this sour season. They will face Brentford away after the break before their own congested April kicks off.

The Bi-Annual Red and Blue Soccer Chat Derby Watch Party sees Chelsea host United on Thursday, 4/4, at 3:15pm. We’ll be doing another special show of commentary, banter, and chaos, and we’d love for you to join us. It’s our very own version of Fan Zone, and it’s a blast. Carve out some time on your calendars now.

The USWNT survived terrible weather conditions and penalties against Canada through an amazing performance from Alyssa Naeher. Naeher faced an extra time penalty of her own making that sent the game to penalties. But she regained her composure to save 3 pens and score one of her own to send them through to the Finals of the inaugural CONCACAF W Gold Cup. There they faced an organized Brazil side, but a first half header from captain Lindsey Horan was enough to lift the trophy. And they did all this with an interim coach, as current Chelsea head coach Emma Hayes remains with her club until the end of that season. And the future under her looks bright with some great tournament performances from young players like Jenna Nighswonger and Jaedyn Shaw. They recently dropped 2 spots to 4th in international standings, and that won’t sit well with a team used to leading the pack.

The USMNT will be hoping the form of so many Yanks abroad can be replicated when they take on Jamaica Thursday night at 7pm in the CONCACAF Nations Cup. Pulisic and McKennie are nearly in the forms of their lives, and many others have been scoring and playing at high levels for their (mostly) European clubs.

We’ll be hoping for more BONUS FOOTBALL as well as a special guest, so join us live from Chatham Tap Fishers at 7pm, follow along on Facebook Live and YouTube Live, or catch us at your leisure on our other platforms listed below. Please like, subscribe, and comment wherever you choose to find us. CHEERS!

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