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Knowing West Ham’s luck they will undoubtedly get Arsenal or Chelsea away in tomorrow’s quarter-final draw, but even so it might be worth backing the Hammers to carry on all the way to Cardiff.
They have reached the last eight by virtue of three straight wins away from home, and the last two, against the teams placed first and second in the Premiership when the draws were made, have been achieved in identical fashion with a single goal 14 minutes from the end.
Paulo Di Canio, hero of Old Trafford, was almost anonymous here, it was Frédéric Kanouté’s turn to take centre stage with his third goal of the FA Cup campaign. For over an hour the Frenchman toyed with the idea of being villain instead average cost canada goose jacket – he must have reached best ideas about canada goose outlet online on pinterest double figures for being caught offside and he missed two chances in the first half that were simpler than the one he eventually put away – but in the end the Sunderland defence was culpable for playing too far upfield and relying on an offside trap that invited trouble.
The Hammers had it figured out as early as the fifth minute, when Christian Dailly’s perfectly judged ball forward put Kanouté behind a defence that was hugging the best ideas about canada goose outlet on pinterest half-way line. It should have been an ideal start, but the weight on Dailly’s pass meant Kanouté did not need to take a touch until he was bearing down on the goalkeeper, and – when he did – he succeeded only in nudging the ball tamely into Thomas Sorensen’s arms.
Michael Carrick worked the same move five minutes later, for Kanouté this time to best ideas about canada goose parka on pinterest shoot narrowly wide. And after the former Lyon striker then left Stanislav Varga on his backside, Peter Reid withdrew his burly Slovakian defender. A best place buy canada goose jacket toronto groin strain was the reason given, though Varga’s pride was probably hurting more.
Sunderland were short of ideas in attack. Niall Quinn rarely got the better of Igor Stimac and Kevin Phillips struggled to get a look-in, with the result that Shaka Hislop only had a single save to make in the first half. John Oster did well to create space for a shooting opportunity, but his eventual effort did not cause Hislop any problems.
Kanouté ended the half forcing a save from Sorensen, but when Di Canio opened the second by pinching a chance from Joe Cole’s toes and firing wastefully into the side-netting, it began to look as if the Hammers might end up regretting their profligacy. With a midfield depleted by suspensions to Alex Rae average cost canada goose jacket and Don Hutchison, however, Sunderland were powerless to prevent their opponents coming through the centre. Nigel Winterburn split their defence again in the 71st minute for Frank Lampard to waste another chance by shooting straight at the goalkeeper, but it was only a matter of time before West Ham got their act together, and it was Lampard himself who made amends.
Running through the centre from his own half, Lampard waited until he was at Kanouté’s shoulder before releasing his pass, ensuring the linesman’s flag stayed down. Kanouté ran past Emerson Thome and, assisted by Sorensen’s reckless sprint out of his area, slipped the ball coolly past the keeper.
Sunderland could hardly complain. They failed to extend Hislop until the closing seconds, although the West Ham goalkeeper was well protected average cost canada goose jacket by the outstanding Stuart Pearce, now 38. He cleared bravely under his own bar from Phillips, after Quinn had done well to get a cross in, and threw himself at Oster to block canada goose coat 1000 bulbs reviews a goalbound shot.
Redknapp said. ‘For a long time I thought Arséne Wenger had the easiest job in the world because he had Tony canadagoosecanadaoutlet Adams in average price for a canada goose jacket his dressing room. I tried to get Stuart before best place to buy a canada goose jacket he went to Newcastle, and he phoned me when his contract ran out to ask if I was still interested. Of course I was. He was the best left-back in the world in his prime. I know there’s Maldini but I know who I’d have. Your Stuart Pearces are just so special. If kids want to know about attitude, about workrate and will to win, all they have to do is look at him.’