FA Cup Final 2016: Score, Reaction from Crystal Palace vs. Manchester United
Jesse Lingard fired Manchester United to a win in the FA Cup final on Saturday, scoring the winner against Crystal Palace in extra time. The Red Devils beat the Eagles 2-1.
United had a handful of chances during a first half dominated by questionable officiating, and both Marouane Fellaini and Anthony Martial hit the woodwork after the break.
Jason Puncheon gave the Eagles a lead with 12 minutes left to play, but Juan Mata equalised three minutes later. Chris Smalling was sent off in the first half of extra time, but Lingard scored a wonderful volley early in the second period to complete the comeback.
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Before the start of the match, there was some confusion, with rumours swirling that former United star Wilfried Zaha would not start, per EuroSport.
The tricky winger did start, however, as did Marcos Rojo and Fellaini for United, two players who didn't start in their Premier League win over Bournemouth on Tuesday, per the club's official Twitter account:
BBC Sport's Phil McNulty noticed the pre-match ceremonies didn't go according to plan, and kick-off was forced back a few minutes as the pitch wasn't ready in time:
The delay didn't bother Palace, who aimed for the counter-attack early while United grabbed possession. Yannick Bolasie won the first corner of the match, but David De Gea dealt with it rather easily.
On the other side of the pitch, Mile Jedinak battled Fellaini during United's first corner, with the Australian winning the one-on-one.
Marcus Rashford could have gone down when Damien Delaney clearly pulled his shirt inside the box, but United had few reasons to complain about the officiating early. Referee Mark Clattenburg invited the fury of every Eagles fan, however, when he disallowed a goal from Connor Wickham after 18 minutes and instead awarded Crystal Palace a free-kick for a foul by Smalling.
Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher didn't agree with the decision at all:
Bleacher Report UK weighed in on the incident:
De Gea saved Yohan Cabaye's resulting free-kick, and the following corner didn't lead to anything.
Mata fired United's first shot on target after 22 minutes, drawing a fine save from Eagles stopper Wayne Hennessey, and Fellaini threatened from another set piece, even with Jedinak all over him.
Zaha's speed became more of a factor as the first half wore on, and Smalling did well to clear a ball ahead of Wickham after Zaha powered down the wing and delivered a cross.
Rashford then played Martial in perfectly, but Joel Ward saved his stranded goalkeeper with a perfect block.
Wayne Rooney made a pivotal tackle on the other side of the pitch before Clattenburg again made headlines for the wrong reasons, per NBC Sports' Joe Prince-Wright:
BreatheSport noted Clattenburg will also be officiating next week's UEFA Champions League final:
"When you remember that Mark Clattenburg referees the Champions League final next week... pic.twitter.com/Ekstg4jf5d
— BreatheSport (@BreatheSport) May 21, 2016"
Matta got himself booked for a silly stomp on Pape Souare's ankle before Clattenburg brought an end to an entertaining and controversial first half.
Scott Dann ran into a booking early in the first half for tripping Rashford, and United took control of the ball once again. Fellaini clumsily pushed the ball out of bounds after a promising run, but the Belgian looked much sharper minutes later, blasting a shot off the frame of the goal.
The Red Devils looked the better side, but Jedinak nearly grabbed the opener when a delivery from Cabaye fell to him. He couldn't keep his composure, however, firing high and wide.
The better chances fell to United, and Martial found the woodwork with a superb header. Play was then stopped, as Rashford required treatment after Zaha accidentally caught his knee with his studs while the youngster was already down.
He was unable to continue and was replaced by Ashley Young.
The first half of the final had been wild and entertaining, but the handful of chances United mustered and Rashford's injury were the only incidents of note in a dull second half. FootballFanCast.com put it this way:
Puncheon replaced Cabaye as the Eagles geared up for the final push, and the substitute made an instant impact. Ward played him in with a ball over the top, and the forward powered a shot past De Gea for the lead.
Palace fans went berserk, as their team were 12 minutes from lifting the FA Cup. But Mata pulled the Red Devils level, as Fellaini laid the ball off with his chest before the Spaniard fired a shot through Ward's legs.
Bleacher Report UK couldn't help themselves:
The shocking twist pushed momentum on United's side, and Young twice came close to giving his team the lead, missing the target on both occasions.
Zaha beat Smalling but fired a shot into the side netting on the final chance of regulation.
Tired legs meant the first period of extra time played out at a slow pace, with Rooney bending a shot well wide of the target. Bolasie tried his luck with a great volley, drawing a superb save from De Gea.
Bolasie's speed proved a problem for United's defence, and Smalling pulled the forward down just before the end of the half, earning his second yellow. Per football writer Liam Canning, concentration continues to be an issue for the England international:
Substitute Dwight Gayle poked the first chance of the second period of extra time straight at De Gea, and Michael Carrick headed wide after a lovely cross from Lingard. The young winger gave his team the lead shortly after with a fantastic volley after Delaney's clearance only fell to the edge of the box.
Palace responded immediately, with Jedinak firing a shot just wide, and De Gea came off his line quickly to deny Zaha. But the Eagles' late push came to nothing, and United held on.
Post-Match Reaction
As shared by Daniel Taylor of the Guardian, United manager Louis van Gaal gave no indication he thought he had just coached his final match:
Eagles manager Alan Pardew stole the show with a dance after Puncheon's opener, and the jig went viral after his team lost. Per the Times' Oliver Kay, Pardew kept his comments on the moment brief:
United's win qualified Southampton for the UEFA Europa League and handed Van Gaal a boost in his bid to keep his job. It's the first piece of silverware the Dutchman has won with the club; after a disappointing 2015-16 campaign, Van Gaal and Co. sorely needed something positive.
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