There’s a simple rule for evaluating cup finals, especially those that included no small amount of controversy. Wait until Monday. Wait until the hangover goes and the emotion subsides. The best appraisal is typically a sober second thought.
Like any good final—and this was a good one—the 90 minutes didn’t pass without a major flashpoint. In this case, it came just four minutes into the match when Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic hauled down Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor inside the penalty area. It was a clear foul, and a clear penalty. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admitted as much in his post-match comments, following his side’s 2-1 win at Wembley.
But while referee Phil Dowd didn’t hesitate to point to the spot, he refrained from booking Vidic. As the Serbia international was the last defender between Agbonlahor and goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak, Dowd had every reason to display a straight red card. He didn’t, and his decision will haunt Aston Villa until the next time they line up at the national stadium.
It might not be a long wait. Villa will travel to Reading for an FA Cup quarterfinal on Sunday. Win it, and they’re back at Wembley. Given the young talent and growing depth in the squad, it might become a familiar trip for the club in the coming years.
None of that matters today, of course. Not this Monday. Sure, the anger has dissipated from a call that wasn’t made, from an injustice that has a club and its fans pining for a first piece of silverware in 14 years. It’s merely disappointment now.
Twitter.com/peterssoccer
Comments
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Posted by Thom on 03/01/2010
Clearly you are misinformed - I am still angry!
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Posted by Wookie on 03/01/2010
Agreed Thom!
I couldnt be more annoyed in fairness - especially after reading comments around the net from stuck-up United Fans telling us to "get over it" and "we deserved to win anyway" - what a load of rubbish...could you imagine if it was Cuellar who had done that? RED CARD. Double standards, or a referee who can't handle the pressure of finals.
Phil Dowd is a mug, the amount of times he's screwed us over in the past is amazing - he royally messed up this weekend. Git
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Posted by Julie on 03/01/2010
Yeah like the guy said... Speak for yourself!
Having watched the game on TV I'm even more angry!!
First Half referreing was a disgrace...Rafael elbows Heskey in the face shortly after upending Ashley Young... 2 freekicks... NO CARD!!
First late tackle on one of the Man Utd players from Collins & out pops the Yellow Card from Mr Dowd's pocket quicker than I can blink!!
Should hang his head in shame...Disgrace!
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Posted by Brandon on 03/01/2010
A terrible decission by Phil Dowd in yesterdays cup final.Why did he not show a straight red card to vidic it was the only true decission he could take if he plays to the rules.He failed to even show a yellow card for the deliberate foul.Other referees during this weekend showed red cards for similar offences so what was phil dowds exscuseit can only be favouitism towards MU. and if this is the case then it is most deffinately time for video cameras to be used to bring about the correct decissions and deter corrupt officails from making the wrong ones which wa clearly highlighted yesterday.Even football pundits Gary liniker, Allan Hanson , Mark Lurenson and Allan Shearer all stated vidic should have seen a red card and he certainly should have.
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Posted by Waldorf on 03/01/2010
A yellow card should have been the absolute minimum for Vidic and then been off later on second yellow.This incident did not need video cameras. This puts Dowd's next job at Villa Park into the limelight which could go against us - mind you he might come back as a litter picker! and then miss the worst pieces!
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Posted by bill on 03/02/2010
A yellow should have been given . A red would have been debatable. Of course, there are Man U fans that are going to say the call was correct. It wasn't, but sending Vidic off would have been a brave call by one of the worst lead officilas in the PL. Any Villa fan worth his salt knows of the history with Dowd. But Man U won and they deserved it. Villa played hard and it just didn't happen. No disgrace losing that match. There is still quite a bit to play for Villa the next few months. 4th place is there for the taking. Villa could be at Wembley for the FA Cup final. I will be more upset if Villa blows the CL. Villa gave a good effort, they aren't there yet. Once MON gets a creative MF and a true striker to front with Gabby, they will be. Keep the faith and support. MON will bring us glory.
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Posted by Dennice Vadim Luyimbaazi on 03/04/2010
It's time for the English FA to bring in foreign Refs for big games involving Man Utd. The EPL refs are very incompetent and we have seen this time and again when Man Utd is playing; the dubios penalties they give, and here Dowd refused to send off Vidic!!!
It was a good game even though the Ref was giving us stupid yellow cards. Had the roles been reversed that day, Aston Villa would have finished with nine men on the pitch.
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Posted by Jordi on 03/11/2010
Dennice, being bitter about the defeat is one thing, but saying something ridiculous about Man Utd refereeing decisions is going a bit far. Alot of people are very good at highlighting decisions that go United's way, without ever considering the ones that dont. Thats a very one-eyed way of looking at it, we've had plenty of decisions go against us, the difference is the team is good enough to recover from them. Villa are one of my favourite teams and am sad that they missed out on the Cup. Best of luck to them for the rest of the season.
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Kevin Hughes spent the best part of ten years working and writing for the football magazine Match; once (sort of) inspiring David Beckham to copy his shaved-hair look, getting lost in Paris after the 1998 France v Croatia World Cup semi-final and other such nonsense. As Deputy Editor, he launched and established Sport, the London-based free weekly magazine, before moving on to become a consumer magazine publisher, a position he holds today. Introduced to Villa by his father and grandfather, he attended his first ever match at Villa Park as a seven-year-old in 1982… and has suffered almost constant disappointment since. You can follow him on twitter @KevHughesie
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