Cardiff and West Bromwich Albion completed a stunning performance by the English Championship's upstarts as they booked their places in the FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday.
After Barnsley had led the way with a sensational 1-0 victory over holders Chelsea on Saturday, Cardiff followed suit with a shock 2-0 win at Premier League side Middlesbrough.
Albion gave English soccer's second tier a third representative in the last four when they romped to a 5-1 win at League One Bristol Rovers thanks in large part to Ishmael Miller's hat-trick.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Millwall were the last team from outside the Premier League to reach the FA Cup final in 2004.
For the first time in over a century there is only one top-flight club, Portsmouth, in the semis and there is a real possibility that the final could be contested by two Championship clubs.
But Cardiff manager Dave Jones insisted the champagne was still on ice despite his side's first appearance in the semi-finals for 81 years.
"Someone asked for champagne -- for what? We have just got through to the next round," he said. "We have not done anything yet."
"We haven't won it, we have not got to the final and we have got to get prepared. Why would we be drinking champagne?" Jones said.
Between them Chelsea and Manchester United have won four of the last five Premier League titles, boast some of the world's finest players and bank balances and in midweek marched into the Champions League quarter-finals.
But those resources weren't enough to protect them from the FA Cup's ability to throw up jaw-dropping results.
Barnsley's hero was Kayode Odejayi.
The Nigerian striker's last goal had come back in September, but he was in the right place to head past Carlo Cudicini in the 66th minute and send the Tykes into the semi-finals for the first time since 1912.
United fared little better, with Portsmouth winning at Old Trafford for the first time in 51 years thanks to Sulley Muntari's second half penalty.
Sir Alex Ferguson launched a typically furious tirade at the officials after referee Martin Atkinson's controversial display.
Atkinson turned down United's appeals for a spot-kick when Sylvain Distin shoulder-charged Cristiano Ronaldo, then rubbed salt into the wound by giving a penalty and sending off goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak for his foul on Milan Baros.
"It's absolutely ridiculous. I cannot explain it. Managers get sacked because of things like that and he's going to referee a game next week," Ferguson said.
FRUSTRATION: Alcaraz made several unforced errors over four sets against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, who had never made it past the third round in a major competition Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round of the French Open after laboring past Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the Friday night session. The second-seeded Spaniard had never before played Dzumhur, a 33-year-old Bosnian who had never been past the third round at any major tournament. “I suffered quite a lot today,” Alcaraz said. “The first two sets was under control, then he started to play more deeply and more aggressively. It was really difficult for me.” Dzumhur hurt his left knee in a fall in the second round, and had treatment on Friday on his right leg during the
‘DREAM’: The 5-0 victory was PSG’s first Champions League title, and the biggest final win by any team in the 70-year history of the top-flight European competition Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time as Luis Enrique’s brilliant young side outclassed Inter on Saturday in the most one-sided final ever with teenager Desire Doue scoring twice in an astonishing 5-0 victory. Doue supplied the pass for Achraf Hakimi to give PSG an early lead and the 19-year-old went from provider to finisher as his deflected shot doubled the advantage in the 20th minute. Doue scored again just after the hour mark, ending any doubt about the outcome before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran away to get the fourth and substitute Senny Mayulu, another teenager, made it five. Inter were
The horn sounded on Wednesday night to signal a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, as the Florida Panthers celebrated merely by hopping over the boards and several heading over to congratulate goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. It was a subdued celebration seemingly more befitting a regular-season win for the reigning Cup champs. “I remember a few years ago, it felt like such an accomplishment from where we were at one point,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said, adding: “It’s all business and we’ve got a bigger goal in mind.” The Panthers closed out the Carolina Hurricanes in five games, with a 5-3 victory in
The Edmonton Oilers on Thursday defeated the Dallas Stars 6-3 to book their place in the Stanley Cup Finals, setting up a repeat of last year’s NHL showpiece against reigning champions the Florida Panthers. The Oilers, bidding to become the first Canadian team to win the NHL’s championship series since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens, head to Florida for Game 1 of the best-of-seven series set for Wednesday. Florida, who are to play in the NHL showpiece for the third straight season, won last year’s title 4-3 to extend Canada’s decades-long Stanley Cup drought. Connor McDavid led Edmonton back to the championship series on