Man Utd end Cambridge's FA Cup dream

The Old Trafford side beat League Two side Cambridge 3-0 in their FA Cup fourth round replay.

There were no more surprises in the FA Cup fourth round replay. The power order was established when Man Utd easily won 3-0 against Cambridge Utd. Juan Mata and Marcos Rojo made the home team safe in the first half. In the 73rd minute, substitute James Wilson sealed the score.

In round five, Man Utd will face League One side Preston, the team that former Man Utd manager David Moyes played for as a player.

Mata (center) contributed to 15 goals in 15 FA Cup matches (six goals, nine assists). Photo: AFP.

League Two side Cambridge have every right to be proud of what they have achieved in this year's FA Cup. The third-tier club, 79 places below Man Utd in the English professional league system, held the Red Devils to a 0-0 draw in the fourth round. Coach Van Gaal therefore fielded his strongest squad in the replay on February 3 to secure a ticket to the next round.

Still, for Cambridge, the nearly $1.5 million they received for the replay was enough to make them feel satisfied. According to the club's chairman, this is an amount that could be used to upgrade Cambridge's stadium toilets.

The performance of the Old Trafford team can be analyzed in many different ways. On the negative side, Man Utd's style of play mainly used long balls up to Maroune Fellaini. In addition, the star players also made many wrong passes.

On the positive side, Fellaini has been highly regarded by coach Louis Van Gaal, who has recognised the Belgian midfielder's strengths. In addition, two homegrown players, Paddy McNair and Wilson, have shone.

Cambridge players did not show much at Old Trafford except for a goal in the first minute. From a mistake by Daley Blind, Tom Elliott almost gave the visitors the lead but his final shot hit the post. The 6,000 away fans present at Old Trafford regretted this missed goal, while more than 70,000 "Red Devils" fans breathed a sigh of relief.

Elliott hit the post in the first minute of the match. Photo: GC.

Once they had control of the ball, Van Gaal's team began to impose a one-sided game on the visitors. In the 25th minute, Mata put the home team ahead. The Spanish midfielder quickly finished close to the goal after jumping high to head the ball from Fellaini.

Seven minutes later, Robin Van Persie skillfully passed the ball into the penalty area for Rojo to powerfully head the ball to double the gap.

In the 73rd minute, young striker Wilson confidently took a low shot, right in front of the penalty area, the ball went dangerously, making it impossible for the Cambridge goalkeeper to block.

Line-up

Man Utd:De Gea, McNair, Smalling, Evans, Rojo (Young 81), Blind, Rooney, Di Maria (Herrera 71), Mata, Van Persie (Wilson 66), Fellaini.

Goal:Mata 25, Rojo 32, Wilson 73.

Cambridge Utd:Dunn, Tait, Nelson (Miller 87), Coulson, Greg Taylor, Donaldson, McGeehan, Champion, Chadwick (Morrissey 51), Elliott, Simpson (KaiKai 61).

According to VNE