Manchester United Slapped by Grimsby Town in Carabao Cupset | OneFootball

There’s a reason social media exists, and it’s for memes like this:

Source: X

This was perhaps one of the greatest cupsets of the 21st century. Pure and simple. The final score was a 2 – 2 draw in regulation, but Grimsby prevailed in the penalty shootout in a most dramatic and drawn-out fashion.

An Unequal Match Up

On the one side you had Manchester United, one of the world’s most famous soccer clubs. During this summer transfer window they spent $285M on four players. On the other you had Grimsby Town, who sit in ninth place in League Two, three divisions below the Premier League. Their total annual wage bill is only $3.4M. United’s midfielder Casemiro earns more than that in nine weeks.

The town of Grimsby has a population of 86,138, of which a tenth can fit into Blundell Park. United’s Old Trafford stadium can seat 74,197.

Pundits looking for a head-to-head history would have to go back a LONG way. The last time these two sides faced each other was during the 1947-48 top flight season. Grimsby won away and drew at home. Manchester’s last win over Grimsby in Grimsby was back in 1905.

On paper, Manchester United were the heavy favorites. The betting sites were giving +1900 (or more) odds for a Grimsby win. But soccer spits on your odds and your papers. In the end you have to play and win.

Get on the Good Foot

Grimsby’s majority shareholder and former chairman Jason Stockwood was interviewed on Tuesday and said: “They won’t outplay us for heart and passion.” He was right.

From the opening whistle, Grimsby went after United. The Red Devils looked completely flummoxed in the first twenty minutes: outhustled, outmuscled and outclassed. In my game notes I wrote: “There’s lots of time for Man U to get it together, but yikes.”

Grimsby scored seconds after I typed that, in the 22nd minute. It was Charles Vernam who drilled a low hard shot after a brilliant switch field cross from Darragh Burns. Should Onana have done better? Maybe. Let’s not take away how good a shot it was..

Three minutes later the Grimsby crowd began serenading Rúben Amorim with “You’ll get sacked in the morning.” They might be right.

Another Grimsby goal was called back (and rightly so) in the 28th for handling. But the Mariners were completely unfazed, snatching the ball back and earning a corner from the counter.

The ensuing delivery was dangerous, and Onana came out to make a play amidst a scrum of bodies. Instead, he blundered. The ball fell to the pitch and Grimsby poked it in. Did the ball strike a Grimsby forearm? Maybe, but there’s no VAR in a League Two stadium.

But there’s plenty of noise when the home side scores.

Fish ‘n Chips with a Side of Drama, please!

After halftime, the environment was tense both on and off the pitch. The night sky was shredded by lightning; rain began pelting down and did not relent. Manchester United made a triple switch, bringing on big guns Bruno Fernandes, Bryan Mbuemo and Mattias de Ligt.

Darragh Burns nearly had a third for the Mariners in the 49th minute, but his shot deflected off Ayden Heaven’s shoulder (there were appeals for handling, but again, no VAR). Grimsby had one other strike hit the net in the 71st, only for that goal to be called back for offsides (again, the correct call).

But otherwise, it was all Manchester United, who slowly clawed their way back into match as the second half progressed. You have to give them some credit for making a game of it, even if quality failed them in some crucial moments. Grimsby keeper Christy Pym had some incredible stops to keep his side in it. When Bryan Mbuemo’s 75th minute goal came, it looked so effortless you were left wondering why hadn’t anyone done that earlier?

Grimsby were increasingly pinned in their defending third, and in the 88th minute a Mason Mount corner found Harry Maguire unmarked on the back post. Give him credit, he has a knack for those last minute clutch goals, and he didn’t miss with that big ol’ noggin of his.

Like Shootout -ing Fish in a Barrel

So after six minutes of stoppage, it was off to the penalty shootout. Watching both teams in the prep, you saw two different vibes. United’s body language was negative, shoulders slumped and players staring into space gloomily. Little to no talking amongst them. Grimsby were all grouped together, armed entwined, pumping each other up.

What happened next was a shootout for the ages. It lasted thirteen penalties, running through the keepers and starting again from the top. Details are in the image below, but a few observations. Rúben Amorim didn’t watch. He sat in the dugout, head low and staring at the floor. Benjamin Šeško, a $100M striker, took the tenth kick for United. That seems off. André Onana got a glove on four of the Grimsby shots, but only stopped one. Pym only picked the correct side twice, but on one of those blocked Matteus Cunha to keep his team alive.

Source: ESPN.com

A win for the history books; a cupset for the ages.

The Other Results

Oh, right… there were three other matches played today to wrap up the second round of the Carabao Cup. Here’s how they ended.