And the award for the most boring football match of 2022 goes to…Sociedad vs. United. Real Sociedad have beaten Man United 1-0 in the Europa League in one of the most boring football matches anyone will ever watch this season.
Man, this was a really tough game to watch. It was an absolute slog, with both teams struggling to pass, control the ball in the midfield, and getting shots on target. Other than that absurd Sociedad penalty (which I’ll get to later), and Ronaldo’s offside goal, there wasn’t a single good chance to speak of.
It was just one of those games.
Real Sociedad player’s, justifiably, set up behind the ball and defended the midfield as if their lives depended on it. United’s midfielders, Christian Eriksen, Casemiro, and Fred had a very difficult time breaking though the block of Sociedad players and getting the ball to the forwards, Cristiano Ronaldo, Antony, and Anthony Elenga.
Especially Fred.
I don’t know how that guy has become a professional footballer, or at least risen to this high a level. HE LITERALLY CAN’T PASS.
He must have misplaced 10-15 passes in just the FIRST HALF alone. I’m not even exaggerating when I say that any attacking momentum United had was constantly lost when the ball fell to Fred’s feet. Sure, it is ten Hag’s fault for putting Fred at the CAM position, but as a professional footballer, you have to be able to accurately pass the ball forward. That’s a basic requirement of being a footballer.
I’ve never seen such incompetence from a professional footballer in all my life, and I watched Marouane Fellaini play in the midfield for United. He needs to be sold next summer as I don’t see how a player that can’t pass the ball accurately can be a part of United’s rebuild.
I know Fred has heart and has a likeable personality, but that won’t win United games. If he can’t play well against an average Real Sociedad midfield (which finished 6th in La Liga last season), how is he going to be able compete against great midfields in teams like Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Bayern, Juventus, Inter, and PSG?
Simply put, he won’t.
Anyway, I guess I should talk a little bit about the goal that one the game. Right on the hour mark, the movement came from a shot inside the box that Manchester City legend, David Silva, sent towards David de Gea’s net. Lisandro Martinez rushed out of his defensive, blocked the shot, but it hit off his knee and then ricocheted off his hand before getting cleared.
The referee immediately pointed to the spot and Brais Méndez slotted it past de Gea to give Sociedad the victory as United couldn’t score in the remaining thirty minutes. How both VAR and the ref thought that was a penalty is beyond me. The ball clearly came off his knee before it hit his hand.
Anyway, this game doesn’t really matter as both of these teams will make it to the Round of 32 as the other two members of this group, Group E, are Sheriff and Omonia. Still, it would have been nicer to see an entertaining 3-2 or 4-3 game rather this this snooze fest.
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