Joe Willock shines with two goals as Newcastle beats Birmingham 3-2 in FA Cup match, while Tom Brady focuses on Super Bowl over game.
Tom Brady, a seven-time Super Bowl champion, surprisingly decided to skip this game. What a surprise!
His absence resulted in him missing an exhilarating match where League One’s Birmingham battled Premier League’s Newcastle in a captivating FA Cup showdown.
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Brady, who holds a minority interest in Birmingham City, is currently in New Orleans providing commentary for the Super Bowl.
Nonetheless, it’s hard to imagine that the Eagles will perform as strongly as Eddie Howe’s Magpies, or that Kansas City will show the same resilience that Birmingham displayed today.
As the final whistle blew, and exhausted players collapsed to the ground, St Andrew’s Stadium united in applause for both teams after 90 remarkable minutes.
Joe Willock’s two goals secured this thrilling fourth-round FA Cup match, while Birmingham’s Tomoki Iwata scored what could be deemed the goal of the season.
The Geordies were still basking in the glory of reaching the Carabao Cup final when Birmingham stunned them by taking an early lead within the first minute.
Kieran Dowell delivered a deep corner, and Keshi Anderson soared unmarked to redirect the ball into the box.
Right-back Ethan Laird unleashed a strike that deflected off Callum Wilson and sailed into the top of Nick Pope’s net.
St Andrew’s erupted with joy as Wilson lamented his luck on his first start in 280 days, while Laird celebrated only the third goal of his career.
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Newcastle has suffered elimination from the FA Cup at the hands of lower-division teams 32 times—only Everton (42 times) has a poorer record.
In contrast, Birmingham has successfully knocked out top-flight clubs 23 times—second only to Millwall and Southampton (25 each).
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Thus, Newcastle should have been on high alert.
Chris Davies’ squad played with the confidence of a team atop League One, enjoying an unbeaten streak of 18 matches.
The Geordies seemed on edge, with Dan Burn booked early for attempting to swap shirts with Scott Wright during the game!
From the ensuing free-kick, Christoph Klarer redirected Marc Leonard’s delivery, and Anderson’s shot took a deflection off Burn but was superbly saved by Pope.
The importance of that save was soon apparent as Newcastle quickly countered with two goals within a frantic five-minute span.
Wilson initiated a powerful run before delivering a low cross that Bailey Peacock-Farrell hesitated to challenge.
This hesitation proved costly, as William Osula set up Willock, whose shot was parried by Peacock-Farrell in the 21st minute.
It took a moment for the far-side assistant referee Nigel Lugg to signal the goal, leading to a surge of celebration from the Toon Army.
Birmingham felt aggrieved, as the assistant referee was out of position and could only speculate if the entire ball had crossed the goal line given the absence of goal-line technology.
Just as Birmingham was regaining composure, they found themselves trailing again.
Osula demonstrated his exceptional first touch to control Pope’s long clearance before trying a shot that Peacock-Farrell saved.
Livramento kept the pressure on with a cross, and despite Osula stumbling in front of goal, the ball reached Wilson in the 26th minute.
He remarkably lifted his boot to shoulder height to nudge the ball over the line, marking a triumphant return with a goal.
Willock thought he had added another for Newcastle but was ruled offside after bundling in a shot from Burn’s header.
Stansfield then squandered a golden chance, heading wide while unmarked, before Wright’s weak attempt was comfortably gathered by Pope.
However, Iwata’s stunning equalizer five minutes before half-time sent shockwaves through St Andrew’s.
Leonard’s cross was cleared by Matt Targett, but Iwata unleashed a breathtaking 22-yard strike that soared into the roof of Pope’s net, leaving the goalkeeper helpless.
This goal echoed the unforgettable FA Cup strike by Ronnie Radford for Hereford.
Tempers flared just before half-time, resulting in bookings for Osula and Anderson.
The second half unfolded with comparatively less drama, primarily due to a lengthy delay for Leonard after a heavy collision with Lewis Miley.
This game escalated in intensity, evident in the yellow cards issued to Stansfield and Klarer for pushing Fabian Schar and Willock into the advertising boards. Willock was also cautioned for a late foul on Laird, while substitute Willum Willumsson received a card for a reckless challenge on Willock.
Brum’s manager
