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Never really wanted a bad result for a Yank Abroad but kinda pulling for Asdton Villa in this one. Reid needs to go. In the long run, it will be the best thing that could happen to Claudio at Sunderland. And Claudio starts as well.
Starting XI 1. Sorensen, Thomas 2. Wright, Stephen 11. Kilbane, Kevin 17. Craddock, Jody 5. Babb, Phil 7. Piper, Matty 4. Reyna, Claudio 8. McCann, Gavin 33. Arca, Julio 9. Flo, Tore Andre 15. Bellion, David Substitutes 21. Thirlwell, Paul 26. Myhre, Thomas 18. Williams, Darren 29. Quinn, Niall 31. Stewart, Marcus
Aston Villa: Starting XI 1. Enckelman, Peter 4. Mellberg, Olof 2. Delaney, Mark 6. Barry, Gareth 9. Dublin, Dion 10. Vassell, Darius 11. Staunton, Steve 17. Hendrie, Lee 21. Samuel, Jlloyd 26. Kinsella, Mark 27. Johnsen, Ronny Substitutes 13. Postma, Stefan 14. Allback, Marcus 15. de la Cruz, Ulises 16. Crouch, Peter 28. Leonhardsen, Oyvind
Virtual full house. 1 or 2 empty seats, mostly in away supporters section. Firework goes off in away section. Loud bang as police close in. Gareth Barry receiving treatment on field for head injury
Julio Arca sends ball to Flo - Piper wins free kick after making a good run. Ball goes in towards Flo - Dublin defends well. Darius Vassell gives up another free on a hand ball. Reyna sends in - ball bounces around - few in the crowd already booing. Lots of short passing by Sunderland - send it back to Sorensen. Piper has on the right - Stephen Wright with a wayward pass.
Dublin with a shot that just goes wide. Defense looking typically shaky. Strong tackle by McAnn who steals and plays to Flo - great challenge from Aston Villa defense breaks it up. Sunderland passing around -- Kilbane looking nervous loses the ball.
Reyna tries to send Bellion through but pass doesn't connect. Reyna heavily involved in little short passes - plays to Arca - to Bellion who is two yards offsides. Sunderland win another free kick - captain Claudio Reyna (in place of injured Michael Gray) takes another free kick. Sent in but cleared. Reyna on the ball again (announcers: He's the man who pulls the strings for the team, he needs to get the ball, send the ball to him. "Consummate professional", good passer of the ball, etc. etc.) Long pass to Bellion leads to collision and free kick for Sunderland in the middle of the field. Flo wins the free in the air, cleared out to Kilbane - to Arca - nice spin gets to the edge of the area, well defended to prevent a long range effort from Arca.
Aston Villa with a throw in goes to the far post and goes out for a corner kick to Villa. Free kick cleared by Flo. Barry tries a cross but Stephen Wright knocks it out. Never been a sending off between these two teams. Long ball from Aston Villa, Dublin gets off weak header. Bellion counters - wins yellow card from Staunton who whacks him to prevent a breakaway. Bellion's speed causing some problems. Free kick 12 yards outside of penalty area. 6 man wall. Reyna takes shot - didn't quite get hold of the ball, but wins corner. Reyna swings the ball in - punched out - free kick Villa.
Reyna gets stupid yellow for preventing a quick restart. Villa dangerous free kick -- Hendrie strikes well but wall blocks out for a corner. Poor corner touches no one before going out. Villa give away the ball to Bellion - poor pass - then won by Reyna who plays Piper - defended but falls to Reyna again who gets off short corner that causes some problems. Reyna again comes up with the ball but defended well by Vassell. Sunderland with some nice pressure, but Reyna's cross wasn't quite good enough. Sunderland still lacking the final killer ball. Throw in Sunderland - goes in to the far post, too high for everyone, goal kick.
Flo tries to nod the ball down to Reyna - flubbed clearance - Arca tries to get on the ball but cleared. McAnn with another nice tackle. Reyna 1 2 with Babb - Arca to Bellion - can't get past Ronnie Johnsen who clears. Aston Villa not looking that great. Nor is Sunderland.
Piper to Craddock - clearance under duress. Villa win the ball - Reyna steals from Dublin - CR holds up and takes his time. McAnn drills up to Piper that goes out. Reyna had the ball and no one ran into any space and he seemed a bit frustrated. Piper tries a shot that goes out for a goal kick. Stephen Wright went down in a lot of pain after no one touched him. May have caught his studs in the turf and is holding his ankle.
Kind of stating the obvious. When has Sunderland looked great this year? Thanks for the updates, Dark.
Stephen Wright doesn't look happy about the injury. Ball forward to Bellion but he can't get to it. Staunton on the ball in the middle of the field. Sends to the right to Delaney - Arca defends and clears out. Arca still defending deep - ball cleared to Villa again. Staunton sends long ball in but too long for Vassell. Stephen Wright is finished for the day. Darren Williams comes on.
Long ball by Sunderland. Reyna fouls Dublin and Darren Williams on. Clever touch from Flo, sends the ball to Darren Williams - to Reyna who chips in to the edge of the area. "Awful ball by Reyna - capable of much better." McAnn with another bad ball for Sunderland.
Dublin has a dangerous header in the area. Should have hit the target after the ball was chipped in to him. Sunderland a little lucky to not be down 1-0. Still 0-0. Arca beats two players - to Kilbane - Lee Hendrie knocks out. McAnn defended by Hendrie. Villa dispossessed by Reyna. Ball in to Bellion misses the mark. Kilbane- Arca - Kilbane who wins corner for Sunderland. "The quality of this game certainly isn't Premiership standard." -- it goes without saying that this has been said again today.
Throw in Sunderland - short to Piper - goes out for goal kick. Announcer: Entertainment factor of this game from 0-10 is 1. Skill level is really really poor. I wonder if Sunderland could make the MLS playoffs -- only kidding. Sunderland's 3rd corner of the game. Short corner by Reyna to Arca - who swings in a cross which is too tall for Flo and Bellion - Ball falls to Reyna - to Arca - to Williams - Bellion - Piper - Williams send it in to the box but cut out by Villa defense, Mark Kinsella.
Very nice flick by Piper - goes out for a corner. Reyna's corner is too near the keeper. McAnn wins the ball - Williams - Flo - Williams - Aston Villa win the ball - get forward through Vassell who is run down by Kilbane. Good play by Kilbane. Corner kick Villa - Gareth Barry plays short -- goes in to the back post cleared only as far as Kinsella - McAnn and Reyna get the ball out. Bellion counters - gets forward very well by Bellion - plays the ball to Reyna who has a good shot on target tested the keeper but saved... Flo wins loose ball - to Bellion - defended well. Bellion causing lots of trouble now. Hendrie charged down well by Reyna -- Sorensen claims the ball. "Staunton is terrified" of Bellion who is already in the book.
Staunton booked, not Bellion. 1 minute left. Only one mention of Reid's situation: both coaches under a lot of pressure today.
2 minutes stoppage. Reyna - to Bellion - goes towards Flo but cleared. Williams defends Vassell pace for pace - crappy cross easily claimed by Sorensen. Very poor kick by Sorensen goes straight out. Dublin defended off the ball by Craddock. Williams to Bellion - long range effort draws applause. Plaing with a lot of confidence - bright spark of the day for Sunderland. "Looking lively." 20 seconds left. Flo - turns - back to Kilbane - cross headed down by Reyna to Arca - dangerous ball in the box but misses everyone. Half time.
Announcer: Villa are not a good team. Sunderland needs to beat their slow defense. Pointless lumping the high balls in - need the ball on the deck, etc. etc.
Back on. Reyna sends long ball to Flo and goes out. Vassell beats two - edge of the area - shot goes wide. Very good run in but shot goes off target. Flo tries to head the ball to Bellion - cleared. Bellion to Kilbane - chipped back in to Bellion - defended out to Reyna who loses the ball. Villa passing now - Babb chests it to Sorensen. Long ball to Bellion who is struck in the head - Arca, Reyna - edge of the box to Flo - skids to Piper on the right - deflected out.