Herrera Stays True To His FA Cup Word

When Ander Herrera swiftly spun and slammed a bouncing ball beyond goalkeeper Jed Steer, not only did the Spaniard set in motion Manchester United’s progression to the fourth round of the FA Cup, he gave welcome substance to his pre-match comments on football’s oldest competition.

Those playing in the top tier of English football can often eulogise about the significance of the FA Cup when set to face lower-league opposition and then tarnish their own thoughts with below-par performances not fit to salvage their respective club’s status heading into the next stage. On Sunday afternoon at Yeovil Town, Herrera was in no mood to follow suit.

"I have seen on the walls at the training ground how many times we have won the FA Cup - more times than anyone, just like the league. It’s an important competition for United” – these were the words of the midfielder ahead of United’s trip to Huish Park, sentiments first backed up by his impressive composure in the middle of the park as the battling League One side looked to cause an upset.

As his team-mates sometimes struggled to get to grips with the unfamiliar surroundings, the former Athletic Club man displayed great vision with a reverse pass to tee up James Wilson for United’s first attempt on target before creating space for himself by fooling a defender and drifting in the opposite direction, only to unfortunately drag a shot wide.

Buoyed by an encouraging first-half showing from a personal perspective amidst a difficult outing by Louis van Gaal’s men, Ander’s self-confidence was evident in the 64th minute when stunning both the home and away fans.

A deflected pass from Darren Fletcher brought the ball into Herrera’s vicinity, leading to a turn and hit from the 25-year-old that left Steer clutching at thin air. Some say the passion of this tournament is lost on foreign players, but that was certainly not the case with the emotional no.21 as an advertising board was booted and travelling fans were embraced - resulting in a rather harsh yellow card.

The strike allowed more patience in the visitors’ approach, but the opening goalscorer’s search for more was relentless – even after Angel Di Maria chipped in. In the third minute of stoppage time – the last of the amount added on by the referee – you might have expected the clear winners to wind down in their forward forays, but there was Herrera once more, trying his luck with a swerving shot.

Nearly 11 years on from lifting the trophy, after a hard-fought contest to keep alive a dream, Fletcher said of the FA Cup: “There are a lot of players in there who are desperate to win it.” You can count Herrera in that group.

Credit: manutd.com