The FA Cup semifinals are here, the penultimate round in England’s top cup competition. All the pomp and circumstance due to the occasion is kicking into high gear, and the entire nation’s attention is turning to Wembley Stadium in London. Manchester United and Everton are set to go toe-to-toe in a match that should go all the way down to the wire -- and whoever comes out on top will punch themselves a ticket for the Final in May.
Manchester United vs. Everton 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch the FA Cup online
The first FA Cup semifinal promises a hard-fought match.
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When these two sides faced off earlier in the month, Manchester United came out on top in a closely-contested match decided by a single goal. In this match, you should expect more of the same, only turned up a notch or three -- while there was plenty on the line in league action a few weeks ago, the extra stakes of this match of being a cup semi-final will ramp up the intensity and the meaning of the match for the players on the pitch. There’s a lot on the line here, and the players know it. They won’t want to leave any opportunity out on the pitch if they can help it, and this match will be all the more bitterly contested for it.
Key player -- Romelu Lukaku (Everton)
Simply put, if Everton are going to win this match, they need to score goals. Early goals, late goals, ugly goals, gorgeous goals -- it doesn’t matter what kind they are, as long as they score them. Enter Everton’s leading scorer, Lukaku, and the fact that he matches up extraordinarily well with Manchester’s back line gives them hope. He’s one of the most impressive young strikers in all of Europe, and this would be a fantastic stage for Lukaku to show off just how impressive he really is.
Key matchup -- Morgan Schneiderlin (Manchester United) vs. Ross Barkley (Everton)
The key for Manchester to win this game is to find a way to control Everton’s attack. Barkley is the key to that control, because if he gets free to run rampant, he’ll be able to wreak havoc between the lines while he drives the attack. Schneiderlin, however, has done well against Barkley in the past, and if United can get another such positive performance out of the French midfielder, and if he can shut Barkley down, then there’s a much, much better chance that Manchester will be in the FA Cup final.
Manchester United injuries and suspensions
Out: Bastian Schweinsteiger, Will Keane, Luke Shaw In doubt: Adnan Januzaj
Everton injuries and suspensions
Out: Seamus Coleman, Tyias Browning, Tony Hibbert In doubt: John Stones, Gareth Barry, Phil Jagielka
Match Date/Time: Sat., 12 p.m. ET, 5 p.m. local
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London, England
TV: Fox Sports 2 (U.S. - English), Fox Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), Sportsnet World (Canada)
Online: Fox Soccer 2 Go, Fox Sports Go (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada)
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