FA Cup (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Miss Dangerous*
- Start date
OP
Socceroos Mark Viduka and Mark Schwarzer played key roles to steer Middlesbrough into the English FA Cup fifth round in a dramatic penalty shootout win against League One side Bristol City.
Middlesbrough's Mark Viduka (right) scores against Bristol City during their fourth round FA Cup replay soccer match in Middlesbrough
David Noble put Bristol ahead on 23 minutes but Viduka headed an equaliser from close range in the second half before Yakubu Aiyegbeni put the top-flight side in the lead in extra time having earlier missed a penalty.
Jamie McCombe then levelled 2-2, sending the match into a penalty shoot-out, with Middlesbrough eventually winning 5-4.
Schwarzer, reminiscent of his heroics against Uruguay to send Australia into the 2006 World Cup, made two saves in the shootout.
Viduka, who missed a penalty in the Socceroos' dramatic shootout with Uruguay, slotted Middlesbrough's second penalty into the top left of the net.
Middlesbrough now have a home tie with West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
The club is believed to be poised to offer Viduka a new contract thought to be worth about $125,000 per week.
Viduka is out of contract in the summer, with Tottenham the latest club linked with a move for the striker, joining the likes of Newcastle, West Ham and Italian clubs Juventus and Genoa.
Boro manager Gareth Southgate persuaded Viduka to stay during the January transfer window, but must quickly stump up a new deal to top his current contract believed to be valued at $100,000 per week.
"I'm keen to move ahead with it as quickly as I can," Southgate said.
"As I discovered last summer, it's very difficult to get players from other clubs, so it makes little sense to let our best players move on.
"We haven't got things underway yet, but the games have been coming thick and fast and Mark was away with the Australia squad last week too."
Viduka has been in top form over the past couple of months, playing a major role in Boro's move away from the relegation zone.
As well as Viduka, Boro must also find extra funds to hang on to defender Abel Xavier and possibly table a bid for England defender Jonathan Woodgate, who is on loan from Real Madrid.
The Age
Middlesbrough's Mark Viduka (right) scores against Bristol City during their fourth round FA Cup replay soccer match in Middlesbrough
David Noble put Bristol ahead on 23 minutes but Viduka headed an equaliser from close range in the second half before Yakubu Aiyegbeni put the top-flight side in the lead in extra time having earlier missed a penalty.
Jamie McCombe then levelled 2-2, sending the match into a penalty shoot-out, with Middlesbrough eventually winning 5-4.
Schwarzer, reminiscent of his heroics against Uruguay to send Australia into the 2006 World Cup, made two saves in the shootout.
Viduka, who missed a penalty in the Socceroos' dramatic shootout with Uruguay, slotted Middlesbrough's second penalty into the top left of the net.
Middlesbrough now have a home tie with West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.
The club is believed to be poised to offer Viduka a new contract thought to be worth about $125,000 per week.
Viduka is out of contract in the summer, with Tottenham the latest club linked with a move for the striker, joining the likes of Newcastle, West Ham and Italian clubs Juventus and Genoa.
Boro manager Gareth Southgate persuaded Viduka to stay during the January transfer window, but must quickly stump up a new deal to top his current contract believed to be valued at $100,000 per week.
"I'm keen to move ahead with it as quickly as I can," Southgate said.
"As I discovered last summer, it's very difficult to get players from other clubs, so it makes little sense to let our best players move on.
"We haven't got things underway yet, but the games have been coming thick and fast and Mark was away with the Australia squad last week too."
Viduka has been in top form over the past couple of months, playing a major role in Boro's move away from the relegation zone.
As well as Viduka, Boro must also find extra funds to hang on to defender Abel Xavier and possibly table a bid for England defender Jonathan Woodgate, who is on loan from Real Madrid.
The Age
OP
That is so true.
