Burnley did it. Burnley won its first game of the 2020-21 season. Now, it wasn’t an EPL game. But it was a game—er, match (sorry, mates)—and it was a win.
The Result:
Burnley played Sheffield United to a 1-1 draw, then out-penalty kicked the Sheffields 5-4.
How It Happened:
The Burnleys allowed a goal in the fourth minute to some dude named David McGoldrick who sounds like he should be Scotland’s prime minister (or whatever the political face of Scotland is). Now, I’m not going to complain, but I’d just like to ask the question of whether there’s any gentlemen’s agreement in footie to take it easy out of the gate when it’s a team’s first match in over a month. Just asking.
Thankfully, McGoldrick’s goal only mattered in that it necessitated PK’s after the only other scoring in regulation came from a Matěj Vydra (get that man back on the Czech national team!) goal in the 67th minute. On Sheffield’s second attempt, Oliver McBurnie’s (sounds like he should be McGoldrick’s professorial, progressive rival in Scottish politics known in the press for wearing tweed jackets, glasses, and an unkempt beard) attempt was saved by our man Nick Pope, and while it’s unclear whether this was good work by Pope or bad work by McBurnie, it gave Burnley the advantage they didn’t relinquish, with the Clarets finishing off the Blades (ok that’s a pretty cool nickname for a footie club, but please remember that if it was a lacrosse team’s nickname it would be obnoxious) on Robbie Brady’s shot in the fifth inning.
What It Means:
Burnley’s on to the third round of the League Cup, one of 32 teams still in the running for the cup’s title and the Europa League bid it brings.
What’s Next:
Next match is tomorrow, Saturday, at Leicester City. It’s Burnley’s first EPL match of the year.
Next League Cup match is Wednesday at Millwall down in London.
Other News:
The only thing I saw was that the draw for the League Cup’s fourth round took place last night, and the winner of Burnley at Millwall hosts the winner of Bournemouth at Manchester City. So…not ideal on that front, but gotta beat Millwall to get there.
Update: Forgot that Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson got hurt. Guess he’ll be out a little while—MCL injury but not as bad as feared, per Burnley.
General Thoughts:
Let’s see. Mostly about cats. There’s a fluffy black cat in the neighborhood and the other night when I was out for a walk it came charging at me and doing the thing cats do where they meow and purr at the same time. So I gave it some scritches and pets. And then two nights ago when I walked past its house again, it again got down from the stoop, but this time I either passed by too quickly or it just didn’t need as many scritches. Thinking about sending a note to whoever lives there thanking them for their cat’s friendliness.
Burnley Thoughts:
I get the idea you’re not supposed to care as much about the League Cup as EPL games, and I know it’s still early in the League Cup, but the Europa League bid makes it pretty enticing. Just saying, it’s interesting that the MEDIA isn’t covering it in depth. Maybe they’re swayed by the Champions League’s SHADOWY LOBBYISTS? Hard to say.
