Another match without an ideal way to follow. No TV or real internet, so Twitter is was. The EPL schedule was on a break this weekend for FA Cup matches all weekend. Everton hosted non-league side Tamworth in what could have been a shocking upset, but thankfully the Toffees came out on top 2-0 behind goals from Heitinga and Baines from the spot. The good news is that Landon Donovan assisted on the first goal.
The FA Cup is one of the greatest sporting events in the world. Over 600 or so teams start the competition around August, and over the course of the season the numbers are whittled down in each round. The unique part is that any team can enter. Literally. Any team (as long as they are members of the FA - Football Association). Some if these teams are so small and so far away from the EPL talent wise that it seems an impossibility to even share the same field. What this sets up is the possibility of a giant killer emerging at some point in the tournament. That point usually comes the weekend of the third round, where all the Premier League teams come into the draw. So that's how Everton ends up playing Tamworth, or Tottenham vs. Cheltenham Town. It's also how you get Manchester United facing top of the table rivals Manchester City. The true beauty of the Cup is the draw. Unlike the NCAA tournament or, God forbid, the BCS, anyone can play anyone, home or away. No seeding here. You play who comes out of the hat, and you try to beat them. So simple yet it can provide for such great moments. The fourth round is at the end of January, when 32 teams will remain, hoping for glory. How cool is that?
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