Norwich City U23 0-1 Sunderland U23
Sunderland under-23s produced an heroic display to defeat Norwich City and become the first team in the club's history to advance into a European final.
Joel Asoro handed the Lads a priceless lead with 13 minutes played, incisively rolling the ball past Aston Oxborough as he bore down on goal.
Glenn Middleton was then presented with a glorious chance to level the tie 20 minutes later from the penalty stop, but Max Stryjek producing a match-defining save to preserve the Black Cats’ lead.
Lynden Gooch peppered Oxborough’s goal with a number of half chances while City’s stopper made himself big on two occasions in the second period to deny Asoro and keep the Canaries hopes of progressing alive.
A late onslaught from the Canaries saw them rattle but bar, but the night belonged to Sunderland and Strjyek who made a number of huge saves to see the Lads claw themselves over the line.
Sunderland will face FC Porto in the Premier League International Cup final. Well done, Lads!
Elliott Dickman was handed a boost ahead of kick-off as three first-team faces – George Honeyman, Lynden Gooch and Donald Love - were named in their starting XI at Carrow Road.
Norwich City, meanwhile, selected a strong XI which included Ajax loanee Mitchell Dijks, Youssouf Mulumbu and Matt Jarvis as they set their stall out in an attempt to advance into the Premier League International Cup final.
With the message ahead of kick-off to treat the semi-final game as any other game, Asoro got proceedings underway and immediately put Sunderland on the front foot.
Quick feet from the Swede saw him sent tumbling inside the box as he got goal side of make-shift centre back Ben Godfrey, however, the referee waved play on despite strong appeals.
Middleton warmed the gloves of Polish stopper Stryjek moments later with a venomous free-kick from 20 yards before Sunderland turned the screw at the other end.
With 13 minutes played, Asoro snuck in behind the Canaries backline and confidently, under the circumstances, knocked the ball past Aston Oxborough to give the Black Cats a priceless lead in Norfolk.
The hosts grew into the tie as time ticked by, but struggled to find their groove as Sunderland seemed happy for the game to filter into a scrappy affair. Midfield duo Ethan Robson and Elliot Embleton played a pivotal role in that, making life uncomfortable for experienced professionals Mulumbu and Jarvis.
City controlled the general ebb and flow of the game, pegging the Lads back despite rarely troubling Polish stopper Stryjek in goal.
Shortly after the half-hour mark, the referee made a brave decision to award Norwich a penalty following Jarvis’ right-footed free-kick. The winger combined pace with precision as his free-kick caused havoc and led to shirt pulling and small tussles breaking out inside the box.
But cometh the hour, cometh the man.
Stryjek atoned for an earlier mistake – when he handled outside the box inside the opening minutes - by flinging himself to his left side and producing a sumptuous stop to deny Middleton from 12 yards.
It was a seismic stop in a hold your nerve game and it meant the Lads got into the midway interval with their lead still intact.
Luke Molyneux was introduced slightly earlier than planned as Ethan Robson hobbled off minutes into a huge second 45 for both sides.
Gooch looked lively as ever as his strike deflected into the turf then looped up over Oxborough only to rattle the top of the bar.
Sunderland were tenacious in their forward play with Greenwood and Embleton nipping in time and time again to win possession and stride forward into advanced areas.
But when the Lads managed to breach City’s rear-guard, Oxborough made two BIG match-saving stops to deny Asoro a second - both times spreading himself well at the Swede’s feet to snuff the danger out.
Those two chances proved to be Asoro’s last acts as Josh Robson replaced the tiring centre forward as Dickman looked to add further steel at the back.
Robson took up his usual place at right-back while Love moved into midfield role alongside George Honeyman with Molyneux deployed as the new loan striker.
Indecisiveness prevented Gooch from sealing the tie on 78 minutes, the American got the better of Godfrey but his cross come shot failed to trouble Oxborough and the chance went amiss.
The Canaries ended the tie with a late flurry of chances, but the night belonged to Stryjek who held firm till the death and ensured the Lads clawed themselves over the line.
Sunderland under-23s are into the Premier League International Cup final. Well done, Lads!
Norwich City: Oxborough; Ramsay, Godfrey (c), Efete, Dijks; Grant (Jaiyesimi, 75), Mulumbu (McGrandles, 59), Adams; Jarvis, Ashley-Seal, Middleton
Subs not used: Hallett (GK), Aransibia, Crowe, Aarons, Odusina.
Sunderland: Stryjek, Love, Beadling, Brady, Hume, Embleton, E Robson (Molyneux, 49), Greenwood, Honeyman, Asoro, Gooch (Maja, 88)
Subs not used: J Robson, Talbot, Casey, Wright, Poame