Son Scores Direct from a Corner as Tottenham Beats Man United 4-3 in English League Cup

Soccer Football - Carabao Cup - Quarter Final - Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - December 19, 2024 Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min celebrates scoring their fourth goal with Radu Dragusin and Yves Bissouma REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
Soccer Football - Carabao Cup - Quarter Final - Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - December 19, 2024 Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min celebrates scoring their fourth goal with Radu Dragusin and Yves Bissouma REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
TT

Son Scores Direct from a Corner as Tottenham Beats Man United 4-3 in English League Cup

Soccer Football - Carabao Cup - Quarter Final - Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - December 19, 2024 Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min celebrates scoring their fourth goal with Radu Dragusin and Yves Bissouma REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
Soccer Football - Carabao Cup - Quarter Final - Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Britain - December 19, 2024 Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min celebrates scoring their fourth goal with Radu Dragusin and Yves Bissouma REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

Son Heung-min scored a spectacular goal directly from a corner to fire Tottenham into the English League Cup semifinals in a thrilling 4-3 win over Manchester United on Thursday.
Spurs will play Premier League leader Liverpool for a place in the final, and Arsenal was drawn against Newcastle in the other last-four matchup.
Son’s strike in the 88th-minute at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium came as Spurs tried to hold off a dramatic comeback from United, having led 3-0 in the second half, The Associated Press reported.
United had pulled it back to 3-2 and was pushing for an equalizer when Son whipped in a curling right-footed shot past goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, it said.
“Obviously we made it harder than it should have been, for sure," Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said and added, “Are you not entertained?”
United’s players complained Bayindir had been fouled by Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall as Son’s shot flew past him. Replays appeared to show contact between the two, but with no VAR at this stage of the competition, there was no chance of a review.
Jonny Evans scored again for United in stoppage time, but Spurs held on for the win that had looked all but certain shortly after halftime.
Having gone ahead through Dominic Solanke’s goal from close range in the 15th, Tottenham took control after the break.
Dejan Kulusevski doubled the lead a minute after the restart and Solanke fired in his second in the 54th.
United head coach Ruben Amorim made a triple substitution — bringing on Joshua Zirkzee, Amad Diallo and Kobbie Mainoo.
It quickly had an impact with Zirkzee forcing Fraser Forster into a flying save and then capitalizing on a loose pass by the Tottenham goalkeeper to make it 3-1.
Forster was guilty of another mistake in the 70th when his attempted clearance was closed down by Diallo and ricocheted over the line.
United increased the pressure, but Son’s unlikely goal gave Spurs a cushion again — and it proved to be the decisive strike after Evans’ late header reduced the deficit again.
“I know the studio (punditry team) is probably going into meltdown over my lack of tactics,” Postecoglou said. “I love the fact that we go out there and take it to oppositions.”



Bayern Star Harry Kane Poised to Return Against Leipzig in Bundesliga

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany reacts during a Bundesliga soccer match against FSV Mainz 05, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Mainz, Germany. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)
Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany reacts during a Bundesliga soccer match against FSV Mainz 05, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Mainz, Germany. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)
TT

Bayern Star Harry Kane Poised to Return Against Leipzig in Bundesliga

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany reacts during a Bundesliga soccer match against FSV Mainz 05, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Mainz, Germany. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)
Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany reacts during a Bundesliga soccer match against FSV Mainz 05, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024, in Mainz, Germany. (Thomas Frey/dpa via AP)

Harry Kane could make a timely return for Bayern Munich against Leipzig in the Bundesliga on Friday.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany said Thursday that the striker was back training after returning from a hamstring injury sustained in the 1-1 draw at Borussia Dortmund on Nov. 30.
“I’m not going to say if he’ll start or not. The final training session is still important today. If everything goes well, he’ll definitely play a role tomorrow,” The Associated Press quoted Kompany as saying.

Alphonso Davies has also returned to training, and Serge Gnabry was working on his return from a knee injury.
Without Kane, Bayern was knocked out of the German Cup by defending champion Bayer Leverkusen, while it suffered its first Bundesliga defeat of the season last weekend to Mainz.
“We’ve already said that we can’t replace Harry one for one. Harry has this unbelievable feel for where he should be in the box,” Kompany said. “He has also helped us a lot defending. He’s one of the best in the world in the box – that’s where he makes the difference. There are not many players who can do that.”
Kane has 20 goals in 19 games for Bayern in all competitions.