In times past, Saturday would have been the meat of the FA Cup third round. After all, the third round is when clubs in the top two tiers of the English pyramid enter the competition. Along with the Cup final, third round Saturday was once perhaps the most hallowed institution of the English game. Of course, that changed with the proliferation of soccer on television starting in the 1980s. Regardless, in normal years fans would have filled grounds across England to cheer on their favorite teams this weekend.
But I can’t emphasize enough that this is not a normal year. With the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging seemingly all aspects of life worldwide, soccer has hardly escaped. As I mentioned in Part One, several affected clubs have had to field youth, postpone matches, or even withdraw, allowing a presumed underdog to walk over into the next round. Nor have the Cup draws escaped scot-free. For unknown reasons, the FA combined the fourth and fifth round draws into one.
Having gone two-for-two on Cup picks for Friday’s matches, I now turn to the first six FA Cup third round matches of Saturday. All will kick off at noon or 12:15 PM British time. This translates to 6:00 or 6:15 AM Central Time, so I decided to split these matches from the rest of the day. In Part Three, I will reveal the rest of my picks for Saturday, followed by Sunday and Monday picks in Part Four.
All kickoffs 6:00 AM Central unless otherwise noted
Nottingham Forest v. Cardiff City
Both teams have had middling results at best this season. Cardiff rank 15th in the Championship as we speak and Forest stand 19th. However, I definitely like the home side’s form quite a bit more. Not to mention that the Bluebirds lost to lowly Wycombe Wanderers last time they played. Playing away doesn’t help the Welsh XI, either. It will be close, as Forest will seek to prioritize Championship survival, but they should find a way.
Nottingham Forest 1-1 Cardiff City (Nottingham Forest on penalties)
Norwich City v. Coventry City
Although the Sky Blues have the only Cup between the two teams (1987), the boys from Carrow Road are atop the Championship and looking good at the moment. Norwich’s only loss in the last month-plus was to a perfectly decent Watford side who played in the Premier League last season. Coventry, meanwhile, lost to debt-saddled Sheffield Wednesday recently. Again, root for the home team.
Norwich City 3-1 Coventry City
Boreham Wood v. Millwall
Welcome to the FA Cup third round, Boreham Wood! Your reward for making it this far is a date with the 2004 runners-up. BW shouldn’t worry, though, because the Lions are in a bit of a tailspin. The National League team, by contrast, hasn’t lost since November, and I would bet top dollar that they would continue to keep things that way.
Boreham Wood 2-1 Millwall
Luton Town v. Reading
These two teams just met at the Madejski Stadium on Boxing Day, with Reading taking a 2-1 decision. Only Kazenga LuaLua’s last-minute garbage goal prevented the Royals from completing a shutout. I expect the defense for the return leg to be just as good.
Luton Town 1-2 Reading
Everton v. Rotherham United
Last time out, the Toffees had their winning streak stopped by West Ham United, dropping them to seventh in the Premier League. While it’s still too early to rule out Champions League qualification, the boys in blue should have no trouble with the second-worst team in the Championship, period.
Everton 3-1 Rotherham United
Chorley v. Derby County
If the Rams were competitive and could field a first-choice team, my pick here would qualify as a Cupset special. Instead, much like Aston Villa Friday, they will put out their kids. That’s not to say the home side isn’t legit, as their 4-0 loss to AFC Fylde last time out was their first since October 24th. It’s just that the circumstances diminish the surprise of my pick.
Chorley 2-0 Derby County
