Crystal Palace suffered a historic 2-1 defeat at the hands of non-league side Macclesfield in the FA Cup, marking the biggest cup upset in competition history. The Eagles, holders of the trophy, were out-fought and out-thought by the Silkmen, who sit 117 places below them in the pyramid.
Paul Dawson scored the opener two minutes before half-time with a header from a set-piece, which Palace failed to respond to until the 13th minute when Yeremy Pino's shot was poked wide. However, Macclesfield took control of the game and doubled their lead on the hour through Isaac Buckley-Ricketts' shot.
The Palace faithful watched in dismay as the Eagles' attacking players failed to create clear-cut chances, with the team looking lethargic going forward and increasingly nervous in defense. Despite bringing on more attacking players at half-time, including England internationals Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton, Palace were unable to muster a response.
The only real attempt from the hosts came late on when Clinton Morrison described Palace as "an embarrassment", claiming that they were nowhere near good enough and that Macclesfield wanted it more. The visitors ultimately took advantage of this, with Pino scoring a 90th-minute free-kick to seal the win.
For Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, the defeat was a shock, saying that he had no explanation for what he saw on the pitch. "We lacked everything" he said. Meanwhile, Macclesfield manager John Rooney praised his team's performance, describing them as "incredible" and claiming that they deserved the win.
The result marked a major upset in FA Cup history and sent shockwaves through the football world. It also served as a fitting tribute to Macclesfield forward Ethan McLeod, who died in a car accident last month at the age of 21 after driving back from a game.
Paul Dawson scored the opener two minutes before half-time with a header from a set-piece, which Palace failed to respond to until the 13th minute when Yeremy Pino's shot was poked wide. However, Macclesfield took control of the game and doubled their lead on the hour through Isaac Buckley-Ricketts' shot.
The Palace faithful watched in dismay as the Eagles' attacking players failed to create clear-cut chances, with the team looking lethargic going forward and increasingly nervous in defense. Despite bringing on more attacking players at half-time, including England internationals Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton, Palace were unable to muster a response.
The only real attempt from the hosts came late on when Clinton Morrison described Palace as "an embarrassment", claiming that they were nowhere near good enough and that Macclesfield wanted it more. The visitors ultimately took advantage of this, with Pino scoring a 90th-minute free-kick to seal the win.
For Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner, the defeat was a shock, saying that he had no explanation for what he saw on the pitch. "We lacked everything" he said. Meanwhile, Macclesfield manager John Rooney praised his team's performance, describing them as "incredible" and claiming that they deserved the win.
The result marked a major upset in FA Cup history and sent shockwaves through the football world. It also served as a fitting tribute to Macclesfield forward Ethan McLeod, who died in a car accident last month at the age of 21 after driving back from a game.
! I mean, Crystal Palace was supposed to be the ones taking it easy against some non-league side, but nope! Macclesfield totally outplayed them and deserved that win 1000%. The Eagles looked so off their game, it's like they were sleepwalking on the pitch 
. I feel bad for Oliver Glasner though, he's gonna be scratching his head trying to figure out what went wrong.
. Losing someone so young and talented is just heartbreaking. The fact that Macclesfield won the FA Cup as a tribute to him makes it even more special. It's gonna be a tough season ahead for Palace, but I'm loving this underdog story 
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The way Palace's attack was just...off is hard to explain. They had England internationals on the bench and still couldn't create anything meaningful. And to be honest, I kinda feel bad for Palace - they're a team that's been in some tough times recently. But at the same time, you've gotta respect Macclesfield for stepping up and getting the win. That 90th-minute free-kick was just insane! 
I feel bad for the Eagles fans who got robbed of their chance at defending the trophy. 
The only thing that's even more shocking is how well Macclesfield performed considering their league position. 117 places below Palace? They should be celebrating! 
It's also a sad reminder of Ethan McLeod's passing, and I hope his family gets the support they need during this tough time 
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anyway this is gonna make headlines for weeks and fans are gonna be talking about it forever 
. They were so confident as holders of the trophy, but it looks like they took it for granted? Anyway, gotta give credit where credit is due - Macclesfield played an amazing game and deserved that win 
! Their manager's comments about being "incredible" must be true 
. The football world needs to be more supportive, you know? 
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. Maybe this is a wake-up call for them, an opportunity to regroup and come back stronger in the future 
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. I mean, 2-1 is a big upset, but come on, the Eagles should've been able to handle that kind of opposition! They're supposed to be the cup holders, for crying out loud! 
. I mean, it's not like we're watching a Premier League match or anything, but still, some basic info would be nice 
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. Clinton Morrison calling Crystal Palace an "embarrassment" is just unnecessary drama 
. Can't they just give us the facts and move on? 
. I mean, I get it, maybe we didn't see the game, but some explanation would be nice 
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But can we please just have a decent discussion thread without all these drama queens? 
They should've won that game hands down, especially with England internationals on the pitch 
Macclesfield played some amazing football and they deserved every bit of that win 
John Rooney's comments about his team being "incredible" are definitely warranted 
. Poor Palace, looked like they didn't want it enough 
. Their defense looked so out of form and Macclesfield just took it to them. That free-kick by Pino was pure class 
dey must have invested in de wrong places 
& de coach oliver glasner is clueless 
!!! i mean we're supposed to be the holders of the trophy but Macclesfield just out played us by like 100x 
. i'm still trying to process what happened in that game, it's like a nightmare come true 
️ can't even give me hope anymore 
. But what's even more amazing is that Ethan McLeod's memory lives on through this win - he may not have made it to the final, but his team did for him