FA Cup:Manchester United had defeated by Everton at Wembley Stadium

Nemanja Vidic turned in a Man-of-the-Match display at Wembley and scored in the penalty shoot-out, but that is of little consolation to the Serbian as the Reds crashed out of the FA Cup.

“We're disappointed because this is a trophy we wanted to win,” he told MUTV. “We played some good football and created chances, but in the end it came to penalties – and that’s just a lottery. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. In the Champions League final we won… but today we didn’t score our penalties. You have to congratulate Everton.”

Vidic dispatched his spot-kick with aplomb, even though it wasn’t enough to prevent a 4-2 shoot-out loss, but he says dealing with the pressure of converting from 12 yards is “nothing new”.

“I practise in training and I also took penalties for Red Star Belgrade and Spartak Moscow,” he said. “It’s nothing new, but there's always the possibility you'll miss, especially in games where there is pressure. I scored, but it’s not about me scoring. The team didn’t win. We need to forget this game now.

“We must take it and recover for the next game. It’s going to be hard, but we have Wednesday’s match against Portsmouth and we need to be focused. It helps that some players were rested. They are going to be fresh and I hope we have a good game at Old Trafford.”

Vidic was proud of the performances of four teenagers in United’s youth-inflected starting line-up. And he says it's the result, rather than the performance, which was frustrating. “We played well, so we don’t need to be disappointed about that,” he added. “We played offensively and tried to score. We had young players in our team, they showed some quality. We know they are capable of doing that. We just didn’t take our chances."

The Best Moment 2007/08

Cristiano Ronaldo

Porto vs Man United 15/4/09 0-1

Man United became the first English team to beat Porto in the Estadio do Dragao.Yeah!!!

Man United
1	Van der Sar
22	O'Shea
5	Ferdinand
15	Vidic
3	Evra
8	Anderson	18
16	Carrick
11	Giggs
7	Ronaldo
9	Berbatov	17
10	Rooney
Subs:
12	Foster
2	Neville
17	Nani	9
18	Scholes	8
23	Evans
32	Tevez
41	Macheda

It took something special: a quite breathtaking 40-yard strike from Cristiano Ronaldo which, allied to a first clean sheet in six games, took the holders into the final four. Indeed, it would have been the Reds' defensive resolve which would have pleased Sir Alex Ferguson most, as the return of Rio Ferdinand brought an assuredness to the champions and restricted the dangerous hosts to but a handful of opportunities.

Following last week's 2-2 first-leg draw, Porto went into the match with a crucial away-goal advantage. That was tellingly overturned inside six minutes of an imposing second encounter. Had Sir Alex been asked to draw a blueprint of his perfect start, it wouldn't have been too far removed from what actually transpired.

The Reds were already looking confident when Anderson slipped a pass to Ronaldo, but the winger's ambition beggared belief. Having received the ball just inside the hosts' half, Ronaldo took a touch to set himself and arrowed an unstoppable effort into Helton's top corner. The ball travelled 40 yards to the goal, but the Brazilian goalkeeper could get nowhere near it.

A Sporting Lisbon export, Ronaldo was predictably jeered from the first whistle by the blue and white clad hordes in the stands. Suddenly, he had provoked silence on every side of the Estadio do Dragao - bar, of course, the sizeable pocket of writhing, jubilant United fans behind the opposite goal.

The Reds' approach to the game mirrored that of Porto in the first leg: dominant, with the hosts completely on the back foot. Indeed, it took 20 minutes for the Portuguese champions to notch an effort of note, as Bruno Alves' free-kick drifted a couple of yards wide of Edwin van der Sar's goal.

Porto had shown their class at Old Trafford, so it was no surprise that they began to gradually exert themselves on the game. Lisandro's spectacular scissor-kick forced a routine save from van der Sar, but United's defence - reinforced by the pairing of Ferdinand with Vidic - stood firm.

In the latter stages of the half, the chances see-sawed. Ryan Giggs' volley was kept out by Helton, Alves powered a header wide and Vidic stabbed John O'Shea's flick over the bar from close range.

Half-time came and went with no changes of personnel, but with a definite shift in setting as teeming rain began to saturate the Portuguese turf. Dimitar Berbatov almost immediately tested Helton's handling of the new conditions, but the Brazilian was equal to his low, drilled effort.

With United ahead, the onus was always going to be on the home side to fashion chances, however, and the visitors' job was largely one of containment in the second half. After the recent spate of concessions, a clean sheet wouldn't just put United through; it would mark a return to the defensive solidity which had been the bedrock of the season to date.

Raul Meireles sliced a shot past the top corner, Hulk fired a free-kick straight at van der Sar and Rolando powered a free header over the bar when he should have done better, but United's demeanour was largely one of calm throughout, containing the storm rather than weathering it.

On occasion, the Reds could even embark on forays forward. Wayne Rooney, outstanding throughout for his defensive diligence as much as his attacking incision,drilled one effort fractionally over Helton's bar. Moments later, however, Lisandro went one better in hitting the target. Even if it was a wasted opportunity, fired straight at van der Sar, it was a timely reminder that one without reply would be enough.

Ronaldo did threaten again, drawing a fine low save from Helton, but he had already struck the telling blow. Now the Reds must shoehorn two more massive games into an already congested fixture list. But, having signalled a return to miserly ways in defence and with a calm befitting of champions, Sir Alex and his players will be relishing every minute that remains of this captivating season.

Boss predicts 'great night'

“Porto are a good team – very powerful – and they’ve not reached this stage without ability. We know we have a big job to do but it should be a good match."

– Sir Alex

Sir Alex admits he can’t wait for kick-off on Wednesday night, despite the Reds’ quarter-final tie against Porto being balanced on a knife-edge.

After last week’s 2-2 draw at Old Trafford, United face a stiff challenge in Estadio do Dragao this evening. But it’s one the Reds’ boss is relishing.

“We’ve played in a lot of good European nights and, to be honest with you, they’re a pleasure to be involved in,” he said.

“The atmosphere here in Porto will be fantastic, it’s a good pitch, a good stadium, and we’re playing a good team. It should be a great night.”

Before last week’s first leg, few people gave the Portuguese champions much hope of reaching the semi-finals. But after outplaying United at times at Old Trafford, Jesualdo Ferreira’s men are being tipped by some to knock the current holders out of the competition.

“Porto were better than us last week and gave us a very hard game,” Sir Alex admitted. “The front players played exceptionally well and showed great determination. They’re a good team – very powerful – and they’ve not reached this stage without ability.

“We know we have a big job to do but it should be a good match. I don’t know how open the game will be – that’s up to Porto and how they approach it. Nevertheless, we know we have to score and that’s what’s really important.”

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Sunderland 1-2 Manchester United

A week ago, few outside of Old Trafford had heard of Kiko Macheda. After two vital winners in the space of six days, however, the 17-year-old Italian has been catapulted into a starring role in United's ongoing Premier League title defence.

While last Sunday's winner against Aston Villa was a piece of last-gasp artistry, this input at the Stadium of Light had a touch of fortune about it, but it was still enough to procure three priceless points after Kenwyne Jones had cancelled out Paul Scholes' opener.

Three points was all the Reds deserved, it has to be said, for a performance which was occasionally slapdash, but largely dominant against a Sunderland side severely lacking in confidence after a poor recent run of form.

Sir Alex Ferguson made a host of changes to the side which contested Tuesday's pulsating draw with Porto, with the return of Jonny Evans and Dimitar Berbatov from injury providing a welcome boost. Cristiano Ronaldo, involved in 20 of the Reds' previous 22 games this year, dropped to the bench for a well-earned rest. Scholes was included alongside Michael Carrick in midfield, and the veteran schemer ensured United were ahead by the interval.

Only a heroic block from Calum Davenport stopped the midfielder's 20-yard blockbuster testing Craig Gordon after nine minutes. Shortly afterwards, Scholes again found space in the area but opted to find Rooney, whose cross sailed over.

Djibril Cisse saw his shot deflected over as the hosts briefly rallied, but United looked by far the more likely to make the breakthrough. A minute later, Nemanja Vidic powered Rooney's corner goalwards, only for Danny Collins to scuff the ball off the line. From the ensuing scramble, the Serb sent an acrobatic overhead kick a yard wide of Gordon's goal.

The Reds weren't to be denied for long, however, and Scholes opened the scoring after 19 minutes. Berbatov held the ball up superbly before feeding Rooney, and his left-wing cross was clinically helped into the top corner by the experienced head of the diminutive midfield magician.

That took Scholes' career haul to 98 Premier League goals, but of far greater importance was laying the foundations for United to chalk up another three points. Having surrendered leads against Liverpool, Aston Villa and Porto with varying degrees of consequence in recent weeks, the need for a second goal was immediately apparent.

Plenty of possession ensued for United, but with few chances to show for their dominance. Inevitably, one or two jittery moments would follow as Sunderland grew in confidence; Djibril Cisse saw a shot palmed over by Foster and Jones headed straight at the England international, but the greatest scare came from a man in a red shirt.

Carlos Edwards shifted space away from Vidic before drilling in a cross from the right wing, and Evans could only watch and hope as the ball deflected off his shin, against Foster's far post and out to safety. Ji-sung Park then flashed an effort fractionally over Gordon's top corner, but United's interval lead remained a precarious one.

Within moments of the restart, Rooney thundered a magnificent 25-yard effort just past the top corner. The Reds would shortly be ruing that missed opportunity, and the concession of another sloppy goal. Tainio did well to fashion space down the left, and Foster failed to reach his teasing cross - giving Jones the chance to convert from close range.

The inevitable disappointment was scarcely tangible in United's approach, however. Scholes was within inches of restoring the champions' lead as his 20-yard snapshot arced agonisingly wide, while Tevez was thwarted by a combination of Gordon and his desperate defenders.

As time wore on, Ferguson decided to shuffle his pack with the introduction of Ronaldo and, shortly afterwards, Macheda at the expense of Park and Berbatov. Within a minute, the Italian had made another stunning impact.

Carrick's errant shot was heading wide as it entered a muddled cluster of home and away players, but spun away from Gordon and into the corner of the goal via Macheda's left instep. Deliberate or not - and he, a striker by trade, will tell you that it was - United had re-assumed a vital lead.

The goal took the wind out of Sunderland's sails. United, in desperate need of the three points to again overhaul Liverpool at the top of the table, clung on for grim life, seeing out the final 15 minutes in relative comfort - albeit with breath held, peeping between fingers for those packed into the away end.

Another nerve-wracking 90 minutes down, another three points. Watching United just wouldn't be the same without going through the wringer.