Rashford Dropped For Cup Defeat

Ruben Amorim said he made the right choice to leave Marcus Rashford out of the Manchester United team, even though the team lost 4-3 to Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup quarterfinals.

This was the second game Rashford missed. He was also not part of the squad in United's 2-1 win over Manchester City on Sunday.

The 27-year-old Rashford said on Tuesday that he wants to leave Manchester United. After the match, Amorim was asked if the loss made him change his mind about Rashford. Amorim said no.

"I always do what is best for the team," Amorim said. "I think my decision was correct because I try to help the team in the best way I can."

Without Rashford, Manchester United fell behind 3-0. They made it 3-2 after two mistakes by Spurs goalkeeper Fraser Forster. But Spurs scored again, making it 4-2. United’s Jonny Evans scored late, but it was not enough. Tottenham won and will now play Liverpool in the semifinals.

Amorim said the team had a hard time in the second half, especially during an eight-minute period when Spurs scored two quick goals.

"We had good possession of the ball," Amorim said. "For most of the game, I think we were the better team. But for eight minutes, we lost focus, and it was hard to recover. The players worked hard to come back, but the fourth goal made it very difficult for us."

Both teams had problems with their goalkeepers. United's Altay Bayindir, who replaced André Onana, made two mistakes that led to goals. Forster, Spurs' goalkeeper, also made errors. His second mistake happened when he took too long to pass the ball, and United’s Amad Diallo scored.

Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou defended Forster. "He is upset, but he has been great for us," Postecoglou said. "He will recover because he is a strong player."

Tottenham will play Liverpool in the semifinals in January. Newcastle will face Arsenal at The Emirates.