Cup Heartbreak Again -- The Last Straw

[gizzmo]

I think all the parameters previously mentioned work to some extent. I won the cup 5 times but I would be unable to write down the ultimate recipe. 1) I think it is better to use the "artificial" way of diminishing your overall quality (disclosed elsewhere) 2) but it's far from being enough as I won the cup 3 times without that and lost it many times with it 3) It takes LUCK (I won on penalties 5 or 6 times for just one loss) but no one can hide behind that 4) You need to have a hell of a good team but not necessarily the best 5) you need to have the cup as your main objective (what I do almost every year) even if this results in the loss of a couple of league games (I never use my best squad for 2 games in the same day) 6) I do not think cups become easier or more difficult with time: all were for me a terrible fight from level 2 to 14 7) Most importantly, I trully believe you need to LOVE the cup (sorry for this religious and completely non scientific part). You need to be ready to suffer in order to win. And never consider you beaten (I came back from 0-3 twice and won) or easy winner (I lost a bitter second leg 2-7 after a 4-0 home win against a weaker team). Enjoy the cup !! My favourite competition by miles but you have guessed that already !

[DoctorRedDevil]

Unlike the league and Champions League where it gets tougher and tougher as rounds go by, in the Cup I personally found first hurdles the toughest. For so many seasons I have had frustrating preliminary/qualifying/playoff eliminations, but on those four occasions I reached the quarterfinals, each time I ended up winning the cup.