By Lewis J. Hannah.
Two teams that don the red and white stripes. One a sharp blade, the other a fierce black cat. One looking for an immediate premier league return, the other looking to break a near decade-long absence from the top-flight. Wembley is the centre stage.
The Sky Bet Championship Play-off final, one of the grandest events on the football calendar, is almost here. A final shootout to decide who will join Leeds Utd and Burnley to the Premier League.
Both teams come into this contest on jubilant yet contrasting highs. The Blades head into this clash having just recorded the biggest aggregate win in a Championship Playoff semi-final, beating Bristol City 6-0 on aggregate over the two legs. The Blades ended their regular season in a blunt manner, but they were on point against the Robins.
Sunderland and their fans have perhaps only just come down from the ecstasy of last Tuesday’s 2nd leg. After a sensational 2-1 away at Coventry, the 2nd leg at the Stadium of Light looked like it would head to penalties after Coventry’s Ephron Mason-Clark had levelled the tie-on aggregate late in the second half. Up stepped Dan Ballard, who’s 122nd minute header sent the SOL into chaos, and sent Sunderland to Wembley.
Sheffield United looked to bounce straight back following relegation. With some smart recruitment, signing players like LB Harrison Burrows, Goalkeeper Michael Cooper, and Striker Tyrese Campbell, as well as keeping crucial players like Gustavo Hamer and Vinicius Souza saw Sheff Utd have a brilliant campaign, finishing 3rd on 90pts, with only a late season collapse preventing them from finishing in the top 2. 90 minutes stands between them and an immediate bounce back to the English top-flight.
For Sunderland, the black cats wanted to bounce back after a disappointing 16th placed finish last season. Under former Lorient manager Regis Le Bris, the Mackem’s have done just that. Well and truly in the race for automatic promotion, the black cats eventually lost ground in the race, culminating in them ending the season in 4th, and entering the playoffs with 5 straight losses. Few gave Sunderland a chance based on current form. Now, a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017 beckons.
Sheffield United have a torrid history with the playoffs, a 9th entry since 1987, the most times a team has entered the playoffs without ever winning the competition and never scoring in the 4 finals they have reached. In addition, Sheffield United have not won at Wembley since 1925. If there is a year to break a long-standing hoodoo, it is now for Chris Wilder’s Blades.
Sunderland similarly do not have a better record, an 8th playoff appearance, Le Bris will be looking to join Alex Neil as the only Sunderland managers to be promoted via the playoffs, a 2-0 win over Wycombe in the League One Playoff final back in 2022. Can the Frenchman etch his name into Mackem Myth?
Wembley is the ultimate stage. A stage for delight and delirium, and a stage for regret and heartbreak. Only one of these famous red and white stripes will reach the promised land. Will it be Wilder’s sharp Blades, or will it be Le Bris’ brilliant black cats?
