West Ham 2 Leeds 2 (Leeds win on penalties) - A show of spirit? Stach and Rodon injury blow?

Leeds fans celebrate Calvert-Lewin's penalty Steve Bardens/Getty Images Share full article9Leeds United have reached an FA Cup semi-final for the first time in 39 years after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over West Ham. The visitors were 2-0 up heading into added-time before West Ham scored twice to take the game to extra-time. Leeds would hold out over the additional 30 minutes before winning in a shootout. Leeds last reached an FA Cup semi-final in 1987, when they lost to Coventry City, have not played a non-play-off game at Wembley since 1996 and last won the FA Cup in 1972. Leeds have, on three other occasions, come close to reaching an FA Cup semi-final since 1987, but on all three occasions — 1995-96, 1997-98 and 2002-03 — have been knocked out at the quarter-final stage. The visitors led 2-0 in the 94th minute courtesy of goals from Ao Tanaka and a penalty from Dominic Calvert-Lewin. However, they were pegged back during 11 minutes of added-time, conceding first to Mateus Fernandes and then to Axel Disasi. They managed to hold out for 30 minutes, despite two West Ham goals being ruled out for offside, and then the match went to penalties. Leeds would ultimately triumph on spot kicks, with Pascal Struijk scoring the final kick to send Leeds to Wembley. The Athletic’s Beren Cross breaks down the key moments from the game below. Generations of Leeds United supporters will tell you this is the way it has always been. Their club is not allowed nice things and if they do happen to get them, it’s with immense hardship. As Dominic Calvert-Lewin celebrated with the away end after his 75th-minute penalty conversion, it felt like the tie was done and dusted. Even with 15 minutes of normal time to play, surely Leeds would see this match out at 2-0 and return to Wembley. Sadly, they grew complacent, with thousands of home fans filing out of the ground, forlorn and refocusing on the Premier League. Then the board went up with 11 minutes of added time to play. That galvanised the remaining home crowd and home side, a slither of hope, a reason to keep trying. Leeds failed to pull up their drawbridge. Jarrod Bowen tormented them all afternoon, hitting the post for the first time, before Manuel Fernandes hit the first in the third minute of added time. Axel Disasi would get his foot to head height for the unlikely equaliser three minutes later. Somehow, the visitors managed to regroup. Two extra-time West Ham goals were ruled out for offside, including one inexplicably created by an errant Lucas Perri header. And yet, Leeds stuck in, improved as the second period of extra time wore on and held out for a penalty shootout. While fans would have feared the worst after Piroe’s effort was saved, Leeds showed immense spirit to overcome West Ham and win the shootout. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was considered a doubt in the build-up to this game after hurting his hamstring in training. It was not a major surprise to see him outside the starting line-up, but a relief to see his name at least ready from the bench. There was only one man stepping up to take the penalty once Craig Pawson had been sent to review the Max Kilman foul he missed. Brenden Aaronson had been scythed down before the defender got near the ball. Exactly three weeks after missing a spot-kick 10 miles away at Selhurst Park, Calvert-Lewin stepped up to make amends. The England striker arrowed the ball in the same direction as his attempt at Crystal Palace, but this time, he found the net. He will now hope to go to Wembley and make amends for the miss he made there in England colours last week, which no doubt lingered in his mind. Anton Stach has been one of the pillars of this season for Leeds United. Only Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been involved in more goals for the Elland Road outfit this term. The sight of him limping from the field in the first half will be a big concern for supporters. The optimists will reflect on the fact that he was able to leave the field under his own steam and felt, before Daniel Farke removed him from proceedings, that he could try to play on. However, he was spotted on camera in the 82nd minute in a boot and with crutches by his side, which might bode badly. Not only has Stach been a huge presence on set pieces, with his corners and free kicks, but in open play, his strength, tackling, movement and positioning have been huge assets. Thankfully for Farke, he has options in Stach’s preferred positions. Brenden Aaronson, who came on for Stach on Sunday, and Wilfried Gnonto are the obvious candidates in the attacking midfielder slot. Further back, Ao Tanaka, impressive on Sunday, Ilia Gruev and Sean Longstaff are available to play alongside Ethan Ampadu. Joe Rodon was the second of Farke’s regulars who failed to finish the match through injury. Again, the defender was at least able to continue for a short while before limping off. Sebastiaan Bornauw, Ampadu and James Justin are the best-placed replacements for Rodon, but the latter two would need reshuffling elsewhere in the team. It’s three-and-a-half months since Ao Tanaka started in the Premier League. His last three starts have all been in the FA Cup since mid-December. He’s become one of Daniel Farke’s FA Cup fringe options. There was a tap-in at Derby County in the third round, but this was a glorious goal started and finished by the Japan international in the capital. As he had done throughout the first half, Tanaka bullied the ball away from Soungoutou Magassa, protected it from him and ran away from him. He fed James Justin wide left and then raided the box. Magassa could not match his burst. As the ball came back to Tanaka, his touch, turn and finish were marvellous, composed and decisive. Tanaka bossed the midfield battle to the extent Magassa had to be hooked at the break. Tanaka — who was taken off as part of a triple substitution just after the hour — was one of the stars in last season’s Championship title run, but he’s not really had that chance this season. This was him sticking a hand up for more minutes in the league. Lucas Perri made a pair of good saves in the opening 15 minutes, particularly in keeping Taty Castellanos’s close-range effort out. But it was Leeds who took the lead in the 26th minute. Ao Tanaka started a move in midfield. The ball was worked out to Noah Okafor on the left. Okafor then fed the ball into Tanaka in the box, who turned before firing a deflected strike into the net. Leeds lost Anton Stach and Joe Rodon to injury either side of half-time. West Ham had a great chance to equalise in the 61st minute when Taty Castellanos met an Adama Traore cross, but his headed effort hit the post. Leeds were given a penalty in the 74th minute after a Maximilian Kilman tackle on Brenden Aaronson was given as a foul following a video assistant referee review. Dominic Calvert-Lewin then struck from the spot to double their lead. Wilfried Gnonto then came inches away from adding a third after flicking a cross towards goal in the 79th minute. And that proved to be costly. West Ham pulled one back through Mateus Fernandes in added-time after Jarrod Bowen hit the post with a curled effort. And they levelled in dramatic circumstances through Axel Disasi, who knocked the ball past Lucas Perri from a cross. West Ham appeared to have gone ahead a minute into extra-time when Perri failed to deal with a ball over the top, choosing to head it when he could have caught it, before Castellanos managed to hit the back of the net from a tight angle. However, after a VAR check, he was judged to have been offside and the goal was disallowed. West Ham also had another strike that hit the back of the net, which was also disallowed for offside, while Leeds had an effort cleared off the line. The scores stayed level, though, and the game went to penalties. Joel Piroe took Leeds’s first penalty, which was saved, before Jarrod Bowen took West Ham’s first and had his saved too. Calvert-Lewin scored Leeds’s second, while Kyle Walker-Peters bagged for the hosts. Brenden Aaronson converted his spot kick, and then Tomas Soucek scored for West Ham. Wilfried Gnonto scored for Leeds before Pablo’s penalty was saved by Perri. Pascal Struijk then scored a final penalty for Leeds to send them to Wembley. We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference. Monday, April 13: Manchester United (Away), Premier League, 8pm UK, 3pm ET Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Beren Cross is a football writer for The Athletic, covering Leeds United. Before joining The Athletic, he reported on Leeds United for Leeds Live. He was born in Doncaster and grew up in Lincoln. Follow Beren on Twitter @Berencross