The Reasons The Carabao Cup Is Superior To The FA Cup -The League Cup (EFL Cup) was, by far, my favourite club competition growing up as a Tottenham fan.
Spurs’ only remotely realistic hope of winning was because teams like Manchester United and Arsenal frequently fielded reserve teams.
That’s right—Spurs won it in February 2008, a month after destroying a young Gunners team 6-2 in the semifinals.
But my affection for the EFL Cup went beyond this exceptional achievement.
Even though the competition’s sponsored beverages have changed over the past 40 years—from milk to Coca-Cola to Worthington’s to Carling to Carabao—I still adore it and think it has become better recently.
Granted, the FA Cup has a lot more prestige and offers a lot more money in prizes—£2.5 million to the victors versus only £100,000 for the EFL Cup.
However, I can think of five reasons why the FA Cup is not nearly as good as the Cabaco Cup.
Directly to Penalties
Not a rerun. Not even a half-time break till the final four. If there is no winner after 90 minutes in the EFL Cup, the match proceeds straight to penalty kicks.
There is never a dull penalty shootout, so this not only adds to the drama, but shorter games also increase the likelihood of unexpected outcomes.
Beneath The Lights
Except for the final, every EFL Cup match takes place at night.
It’s no secret that games in the evening usually have higher atmospheres.
Draw Done Immediately
Cup drawings are a significant deal, but timing is key as with any event.
Whereas the FA Cup draws frequently happen days later, the EFL Cup draws happen right after the final game of each round.
As a football fan, some of my favourite moments are of me deliriously running back to the car to hear the draw over the radio following a cup victory.
No semifinals at Wembley
Long ago, the FA Cup gave its soul to Wembley. The national stadium hosting the semi-finals detracts greatly from the special nature of the final.
Even if two-leg semifinals in the EFL Cup aren’t perfect, they do ensure that each club will have one memorable night in front of their home crowd.
This is far superior to having a one-off match at Wembley in front of 20,000 empty seats.
Absence of VAR
Every FA Cup match played at a Premier League stadium the previous season featured a video assistant referee (VAR).
But until the semifinals, there is no VAR in the EFL Cup.
This implies that for ninety minutes of an EFL Cup match, supporters of Premier League clubs can fully immerse themselves in the game. Never retreat in case the striker’s toenail was not in line