CNN
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Chelsea secured an impressive high note in a comfortable 3-0 victory over defending champion Manchester United in the Women’s FA Cup final on Sunday afternoon.
The two goals from Sandy Baltimore were one aspect of the Catalina Macario, and were enough to complete the domestic sweep of the Blues, which already won the Women’s Super League and League Cup this season.
Baltimore’s first goal came in the 45th minute when Cerin Bisette fouled Erin Cuthbert in the area. The French woman grabbed her nerves in front of United fans to convert the penalty.
The Red Devils could possibly come out late on a new impulse and level the tie through Elizabeth Telland and Ella Tone.
However, Chelsea managed to keep their opponents long and seal their victory in the 84th minute, when Macario headed for a free kick in Baltimore.
The icing on the cake came seven minutes later when Week Captain seized on a loose pass from Rea Galton and crossed Baltimore.
Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, along with his wife, tennis legend Serena Williams, attended Wembley after reporting £20 million ($26.6 million) with the club earlier this week.
“The sky is at its limit,” he told broadcaster BBC Sports at halftime. “I have heard this club say it is apologetic and ambitious.
“That’s what we’re trying to build here: not only be the best team, but also being the best team in the world and being at the forefront of women’s sports.
“This will one day be a billion dollar franchise. I hope my dollar, my pound, will be able to go back to it in particular to America’s homeland. This will be an American team.”
Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe faced criticism for his lack of commitment to the women’s team, but missed out on last year’s final, according to BBC Sports.
It was Chelsea’s sixth FA Cup title and the first title since 2023 to beat Manchester United 1-0 thanks to Samker’s goal. United defeated Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 in last year’s final.
The victory holds back a surprising first season for manager Sonia Bonpaster, who replaced club legend Emma Hayes in the summer after the British became head coach of the US Women’s National Team (USWNT).
Bompastor had imposed curfews on players over the past few weeks, but now “players are really worthy (to celebrate),” she told BBC Sports after the match.
“We still need to practice for a week, but we need to enjoy this. To achieve high notes in the UK, it’s difficult to find the right words to describe them.”
This is the second time in the club’s history that it has achieved a domestic high pitch, and will appear for the first time in the 2020-21 season. Only Arsenal did that five more times and achieved the feat on more opportunities.