Sunderland to Face Port Vale in FA Cup Fifth Round

Sunderland will travel to Vale Park on Sunday for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff against Port Vale in the fifth round of the Emirates FA Cup, aiming to advance to the quarterfinals of the world's oldest club competition.

The matchup comes after Port Vale secured their place in the fifth round with a 1-0 extra-time victory over Bristol City in a rearranged fourth-round tie on Tuesday evening. The original fixture, postponed due to a waterlogged pitch on February 14, saw no goals in regular time before Ben Waine scored the decisive goal in the 112th minute. A long clearance from Port Vale found Andre Gray, who nodded it down for Waine to round goalkeeper Max O'Leary and slot home, sending the League One side through to face Sunderland.

Sunderland, managed by Régis Le Bris, have progressed steadily in the tournament this season. They earned 121,500 pounds for a third-round win and another 127,000 pounds after defeating Oxford United in the fourth round. A victory over Port Vale would add 238,500 pounds to their tally and propel them into the quarterfinals, where financial rewards escalate sharply: 477,000 pounds for quarterfinal winners, 530,000 pounds for semifinalists regardless of result,...