United spot-on with final success
Monday, May 26th, 2008
by Khilen Mehta
Sir Alex Ferguson had made it his priority this year to take the Champions League trophy back to Manchester this season in memory of those who did not survive the Munich disaster. As United won Europe´s elite trophy for a third time, the triumph was made more poignant as it came fifty years on from the air crash.
The opening moments of the game were predictably tense. Neither side was willing to give the other an inch and there was plenty of possesion but little to mention in terms of clear opportunities. The game sparked into life however in the 20th minute when an aerial collision between Scholes and Makelele left both players with a yellow card and bloody faces.
This was the spark that United needed and for the rest of the first half it was all them. Ronaldo had been terrorising Essien on the left wing all game and when a pin point Wes Brown cross found its way to the back post, predictably there was Ronaldo, to steal ahead of Essien and send United into the lead. Chelsea rode their luck from then on in but they were partly saved by poor finishing. Carlos Tevez and Michael Carrick both should have done better with their chances and the game should have been all over by half time. But as is football, Chelsea were back in the game by half time. Essien, driving forward from the back in order to make up for this mistake, had a shot deflected away. No United player followed up the ball, and there was Frank Lampard to equalise for Chelsea. Such a fitting tribute for a player who is playing so recently after the loss of his mother.
From then on, it was all Chelsea. They came out for the second half with their tails up and played United off the park. Twice Chelsea hit the woodwork, twice they were denied by the heroics of Van der Sar. But at the other end, John Terry somehow stopped United from retaking the lead with a incredible goal line clearance. Neither side could break the deadlock and so after 30 minutes of gruelling extra time, severe cramp and some childish behaviour by Drogba that earnt him a red card, there came the chance to be a hero in the penalty shootout.
Tevez and Carrick were on target for United as the shoot-out started, with Ballack and Juliano Belletti following up for Chelsea. Then up stepped Ronaldo, so often the saviour for United, but this time his arrogance almost cost him as his kick was saved by Cech. And so with defeat staring United in the face, Terry stepped up. However the weather had been treacherous and he slipped, sending his kick against the upright and giving United another lifeline. Anderson and Kalou were both successful before Giggs threw all the responsibility on Anelka as the shoot-out reached sudden death. However it proved too much for the striker, who saw his penalty palmed away by Van der Sar. United were crowned kings of European football once again.
