Bloody hell! What a game!
Watching that match was so exhausting...and not because I had to wake up in the middle of the night...no. But because it was such a epic roller coaster of a match. I got dragged through all sorts of emotions throughout the match. There was nerves, fear, excitement, expectation, confusion, exhaustion and finally and most importantly jubilation.
The match had it all. It had great football, had nail biting moments, had controversy and drama. It was just about the best display of English football there can be. The power, the pace, the skill, the atmosphere, the tension and the passion. Everything on display by quite rightly the two best teams in England.
United dominated the first half, no doubt about that. We went out all guns blazing at CSKA London. And quite frankly should have been 3 - 0 up at halftime. First a fabulous header by Ronaldo. It had to be him. It was his season. And he answered his doubters yet again by delivering in a big game. Then 2 gilt edged chances that we failed to put away. And then right about halftime, CSKA London gets a couple of lucky deflections to put Lampard through and a slip by van der Sar (thanks to the dodgy pitch) left him stranded when Fat Frank's shot went past him. Chelsea were very lucky not to be dead and buried by halftime and we were unlucky that it was level.
The second half, you just knew Chelsea would up their game because they were appaling in the first. And they did. They had much more sustained periods of possession and pressure. They didn't fashion clear chances and looked most threatening at set pieces where their size advantage was evident. United's defence stood tall. We also got a big help from the goal posts which denied Chelsea twice. But United, although under the kosh for long times in this half, also fashioned the best chance and I don't know how Giggsy didn't score from there. Great defending from Terry though.
The pitch was obviously causing all kinds of problems to the players, who were slipping and getting cramps all over the place. The weather certainly didn't help much. And going into extra time, they mustn't have fancied it.
Extra time was interesting, with tired legs everywhere, mistakes were likely and each team exchanged weary jabs at each other, waiting for the opportunity to pounce, which never came. Then Drogba decided to be an idiot and got himself sent off by slapping Vidic in front of the officials. Embarassing episode of handbags really.
Then it goes to penalties. And really, I didn't want for it to go to the jackpot of penalty kicks. It was terrible and agonising. When Ronnie's pen got saved, I was dead worried but strangely I didn't get the feeling that we've lost. The hope in my heart was strong. And the other lads really stepped up to the pressure and took great penalties.
When up stepped John Terry, the Chelsea captain, to take the penalty which would take the cup back to Stamford Bridge, I couldn't bear to watch. I covered my eyes with both hands. Then I heard the fans screaming and I thought have Chelsea won? Then NO! The commentators said he missed it! Holy Shit! what a let off! And all the pressure swings back over to Chelsea. Up stepped the big Dutchman, Edwin van der Sar, who won the Cup with Ajax, who denied Chelsea in a penalty shootout in the Charity Shield, who came up with the big save to deny Anelka and Chelsea and send all of Mancunia into sheer delight and jubilation.
We've won, United's won! Manchester United are Kings of Europe once again! We are the European and English Champions! What a feeling! What a team! What a club!
) that he score us a goal in the final... And much to my amusement, he notch his head and agreed!!!! LOLzzzzzzzzzzzz... From then on, i knew Ronnie gonna score a goal in this final!!!! So, when he did that with the header, I screamed til everyone woke up!!! LOLzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz... GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL................... Crrrrrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiisssssssssssssssttttttttiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnoooooooooooooooooo......................
