Football? Bloody Hell
Tonight was the Champion's League final between Liverpool and AC Milan and after missing the FA Cup final, I was not about to miss this match. Liverpool of course started as underdogs though they had more than proved their pedigree by knocking out tournament favourites Juventus and Chelsea in earlier rounds. Despite the fact that Liverpool are big rivals to Man Utd, I supported them for the match due to the fact that I really wanted an English team to lift the trophy and that AC Milan had knocked Manchester United out in an earlier round of the competition. Due to the fact that the JCR had been locked due to some drunken twat knocking out all of the windows on Monday, I had to go to a pub to watch the match. I went with Poonpong and Vattanac after hall, and ended up in a small cafe/pub near the bus station, after finding most pubs in central Oxford chock full of people. Watching football in a pub is actually a great experience - I certainly remember the atmosphere from when I went to watch England play in Euro 2004: it was wonderfully electric and exciting.
By the time we arrived, Liverpool were already down and struggling. Milan looked like the more incisive team with their three pronged attack of Shevchenko, Pirlo and Crespo wreacking havoc with their pace and movement. This paid dividends within 10 minutes of half time when a Liverpool penalty appeal for handball was turned down and led to a quick Milan break with Pirlo chipping the ball over a static Liverpool defence for Shevchenko to latch onto and rifle across the area leaving Crespo to turn the ball in. By then Liverpool were in deep trouble as no team had recovered from 2-0 down at half time to win the trophy in over 40 years, and this soon turned into absolute dire straights as Milan scored a third. The goal was made from a most sublime pass by Kaka from just about the centre circle as he turned Gerrard and sent a superb raking ball through to Crespo, curling it just beyong the despairing lunge of the Liverpool defender. If the pass was of the highest quality, so was the finish, as Crespo calmly flicked the ball over the stranded Dudek and into the back of the net.
At half time, even the most optimistic of supporters would not have given Liverpool much hope, and I even contemplated leaving the pub and heading back, but we decided to stick it out for the second half, a decision that would be richly rewarded. Football is such an amazing game, and is brilliant partly because it is so unpredictable, and nothing proved this more than a 6 minute spell in the second half. First, in the 52nd minute, John Arne Riise's cross at the second attempt was brilliantly headed into the far corner by Gerrard, leaving the keeper absolutely no chance. It was a true captain's goal from a man who gave everything he had, including filling in towards the end of the game as an emergency right back, his drive and courage never flagging. 2 minutes later, before Milan even had an opportunity to draw breath, Vladimir Smicer's shot from 20 yards squirmed through the grasp of Dida the Milan goalkeeper, who in all fairness was left unsighted and saw the ball late as Milan Baros artfully dodged the shot, though it was a pretty soft goal to concede. The miracle was complete just 4 minutes later, when a typical Gerrard burst was clumsily halted by Gennaro Gattuso, and a penalty was duly awarded. Xavi Alonso's poor spot-kick was saved by Dida, who had the misfortune to see it land in front of Alonso who duly smashed it into the top of the net. Three goals in 7 minutes, against one of the best defensive teams in the world - a defense boasting Maldini, Stam, Nesta and Cafu. Improbable? Most definitely. Unbelieveable? Yes, except for the fact that it had just been accomplished. The scores stood in Istanbul at three all.
The game then descended into one of cat and mouse with no team really able to gain the ascendency. Milan's pace, swagger and confidence had been destroyed by Liverpool's shock comeback but they regrouped, though they found Liverpool in the second half a much sterner prospect, with Liverpool defending far better. Liverpool on the other hand, settled down to a more patient approach, but never really threatened, something exemplified by their supporters cheering as they played keep ball in midfield as the match came to a close. They survived a few scares and the match eventually went into extra time. During the extra periods, the momentum once again swung towards Milan as they put more pressure on the Liverpool goal. Very often, Liverpool resorted to pumping a long ball into the path of a hopeful Cisse who had come on towards the end of regular time, though the balls weren't nearly accurate enough, even for someone with his much vaunted pace. Milan however were starting to look more dangerous, especially on the flanks, with substitue John Dahl Tomasson miskicking a half chance, and last ditch Liverpool tackling thwarting them on occasion. In the end, Milan had a superb gilt edge chance to win it, but Liverpool once again produced a miracle, this time in the form of goalkeeper Jerzey Dudek who saved from Shevchenko at point blank range not once but twice. A good cross was directed goalwards by Shevchenko but was blocked by Dudek, and fell back to the Ukranian striker who headed it back at goal from a yard or so out. Dudek somehow stick out a fist and parried that shot over the bar as well, a truly stunning and inspired peice of goalkeeping that probably saved his side. In the end, this unforgettable final would descend to the dreaded drama of penalties.
Milan of course had won the title on penalties against Juventus in 2003 and the question was, could they spoil Liverpool's comeback and win another shootout? Certainly their goalkeeper, Dida, had an immense reputation for saving penalties. Things could not have got off to a more dramatic start. Serghinho, under pressure from Dudek's attempt at doing a can-can on his line (something he said was inspired by Bruce Grobelaar the Liverpool legend who helped Liverpool win the cup in 1984 on penalties) ballooned his spot kick and was soon followed by Pirlo's penalty being saved by Dudek. Hamann and Cisse calmly scored for Liverpool, sending the keeper the wrong way. Milan looked in deep trouble now, and things certainly got interesting when Tomasson finally scored and Riise's penalty, which was headed for the bottom left corner, and was pretty sweetly struck, was somehow tipped aside by the goalkeeper. Smicer soon restored the advantage though, and when Shevchenko sent a tame strike down the middle of the goal, Dudek palmed it aside and the celebrations began.
By the time we arrived, Liverpool were already down and struggling. Milan looked like the more incisive team with their three pronged attack of Shevchenko, Pirlo and Crespo wreacking havoc with their pace and movement. This paid dividends within 10 minutes of half time when a Liverpool penalty appeal for handball was turned down and led to a quick Milan break with Pirlo chipping the ball over a static Liverpool defence for Shevchenko to latch onto and rifle across the area leaving Crespo to turn the ball in. By then Liverpool were in deep trouble as no team had recovered from 2-0 down at half time to win the trophy in over 40 years, and this soon turned into absolute dire straights as Milan scored a third. The goal was made from a most sublime pass by Kaka from just about the centre circle as he turned Gerrard and sent a superb raking ball through to Crespo, curling it just beyong the despairing lunge of the Liverpool defender. If the pass was of the highest quality, so was the finish, as Crespo calmly flicked the ball over the stranded Dudek and into the back of the net.
At half time, even the most optimistic of supporters would not have given Liverpool much hope, and I even contemplated leaving the pub and heading back, but we decided to stick it out for the second half, a decision that would be richly rewarded. Football is such an amazing game, and is brilliant partly because it is so unpredictable, and nothing proved this more than a 6 minute spell in the second half. First, in the 52nd minute, John Arne Riise's cross at the second attempt was brilliantly headed into the far corner by Gerrard, leaving the keeper absolutely no chance. It was a true captain's goal from a man who gave everything he had, including filling in towards the end of the game as an emergency right back, his drive and courage never flagging. 2 minutes later, before Milan even had an opportunity to draw breath, Vladimir Smicer's shot from 20 yards squirmed through the grasp of Dida the Milan goalkeeper, who in all fairness was left unsighted and saw the ball late as Milan Baros artfully dodged the shot, though it was a pretty soft goal to concede. The miracle was complete just 4 minutes later, when a typical Gerrard burst was clumsily halted by Gennaro Gattuso, and a penalty was duly awarded. Xavi Alonso's poor spot-kick was saved by Dida, who had the misfortune to see it land in front of Alonso who duly smashed it into the top of the net. Three goals in 7 minutes, against one of the best defensive teams in the world - a defense boasting Maldini, Stam, Nesta and Cafu. Improbable? Most definitely. Unbelieveable? Yes, except for the fact that it had just been accomplished. The scores stood in Istanbul at three all.
The game then descended into one of cat and mouse with no team really able to gain the ascendency. Milan's pace, swagger and confidence had been destroyed by Liverpool's shock comeback but they regrouped, though they found Liverpool in the second half a much sterner prospect, with Liverpool defending far better. Liverpool on the other hand, settled down to a more patient approach, but never really threatened, something exemplified by their supporters cheering as they played keep ball in midfield as the match came to a close. They survived a few scares and the match eventually went into extra time. During the extra periods, the momentum once again swung towards Milan as they put more pressure on the Liverpool goal. Very often, Liverpool resorted to pumping a long ball into the path of a hopeful Cisse who had come on towards the end of regular time, though the balls weren't nearly accurate enough, even for someone with his much vaunted pace. Milan however were starting to look more dangerous, especially on the flanks, with substitue John Dahl Tomasson miskicking a half chance, and last ditch Liverpool tackling thwarting them on occasion. In the end, Milan had a superb gilt edge chance to win it, but Liverpool once again produced a miracle, this time in the form of goalkeeper Jerzey Dudek who saved from Shevchenko at point blank range not once but twice. A good cross was directed goalwards by Shevchenko but was blocked by Dudek, and fell back to the Ukranian striker who headed it back at goal from a yard or so out. Dudek somehow stick out a fist and parried that shot over the bar as well, a truly stunning and inspired peice of goalkeeping that probably saved his side. In the end, this unforgettable final would descend to the dreaded drama of penalties.
Milan of course had won the title on penalties against Juventus in 2003 and the question was, could they spoil Liverpool's comeback and win another shootout? Certainly their goalkeeper, Dida, had an immense reputation for saving penalties. Things could not have got off to a more dramatic start. Serghinho, under pressure from Dudek's attempt at doing a can-can on his line (something he said was inspired by Bruce Grobelaar the Liverpool legend who helped Liverpool win the cup in 1984 on penalties) ballooned his spot kick and was soon followed by Pirlo's penalty being saved by Dudek. Hamann and Cisse calmly scored for Liverpool, sending the keeper the wrong way. Milan looked in deep trouble now, and things certainly got interesting when Tomasson finally scored and Riise's penalty, which was headed for the bottom left corner, and was pretty sweetly struck, was somehow tipped aside by the goalkeeper. Smicer soon restored the advantage though, and when Shevchenko sent a tame strike down the middle of the goal, Dudek palmed it aside and the celebrations began.
posted by Caleb Liu | 11:38 AM
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