RED11.ORG

Posted by PaulJ on 2010-04-02 @ 6:24:01 +0000

Just Desserts

In the aftermath of England’s 1966 World Cup win, felt nowhere more bitterly than in the capital of Bavaria, Bayern took some revenge with a resounding pre-season 4-1 victory against a United team including three of the World Cup squad. Until Barcelona in May 1999 it was their only victory against us in seven meetings. Since Barcelona we had played them a further seven times and won none.

On Tuesday we were on a record-equalling run unbeaten away in Europe, we had won our last six games, we had convinced ourselves that we had a relatively easy draw and that we had come through our injury travails to deliver our best form of the season, spearheaded by one of the best strikers in the world. Bayern were missing Arjen Robben, their record signing Mario Gómez was fit only for the bench. They had suffered successive league defeats. Our team selection seemed sound. We fielded our first choice defence and Rooney up front, Carrick, Fletcher and Scholes in midfield and Park in support of Rooney. The only questions surrounded the omission of Giggs and the preference of Nani over Valencia on the flank. The day was sunny, the pitch was good, the Allianz Arena packed. It seemed that this might be our golden opportunity to regain the upper hand against the most famous German club.

From the kick off Carrick passed upfield and Martín Dimichelis, playing in a face mask since having his jaw broken by Michael Ballack, tripped Nani. Rooney’s movement left Dimichelis on his backside when Nani took the kick from near the right corner flag and Rooney was free to volley past goalkeeper Jörg Butt; with only twelve seconds of football played and sixty four seconds on the clock it was 1-0.

It was too good. We forgot our history and played tentatively. We conceded influence on the flanks and in midfield, our striker looked out of sorts despite his early success and the game plan, whatever it was, unravelled as we started giving the ball away. With the exception of Edwin Van der Sar and possibly the central defenders there was not a United player who could look with satisfaction upon his performance.

Bayern responded well to their setback; Hamit Altentop and Philipp Lamm should have been pressed back but Evra was having a rare weak night and playing without evident support; they took the freedom afforded to them to look slick and effective on the Bayern right. Once Neville had offered evidence of his age and pace to Franck Ribéry we were under pressure from both flanks; it was a good job their strikers were badly off target.

After about fifteen minutes Scholes released Rooney with a lovely ball; Rooney ran at the defence but checked and his shot was blocked. He kept plugging away but was penalised repeatedly for almost any bodily contact, became frustrated and by the end had offered Dimichelis an undeserved opportunity to regain confidence. Nani hit the bar with a cross but generally found the German defence, despite rumours, less accommodating than those at home.
Park was well nigh invisible, Carrick and Scholes were too hard pressed to operate effectively and Fletcher had his hands full trying to stem the tide.

As if this were not bad enough one by one each of these gave the ball away cheaply or was robbed while looking for someone to whom to pass. After about twenty minutes Ribéry cut in and his shot was deflected by Vidić; Van der Sar did well to save it. Then the Frenchman delivered a superb ball over the top to Altintop, onside and with only Van der Sar to beat he merely waved a leg at it. Ribéry bamboozled Neville, Van der Sar fisted his cross out to Altintop and though the midfielder’s shot was wide, Ivica Olic was through and goodness knows how he failed to convert it. Neville robbed Thomas Müller when he looked to be through after an incisive move and produced a vital header from a Lahm free kick. Vidic rescued the situation when Carrick gave the ball away. It looked inevitable that the home side would score and we were counting the seconds to half time.

Playing so deep we needed to be supremely efficient when we got a rare chance; Park, in space for once, found Fletcher on the left. His run and cross were superb, the ball sailed over Dimichelis and found Rooney eight yards out. He shot at the goalkeeper. Just before the break there was United pressure but Carrick’s intelligently careful shot was covered.

Fletcher began the second half with a biting tackle but any hopes of a change in our fortunes were dashed as Rooney gave the ball away and put us under severe pressure, Van der Sar saving from Olic. Ribéry was the next to rob Rooney; it was as if they had realised at half time that we were undeserving of our reputation and that even our best were there for the taking.

If Van der Sar had looked good in the first half he looked brilliant in the second; when Müller’s shot deflected off Vidic and looked to be spinning in, he reached it; when Altintop snaked his way through the United defence he was there to parry the fierce shot. His save from Daniel Van Buyten was more orthodox. We broke twice; each time Rooney got himself clear, each time the delivery was poor.

Changes seemed sensible and with twenty minutes to go we withdrew Carrick and Park, and brought on Berbatov to keep the ball and Valencia to deliver it more accurately if we ever got it. It had the opposite of the desired effect. Bayern produced a lovely, flowing move, a Müller backheel and an Olic near post shot. Van der Sar was good enough for that one but Neville rashly handled just outside the area. Ribéry took a poor free kick but it deflected off Rooney on the end of the wall and Van der Sar stood no chance as the ball found its way inside his right hand post; 77 minutes 1-1.

Incredibly, we might still have sneaked a win; Scholes got a ball through but Rooney was not sharp enough and then Giggs came on for Nani and with his first touch took a right wing corner which Vidic headed fiercely against the bar. By now, however, the force was with Bayern and soon we were hanging in there grimly again. Olic provided Ribéry with a shot which Van der Sar caught. Lahm’s cross was a dangerous one, Rio somehow managed not put it in his own goal.

Yet the seconds were ticking away. As the board went up indicating two added minutes, substitute Gómez took the ball past Vidic; Van der Sar somehow reached the shot, the save dropped safely wide of the goal and it seemed that a fine if undeserved result was within our grasp. But in the final throes of added time Evra was robbed by the marauding Olic, who had been missing the target all night but this time dummied the goalkeeper and hit it decisively past him; 92 minutes 1-2.

One could not deny that it was a condign conclusion but as if the sight of the shirtless Olic and 63,000 Bavarians cavorting around was not sickening enough there was Rooney being helped off the pitch with a damaged ankle. It seemed as if in the space of a few seconds a year of work had fallen apart.

Through luck and brilliant goalkeeping and because our opponents are clearly not the most talented team in Europe it is conceivable that we might prevail. We have brought home a one goal deficit on five occasions in two legged ties and succeeded in overturning them twice (Ajax and Roma), though to do so this time we will need to play very much better. Meanwhile we have the small matter of a rampant Chelsea with which to deal. It is all still there to be lost.

Paul James

Posted by Barry on 2010-03-30 @ 20:10:07 +0000

Red Devils head home trailing, but with a precious away goal
Bayern Munich hit back from a goal down to snatch a 2-1 first leg lead in their UEFA Champions League quarter-final with Manchester United.

Wayne Rooney's 34th goal of the season handed them the perfect start, but the dangerous Franck Ribery levelled for the German giants in the second half and Ivica Olic grabbed a late winner - evoking memories of the 1999 final when United did the same thing to their German opponents.

It took United less than two minutes to snatch the priceless away goal Sir Alex Ferguson so desperately craved prior to kick-off.

Nani swung over a looping free-kick from the right and Rooney, who benefitted from an untimely slip from Martin Demichelis, was left all alone six yards out to volley into the roof of the net.

Paul Scholes fired wide shortly after, as the Red Devils found their stride, but Bayern were unsurprisingly jolted into life by the goal.

They soon began to cause United all kinds of problems down their right, with Philipp Lahm proving to be tormentor in chief.

Olic and Hamit Altintop failed to combine as the visitors were caught napping, before Demichelis came close to making amends for his earlier mishap when he nodded over after ghosting in at the back post.

United's response was positive, with Rooney drilling into the legs of Daniel van Buyten and Nani dragging narrowly wide after a mazy run into the box.

The Portuguese winger also saw a hopeful cross clip the top of the crossbar, with Hans-Jorg Butt flapping at thin air, before the hosts upped the tempo once more.

Stung

Altintop was unable to haul in a magnificent pass from Mark van Bommel, when in on goal, while Olic somehow failed to get a telling touch to a mishit shot from his Turkish team-mate when presented with a golden opportunity in front of the target.

Danijel Pranjic then stung Edwin van der Sar's fingers from distance, but Bayern's effort in the opening 45 was to be in vain.

In fact, it was United who ended the half much the stronger, with Rooney failing to get the ball out of his feet quick enough to take advantage of some slack defending and Michael Carrick drilling a controlled left-foot volley into the grateful arms of Butt.

Louis van Gaal roused his troops at the interval, though, and Bayern could have been level inside 60 seconds of the re-start.

Ribery, who was kept at arm's length for most of the evening, fed Olic and from a tight angle the Croatian forced Van der Sar into a smart save.

Altintop then saw an effort deflected over and Van Buyten had two bites of the cherry from the resulting corner before United's creaking defence were able to see out the danger.

Thomas Muller then had Van der Sar scrambling, after an ambitious effort from the edge of the box took a wicked ricochet off Nemanja Vidic, but the big Dutchman was equal to the challenge.

The German giants were now knocking on the door every time they ventured forward, with Altintop dancing into the box and lashing straight at Van der Sar and Van Bommel working the United keeper from distance as the hour mark approached.

Ferguson's men were becoming more concerned with protecting their lead than adding to it, with their attacks lacking the kind of venom for which they have become renowned.

Resistance
They were, however, putting up stubborn resistance and Scholes flung himself in front of a Pranjic shot on 68 minutes, helping to lob the ball onto the top of the net.

A few minutes later Bayern threatened again, with a clever back-heel from Muller allowing Olic to drill low towards the near post. Once again Van der Sar was not to be beaten.

The United keeper was picking the ball out of his net, though, on 77 minutes when a tame Ribery free-kick flicked off the heels of the unfortunate Rooney, leaving him stranded.

Rooney was now having one of those nights, with half an opportunity evading him 10 minutes from time when his first touch deserted him at the vital moment.

United then had a great chance to regain their lead seven minutes from time when Vidic rose to meet a corner from substitute Ryan Giggs, but saw his towering header crash back off the crossbar.

Mario Gomez, fresh from the bench, had United rattled as the final whistle approached, but Van der Sar did well again to parry a stinging shot from the powerful frontman.

Then, with just seconds remaining Olic suddenly sprang in on goal, composed himself and rifled home from close range to turn the tie on its head.

Worryingly for United and England, Rooney hobbled off with time running out and must be a major doubt for the return leg at Old Trafford and Saturday's crucial Premier League date with Chelsea.

www.skysports.com

Posted by Barry on 2010-03-30 @ 20:06:55 +0000

Ivica Olic grabbed an injury-time winner as Bayern Munich drew first blood in their Champions League quarter-final with Manchester United.
United had taken the lead after just 66 seconds when Wayne Rooney volleyed in six yards out from Nani's free-kick.
But Franck Ribery's deflected free-kick set up a dramatic finale, rounded off by Olic's cool run and finish after a defensive error by Patrice Evra.
United's misery was made complete when Rooney limped off with an ankle injury.
And the England striker's injury could yet prove to be the major story of the night, with the 24-year-old apparently in severe pain after turning over on his ankle in the build-up to Bayern's winner.
Either way, it was a poor night for United, who failed to build on Rooney's opener, allowing Bayern to take control of a tie now nicely poised ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford on 7 April.
Sir Alex Ferguson's side will comfort themselves in the knowledge that they have that away goal, but should Rooney be missing in a week's time it is clear United have plenty of work to do to combat a Bayern side who are likely to be buoyed by the return of key winger Arjen Robben after a calf problem.
Much of the talk had centre on that pair before the game, but while Robben had to watch from the stands due to injury, Rooney took no time at all to make his mark on the tie.
Barely a minute was on the clock Nani's free-kick from the right looped off the head of Mark van Bommel and, as Martin Demichelis slipped in the box, Rooney - in acres of space - volleyed home left-footed from six yards out.
It was exactly the start United manager Sir Alex Ferguson wanted, especially after admitting beforehand that he would take a goal over a clean sheet from the tie in Germany.
It did not, however, prompt a United procession as some might have expected. Instead, with United dropping deeper as the match went on in an attempt to play on the counter, Bayern slowly got a foothold in the game and began to utilise the weapons at their disposal.
Most notably, Ribery began to torment right back Gary Neville. It was he who forced the first save of the tie from Edwin van der Sar with a deflected 18-yard effort, and the Frenchman who twice caused panic in the home defence in quick succession.
First his delicious ball over the top was miscontrolled by Hamit Altintop when he had just the keeper to beat, and then his cross was only half-cleared by Van der Sar, Ivica Olic somehow allowing Altintop's rebound shot to slip under his foot with the goal gaping.
At the other end, Rooney and Nani were causing plenty of problems of their own, the latter pulling a shot wide and then hitting the bar with a misplaced cross, before Rooney failed to make the most of a fine Darren Fletcher cross, his shot beaten away by Hans-Jorg Butt.
Still, Ferguson cut a clearly frustrated figure on the touchlines - and if United fans wondered why they had their answer when Bayern upped the pace again in the second half.
Olic, Thomas Muller and Mark van Bommel all brought Van der Sar into action with decent efforts, while a mazy dribble from Altintop was almost topped by a cracking finish only for the Dutchman to save.
In response, Ferguson replaced Michael Carrick and the ineffective Ji-Sung Park with Dimitar Berbatov and Antonio Valencia, but still the Bayern chances came - Olic's toe-poke saved at his near post by Van der Sar and then, ultimately, came their equaliser.
Neville gave away the free-kick with a needless handball, and Ribery punished the veteran's lapse in concentration to the full extent when his tame free-kick made its way through the wall and in via a deflection off Rooney.
United responded briefly and almost pulled themselves back in front completely against the run of play when Nemanja Vidic rattled the crossbar with a bullet header from Ryan Giggs corner.
But still they looked vulnerable at the back and, in a finale remniscent of that in 1999 when United came from a goal down in injury time to beat Bayern to the Champions League trophy at the Nou Camp, the hosts had saved their most dramatic moment until the last.
Evra was the guilty party, dallying on the ball and allowing Olic to steal in, drive into the box, and clip past Van der Sar to send the home fans into raptures.
With Bayern players swarming the Croat by the corner flag, meanwhile, Rooney was being helped from the field and while his short-term hope will almost certainly be that he is fit to aid United's cause in the second leg, the long-term concern undoubtedly, now, surrounds the striker's participation in England's World Cup campaign.

bbc.co.uk

Posted by Barry on 2010-03-19 @ 11:49:34 +0000

Lyon v Bordeaux
Bayern Munich v Manchester United
Internazionale v CSKA Moscow
Arsenal v Barcelona

Arsenal and Manchester United are on course to face each other in the 2010 Champions League final but both will have to overcome two massive quarter-final hurdles after Friday’s draw in Nyon. Arsene Wenger’s side undoubtedly face the toughest test in getting there, having been picked out against Barcelona, who they lost to in the 2006 final in Paris.

Should the Gunners overcome the competition holders, they will then have come face-to-face with either Jose Mourinho’s Inter or surprise packages CSKA Moscow, who knocked Sevilla out in the last round.

Manchester United have been handed a slightly more favourable draw but still face a tough task in tackling Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich. The two teams faced each other in the final 11 years ago, when 90th minute goals from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham dramatically won the trophy for the English club in a comeback 2-1 win.

The winners of the all-French tie between Bordeaux and Olympique Lyon will face either United or Bayern in the semi-finals. Bordeaux, current Ligue 1 champions and league leaders in France, are battling it out with Lyon to retain their domestic title and will be hoping OL aren’t the team to kill off their hopes on both fronts.

For Arsenal, drawing Barcelona will reunite them with former player Thierry Henry, who was a member of the Gunners’ squad which lost the 2006 final to the Spanish giants.

Henry, who has a stuttering season at the Nou Camp, will make his first return to the Emirates Stadium since his departure from the club a year after their Champions League final defeat.

Inter are aiming to reach their first ever Champions League final under the current format. Their last appearance in the final, in the old European Cup, came when they lost the 1972 final to Ajax at Rotterdam’s De Kuip stadium.

Champions League quarter-final draw: Olympique Lyon v Bordeaux, Bayern Munich v Manchester United, Arsenal v Barcelona, Inter v CSKA Moscow.

Champions League semi-final draw: Bayern Munich or Manchester United v Olympique Lyon or Bordeaux, Inter or CSKA Moscow v Arsenal or Barcelona.

sport.stv.tv

Posted by Barry on 2010-03-14 @ 18:40:12 +0000

The 2009–10 UEFA Champions League is the 55th season of Europe's premier club football tournament and the 18th under the current UEFA Champions League format. Barcelona are the defending champions. The final will be played on 22 May 2010, at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home ground of Real Madrid, in Madrid, Spain.[1] This year's final will be the first to be played on a Saturday night, and the matches from the first knockout round will be spread over four weeks instead of two. The winner of the tournament qualifies to play in the 2010 FIFA Club World Cup as well as the 2010 UEFA Super Cup.