More often than not, soccer finals are boring beyond reasonable tolerance. Teams will just sit on a 0-0 score line and take their chances on penalty kicks and its not until the game is over that we realize we just watched 90 plus minutes of nothing.
The Champions League final May 28 between Spain’s FC Barcelona—the greatest team ever—and England’s Manchester United was a rare treat. Both teams won their domestic leagues, so it was only fitting that they’d face off in the final battle of European soccer dominance.
With Barcelona’s reputation for hogging the ball—the lowest percentage of possession they’ve had all season was something like 63 percent—every coach on the planet knows that defeating the Spanish League winners requires one fantastic game plan.
Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson’s game plan worked . . . For about ten minutes.
His team came out strong and solid, not allowing Barcelona to settle into their usual composure and had a few unsettling chances on goal for Barca fans (myself included). But within ten minutes, their fervor died down, Barcelona settled into a rhythm and it was all downhill from there.
Manchester United did their best to contain Barca’s deadly middle, attempting to suffocate Spanish midfielders Xavi Hernadez and Andres Iniesta. But even with such talent as veteran Ryan Giggs and captain Nemanja Vidic United simply had no answer for Barcelona’s precise passing game.
A goal from Spanish international Pedro Rodriguez about 20 minutes in shook things up. United responded in the 37th minute with a goal from their star striker Wayne Rooney, a beautiful curving shot that whizzed past Barca keeper Victor Valdez.
The game went to half time with a 1-1 tie, though honestly the score could’ve been racked up in Barca’s favor with all the chances they missed.
By the second half, Manchester all but gave up, as they were out-possessed almost 70-30 percent. By this time, the ball found its way over to the feet of a little man named Lionel Messi.
And when Messi has the ball, defenders beware.
The best player in the world—not debatable—Messi took over the game and pushed Barcelona up 2-1 with an unexpected and deadly accurate shot from outside the eighteen-yard line.
The Argentinean mastermind kicked a microphone out of his way as he celebrated his goal in front of a camera (I don't think I've ever seen him so happy).
United keeper Edward van der Sar saved one shot after another, his defense collapsing under intense and incessant Barcelona pressure, but was unable to keep a third goal at bay.
After a moment of Messi doing what he does best—dribbling circles around professional defenders and watching them evaporate in his wake—the ball fell to David Villa who curved the ball into the top corner of the goal.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
3-1 was the final in an exciting Champions’ League season, earning Barcelona their second title in three years—they beat Manchester in the 2009 final as well—and their fourth ever.
Check out Foxsoccer.com for highlights and, most importantly, to watch the best goals of the tournament (the best goal was undeniably Messi's one man show against Real Madrid).
The Champions League final May 28 between Spain’s FC Barcelona—the greatest team ever—and England’s Manchester United was a rare treat. Both teams won their domestic leagues, so it was only fitting that they’d face off in the final battle of European soccer dominance.
With Barcelona’s reputation for hogging the ball—the lowest percentage of possession they’ve had all season was something like 63 percent—every coach on the planet knows that defeating the Spanish League winners requires one fantastic game plan.
Manchester United coach Sir Alex Ferguson’s game plan worked . . . For about ten minutes.
His team came out strong and solid, not allowing Barcelona to settle into their usual composure and had a few unsettling chances on goal for Barca fans (myself included). But within ten minutes, their fervor died down, Barcelona settled into a rhythm and it was all downhill from there.
Manchester United did their best to contain Barca’s deadly middle, attempting to suffocate Spanish midfielders Xavi Hernadez and Andres Iniesta. But even with such talent as veteran Ryan Giggs and captain Nemanja Vidic United simply had no answer for Barcelona’s precise passing game.
A goal from Spanish international Pedro Rodriguez about 20 minutes in shook things up. United responded in the 37th minute with a goal from their star striker Wayne Rooney, a beautiful curving shot that whizzed past Barca keeper Victor Valdez.
The game went to half time with a 1-1 tie, though honestly the score could’ve been racked up in Barca’s favor with all the chances they missed.
By the second half, Manchester all but gave up, as they were out-possessed almost 70-30 percent. By this time, the ball found its way over to the feet of a little man named Lionel Messi.
And when Messi has the ball, defenders beware.
The best player in the world—not debatable—Messi took over the game and pushed Barcelona up 2-1 with an unexpected and deadly accurate shot from outside the eighteen-yard line.
The Argentinean mastermind kicked a microphone out of his way as he celebrated his goal in front of a camera (I don't think I've ever seen him so happy).
United keeper Edward van der Sar saved one shot after another, his defense collapsing under intense and incessant Barcelona pressure, but was unable to keep a third goal at bay.
After a moment of Messi doing what he does best—dribbling circles around professional defenders and watching them evaporate in his wake—the ball fell to David Villa who curved the ball into the top corner of the goal.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
3-1 was the final in an exciting Champions’ League season, earning Barcelona their second title in three years—they beat Manchester in the 2009 final as well—and their fourth ever.
Check out Foxsoccer.com for highlights and, most importantly, to watch the best goals of the tournament (the best goal was undeniably Messi's one man show against Real Madrid).
