remembering this night for a long time to come...
whilst my previous posts about european nights have been highly critical of united (like watching united bow out passively against ac milan two years ago... that was something to forget...), united were undeniably magnificent against an as roma side that was a pale shadow of the team that took a 2-1 lead against united in rome.
the final score?
7-1. seven-one. you're reading it right.
even i couldn't believe it when michael carrick's cracker in the 11th minute kick started the roman slaughter. it was a beautiful way to open the floodgates as the ball fizzed into the back of the net with the keeper stranded off his line as the carrick decided to open up his champions league goal account with a bang. once again, provided by the irresistable cristiano ronaldo, who was absolutely pivotal as the game went on. not that he wasn't a pest to roma's defense from the start.
the next scorer 6 minutes later may have been a simpler finish, but it will definitely be remembered well by the old trafford faithful as it was scored by one who has endured injury hell. making his 3rd start of the season, alan smith peeled off his marker and got on the end of a superb move by united. started by carrick, heinze laid the ball on for giggs, who played a tantalising early cross in from the left that deflected off chivu into the path of the fiery yorkshire terrier, who swept home to open his own champions league account for united as well. welcome back smudger. welcome back.
just two minutes later, united found the back of the net again. this time with wayne rooney applying the finishing touch as giggs chalked up another assist, this time from the opposite flank as the roma defenders failed to pick up an onrushing rooney. he made no mistake at that close range, adding to his previously stagnant champions league goal tally.
up to then, ronaldo had been tormenting the poor roman defence. jinking and dancing around, ron was twisting the defenders inside out, left and right. having provided one goal and playing a part of the buildup to other two, he needed no invitation to rasp home united's fourth goal of the evening just before the end of normal time in the first half. receiving the ball from giggs again, ronaldo attacked the space on the right side of the pitch, taking on chivu before drilling the ball into the bottom corner at the near post. with that strike, ronaldo joined carrick in the champions league goal bank in opening up his account.
by half time, the united players were clearly dominating all over the pitch. even darren fletcher stated his case to be in the first team as he started in the place of the suspended paul scholes, winning important challenges and spraying passes all over the field. united controlled the game, restricting roma and totti to long range efforts that never looked close to bulging the back of the net.
luciano spalleti's team would cling on to the hope they had when they beat lyon 2-0 at the stade de gerland as they went out of the tunnel. if they could do that away from home against a french side that had been tipped to go all the way in europe, why not the same at united? unfortunately for roma, ronaldo delivered the final hammer blow that sealed roma's champions league coffin shut.
rooney was looking to double his european goal haul as he forced roma's keeper doni into tipping his shot onto the roof of the net. the resulting corner was dealt with, but the ball found rooney once more and he helped it on to ryan giggs. sliding the ball across the face of goal, the ball found ronaldo who tapped home 5 minutes into the 2nd half.
number six came in the sixtieth minute. carrick, who controlled the ebb and flow of united's game with his passing, was picked out by heinze. if his first goal was a joy to watch curl in, the second one was a positive bullet as it screamed into the top right hand corner from the left edge of the penalty box. a real treat to watch.
roma had some joy as totti did well to jink into space on the right and launch a cross in for daniele de rossi. the italian's cheeky finish was a fine goal in itself, but with the scoreline as it was, the celebrations from the roma players were understandably muted. i almost feel sorry for them.
and you know it just ain't your day when a substitute fullback who's playing out of position scores against you without striking the ball all that well. little patrice evra, who plies his trade on the left side of defence, cut in from his unaccustomed right back position and scuffed a grounder at goal. fortunately, it was hit with enough pace and the trajectory was kind as it wrong footed the hapless doni and nestled into the bottom right hand corner. a perfect 7.
i came into this match extremely cynical, expecting united to bow out of europe once more. but an insane performance like this just left me all abuzz with adrenaline. if united could produce scintillating performances like this week in week out, one might dare to dream that the treble is back on once again.
glory, glory.
the final score?
7-1. seven-one. you're reading it right.
even i couldn't believe it when michael carrick's cracker in the 11th minute kick started the roman slaughter. it was a beautiful way to open the floodgates as the ball fizzed into the back of the net with the keeper stranded off his line as the carrick decided to open up his champions league goal account with a bang. once again, provided by the irresistable cristiano ronaldo, who was absolutely pivotal as the game went on. not that he wasn't a pest to roma's defense from the start.
the next scorer 6 minutes later may have been a simpler finish, but it will definitely be remembered well by the old trafford faithful as it was scored by one who has endured injury hell. making his 3rd start of the season, alan smith peeled off his marker and got on the end of a superb move by united. started by carrick, heinze laid the ball on for giggs, who played a tantalising early cross in from the left that deflected off chivu into the path of the fiery yorkshire terrier, who swept home to open his own champions league account for united as well. welcome back smudger. welcome back.
just two minutes later, united found the back of the net again. this time with wayne rooney applying the finishing touch as giggs chalked up another assist, this time from the opposite flank as the roma defenders failed to pick up an onrushing rooney. he made no mistake at that close range, adding to his previously stagnant champions league goal tally.
up to then, ronaldo had been tormenting the poor roman defence. jinking and dancing around, ron was twisting the defenders inside out, left and right. having provided one goal and playing a part of the buildup to other two, he needed no invitation to rasp home united's fourth goal of the evening just before the end of normal time in the first half. receiving the ball from giggs again, ronaldo attacked the space on the right side of the pitch, taking on chivu before drilling the ball into the bottom corner at the near post. with that strike, ronaldo joined carrick in the champions league goal bank in opening up his account.
by half time, the united players were clearly dominating all over the pitch. even darren fletcher stated his case to be in the first team as he started in the place of the suspended paul scholes, winning important challenges and spraying passes all over the field. united controlled the game, restricting roma and totti to long range efforts that never looked close to bulging the back of the net.
luciano spalleti's team would cling on to the hope they had when they beat lyon 2-0 at the stade de gerland as they went out of the tunnel. if they could do that away from home against a french side that had been tipped to go all the way in europe, why not the same at united? unfortunately for roma, ronaldo delivered the final hammer blow that sealed roma's champions league coffin shut.
rooney was looking to double his european goal haul as he forced roma's keeper doni into tipping his shot onto the roof of the net. the resulting corner was dealt with, but the ball found rooney once more and he helped it on to ryan giggs. sliding the ball across the face of goal, the ball found ronaldo who tapped home 5 minutes into the 2nd half.
number six came in the sixtieth minute. carrick, who controlled the ebb and flow of united's game with his passing, was picked out by heinze. if his first goal was a joy to watch curl in, the second one was a positive bullet as it screamed into the top right hand corner from the left edge of the penalty box. a real treat to watch.
roma had some joy as totti did well to jink into space on the right and launch a cross in for daniele de rossi. the italian's cheeky finish was a fine goal in itself, but with the scoreline as it was, the celebrations from the roma players were understandably muted. i almost feel sorry for them.
and you know it just ain't your day when a substitute fullback who's playing out of position scores against you without striking the ball all that well. little patrice evra, who plies his trade on the left side of defence, cut in from his unaccustomed right back position and scuffed a grounder at goal. fortunately, it was hit with enough pace and the trajectory was kind as it wrong footed the hapless doni and nestled into the bottom right hand corner. a perfect 7.
i came into this match extremely cynical, expecting united to bow out of europe once more. but an insane performance like this just left me all abuzz with adrenaline. if united could produce scintillating performances like this week in week out, one might dare to dream that the treble is back on once again.
glory, glory.
greg last trudged in on 4/11/2007 04:58:00 am
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