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Presenting, after 6 months and 21 days as a chao Private, chao Lance-Corporal Aaron Wong!
For his valiant efforts, he has been given a mammoth pay raise of... $20. Hooray.
I think I spent more buying and sewing the epaulettes.
Meanwhile there remains some uncertainty over whether I'm staying as Comd runner, or going over to 6 Div to be a PA. I'd really like to stay, my friends all being here, so we'll see. Must try to make it pretty obvious I want to stay. =]
Everyone almost got conned into moving there under the impression I'd be writing for 6 Div newsletter and NDP, but spoiled their evil plan to steal me! haha! ahem nvm...
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Friday, April 16, 2004
Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Arsenal vs. Manchester United, 3 Apr 2004, Villa Park, FA Cup Semi-final
SAVED OUR SEASON! by Aaron Wong
Manchester United finally gave their suffering fans something to celebrate when they edged bitter rivals Arsenal 1-0 with an opportunistic strike from Paul Scholes. The England midfielder's 32nd minute howitzer means only First Division Millwall stands between United and their first FA Cup victory at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Sir Alex Ferguson's amazing recod in domestic cup semi-finals continued with his tenth consecutive triumph, as United ground out a narrow win despite the absence of arguably their top two strikers and best defender. If not the best then certainly the most expensive - ₤62.8m of talent was conspicuously absent fromt the United team-sheet.
While United weer without Rio Ferdinand, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Louis Saha because they were suspended, injured and sup-tied respectively, Arsene Wenger's omission of Jose Antonio Reyes and Thierry Henry was borne of impudence, not incapacity.
As it happened, it seemed Wenger's gamble had paid off, as Arsenal exploded off the blocks, and could have gone 3-0 up within the first five minutes. Dennis Bergkamp, Edu and Kolo Toure were the villains, and United goalkeeper Roy Carroll the hero, as three gilt-edged chances were spurned by the usually clinical Gunners. Perhaps the difference was that Premiership top scorer Henry was not on hand to punish United.
As early as the third minute, Arsenal were presented with a chane by United's helter-skelter defensive positioning. Bergkamp was put through on the left, but by the time he had engineered a left foot snapshot, Carroll was already there to save with his feet. Perhaps Henry or Reyes's superior pace might have resulted in a more comfortable finishing position.
As the Dutchman collected the loose ball, Carroll was stranded, and torn between going for Bergkamp or scurrying back to cover the open goal. He did neither, and Bergkamp was able to curl a low shot towards goal on his natural right foot. but in the time that the United custodian had forced Bergkamp to take the extra touch to steady himself, Wes Brown had fallen back to clear with a diving header.
Almost immediately though, Arsenal worked the ball to Edu on the edge of the area. The Brazilian, in the form of his life this season, gracefully lifted the ball with his left foot and snt it arcing over the still shaken Carroll. Die-hard United fans may argue that despite the distinctly uncomfortable nature of the shot, the Northern Irishman had the lob covered. But anyway the shot hit the crossbar and went straight up in the air.
With the United defence still ball watching it seemed inevitable Toure would put the Gunners deservedly ahead, with Carroll still sprawled on the ground from the earlier attempt. The Ivory Coast international placed his header to the keeper's left. Being in the six-yard box with the keeper taken out of the equation, who could blame him? The shout was already in every Gooner's throat, but they dod not take into account Roy Carroll rising from the turf in the manner that he did. Flying through the air and seemingly defying gravity, he clawed the ball away from under the bar.
At that point it was hard to tell who drew the greater confidence from that amazing two-minute sequence, but suffice to say, the Red Devils were awoken from their stupor.
Soon after that, United had a chance of their own as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was released down the left, exploiting lauren's over-exuberant attacking commitment. But the Norwegian failed to stretch Jens Lehmann.
Ferguson's decision to unleash what must be seen as two of the Premiership's most feared wide men in Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo stretched the Arsenal defence to breaking point. Teenage left back Gael Clichy in particular was being given a torrid examination by United's Portuguese wunderkind, and was booked for bringing another slalom surge to a clumsy conclusion.
Despite Ronaldo's lack of experience, being only 18 and having arrived only this season from the supposedly weaker Portuguese league (how Porto would scoff at this inference), Ronaldo's impact has been nothing short of spectacular. And on this display, he isn't shy to do it in the big games too.
While United had at least restored parity, Arsenal were still imperious whenever they had the ball, Fredrik Ljungberg should have done better in the 15th minute when he scuffed his shot.
United were hungrier and more desperate to win, the FA Cup being their last realistic hope for silverware this season. It appeared they had had remedial training at Carrington as well, as Giggs and Scholes executed a well-rehearsed free-kick routine. Both ran toward the ball simultaneously, turned away at the last instant in mock embarrassment, before Scholes suddenly turned and delivered a stinging ball in to the box that Arsenal just managed to clear. It was clear United were getting more confident.
In their last meeting, United harried and hassled Arsenal to a 1-1 draw, despite being outplayed for long periods. United stuck to the same game plan, this time with greater effect, as United's physical approach put Arsenal's aristocrats out of their stride.
Tackles were flying in from all over the place, and ironically it was Ronaldo who was on the receiving end of a bad tackle. He had to limp off to receive treatment, to the trepidation of the United bench. Though he was back on in minutes, he seemed to be gingerly trynig his leg out, and the worry was that the Red Devils' most potent weapon would have to be taken off.
That proved to be the least of United's worries, as what should have been a straightforward clearance by Mickael Silvestre went horribly wrong as the ball accidentally brushed his hand. 'Handball!' screamed the Arsenal fans, players and infamously myopic manager in unison, but the referee waved play on. Another fortunate incident, and perhaps it could turn out to be United's day, even more so as Pires ballooned a free header in the six-yard box.
And so it proved in the 32nd minute, as the ball was worked to a roving Ryan Giggs, this time on the right wing. Having got in behind the United rearguard, the opportunity was there for Giggs to shoot on his favourite left foot, but instead he looked for the opening.
Playing the ball a stride behind the desperately retreating Arsenal defence, the Welshman picked out Scholes, who made no mistake from 15 yards. With no player closing Scholes down, Lehmann was left stranded as the ball exploded off Scholes's right foot and billowed the German's net.
Having done so well initially, this sucker punch was a low blow to Arsenal, and they trooped dejectedly upfield as their opponents congregated in delirium. Eventually someone reminded them they still had 58 minutes to go, and now they faced ARsenal with renewed confidence.
it is said a team is most vulnerable immediately after they've scored, and it almost proved the case again. The largely anonymous Jeremie Aliadiere played a first-time ball into Ljungberg's path barely two minutes later, and if not for Silvestre's timely intervention, the Swede would have been through.
Arsenal were finishing the half strongly, but their weakness in the air was exposed as no one converted a flurry of corners and crosses. So on United's throw of the dice, Darren Fletcher took charge.
It seems every young British Manchester United midfielder with a right foot is being compared to a young David Beckham, but you can't go too wrong with young Scottish tyke Fletcher. Certianly on the lightweight side, and heavily dependent on his right foot as the England captain was, Fletcher's passing range belies one so young.
With five minutes to go to a well-earned half-time break, the United youth academy graduate lofted an exquisite through ball to release Ronaldo behind Clichy again. Although Ronaldo's low cross was cleared, Arsenal could scarcely allow United such expediency on the ball.
United survived a last-minute scare, just to jog their manager's pacemaker, as Roy Keane, under pressure from fellow skipper Patrick Vieira, headed against the foot of the post with Carroll stranded. United were riding their luck, but at least they had ridden it to the halfway mark.
United stuck with the system that served them well in the second half, with Solskjaer as the lone striker, but his rustiness showed as his first touch failed him on several occasions.
Five minutes into the half, and the match had its forst real moment of controversy. As Bergkamp burst into the box, he went down under presure with red shirts all around him, and he appealed for a penalty. John O'Shea berated Bergkamp for diving, and rightly so, as the replays proved.
Somwhow Wenger must have caught on that the Bergkamp-Aliadiere partnership wasn not working, and so on 58 minutes, he threw on his not-so-secret weapons, Henry and Reyes.
Other teams may have capitulated at the sight of those two coming fresh off the bench, but then United are hardly just another team. United stuck to their guns and continued to apply stifling presure on the outnumbered Arsenal midfield at every opportunity.
It seemed to work as Arsnal became increasingly desperate, the likes of Edu and Henry resorting to pot shots from 30 yards out. Perhaps henry's superlative strike the last time these two met was still fresh in his mind? This time though, Carroll remained untroubled.
The match threatened to boil over as goalscorer Scholes was about two weeks late with a knee-high studs-first challenge on Reyes. Arsenal soon forgot about that though, as two minutes later, Silvestre continued his passable impression of Liverpool defender Stephane Henchoz as the ball struck his hand in full view of the referee, but again the man in black shook his head.
United's resolute defending continued to frustrate the rudderless Gunners, and Lauren got himself into the referee's book with 10 minutes to go. Ronaldo concluded a good day at the office, coming off for David Bellions to give United a more balanced 4-4-2 formation.
Though it was slightly nervy at the end, the disconsolate Gunners lacked the ammunition, even with four strikers with Nwankwo Kanu's introduction.
A hearty handshake between both managers, not dissimilar to their animated gesticulations at flash points of the match, seemed a fitting way to end an engaging battle between England's finest.
It also ended Arsenal's dream of emulating United's 1999 Treble, but there was no denying the hungrier side had won. manchester United will be going to Cardiff, favourites to lift the FA Cup. Their season is saved.
SAVED OUR SEASON! by Aaron Wong
Manchester United finally gave their suffering fans something to celebrate when they edged bitter rivals Arsenal 1-0 with an opportunistic strike from Paul Scholes. The England midfielder's 32nd minute howitzer means only First Division Millwall stands between United and their first FA Cup victory at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Sir Alex Ferguson's amazing recod in domestic cup semi-finals continued with his tenth consecutive triumph, as United ground out a narrow win despite the absence of arguably their top two strikers and best defender. If not the best then certainly the most expensive - ₤62.8m of talent was conspicuously absent fromt the United team-sheet.
While United weer without Rio Ferdinand, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Louis Saha because they were suspended, injured and sup-tied respectively, Arsene Wenger's omission of Jose Antonio Reyes and Thierry Henry was borne of impudence, not incapacity.
As it happened, it seemed Wenger's gamble had paid off, as Arsenal exploded off the blocks, and could have gone 3-0 up within the first five minutes. Dennis Bergkamp, Edu and Kolo Toure were the villains, and United goalkeeper Roy Carroll the hero, as three gilt-edged chances were spurned by the usually clinical Gunners. Perhaps the difference was that Premiership top scorer Henry was not on hand to punish United.
As early as the third minute, Arsenal were presented with a chane by United's helter-skelter defensive positioning. Bergkamp was put through on the left, but by the time he had engineered a left foot snapshot, Carroll was already there to save with his feet. Perhaps Henry or Reyes's superior pace might have resulted in a more comfortable finishing position.
As the Dutchman collected the loose ball, Carroll was stranded, and torn between going for Bergkamp or scurrying back to cover the open goal. He did neither, and Bergkamp was able to curl a low shot towards goal on his natural right foot. but in the time that the United custodian had forced Bergkamp to take the extra touch to steady himself, Wes Brown had fallen back to clear with a diving header.
Almost immediately though, Arsenal worked the ball to Edu on the edge of the area. The Brazilian, in the form of his life this season, gracefully lifted the ball with his left foot and snt it arcing over the still shaken Carroll. Die-hard United fans may argue that despite the distinctly uncomfortable nature of the shot, the Northern Irishman had the lob covered. But anyway the shot hit the crossbar and went straight up in the air.
With the United defence still ball watching it seemed inevitable Toure would put the Gunners deservedly ahead, with Carroll still sprawled on the ground from the earlier attempt. The Ivory Coast international placed his header to the keeper's left. Being in the six-yard box with the keeper taken out of the equation, who could blame him? The shout was already in every Gooner's throat, but they dod not take into account Roy Carroll rising from the turf in the manner that he did. Flying through the air and seemingly defying gravity, he clawed the ball away from under the bar.
At that point it was hard to tell who drew the greater confidence from that amazing two-minute sequence, but suffice to say, the Red Devils were awoken from their stupor.
Soon after that, United had a chance of their own as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was released down the left, exploiting lauren's over-exuberant attacking commitment. But the Norwegian failed to stretch Jens Lehmann.
Ferguson's decision to unleash what must be seen as two of the Premiership's most feared wide men in Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo stretched the Arsenal defence to breaking point. Teenage left back Gael Clichy in particular was being given a torrid examination by United's Portuguese wunderkind, and was booked for bringing another slalom surge to a clumsy conclusion.
Despite Ronaldo's lack of experience, being only 18 and having arrived only this season from the supposedly weaker Portuguese league (how Porto would scoff at this inference), Ronaldo's impact has been nothing short of spectacular. And on this display, he isn't shy to do it in the big games too.
While United had at least restored parity, Arsenal were still imperious whenever they had the ball, Fredrik Ljungberg should have done better in the 15th minute when he scuffed his shot.
United were hungrier and more desperate to win, the FA Cup being their last realistic hope for silverware this season. It appeared they had had remedial training at Carrington as well, as Giggs and Scholes executed a well-rehearsed free-kick routine. Both ran toward the ball simultaneously, turned away at the last instant in mock embarrassment, before Scholes suddenly turned and delivered a stinging ball in to the box that Arsenal just managed to clear. It was clear United were getting more confident.
In their last meeting, United harried and hassled Arsenal to a 1-1 draw, despite being outplayed for long periods. United stuck to the same game plan, this time with greater effect, as United's physical approach put Arsenal's aristocrats out of their stride.
Tackles were flying in from all over the place, and ironically it was Ronaldo who was on the receiving end of a bad tackle. He had to limp off to receive treatment, to the trepidation of the United bench. Though he was back on in minutes, he seemed to be gingerly trynig his leg out, and the worry was that the Red Devils' most potent weapon would have to be taken off.
That proved to be the least of United's worries, as what should have been a straightforward clearance by Mickael Silvestre went horribly wrong as the ball accidentally brushed his hand. 'Handball!' screamed the Arsenal fans, players and infamously myopic manager in unison, but the referee waved play on. Another fortunate incident, and perhaps it could turn out to be United's day, even more so as Pires ballooned a free header in the six-yard box.
And so it proved in the 32nd minute, as the ball was worked to a roving Ryan Giggs, this time on the right wing. Having got in behind the United rearguard, the opportunity was there for Giggs to shoot on his favourite left foot, but instead he looked for the opening.
Playing the ball a stride behind the desperately retreating Arsenal defence, the Welshman picked out Scholes, who made no mistake from 15 yards. With no player closing Scholes down, Lehmann was left stranded as the ball exploded off Scholes's right foot and billowed the German's net.
Having done so well initially, this sucker punch was a low blow to Arsenal, and they trooped dejectedly upfield as their opponents congregated in delirium. Eventually someone reminded them they still had 58 minutes to go, and now they faced ARsenal with renewed confidence.
it is said a team is most vulnerable immediately after they've scored, and it almost proved the case again. The largely anonymous Jeremie Aliadiere played a first-time ball into Ljungberg's path barely two minutes later, and if not for Silvestre's timely intervention, the Swede would have been through.
Arsenal were finishing the half strongly, but their weakness in the air was exposed as no one converted a flurry of corners and crosses. So on United's throw of the dice, Darren Fletcher took charge.
It seems every young British Manchester United midfielder with a right foot is being compared to a young David Beckham, but you can't go too wrong with young Scottish tyke Fletcher. Certianly on the lightweight side, and heavily dependent on his right foot as the England captain was, Fletcher's passing range belies one so young.
With five minutes to go to a well-earned half-time break, the United youth academy graduate lofted an exquisite through ball to release Ronaldo behind Clichy again. Although Ronaldo's low cross was cleared, Arsenal could scarcely allow United such expediency on the ball.
United survived a last-minute scare, just to jog their manager's pacemaker, as Roy Keane, under pressure from fellow skipper Patrick Vieira, headed against the foot of the post with Carroll stranded. United were riding their luck, but at least they had ridden it to the halfway mark.
United stuck with the system that served them well in the second half, with Solskjaer as the lone striker, but his rustiness showed as his first touch failed him on several occasions.
Five minutes into the half, and the match had its forst real moment of controversy. As Bergkamp burst into the box, he went down under presure with red shirts all around him, and he appealed for a penalty. John O'Shea berated Bergkamp for diving, and rightly so, as the replays proved.
Somwhow Wenger must have caught on that the Bergkamp-Aliadiere partnership wasn not working, and so on 58 minutes, he threw on his not-so-secret weapons, Henry and Reyes.
Other teams may have capitulated at the sight of those two coming fresh off the bench, but then United are hardly just another team. United stuck to their guns and continued to apply stifling presure on the outnumbered Arsenal midfield at every opportunity.
It seemed to work as Arsnal became increasingly desperate, the likes of Edu and Henry resorting to pot shots from 30 yards out. Perhaps henry's superlative strike the last time these two met was still fresh in his mind? This time though, Carroll remained untroubled.
The match threatened to boil over as goalscorer Scholes was about two weeks late with a knee-high studs-first challenge on Reyes. Arsenal soon forgot about that though, as two minutes later, Silvestre continued his passable impression of Liverpool defender Stephane Henchoz as the ball struck his hand in full view of the referee, but again the man in black shook his head.
United's resolute defending continued to frustrate the rudderless Gunners, and Lauren got himself into the referee's book with 10 minutes to go. Ronaldo concluded a good day at the office, coming off for David Bellions to give United a more balanced 4-4-2 formation.
Though it was slightly nervy at the end, the disconsolate Gunners lacked the ammunition, even with four strikers with Nwankwo Kanu's introduction.
A hearty handshake between both managers, not dissimilar to their animated gesticulations at flash points of the match, seemed a fitting way to end an engaging battle between England's finest.
It also ended Arsenal's dream of emulating United's 1999 Treble, but there was no denying the hungrier side had won. manchester United will be going to Cardiff, favourites to lift the FA Cup. Their season is saved.
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Arsenal vs. Manchester United, 28 Mar 2004, Highbury, English Premier League
CRAFT VS. GRAFT by Aaron Wong
Arsenal is now officially on the longest ever unbeaten start to a season, never mind that the season is already 30 games old and winding to a close, with little doubt where the Barclaycard English Premiership trophy is going to spend its summer. Arsenal again underlined what a potent attacking threat they are, even without the guile of Dennis Bergkamp, as they probably broke the speed limit with speed demons Thierry Henry and Jose Antonio Reyes up front. Sir Alex Ferguson also had a few tricks up his sleeve, as Louis Saha started on the bench, with Cristiano Ronaldo nowhere to be seen. These two players were the ones expected to give the Gunners their biggest test, but United lined up with young Darren Fletcher and Eric Djemba-Djemba instead.
This game was a showcase of everything English about the game, featuring the two most dominant sides in recent years, an electric pace, full-blooded tackles, as well as the odd disputed penalty or so.
As expected, both sides exploded from the blocks, looking to go straight for the jugular and stun their opponents with an early goal. There was always the realisation that United are out of their depth this season, and would need to take their chances clinically if they were to glean anything from this match. United started brightly enough, and as early as the third minute, a hopeful ball from Gary Neville gave Scholes a half-chance as Kolo Toure misread the pass. Scholes had to hit a snap-shot on the turn with his left foot before the ball squirmed away, while running at full tilt. It was as difficult as it sounded, and the shot failed to trouble Jens Lehmann.
From then on, it was no exaggeration to say it was one-way traffic, as Arsenal simply chased everything that moved. Quite simply, United panicked.
Fredrik Ljungberg was put through in the eighth and seemed certain to score on his favoured right foot, before Wes Brown impudently stepped in to make a goal-saving tackle. This was but the first of numerous situations where the much-maligned England international was authoritative in snuffing out the Gunners’ cannon.
But the gaps still prevalent in the United rearguard yawned open again as Ljungberg was left free on the right side of the penalty area, as Mikael Silvestre got conned into anticipating a cross from the Swede, and only a smart save by Roy Carroll at his near post saved Silvestre from further embarrassment.
United were by now in sixes and sevens, as they couldn’t even string simple passes together. Reyes was again put through, and Carroll rushed out and smothered at the Spaniard’s feet, justifying Ferguson’s faith in him. The Red Devils have always possessed a scorpion’s sting in their tail though, and on one rare foray into the Arsenal box, they won a corner from Ryan Giggs’s perseverance. Where once was SeƱor Beckham raking a pinpoint pass for Scholes to volley, this time Fletcher found Djemba-Djemba. He looked to have lost control of the ball, but as Vieira advanced to close him down, he coolly flicked it over the Frenchman with his right foot, and struck a venomous shot with his left. A moment of skill to light up the match, certainly, but for Arsenal to go a goal behind would’ve been a heresy. Lehmann saved comfortably to his right, and now Arsenal could resume their dominance.
Henry continued to be United’s tormentor-in-chief, and Arsenal’s fluency was clearly beginning to unsettle the United midfield, clearly not used to being out-passed, outwitted and outplayed. Scholes got himself needlessly booked as he unceremoniously shoved Ljungberg in the back, with the Swede barely out of his own penalty area.
There was palpable fear among the visiting support as the Premiership’s leading scorer stepped up to take a 25-yarder after Neville’s mistimed tackle on Reyes. Where once United held the trump card in these situations in David Beckham, now Henry has opposing defensive walls on tenterhooks. Henry’s shot lacked pace though, and Carroll was able to gather comfortably.
Ryan Giggs was the only real threat as far as Arsenal were concerned, and in the 35th minute, the Welshman popped up on the right flank, skinned Gael Clichy for pace, and rolled a pass on a plate for Scholes to finish. The ginger-haired one, so often clinical for United and England in the penalty box, completely miscued the shot. It just wasn’t happening for the Red Devils. Barely five minutes later, a lightning Henry raid left the United defence flat-footed as he came one-on-one with Carroll. With the home crowd ready to celebrate, Henry chose to go for the Hollywood finish, pushing the ball past Carroll, then needlessly throwing himself to the ground theatrically. King Henry had granted United clemency, as the teams went into half-time with the stalemate unbroken.
Only a combination of wayward Arsenal finishing and a charmed United defence only just hanging on contrived to keep Arsenal’s predators at bay. Arsene Wenger had every right to look smug at half-time, his gamble on Reyes’s pace looked to pay off sooner rather than later. And we were wondering why Ferguson kept the lightweight and inexperienced Fletcher on the pitch instead of seasoned campaigner Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. We could only wonder at half-time.
But Henry denied us even the comfort of wondering. Five minutes after the restart, he reminded us why he’s a shoo-in for Player of the Year, with a flash of Gallic brilliance. A neat interchange between him and Reyes left Henry with space to take aim 25-yards from goal. No backlift, no fuss, and an absolute thunderbolt flew past Carroll.
Memories came flooding back of Batistuta against Bosnich for Fiorentina just a few years back. United were stunned. After all the hard work to get to half-time goalless, this. United began to throw their men forward in search for goals.
In the 53rd minute came the game’s talking point. A cross-field pass from Silvestre found Giggs in glorious isolation on the right against Sol Campbell. As Giggs blazed past the leaden-footed England man, Campbell lost his balance, and tapped Giggs’s ankle while falling down. Giggs went down in the penalty area, and the crowd was wondering free-kick or penalty. Referee Graham Poll had other ideas though, and gave a goal-kick. Cue livid United remonstrations.
This seemed to galvanise United, and it became a furious exchange of thrust and counter-thrust as United pressed forward, with Arsenal’s searing pace now something they’d worry about later. United’s burdensome movement was becoming more evident as a collective failure than just a few out-of-form players, and their despondence was only unpunished by Arsenal’s amazing reluctance to kill off the game.
United’s doggedness, for so long their hallmark, was again rewarded late on, as Arsenal were duly punished for trying to defend their slender lead.
Solskjaer’s blitz down the right led to a tantalising pass across the six-yard box. An out-of-sorts van Nistelrooy missed the ball completely, but at least he took Toure along for the ride, and Saha was at the far post to tuck home his fourth goal since his move from Fulham.
But it would’ve been an anti-climax for the match to end so relatively straightforwardly. Stung into action. Arsenal poured forward against a distracted United defence. Henry created a shot out of nothing three minutes from time to test Carroll, but it was just to warm him up for what was to come in the 91st.
Gilberto shot when Henry was better placed, but Carroll parried the shot. As the ball bounced free, Henry pounced. Fortunately for United, it was with his head, and the ball whizzed past the post. United escaped, but it would’ve been an injustice for the way they came back.
The highly entertaining encounter pitted Arsenal’s craft against United’s graft, and it ended honours even at 1-1. But it seems United can no longer compete on an even keel.
How fitting that as Arsenal broke the record for the longest unbeaten start to a season, United are but a side note to their achievement, for they were powerless to prevent Arsenal from reaching that milestone.
CRAFT VS. GRAFT by Aaron Wong
Arsenal is now officially on the longest ever unbeaten start to a season, never mind that the season is already 30 games old and winding to a close, with little doubt where the Barclaycard English Premiership trophy is going to spend its summer. Arsenal again underlined what a potent attacking threat they are, even without the guile of Dennis Bergkamp, as they probably broke the speed limit with speed demons Thierry Henry and Jose Antonio Reyes up front. Sir Alex Ferguson also had a few tricks up his sleeve, as Louis Saha started on the bench, with Cristiano Ronaldo nowhere to be seen. These two players were the ones expected to give the Gunners their biggest test, but United lined up with young Darren Fletcher and Eric Djemba-Djemba instead.
This game was a showcase of everything English about the game, featuring the two most dominant sides in recent years, an electric pace, full-blooded tackles, as well as the odd disputed penalty or so.
As expected, both sides exploded from the blocks, looking to go straight for the jugular and stun their opponents with an early goal. There was always the realisation that United are out of their depth this season, and would need to take their chances clinically if they were to glean anything from this match. United started brightly enough, and as early as the third minute, a hopeful ball from Gary Neville gave Scholes a half-chance as Kolo Toure misread the pass. Scholes had to hit a snap-shot on the turn with his left foot before the ball squirmed away, while running at full tilt. It was as difficult as it sounded, and the shot failed to trouble Jens Lehmann.
From then on, it was no exaggeration to say it was one-way traffic, as Arsenal simply chased everything that moved. Quite simply, United panicked.
Fredrik Ljungberg was put through in the eighth and seemed certain to score on his favoured right foot, before Wes Brown impudently stepped in to make a goal-saving tackle. This was but the first of numerous situations where the much-maligned England international was authoritative in snuffing out the Gunners’ cannon.
But the gaps still prevalent in the United rearguard yawned open again as Ljungberg was left free on the right side of the penalty area, as Mikael Silvestre got conned into anticipating a cross from the Swede, and only a smart save by Roy Carroll at his near post saved Silvestre from further embarrassment.
United were by now in sixes and sevens, as they couldn’t even string simple passes together. Reyes was again put through, and Carroll rushed out and smothered at the Spaniard’s feet, justifying Ferguson’s faith in him. The Red Devils have always possessed a scorpion’s sting in their tail though, and on one rare foray into the Arsenal box, they won a corner from Ryan Giggs’s perseverance. Where once was SeƱor Beckham raking a pinpoint pass for Scholes to volley, this time Fletcher found Djemba-Djemba. He looked to have lost control of the ball, but as Vieira advanced to close him down, he coolly flicked it over the Frenchman with his right foot, and struck a venomous shot with his left. A moment of skill to light up the match, certainly, but for Arsenal to go a goal behind would’ve been a heresy. Lehmann saved comfortably to his right, and now Arsenal could resume their dominance.
Henry continued to be United’s tormentor-in-chief, and Arsenal’s fluency was clearly beginning to unsettle the United midfield, clearly not used to being out-passed, outwitted and outplayed. Scholes got himself needlessly booked as he unceremoniously shoved Ljungberg in the back, with the Swede barely out of his own penalty area.
There was palpable fear among the visiting support as the Premiership’s leading scorer stepped up to take a 25-yarder after Neville’s mistimed tackle on Reyes. Where once United held the trump card in these situations in David Beckham, now Henry has opposing defensive walls on tenterhooks. Henry’s shot lacked pace though, and Carroll was able to gather comfortably.
Ryan Giggs was the only real threat as far as Arsenal were concerned, and in the 35th minute, the Welshman popped up on the right flank, skinned Gael Clichy for pace, and rolled a pass on a plate for Scholes to finish. The ginger-haired one, so often clinical for United and England in the penalty box, completely miscued the shot. It just wasn’t happening for the Red Devils. Barely five minutes later, a lightning Henry raid left the United defence flat-footed as he came one-on-one with Carroll. With the home crowd ready to celebrate, Henry chose to go for the Hollywood finish, pushing the ball past Carroll, then needlessly throwing himself to the ground theatrically. King Henry had granted United clemency, as the teams went into half-time with the stalemate unbroken.
Only a combination of wayward Arsenal finishing and a charmed United defence only just hanging on contrived to keep Arsenal’s predators at bay. Arsene Wenger had every right to look smug at half-time, his gamble on Reyes’s pace looked to pay off sooner rather than later. And we were wondering why Ferguson kept the lightweight and inexperienced Fletcher on the pitch instead of seasoned campaigner Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. We could only wonder at half-time.
But Henry denied us even the comfort of wondering. Five minutes after the restart, he reminded us why he’s a shoo-in for Player of the Year, with a flash of Gallic brilliance. A neat interchange between him and Reyes left Henry with space to take aim 25-yards from goal. No backlift, no fuss, and an absolute thunderbolt flew past Carroll.
Memories came flooding back of Batistuta against Bosnich for Fiorentina just a few years back. United were stunned. After all the hard work to get to half-time goalless, this. United began to throw their men forward in search for goals.
In the 53rd minute came the game’s talking point. A cross-field pass from Silvestre found Giggs in glorious isolation on the right against Sol Campbell. As Giggs blazed past the leaden-footed England man, Campbell lost his balance, and tapped Giggs’s ankle while falling down. Giggs went down in the penalty area, and the crowd was wondering free-kick or penalty. Referee Graham Poll had other ideas though, and gave a goal-kick. Cue livid United remonstrations.
This seemed to galvanise United, and it became a furious exchange of thrust and counter-thrust as United pressed forward, with Arsenal’s searing pace now something they’d worry about later. United’s burdensome movement was becoming more evident as a collective failure than just a few out-of-form players, and their despondence was only unpunished by Arsenal’s amazing reluctance to kill off the game.
United’s doggedness, for so long their hallmark, was again rewarded late on, as Arsenal were duly punished for trying to defend their slender lead.
Solskjaer’s blitz down the right led to a tantalising pass across the six-yard box. An out-of-sorts van Nistelrooy missed the ball completely, but at least he took Toure along for the ride, and Saha was at the far post to tuck home his fourth goal since his move from Fulham.
But it would’ve been an anti-climax for the match to end so relatively straightforwardly. Stung into action. Arsenal poured forward against a distracted United defence. Henry created a shot out of nothing three minutes from time to test Carroll, but it was just to warm him up for what was to come in the 91st.
Gilberto shot when Henry was better placed, but Carroll parried the shot. As the ball bounced free, Henry pounced. Fortunately for United, it was with his head, and the ball whizzed past the post. United escaped, but it would’ve been an injustice for the way they came back.
The highly entertaining encounter pitted Arsenal’s craft against United’s graft, and it ended honours even at 1-1. But it seems United can no longer compete on an even keel.
How fitting that as Arsenal broke the record for the longest unbeaten start to a season, United are but a side note to their achievement, for they were powerless to prevent Arsenal from reaching that milestone.
Sunday, March 28, 2004
Friday, March 26, 2004
Manchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur, 20 May 2004, Old Trafford, English Premiership
FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRAVE by Aaron Wong
A professional performance by a Manchester United side still hurting from Porto’s exposĆ© of their European inadequacies was sufficient to see off a Tottenham side that lacked the cutting edge when it mattered. Granted, by no means did the performance hearken to the free-flowing 2003 vintage, but it lifted the gloom off an Old Trafford crowd that must have thought their team had forgotten how to win.
A sublime 24th minute improvisation from the much-maligned Ryan Giggs made sure Spurs were always chasing the match, before two late goals from substitutes Cristiano Ronaldo and David Bellion added a flattering touch to the eventual score.
Again, United comfortably dominated their favourite opponents, who served as cannon fodder for United’s renaissance, but the impudent swagger was sorely missing. 3-0 was both a fair and unfair reflection of the match, as it illustrated the one-sided affair, but failed to show the chinks that still exist in the Red Devils’ armour.
Fortune was with the home side, though it stopped short of an overdose of luck that would have left sympathisers with a bitter taste in their mouth. United had sympathisers for their European exit, as their Old Trafford performance merited a better result; this time United got just their fair share of luck, but not really needing it against David Pleat’s side.
Let me explain.
On another day, Giggs’s side-heel in the six-yard might not have sneaked in. But it did.
On another day, Ronaldo’s screamer might have been touched wide by a more alert Kasey Keller, or flown just wide. Nope, off the post and in.
On another day of unsympathetic refereeing, Wes Brown’s accidental handball might have been penalised, with the score at 1-0. The referee gave the benefit of the doubt.
Lucky United? I don’t think so. United created enough chances to win comfortably, and in the end they did.
However, the emphatic victory failed to paper over the cracks that are painfully evident in every United match. Ruud van Nistelrooy, for so long United’s epitome of consistency, once again failed to deliver the goods. He seems to have lost the knack of finishing the half-chances, something he always did. It was painful to watch the Dutchman repeatedly try to do a Henry with jinking runs a-la-mode, but always giving the ball away. The ball always seemed to get stuck under his Nike-shod feet in the penalty area, and the frustration is starting to show.
His ineptitude was in contrast to the electrifying introduction of Ronaldo in the 75th minute. Suddenly, United’s laboured performance had an impetus about it, and fast breaks were fed down the right flank to the ravenous Portuguese wonder-kid. His reward came eventually in the last minute of normal time, as the Spurs defence again gave him too much space as he cut into the middle, and allowed him to pick his spot with an absolute belter.
His Welsh partner-in-crime on the left flank was truly in his element against a lightweight Spurs defence that failed to make its presence known, scoring with his supposedly weaker foot, and picking out Bellion for United’s third with a laser-guided through ball.
At the back, it was a heartening display from a United defence, but this was against an uni-directional Spurs offence, best characterised by the over-indulgent wing-play of Inter Milan reject Stephane Dalmat. Not quite up to the standard of his former Inter team-mate and countryman, Mickael Silvestre, who kept Jermain Defoe in his pocket all afternoon. Stronger opposition though, with a double header coming up with champions-elect Arsenal, would see the new look defence-sans-Ferdinand put through a much stronger litmus test of their chemistry. The return of old (though not necessarily wise) head Gary Neville might ease the growing pains though.
This match saw the return of the old guard, with none of Sir Alex Ferguson’s summer recruits making his starting line-up. It was a sweet dĆ©jĆ vu as the likes of Scholes, Giggs and Solskjaer hunted like a pack of wolves, and added graft to their craft to get the ball back when they lost it. Ferguson was trying to get back to basics by falling back on a team that had only last season been crowned champions. But they aren’t getting any younger. Also, some of the members have been left too far behind, and look like Bata shoes in a Nike showroom.
Diego Forlan spent the afternoon with a forlorn expression permanently on his face as chance after chance went a-begging. The Uruguayan is obviously out of his depth at this level, and the sooner he is offloaded to a short-sighted admirer the better. This was especially evident when a searing Giggs run ended in a cross that, although was too high for a near-post van Nistelrooy, landed perfectly at the far post for Forlan’s to either control and place it, or crack a volley in. He did neither. His expression was one of bemusement as the ball bounced off his thigh to safety. It might just be that little bit funny if you’re 3-0 up and cruising, but that was at 0-0. Surely our patience can’t tolerate such incompetence much longer. Louis Saha was a necessary and urgent acquisition, but surely Ferguson must invest in a world-class target man during the summer.
Roy Carroll may have kept a clean sheet, but for a keeper whose face emanates the confidence last reserved for Fabien Barthez, God help us if we are to rely on a Northern Irish journeyman who has not tasted international victory since the Middle Ages.
The two players just aren’t United material, and they’ve been around long enough for us to confirm that. To compound the malady, United are investing in the future with purchases like Celtic’s Liam Miller and China’s Dong Fangzhuo, when the need to catch up is now, before Arsenal get too far away. Fergie’s Fledglings aren’t getting any younger, and Roy Keane is no longer the imposing juggernaut he once was. So often the driving force behind United’s stirring comebacks, Keane himself has said he will retire if he can no longer contribute at his highest level. You don’t say these things if there’s nothing wrong. The decline has already begun.
The marauding runs that tore through opposition midfields are replaced by tentative square passes and late, apologetic tackles. The expression he gives referees say, “Cut an old man some slack, the legs aren’t working as they used to.” Vieira vs. Keane used to be blockbuster match-ups. Now it’s just the heavyweight champion against the veteran has-been. More worryingly though, United are far from replacing the Irish firebrand.
I could only admire as I switched over to the Arsenal-Bolton match that started 15 minutes late. Patrick Vieira was dominant with the easy languidness of a true thoroughbred, and there wasn’t much to suggest United can get a look in, but there remains hope. Like United, Arsenal had their share of fortune. Stelios I-can’t-pronounce-his-poulos hit the woodwork, and Bolton gave Arsenal their fair share of heart-in-mouth experiences, as Arsenal struggled to bury Sam Allardyce’s side. Ivan Campo even came close to a second goal with a last-minute volley. But then again, the hard work had been done in the first half. Arsenal is beatable, but then no side has combined class with chance to that effect.
If United do beat Arsenal twice, then it isn’t really that bad a season after all, is it? Second place, four points off the Gunners, Champions’ League next year, FA Cup champions, and a season under the belts of the new recruits. Liverpool would kill Houllier for that. Things could be worse.
The ball was shifting like a beach ball amid unnaturally high winds at Old Trafford. Litter strewn on the pitch was caught up in little maelstroms. Quite a sight, and the litter even looked a little bit like confetti. The season can end in the debris of a spectacular United fallout, or with muted celebration of some redemption.
The winds of change have arrived, and if United don’t set out sail, they’ll be left behind in Arsenal’s wake. What choice do we have? Bring on Arsenal.
FORTUNE FAVOURS THE BRAVE by Aaron Wong
A professional performance by a Manchester United side still hurting from Porto’s exposĆ© of their European inadequacies was sufficient to see off a Tottenham side that lacked the cutting edge when it mattered. Granted, by no means did the performance hearken to the free-flowing 2003 vintage, but it lifted the gloom off an Old Trafford crowd that must have thought their team had forgotten how to win.
A sublime 24th minute improvisation from the much-maligned Ryan Giggs made sure Spurs were always chasing the match, before two late goals from substitutes Cristiano Ronaldo and David Bellion added a flattering touch to the eventual score.
Again, United comfortably dominated their favourite opponents, who served as cannon fodder for United’s renaissance, but the impudent swagger was sorely missing. 3-0 was both a fair and unfair reflection of the match, as it illustrated the one-sided affair, but failed to show the chinks that still exist in the Red Devils’ armour.
Fortune was with the home side, though it stopped short of an overdose of luck that would have left sympathisers with a bitter taste in their mouth. United had sympathisers for their European exit, as their Old Trafford performance merited a better result; this time United got just their fair share of luck, but not really needing it against David Pleat’s side.
Let me explain.
On another day, Giggs’s side-heel in the six-yard might not have sneaked in. But it did.
On another day, Ronaldo’s screamer might have been touched wide by a more alert Kasey Keller, or flown just wide. Nope, off the post and in.
On another day of unsympathetic refereeing, Wes Brown’s accidental handball might have been penalised, with the score at 1-0. The referee gave the benefit of the doubt.
Lucky United? I don’t think so. United created enough chances to win comfortably, and in the end they did.
However, the emphatic victory failed to paper over the cracks that are painfully evident in every United match. Ruud van Nistelrooy, for so long United’s epitome of consistency, once again failed to deliver the goods. He seems to have lost the knack of finishing the half-chances, something he always did. It was painful to watch the Dutchman repeatedly try to do a Henry with jinking runs a-la-mode, but always giving the ball away. The ball always seemed to get stuck under his Nike-shod feet in the penalty area, and the frustration is starting to show.
His ineptitude was in contrast to the electrifying introduction of Ronaldo in the 75th minute. Suddenly, United’s laboured performance had an impetus about it, and fast breaks were fed down the right flank to the ravenous Portuguese wonder-kid. His reward came eventually in the last minute of normal time, as the Spurs defence again gave him too much space as he cut into the middle, and allowed him to pick his spot with an absolute belter.
His Welsh partner-in-crime on the left flank was truly in his element against a lightweight Spurs defence that failed to make its presence known, scoring with his supposedly weaker foot, and picking out Bellion for United’s third with a laser-guided through ball.
At the back, it was a heartening display from a United defence, but this was against an uni-directional Spurs offence, best characterised by the over-indulgent wing-play of Inter Milan reject Stephane Dalmat. Not quite up to the standard of his former Inter team-mate and countryman, Mickael Silvestre, who kept Jermain Defoe in his pocket all afternoon. Stronger opposition though, with a double header coming up with champions-elect Arsenal, would see the new look defence-sans-Ferdinand put through a much stronger litmus test of their chemistry. The return of old (though not necessarily wise) head Gary Neville might ease the growing pains though.
This match saw the return of the old guard, with none of Sir Alex Ferguson’s summer recruits making his starting line-up. It was a sweet dĆ©jĆ vu as the likes of Scholes, Giggs and Solskjaer hunted like a pack of wolves, and added graft to their craft to get the ball back when they lost it. Ferguson was trying to get back to basics by falling back on a team that had only last season been crowned champions. But they aren’t getting any younger. Also, some of the members have been left too far behind, and look like Bata shoes in a Nike showroom.
Diego Forlan spent the afternoon with a forlorn expression permanently on his face as chance after chance went a-begging. The Uruguayan is obviously out of his depth at this level, and the sooner he is offloaded to a short-sighted admirer the better. This was especially evident when a searing Giggs run ended in a cross that, although was too high for a near-post van Nistelrooy, landed perfectly at the far post for Forlan’s to either control and place it, or crack a volley in. He did neither. His expression was one of bemusement as the ball bounced off his thigh to safety. It might just be that little bit funny if you’re 3-0 up and cruising, but that was at 0-0. Surely our patience can’t tolerate such incompetence much longer. Louis Saha was a necessary and urgent acquisition, but surely Ferguson must invest in a world-class target man during the summer.
Roy Carroll may have kept a clean sheet, but for a keeper whose face emanates the confidence last reserved for Fabien Barthez, God help us if we are to rely on a Northern Irish journeyman who has not tasted international victory since the Middle Ages.
The two players just aren’t United material, and they’ve been around long enough for us to confirm that. To compound the malady, United are investing in the future with purchases like Celtic’s Liam Miller and China’s Dong Fangzhuo, when the need to catch up is now, before Arsenal get too far away. Fergie’s Fledglings aren’t getting any younger, and Roy Keane is no longer the imposing juggernaut he once was. So often the driving force behind United’s stirring comebacks, Keane himself has said he will retire if he can no longer contribute at his highest level. You don’t say these things if there’s nothing wrong. The decline has already begun.
The marauding runs that tore through opposition midfields are replaced by tentative square passes and late, apologetic tackles. The expression he gives referees say, “Cut an old man some slack, the legs aren’t working as they used to.” Vieira vs. Keane used to be blockbuster match-ups. Now it’s just the heavyweight champion against the veteran has-been. More worryingly though, United are far from replacing the Irish firebrand.
I could only admire as I switched over to the Arsenal-Bolton match that started 15 minutes late. Patrick Vieira was dominant with the easy languidness of a true thoroughbred, and there wasn’t much to suggest United can get a look in, but there remains hope. Like United, Arsenal had their share of fortune. Stelios I-can’t-pronounce-his-poulos hit the woodwork, and Bolton gave Arsenal their fair share of heart-in-mouth experiences, as Arsenal struggled to bury Sam Allardyce’s side. Ivan Campo even came close to a second goal with a last-minute volley. But then again, the hard work had been done in the first half. Arsenal is beatable, but then no side has combined class with chance to that effect.
If United do beat Arsenal twice, then it isn’t really that bad a season after all, is it? Second place, four points off the Gunners, Champions’ League next year, FA Cup champions, and a season under the belts of the new recruits. Liverpool would kill Houllier for that. Things could be worse.
The ball was shifting like a beach ball amid unnaturally high winds at Old Trafford. Litter strewn on the pitch was caught up in little maelstroms. Quite a sight, and the litter even looked a little bit like confetti. The season can end in the debris of a spectacular United fallout, or with muted celebration of some redemption.
The winds of change have arrived, and if United don’t set out sail, they’ll be left behind in Arsenal’s wake. What choice do we have? Bring on Arsenal.
Monday, March 22, 2004
Wednesday, March 10, 2004
Manchester United vs. FC Porto, 9 May 2004, Old Trafford, UEFA Champions League
PLAIN BAD LUCK by Aaron Wong
So United lose 3-2 on aggregate. Did they deserve to, on basis of the Old Trafford display? I think not.
What I saw on Wednesday morning (Singapore time) was a refreshing display unseen since Ferdinand's untimely incapacitation. Every time a Porto player got the ball, a red shirt was there to close him down. Deco, so important a player for the Portuguese champions, was rendered impotent by the tigerish United midfield of Djemba-Djemba, Giggs, Fletcher, Scholes and Butt.
With the tie hanging by a thread, United set out their stall to get that early goal, and their endeavour was duly rewarded, when a pin-point O'Shea cross was headed home emphatically by the ginger-haired one. 1-0 up on the night, and if things remained that way, United would go through on away goals.
Seemingly in cruise control, the Red Devils now had the impetus, as the onus was now on Porto to get their goal. United were dominant in the air, compared to their inept display in Oporto two weeks ago, Brown standing out with countless clearing headers. Porto held the upper hand on possession without creating anything useful, and were limited to long-range potshots, courtesy of the opposition's willingness to close them down. Save for a Carlos Alberto effort which Howard did well to save with his feet, Porto were haunted by Jose Mourinho's pre-match boast that they couldn't be hurt if United didn't have the ball. As it happened, Porto were the ones who needed the ball, had most of it, 57% at one point, and couldn't do much with it.
Dmitri Alenitchev, constantly probing the right wing, saw plenty of the ball, but always had O'Shea and Giggs to contend with, while Deco and Pedro Costinha were reduced to possession hoggers.
The young Brazilian, Carlos Alberto, had a match to forget as he twisted this way and that, but always found a red wall. A ridiculous three-foul streak, all on the left wing, left the home side livid at his antics. But the perceived protection he got from the Russian referee was thrown in his face when he went down theatrically in the area under pressure from the imperious Brown, and looked up to see Mr Ivanov waving play on. What was more mysterious was the absence of a booking for simulation. He was eventually substituted in the second half.
In hindsight, the turning point arrived just before half-time, when United were looking the more dangerous side when they had the ball. After a bit of pinball in the Porto penalty area, Giggs managed to send a scuffed shot towards goal. Vitor Baia anticipated it, and got down to it. Only the ball wasn't there. Scholes got a foot to it, trapped it and in one swift execution, toe-poked it past the despairing keeper. Ironic how the Portuguese keeper had the no. 99 jersey then. 99 times out of a hundred a goal would've been given, but Old Trafford groaned collectively when the linesman's flag was raised. TV replays vindicated the protesting Scholes, as he was clearly a yard onside when Giggs played the ball in.
Ah well, we thought. Poetic justice will be done in the end.
It was perplexing to see the second half begin with Louis Saha, carrying a slight Achilles heel problem, in place of Djemba-Djemba, who did a great job of getting stuck in and unsettling the Portuguese ballet troupe. But when United's own Portuguese darling came on for the more defensively-sound Darren Fletcher, it was obvious what the all-Scottish bench wanted. The game was to be killed off on the counter-attack. The FA Cup match against Fulham had proved how lethal the Ronaldo-Saha combination could be on the fast break, and with Porto committing men forward, two goals would have been enough to bury them.
Less then ten minutes after Ronaldo's introduction though, the Porto support hypocritically derided the flamboyant winger for taking a dive when he went down after pushing the ball past Nuno Valente. The referee thought so too, but apparently there was more than an Oscar lost when Ronaldo was stretchered off, bringing back memories of his jersey predecessor's metatarsal episode, against another blue-and-white-striped team, Deportivo.
The dream of poetic justice still lingered in the minds of the United faithful, as the tension proved unbearable. They needed a second goal before they could relax.
Unfortunately the goal came from Porto.
United, for so long the purveyor of late, late goals, got a taste of their own medicine, as Porto won a contentious free-kick within Beckham range. His shadow hung over the stadium as Benni McCarthy, hero of the first leg, placed the shot towards Howard's top-left corner. I say "towards", but the truth was it arrowed like a guided missile. T-Ho got a hand to it, but failed to direct it to safety. Francisco Costinha, just back from suspension, was on hand to slam it home, his third goal in seven games. As Porto celebrated, United were in disbelief. Not because their defeat was of their doing, but because they knew they did all they could. A late flurry of red waves crashed safely of the Porto moorings, and in the end, their first leg performance proved costly.
United can hold their heads high despite the result, and it was more due to bad luck more than anything, a recurrent theme this season. First, Ferdinand, then Magnier, then Keane's ill-advised retaliation at being outclassed in Portugal, then Scholes's perfectly legitimate goal which would've killed them off, then Ronaldo's premature end. Porto's free-kick might even have been waved on by another referee.
A bustling performance from the Reds, but the cutting edge was just out of reach in this nonetheless inspired display. Truth be told, United's best chance of silverware now lies in the FA Cup, the one they disowned in 2000. If United maintain this standard, then they might just halt the Arsenal juggernaut.
It is not always the case that a good performance merits a good result, but more often than not it does. As Yao Ming put it aptly the other day, 'Resolve means victory'. Right on.
PLAIN BAD LUCK by Aaron Wong
So United lose 3-2 on aggregate. Did they deserve to, on basis of the Old Trafford display? I think not.
What I saw on Wednesday morning (Singapore time) was a refreshing display unseen since Ferdinand's untimely incapacitation. Every time a Porto player got the ball, a red shirt was there to close him down. Deco, so important a player for the Portuguese champions, was rendered impotent by the tigerish United midfield of Djemba-Djemba, Giggs, Fletcher, Scholes and Butt.
With the tie hanging by a thread, United set out their stall to get that early goal, and their endeavour was duly rewarded, when a pin-point O'Shea cross was headed home emphatically by the ginger-haired one. 1-0 up on the night, and if things remained that way, United would go through on away goals.
Seemingly in cruise control, the Red Devils now had the impetus, as the onus was now on Porto to get their goal. United were dominant in the air, compared to their inept display in Oporto two weeks ago, Brown standing out with countless clearing headers. Porto held the upper hand on possession without creating anything useful, and were limited to long-range potshots, courtesy of the opposition's willingness to close them down. Save for a Carlos Alberto effort which Howard did well to save with his feet, Porto were haunted by Jose Mourinho's pre-match boast that they couldn't be hurt if United didn't have the ball. As it happened, Porto were the ones who needed the ball, had most of it, 57% at one point, and couldn't do much with it.
Dmitri Alenitchev, constantly probing the right wing, saw plenty of the ball, but always had O'Shea and Giggs to contend with, while Deco and Pedro Costinha were reduced to possession hoggers.
The young Brazilian, Carlos Alberto, had a match to forget as he twisted this way and that, but always found a red wall. A ridiculous three-foul streak, all on the left wing, left the home side livid at his antics. But the perceived protection he got from the Russian referee was thrown in his face when he went down theatrically in the area under pressure from the imperious Brown, and looked up to see Mr Ivanov waving play on. What was more mysterious was the absence of a booking for simulation. He was eventually substituted in the second half.
In hindsight, the turning point arrived just before half-time, when United were looking the more dangerous side when they had the ball. After a bit of pinball in the Porto penalty area, Giggs managed to send a scuffed shot towards goal. Vitor Baia anticipated it, and got down to it. Only the ball wasn't there. Scholes got a foot to it, trapped it and in one swift execution, toe-poked it past the despairing keeper. Ironic how the Portuguese keeper had the no. 99 jersey then. 99 times out of a hundred a goal would've been given, but Old Trafford groaned collectively when the linesman's flag was raised. TV replays vindicated the protesting Scholes, as he was clearly a yard onside when Giggs played the ball in.
Ah well, we thought. Poetic justice will be done in the end.
It was perplexing to see the second half begin with Louis Saha, carrying a slight Achilles heel problem, in place of Djemba-Djemba, who did a great job of getting stuck in and unsettling the Portuguese ballet troupe. But when United's own Portuguese darling came on for the more defensively-sound Darren Fletcher, it was obvious what the all-Scottish bench wanted. The game was to be killed off on the counter-attack. The FA Cup match against Fulham had proved how lethal the Ronaldo-Saha combination could be on the fast break, and with Porto committing men forward, two goals would have been enough to bury them.
Less then ten minutes after Ronaldo's introduction though, the Porto support hypocritically derided the flamboyant winger for taking a dive when he went down after pushing the ball past Nuno Valente. The referee thought so too, but apparently there was more than an Oscar lost when Ronaldo was stretchered off, bringing back memories of his jersey predecessor's metatarsal episode, against another blue-and-white-striped team, Deportivo.
The dream of poetic justice still lingered in the minds of the United faithful, as the tension proved unbearable. They needed a second goal before they could relax.
Unfortunately the goal came from Porto.
United, for so long the purveyor of late, late goals, got a taste of their own medicine, as Porto won a contentious free-kick within Beckham range. His shadow hung over the stadium as Benni McCarthy, hero of the first leg, placed the shot towards Howard's top-left corner. I say "towards", but the truth was it arrowed like a guided missile. T-Ho got a hand to it, but failed to direct it to safety. Francisco Costinha, just back from suspension, was on hand to slam it home, his third goal in seven games. As Porto celebrated, United were in disbelief. Not because their defeat was of their doing, but because they knew they did all they could. A late flurry of red waves crashed safely of the Porto moorings, and in the end, their first leg performance proved costly.
United can hold their heads high despite the result, and it was more due to bad luck more than anything, a recurrent theme this season. First, Ferdinand, then Magnier, then Keane's ill-advised retaliation at being outclassed in Portugal, then Scholes's perfectly legitimate goal which would've killed them off, then Ronaldo's premature end. Porto's free-kick might even have been waved on by another referee.
A bustling performance from the Reds, but the cutting edge was just out of reach in this nonetheless inspired display. Truth be told, United's best chance of silverware now lies in the FA Cup, the one they disowned in 2000. If United maintain this standard, then they might just halt the Arsenal juggernaut.
It is not always the case that a good performance merits a good result, but more often than not it does. As Yao Ming put it aptly the other day, 'Resolve means victory'. Right on.
Monday, March 08, 2004
Thursday, March 04, 2004
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
Monday, February 16, 2004
Sunday, February 15, 2004
Saturday, January 31, 2004
You're an INFJ
INFJ
You're future-oriented, and direct your insight and inspiration towards understanding yourself and thereby, human nature...your work mirrors your integrity....reflects your inner ideals...solitude and a chance to concentrate thoroughly on what counts most is important to you...you like to quietly exert your influence...you have deeply felt compassion and desire harmony with others...you'll go to great lengths to avoid conflict...
You understand the complexities existing within people...you don't call a lot of attention to yourself...you like to let your accomplishments do your talking....you look for a small group of people who understand and appreciate you and hang with them....you're gentle and don't like violence...
You'd rather have a few close friends instead of be at a big party ...you'll do well in college as your "day in the sun" where your brains count more than they did in that ol' shallow high school...you want your work to contribute to the general good...
You have a strong love of learning...you get along well with teachers and older people...you write well 'cause you can formulate your ideas clearly... you have integrity and consistency....you don't like the "politics" at work.. you'd rather be able to talk honestly with people than "play games." (you still play games on the Storm Palace, but would rather post! :) )...intuitive insights into situations...
You're quiet yet persistent and determined in your efforts toward long-term goals....when you work toward your vision, you win cooperation rather than demand it...even if you don't lead others, you still facilitate things... leisure time usually is solitary or involves the company of others particularly important to you...you're perfectly happy just sitting around with close buds discussing feelings...you'd rather have longstanding friends than make many new acquaintences...these deep friendships are important to you, even though you may not share much about yourself...
You become attracted to someone special and prefer this one deep one over many superficial ones...this depth, though, is only partially communicated outwards...you like a regular "date", revisiting the place where you first met your mates, or doing other symbolic things that help to continue or confirm the existence of the bond.
You may have an ideal standard of the way love is...you're often disappointed when reality doesn't quite match up....you want to give love and be loved... you enter into relationships just to be cared for...even when the other person isn't right for you and you know it....when you meet the right person, though, you are quick to get involved with them and make it a serious one... you'll end other relationships to be with this "right" one....
When you're scorned, you take it personally and retreat inward...you may obsess about the relationship and your role in the failure...you blame yourself for a failed relationship and might even need a period of mourning.
You should watch out for becoming blinded by the idealism of your visions or if you focus only on your ideas...this could make you ignore reality when it contradicts those lofty ideals...you could stay with a belief or commitment beyond what the facts would support (stubborn?)...you're loyal...
Also, you could lose out if you don't act assertively and are reluctant to intrude on others with your ideas...as a result, you could keep many important things to yourself...you'll then feel that your ideas are underestimated or unappreciated...maybe you should develop political saavy or assertiveness to sell your ideals...finally, you should be forthright with criticism of others...you're always doing the "If you can't say some- thing nice...." stuff. After you hold it inside, you'll blow up eventually.
INFJ: "Inner Nuances Fosters Journeys"
COol. This is pretty accurate stuff. Try it at http://haleonline.com/psychtest
You can read more about it here.
INFJ
You're future-oriented, and direct your insight and inspiration towards understanding yourself and thereby, human nature...your work mirrors your integrity....reflects your inner ideals...solitude and a chance to concentrate thoroughly on what counts most is important to you...you like to quietly exert your influence...you have deeply felt compassion and desire harmony with others...you'll go to great lengths to avoid conflict...
You understand the complexities existing within people...you don't call a lot of attention to yourself...you like to let your accomplishments do your talking....you look for a small group of people who understand and appreciate you and hang with them....you're gentle and don't like violence...
You'd rather have a few close friends instead of be at a big party ...you'll do well in college as your "day in the sun" where your brains count more than they did in that ol' shallow high school...you want your work to contribute to the general good...
You have a strong love of learning...you get along well with teachers and older people...you write well 'cause you can formulate your ideas clearly... you have integrity and consistency....you don't like the "politics" at work.. you'd rather be able to talk honestly with people than "play games." (you still play games on the Storm Palace, but would rather post! :) )...intuitive insights into situations...
You're quiet yet persistent and determined in your efforts toward long-term goals....when you work toward your vision, you win cooperation rather than demand it...even if you don't lead others, you still facilitate things... leisure time usually is solitary or involves the company of others particularly important to you...you're perfectly happy just sitting around with close buds discussing feelings...you'd rather have longstanding friends than make many new acquaintences...these deep friendships are important to you, even though you may not share much about yourself...
You become attracted to someone special and prefer this one deep one over many superficial ones...this depth, though, is only partially communicated outwards...you like a regular "date", revisiting the place where you first met your mates, or doing other symbolic things that help to continue or confirm the existence of the bond.
You may have an ideal standard of the way love is...you're often disappointed when reality doesn't quite match up....you want to give love and be loved... you enter into relationships just to be cared for...even when the other person isn't right for you and you know it....when you meet the right person, though, you are quick to get involved with them and make it a serious one... you'll end other relationships to be with this "right" one....
When you're scorned, you take it personally and retreat inward...you may obsess about the relationship and your role in the failure...you blame yourself for a failed relationship and might even need a period of mourning.
You should watch out for becoming blinded by the idealism of your visions or if you focus only on your ideas...this could make you ignore reality when it contradicts those lofty ideals...you could stay with a belief or commitment beyond what the facts would support (stubborn?)...you're loyal...
Also, you could lose out if you don't act assertively and are reluctant to intrude on others with your ideas...as a result, you could keep many important things to yourself...you'll then feel that your ideas are underestimated or unappreciated...maybe you should develop political saavy or assertiveness to sell your ideals...finally, you should be forthright with criticism of others...you're always doing the "If you can't say some- thing nice...." stuff. After you hold it inside, you'll blow up eventually.
INFJ: "Inner Nuances Fosters Journeys"
COol. This is pretty accurate stuff. Try it at http://haleonline.com/psychtest
You can read more about it here.
Thursday, January 29, 2004
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