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Match Review : UCL Semi Final (2) - Arsenal (1) vs UNITED (3)
Posted by sChuMee
in
Manchester United
1st goal : JS Park
2nd goal : Cristiano RONALDO
3rd goal : Cristiano RONALDO
Gunners vs Red Devils for a spot in the Champions League final.. we're in need of goals to seal this off.. so COME ON UNITED!!!!!!!!!!
This will be the fifth straight year that England have had a side in the Champions League final. And if United win, they'll become the first team to defend the title since the old European Cup was superseded by the Champions League.
There was plenty of speculation about Carlos Tevez starting tonight, but once again the South American is on the bench. Rooney starts on his own up front. Ronaldo will play down the centre for United.
FULL SQUAD :
United - playing in their all-blue strip tonight - come forward to make the first move of the match, but the ball is cut out by Song just as Park is about to deliver a ball.
First chance comes for Arsenal as they win a corner from a deflected shot by Fabregas. The chance is blown straight away: United took a short corner, and when the ball came in Vidic had moved offside.
GOAL FOR UNITED!!!! Ronaldo runs on to a ball up ion the left side of the box, cuts it back across the penalty box - and Gibbs slips over! Park is there to pounce, and he right-foots the ball past Almunia!!! And that's the away goal we are aiming for.. Arsenal now has to find 3 goals to stay in the competition..
That's something of a disaster for the Gunners already, who now need to score at least three times to make it through to the final.
United have a free kick... AND RONALDO HAS SCORED!!!!!! It's the second for UNITED now.. Wenger is shaking his head..Superb strike, but the ball went almost through the hands of Almunia!! Incredible start for United who are already making up for their profligacy last week!
Almost another great chance for Ronaldo, trying to get on the end of a long ball but ending up offside.
Ronaldo and Rooney combine well as they chase a long ball... both onside...
Ronaldo takes the ball and cuts it back for Rooney - who shoots well, and it's a lovely save from Almunia at full stretch!
Ronaldo leaps to meet the corner, but his header goes over...
Arsenal keep on coming back, Nasri putting a good ball through to Adebayor who wins a corner - but Van der Sar takes the ball well.
Ronaldo comes up the right into the box and wins a corner...
Rooney gets his head to the corner but heads wide - he's penalised for a push in any case.
With the freedom of a 3-0 aggregate lead the holders are pinging the ball round the park as if they think they're Barcelona...
UNITED push up again - they're looking dangerous with every move - but Rooney on the left flank is marginally offside.
UNITED hit on the counter and Ronaldo hits a neat, dipping shot on target inside the left post that Almunia gathers well.
Ronaldo is cut down by Sagna and wins a free kick just outside the box despite the fact that the Arsenal man seemed to get the ball...
Ronaldo himself takes the free kick - and pings it hard, on target... but this time Almunia's hands are solid .
Ronaldo has gone down wincing and holding his leg after a minimal-contact challenge by Fabregas.
Another free kick won by United, this time Park gets the decision after jumping on top of Fabregas's head - a baffling call by the ref.
UNITED are totally efficient in closing down their opponents at the moment, closing in at least two or three on one every time the ball comes near the final quarter of the pitch.
Nice move from Arsenal is throttled by the United defence. The Gunners are starting to look a bit more effective now, but the visitors are keeping five or six men behind the ball.
Rooney wins a free kick from a 50/50 tussle with Walcott, and United try to clip the ball upfield again...
Rooney finds space to chase a ball on the left, pulls it back across the box straight to Ronaldo - but the Portuguese superstar's left-foot effort is weak and straight at the keeper.
HALFTIME!!!Just a few seconds of injury time and the ref blows up to signal the end of the first half. It Looks like game over to Arsenal.. but i am not taking anything fore granted... it's not over until it is over.. so we need to keep focus & keep up the momentum.. GIVE NO ROOM FOR ARSENAL TO RECOVER!!!
We're back in action, and butter-footed Kieran Gibbs has been replaced by Eboue. A positive move by Wenger, but it's not exactly pushing the panic button just yet.
Corner for the visitors, whipped in by Rooney but headed clear by Sagna.
UNITED hit on the break as Arsenal cautiously push up... and Ronaldo has a great opening...
OMG!! I just saw Becks!!!!! OMG, i miss him as a UNITED player!!!!
Ronaldo cuts back in from the right flank and unleashes a left-foot shot from the edge of the box - GREAT SAVE BY ALMUNIA! The keeper pushes it just around the post - and then collects the resulting corner well.
United are frustrating the Arsenal players at the moment, hanging on to the ball ruthlessly and running the clock down.
Rooney charges up field on the break from Park's great ball... and SLOTS A GREAT BALL TO RONALDO - WHO BURIES THE BALL IN THE ROOF OF THE NET!!!!! Superb goal on the counter - and that's surely it now. The only question is who United will face in Rome. who United will face in Rome.
It's surely game over for the GUnners.. but let's keep the goal coming LADS!!!! A hat-trick for Ron perhaps.. VIVA RONALDO!!!!!!!!
Evra comes off and Rafael comes on for United, while Rooney - who was one yellow card from missing the final - is switched for Berbatov.
It's all over as a contest now, with the pace of the match dropping hugely as both sides begin conserving energy for other battles to come.
It's now UNITED who seem to be pushing harder again, as the match begins to take on the patterns of a training ground match.
Cesc is taken out by Fletcher in the box - AND IT'S A RED CARD FOR FLETCHER! HE MISSES THE FINAL!!!! THAT IS UNFORTUNATE FOR FLETCHER!!! AND IT'S A PENALTY!!!
Van Persie hammers the penalty into the top right corner - superb strike, but replays suggest that Fletcher got the ball with his tackle. Still, it was a clumsy scissor kick round Van Persie's waist in the six-yard box - that's asking for trouble.
Fergie is already arguing calmly with the third official about trying to get the red card overturned... It's desperately unfair on Fletcher if he has to miss the final. No appeal can be made for this one. UEFA officials have just confirmed that there is no right of appeal except in cases of mistaken identity. FLETCHER WON'T PLAY IN THE FINAL.. THAT IS A SHAME.. DISGRACEFUL!!!!
Free kick for the holders, and it's Ronaldo - of course - to take... he strikes it perfectly, but it's just too high.
Three minutes to be added on.
And it's the final whistle. UNITED are safely through to another UCL Final..
2nd goal : Cristiano RONALDO
3rd goal : Cristiano RONALDO
Gunners vs Red Devils for a spot in the Champions League final.. we're in need of goals to seal this off.. so COME ON UNITED!!!!!!!!!!
This will be the fifth straight year that England have had a side in the Champions League final. And if United win, they'll become the first team to defend the title since the old European Cup was superseded by the Champions League.
There was plenty of speculation about Carlos Tevez starting tonight, but once again the South American is on the bench. Rooney starts on his own up front. Ronaldo will play down the centre for United.
FULL SQUAD :
VDS
Sheasy Rio Vida Evra
Carrick
Fletcher Ando
JS Park Roo
Ron
SUBS: Kuszczak, Rafael Da Silva, Evans, Giggs, Scholes, Berbatov, Tevez
United - playing in their all-blue strip tonight - come forward to make the first move of the match, but the ball is cut out by Song just as Park is about to deliver a ball.
First chance comes for Arsenal as they win a corner from a deflected shot by Fabregas. The chance is blown straight away: United took a short corner, and when the ball came in Vidic had moved offside.
GOAL FOR UNITED!!!! Ronaldo runs on to a ball up ion the left side of the box, cuts it back across the penalty box - and Gibbs slips over! Park is there to pounce, and he right-foots the ball past Almunia!!! And that's the away goal we are aiming for.. Arsenal now has to find 3 goals to stay in the competition..
That's something of a disaster for the Gunners already, who now need to score at least three times to make it through to the final.
United have a free kick... AND RONALDO HAS SCORED!!!!!! It's the second for UNITED now.. Wenger is shaking his head..Superb strike, but the ball went almost through the hands of Almunia!! Incredible start for United who are already making up for their profligacy last week!
Almost another great chance for Ronaldo, trying to get on the end of a long ball but ending up offside.
Ronaldo and Rooney combine well as they chase a long ball... both onside...
Ronaldo takes the ball and cuts it back for Rooney - who shoots well, and it's a lovely save from Almunia at full stretch!
Ronaldo leaps to meet the corner, but his header goes over...
Arsenal keep on coming back, Nasri putting a good ball through to Adebayor who wins a corner - but Van der Sar takes the ball well.
Ronaldo comes up the right into the box and wins a corner...
Rooney gets his head to the corner but heads wide - he's penalised for a push in any case.
With the freedom of a 3-0 aggregate lead the holders are pinging the ball round the park as if they think they're Barcelona...
UNITED push up again - they're looking dangerous with every move - but Rooney on the left flank is marginally offside.
UNITED hit on the counter and Ronaldo hits a neat, dipping shot on target inside the left post that Almunia gathers well.
Ronaldo is cut down by Sagna and wins a free kick just outside the box despite the fact that the Arsenal man seemed to get the ball...
Ronaldo himself takes the free kick - and pings it hard, on target... but this time Almunia's hands are solid .
Ronaldo has gone down wincing and holding his leg after a minimal-contact challenge by Fabregas.
Another free kick won by United, this time Park gets the decision after jumping on top of Fabregas's head - a baffling call by the ref.
UNITED are totally efficient in closing down their opponents at the moment, closing in at least two or three on one every time the ball comes near the final quarter of the pitch.
Nice move from Arsenal is throttled by the United defence. The Gunners are starting to look a bit more effective now, but the visitors are keeping five or six men behind the ball.
Rooney wins a free kick from a 50/50 tussle with Walcott, and United try to clip the ball upfield again...
Rooney finds space to chase a ball on the left, pulls it back across the box straight to Ronaldo - but the Portuguese superstar's left-foot effort is weak and straight at the keeper.
HALFTIME!!!Just a few seconds of injury time and the ref blows up to signal the end of the first half. It Looks like game over to Arsenal.. but i am not taking anything fore granted... it's not over until it is over.. so we need to keep focus & keep up the momentum.. GIVE NO ROOM FOR ARSENAL TO RECOVER!!!
We're back in action, and butter-footed Kieran Gibbs has been replaced by Eboue. A positive move by Wenger, but it's not exactly pushing the panic button just yet.
Corner for the visitors, whipped in by Rooney but headed clear by Sagna.
UNITED hit on the break as Arsenal cautiously push up... and Ronaldo has a great opening...
OMG!! I just saw Becks!!!!! OMG, i miss him as a UNITED player!!!!
Ronaldo cuts back in from the right flank and unleashes a left-foot shot from the edge of the box - GREAT SAVE BY ALMUNIA! The keeper pushes it just around the post - and then collects the resulting corner well.
United are frustrating the Arsenal players at the moment, hanging on to the ball ruthlessly and running the clock down.
Rooney charges up field on the break from Park's great ball... and SLOTS A GREAT BALL TO RONALDO - WHO BURIES THE BALL IN THE ROOF OF THE NET!!!!! Superb goal on the counter - and that's surely it now. The only question is who United will face in Rome. who United will face in Rome.
It's surely game over for the GUnners.. but let's keep the goal coming LADS!!!! A hat-trick for Ron perhaps.. VIVA RONALDO!!!!!!!!
Evra comes off and Rafael comes on for United, while Rooney - who was one yellow card from missing the final - is switched for Berbatov.
It's all over as a contest now, with the pace of the match dropping hugely as both sides begin conserving energy for other battles to come.
It's now UNITED who seem to be pushing harder again, as the match begins to take on the patterns of a training ground match.
Cesc is taken out by Fletcher in the box - AND IT'S A RED CARD FOR FLETCHER! HE MISSES THE FINAL!!!! THAT IS UNFORTUNATE FOR FLETCHER!!! AND IT'S A PENALTY!!!
Van Persie hammers the penalty into the top right corner - superb strike, but replays suggest that Fletcher got the ball with his tackle. Still, it was a clumsy scissor kick round Van Persie's waist in the six-yard box - that's asking for trouble.
Fergie is already arguing calmly with the third official about trying to get the red card overturned... It's desperately unfair on Fletcher if he has to miss the final. No appeal can be made for this one. UEFA officials have just confirmed that there is no right of appeal except in cases of mistaken identity. FLETCHER WON'T PLAY IN THE FINAL.. THAT IS A SHAME.. DISGRACEFUL!!!!
Free kick for the holders, and it's Ronaldo - of course - to take... he strikes it perfectly, but it's just too high.
Three minutes to be added on.
And it's the final whistle. UNITED are safely through to another UCL Final..
CONGRATULATIONS UNITED & CIAO ROME!!!!!!!!!
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