SOCCER:DEFENDING THE European title has become one of sport's Homeric quests. No club has retained the grandest prize in club football since Milan in 1989-90. Why? Because it is an infernally hard competition to win once, never mind two years running: a feat that went out of fashion with the Year Zero advent of the quasi-continental league Manchester United are learning to dominate.
Real Madrid in the 1950s, Benfica and Internazionale a decade later, Ajax, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest and Milan from 1971 to 1990: defending champions were hardly a novelty before group stages and super-abundant wealth at the elite end rendered it unimaginable a Forest will ever win the prize again.
Within 11 minutes of this game starting one wondered what all the fuss has been about, as United blitzed Arsene Wenger’s side with goals from Park Ji-sung and Cristiano Ronaldo. To praise Park for breaking his duck in Europe on such a prestigious night would ignore the assistance given by Arsenal’s left-back, Kieran Gibbs, who slipped as Ronaldo’s cross entered Manuel Almunia’s penalty area.
But there was no mistaking the virtuosity of Ronaldo’s blast from a free-kick three minutes later. Seldom has the barrage balloon of expectation been so loudly popped by a teenager losing his footing and a goalkeeper forgetting to guard the left-hand side of his goal when the world’s best dead-ball-striker is shaping to shoot.
The world cries out for complex explanations but sometimes misadventure and mistakes decide games before they have had a proper chance to start. Unless Arsenal could score four United were on course to become the first team since Juventus in 1996-97 to reach two consecutive Champions League finals.
Before the game, all the anxiety had emanated from the north. Alex Ferguson offered a rare opening to his few remaining detractors by conceding 10 Premier League titles should have translated into greater influence in Europe. “My biggest regret is that we haven’t won it (the Champions League) more times,” he said. “We have a terrific history but it is not the same as AC Milan, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Bayern Munich or Ajax.”
Less burdensome than the poor recent record of reigning European champs is the sense United have reached their best orchestral heights only intermittently this season. The foundation of their success from December to February was an impenetrable defence. Students of undulations in form may yet trace this semi-final triumph to the five goals they punched past Spurs after falling 2-0 behind. They are now finding their rhythm. Their third goal – Ronaldo’s second – was from the book of sweeping counter-attacks we associate with Ferguson’s sides. His masterstroke was to pair Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo in attack in front of a strong midfield of Park, Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick and Anderson. United won the territorial struggle in the centre and posed much the greater threat up front.
On the Arsenal bench sat Nicklas Bendtner, Carlos Vela, Emmanuel Eboue and Mikael Silvestre. United’s bristled with Ryan Giggs, Dimitar Berbatov, Paul Scholes and Carlos Tevez. With 25 minutes still to play they were able to withdraw Rooney to protect him from suspension in Rome.
About the only blemish was Fletcher’s dismissal for a foul in the United penalty area, which enabled Robin Van Persie to lend some respectability to the score. No European final can proceed, seemingly, without a player paying the heavy price of banishment for an offence committed in the preceding rounds.
The sky blue half of Manchester had watched its hero Ricky Hatton climb through the ropes with Manny Pacquiao and get knocked spark-out. Then the red half inflicted the same indignity on Arsenal. The European title is United’s to defend, and suddenly they seem more attached to it than ever. Guardian Service
