ManU win 4-3, but lose 5-6 on aggregate. Ronaldo (12) van Nistelrooy (43) Ronaldo (50) Ivan Helguera (og 52) Ronaldo (59) Beckham (71) Beckham (84) Apparently a very entertaining match. I was worried that Real would miss Raul but obviously they didn't. I'm glad they're gone but the downside is that now ManU can concentrate on the league, as they have nothing else left. Had they won they'd have had at least two more games and been forced to split their focus. I felt they had the harder schedule two weeks ago, but now I wonder. Charlton and Everton have slumped and Spurs likely will roll over. Looks like 9 points, plus upwards of a dozen goals. Still looks uphill for the Arse.
0 for 3 now for ManUre, won't be too long till they go 0 for 4 on silverware. Some say this will cause them to focus on the league, I think it will make them desperate to win league and thus more likely to slip up. Will have such torn emotions on Sunday. Side note, they showed highlights (about 20 sec, only 3 of the goals) on SportsCenter and anytime I see Euro soccer on SportsCenter it makes me happy, and when its Man U being eliminated it makes me real happy.
It was a veryentertaining match. Ronaldo was silly, Spice boy didn't start, but came on in the 60th or so and notched two, and almost a third in the 92nd, I don't think it would have been enough with away goals, but unfortunately a moral victory for Merch United.
I think it needs to be added that the 2nd Becks goal would have gone in as an own goal if he had not happen to run up and follow it in to the goal.
Having read the reports of Veron's "menacing' cross that led to the own goal, I caught the replay. Hardly menacing. Helguerra could have and should have stopped it easily. Once the game was decided, Real's defense folded completely. Ronaldo-amazing. He's only amazing for three or four matches every year, but he picks the big ones.
As good as Real was offensively, their defense was horrid. If not for Casillas (who had one of the best performances I've ever seen from a keeper), ManUre might be moving on in spite of Ronaldo's hat trick. There was little organization at the back in the second half and both the own goal and Beckham's second were inexcusable. I felt bad for Casillas, as, out of the four goals he conceded, only the free kick by Beckham was not helped by the Real defense. I know that things were pretty much decided, but Real has to play much cleaner in the back if they want to repeat. On a side note, anybody else think Beckham's two goals might actually be a bad thing for United? I think the fact that he came on as a sub and essentially kept things interesting is going to split the dressing room between those players who side with Fergie and his sitting of Beckham and those who think Becks should have been on the pitch the whole time. Maybe this will be a situation that will undo the chemistry of United.
Great idea! Hopefully factions will frustrate ManU in the weeks ahead. Their fans however, judging from the posts at their BS board, remain very confident and emphasize that ManU beat Real. They seem to think Beckham's goal (his second being more of a Real OG) has rejuvenated United. Maybe, but maybe not. In any case, it will be very interesting to see if SAF continues to leave Beckham on the bench for over an hour in the upcoming matches. If he does, it's a pretty good indication he's starting to "rebuild" even before the season's over and that he's finally lost it. So much the better if it costs him the title.