carlyluvsunited
08-11-2007, 05:38 AM
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k211/small_carly/Ferguson_280x390_382215a.jpg
~~~ United Push Kiev Aside To Go Strolling Through ~~~
~~~ Manchester United (2) 4 Dynamo Kiev (0) 0 ~~~
As Sir Alex Ferguson entered his 22nd year in command, the only thing Old
Trafford's great helmsman could still find to envy about Liverpool would be their
number of European Cup finals.
Yet, while those at Anfield are engaged in a desperate struggle merely to qualify
for the next phase of the Champions League, Manchester United strolled into the
knockout stages almost with their hands in their pockets.
True, they did not score eight but it was hardly for the want of trying, especially in
a surprisingly open second half. When Wayne Rooney tucked away United's third
and Cristiano Ronaldo skipped through for the fourth, the moves seemed like
training-ground exercises.
Early it might be, but Ferguson was already predicting that this was a campaign
he felt would end in a final in Moscow. "We have had our disappointments in the
Champions League but this year I really believe we are capable of going all the
way," he said.
"If you want to be the best, you naturally look to spell it out with cups and
medals, otherwise you are in danger of ending your career as a nearly man and I
don't think a single United player wants that.
"Talk comes cheap but I think we have built a platform that will launch us on our
way to capturing this most elusive of trophies." They will, however, meet rather
better sides than Dynamo Kiev on the way.
When the Kiev of Andrei Shevchenko, Sergei Rebrov and Oleg Luzhny reached the
semi-finals of the European Cup in 1999, Ferguson feared facing them in
Barcelona far more than Bayern Munich. Now they are a shell of that club. Rebrov
has returned but was employed only as a second-half substitute while Luzhny
found himself the club's third manager of the season.
Six years ago, he had been Arsenal's right-back when United had driven half-a
-dozen goals past their supposed closest rivals. Now in charge of a side that had
not won in the Champions League since 2004 and having seen United score four
in the vast, charmless bowl of Kiev's Olympic Stadium, he would been desperate
just for defeat with honour.
Ferguson felt able to give a new generation at Old Trafford - Gerard Pique and
Danny Simpson - tastes of the Champions League with his young Irish centre
-half, Jonny Evans, taking his chance from the bench and Tomasz Kuszczak
allowing Edwin van der Sar to rest a foot injury after half-time.
What had angered Ferguson so much about Manchester United's early exit from
the Carling Cup against Coventry here, was that it denied these players crucial
first-team experience.
With United now qualified, those tests are likely to come against Sporting Lisbon
and in Rome.
After half-an-hour's resistance, Kiev cracked. For once, Ronaldo decided to float in
a free-kick rather than strike it pointlessly into the wall and Michael Carrick,
returning for the first time since dislocating an elbow against Roma in September,
nodded it against the back of Carlos Tevez's head. From there it ballooned up
towards Pique who beat his marker to head it precisely into the corner of
Olexandr Shovkovskiy's net.
Brian Clough used to say that, when he scored, Kenny Dalglish had the nicest
smile in football and Pique's gleam of delight might just match it. The boy from
the same Barcelona youth team as Cesc Fabregas was finally seizing his first
-team chance.
Facing a United side that had lost only one of its previous 31 Champions League
matches at Old Trafford - and that to AC Milan - Kiev knew they would struggle to
hold the score down to 1-0.
In fact, it was a task they managed for all of six minutes until Tevez and Rooney
provided further proof that they are developing a sublime understanding.
The Argentine began and finished the move, winning the ball on the halfway line
and then finding Rooney, who under pressure from blue-shirted defenders, fed it
back. Tevez was in space with the goal at his mercy. It received none.
This was a night when all facets of Rooney's game was on display. Earlier in the
evening, he had produced a wonderful pull-back for Nani that would probably
have led to United's opener had Sergei Fedorov not blocked spectacularly well.
Moments later, Rooney's sense of injustice led to him being booked. He had been
angered by Vladyslav Vaschuk's forearm striking him unintentionally in the face
and responded with a little kick of his own. Then he ran back and felled Artem
Milevskiy with a crude, unnecessary tackle. If he really was bored by the ease of
it all, the lad looked remarkably engaged.
Match details:
Manchester United (4-4-2): Van der Sar (Kuszczak h-t); Simpson, Vidic,
Pique (Evans 72), Evra; Ronaldo, Carrick, Fletcher, Nani; Tevez (Saha 67), Rooney.
Subs: Brown, Anderson, O'Shea, Eagles. Booked: Rooney.
Goals: Pique 31, Tevez 37, Rooney 76, Ronaldo 88.
Dynamo Kiev (4-4-2): Shovkovskiy; Markovic, Diakhate, Fedorov, El
Kaddouri; Gusev (Rincon h-t), Ghioane, Vaschuk, Correa; Milevskiy (Bangoura 77),
Rotan (Rebrov ht).
Subs: Rybka (g), Gavrancic, Ninkovic, Dopilka.
Booked: Diakhate, Milevskiy.
Referee: J Wegereef (Holland).
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~~~ United Push Kiev Aside To Go Strolling Through ~~~
~~~ Manchester United (2) 4 Dynamo Kiev (0) 0 ~~~
As Sir Alex Ferguson entered his 22nd year in command, the only thing Old
Trafford's great helmsman could still find to envy about Liverpool would be their
number of European Cup finals.
Yet, while those at Anfield are engaged in a desperate struggle merely to qualify
for the next phase of the Champions League, Manchester United strolled into the
knockout stages almost with their hands in their pockets.
True, they did not score eight but it was hardly for the want of trying, especially in
a surprisingly open second half. When Wayne Rooney tucked away United's third
and Cristiano Ronaldo skipped through for the fourth, the moves seemed like
training-ground exercises.
Early it might be, but Ferguson was already predicting that this was a campaign
he felt would end in a final in Moscow. "We have had our disappointments in the
Champions League but this year I really believe we are capable of going all the
way," he said.
"If you want to be the best, you naturally look to spell it out with cups and
medals, otherwise you are in danger of ending your career as a nearly man and I
don't think a single United player wants that.
"Talk comes cheap but I think we have built a platform that will launch us on our
way to capturing this most elusive of trophies." They will, however, meet rather
better sides than Dynamo Kiev on the way.
When the Kiev of Andrei Shevchenko, Sergei Rebrov and Oleg Luzhny reached the
semi-finals of the European Cup in 1999, Ferguson feared facing them in
Barcelona far more than Bayern Munich. Now they are a shell of that club. Rebrov
has returned but was employed only as a second-half substitute while Luzhny
found himself the club's third manager of the season.
Six years ago, he had been Arsenal's right-back when United had driven half-a
-dozen goals past their supposed closest rivals. Now in charge of a side that had
not won in the Champions League since 2004 and having seen United score four
in the vast, charmless bowl of Kiev's Olympic Stadium, he would been desperate
just for defeat with honour.
Ferguson felt able to give a new generation at Old Trafford - Gerard Pique and
Danny Simpson - tastes of the Champions League with his young Irish centre
-half, Jonny Evans, taking his chance from the bench and Tomasz Kuszczak
allowing Edwin van der Sar to rest a foot injury after half-time.
What had angered Ferguson so much about Manchester United's early exit from
the Carling Cup against Coventry here, was that it denied these players crucial
first-team experience.
With United now qualified, those tests are likely to come against Sporting Lisbon
and in Rome.
After half-an-hour's resistance, Kiev cracked. For once, Ronaldo decided to float in
a free-kick rather than strike it pointlessly into the wall and Michael Carrick,
returning for the first time since dislocating an elbow against Roma in September,
nodded it against the back of Carlos Tevez's head. From there it ballooned up
towards Pique who beat his marker to head it precisely into the corner of
Olexandr Shovkovskiy's net.
Brian Clough used to say that, when he scored, Kenny Dalglish had the nicest
smile in football and Pique's gleam of delight might just match it. The boy from
the same Barcelona youth team as Cesc Fabregas was finally seizing his first
-team chance.
Facing a United side that had lost only one of its previous 31 Champions League
matches at Old Trafford - and that to AC Milan - Kiev knew they would struggle to
hold the score down to 1-0.
In fact, it was a task they managed for all of six minutes until Tevez and Rooney
provided further proof that they are developing a sublime understanding.
The Argentine began and finished the move, winning the ball on the halfway line
and then finding Rooney, who under pressure from blue-shirted defenders, fed it
back. Tevez was in space with the goal at his mercy. It received none.
This was a night when all facets of Rooney's game was on display. Earlier in the
evening, he had produced a wonderful pull-back for Nani that would probably
have led to United's opener had Sergei Fedorov not blocked spectacularly well.
Moments later, Rooney's sense of injustice led to him being booked. He had been
angered by Vladyslav Vaschuk's forearm striking him unintentionally in the face
and responded with a little kick of his own. Then he ran back and felled Artem
Milevskiy with a crude, unnecessary tackle. If he really was bored by the ease of
it all, the lad looked remarkably engaged.
Match details:
Manchester United (4-4-2): Van der Sar (Kuszczak h-t); Simpson, Vidic,
Pique (Evans 72), Evra; Ronaldo, Carrick, Fletcher, Nani; Tevez (Saha 67), Rooney.
Subs: Brown, Anderson, O'Shea, Eagles. Booked: Rooney.
Goals: Pique 31, Tevez 37, Rooney 76, Ronaldo 88.
Dynamo Kiev (4-4-2): Shovkovskiy; Markovic, Diakhate, Fedorov, El
Kaddouri; Gusev (Rincon h-t), Ghioane, Vaschuk, Correa; Milevskiy (Bangoura 77),
Rotan (Rebrov ht).
Subs: Rybka (g), Gavrancic, Ninkovic, Dopilka.
Booked: Diakhate, Milevskiy.
Referee: J Wegereef (Holland).
Click here to join manutdtalk.com and read all breaking news on all things
United !!!
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