Penya Barcelonista de Lisboa

dimarts, d’abril 29, 2008

Scholes fires Man Utd into final (Manchester Utd, 1-FC Barcelona, 0)


Scholes fires Man Utd into final (Manchester Utd, 1-FC Barcelona, 0)

Manchester United are not merely back on track but bound for Moscow, where they will seek to raise the European Cup for a third time, in a final against either Chelsea or Liverpool on May 21. Such a journey is full of peril and the anxiety that descended on Old Trafford was a mark of the terrors this semi-final itself held. A single goal for Barcelona would have eliminated Sir Alex Ferguson's team, but Wes Brown and Patrice Evra were superb in a watertight defence.
The volume rose as the game went on, with the crowd praying that a wall of noise would block Barcelona. There were moments when United hearts seized up, as when the substitute Thierry Henry got his head to a corner-kick only to steer it into the hands of the goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar. The club has its reward because of the clean sheets maintained in each leg despite the ordeals.
United's line-up may have been depleted by the absence of Wayne Rooney and Nemanja Vidic but there was no doubt that the match itself was a full-strength affair. If the clubs had held a little in reserve during the goalless draw at Camp Nou it followed that there could be no more inhibitions here.
Although Barcelona opened as if attempting to fool Ferguson's players into thinking they had regained their old swagger, the truth was that the visitors had not eradicated their recent fallibility. With 14 minutes gone, an anxious Gianluca Zambrotta hacked clear from his right-back position and deposited the ball in the path of Paul Scholes. From 25 yards the midfielder lifted a shot high past the left hand of Víctor Valdés. It was Scholes' first goal since he scored at Portsmouth in November. That drought is explained in part by the fact that the veteran midfielder is stationed nearer his defence nowadays, but that may give him an element of surprise.
Barcelona's attitude was no shock at all. Falling behind altered nothing when they already had it in mind that an away goal was essential. If the passes were not stroked so tastefully as they had been at Camp Nou, the heightened urgency more than compensated. Brown had to be vigilant at centre-back and his concentration was kept a high level in an unwelcome manner as Barcelona menaced increasingly before the interval.
The unease in the crowd, if not the team, would have been deepened by recollections of past disappointments at this phase of the Champions League. Ferguson had been beaten in three out of his previous four appearances in the semi-finals. That should not have counted for much. United, after all, had won 11 consecutive home matches in this tournament and, if Barcelona's form in La Liga was any guide, a 12th was well within reach. There was a gnawing doubt for Ferguson, all the same, since neither Vidic nor Rooney had overcome those injuries. Those who have decided that passing ability is the key factor would have declared Barcelona the superior side.
The game, of course, comprises other factors as well and Zambrotta, in scuffing that ball to Scholes, betrayed a fallibility. United's moves into attack may have grown less frequent, but Nani could have doubled the advantage. Under pressure, he headed a Park Ji-sung cross wide four minutes from the interval. Barcelona, however, had made Edwin van der Sar scramble at times. The Dutchman did make an important parry from a Lionel Messi drive in the 19th minute.
For the most part, though, Barcelona caused alarm without being cold-blooded enough to capitalise. Deco's shooting then was not quite sharp enough and Samuel Eto'o had still to locate the predatory skills that have been absent in a troubled campaign for Barcelona.
Those capable of detaching themselves from the spectacle might have mused that it was as well Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and others had been allowed a degree of rest at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, even if United were beaten there. Ferguson was convinced that a single goal would not suffice and his team were bent on adding another.
Another absentee from the Chelsea defeat, Park, had possibly his best match for the club, offering width and fine deliveries. Cries for penalties went unheard as the visitors reeled. Eric Abidal just beat Nani to a Ronaldo cross and Valdés had to parry one strong attempt from Tevez. United may have been peeved not to have doubled their advantage, but at least Barcelona were being pegged back.
That could not last and in the 64th minute a Deco free-kick was deflected wide. This, it had to be recalled, was not the Premier League. United could not contain Barcelona as they would a lesser team and it was telling that Ronaldo should be cautioned for a foul on Zambrotta committed well inside the opposition's half.
Yaya Touré was no calmer when he slid into Park and collected a yellow card that would keep him out of the final, were Barcelona to reach it. It had become the sort of night when the outcome was so much in the balance that there would be a vast roar when United gained a corner. If nothing else, it made sure a few more moments would pass harmlessly.
Barcelona, losing the tie, had the more profound desperation. An ineffectual Et'o simply could not be allowed to stay on the field and the youngster Bojan Krkic took over from him. It was the fear and ambition that made this so gripping a scene.