CL Final: United -v- Chelsea

kerash

Keano A Legend wrote: »

Have to feel sorry Terry, he is Chelsea true and true but I can't help but feel that his heart ruled his head. He would have deserved the glory if he scored but as the captain he should have picked who he wanted to take a penalty.Terry himself should have been the 11th if needed!

I was thinking if Drogba had been on the pitch Terry wouldnt have taken the pen. I wouldn't put any blame on him, it's a shame really, he'll have that hanging over him if he plays in another CL final.

kmart6

I would have to loved to have done what Unearthly has done there but didn't have the patience! What does Ronaldo have to do to prove to some people that he is great?! Anybody can miss a penalty in a situatuion like that,i supose your all forgetting how he just scored a brilliant header in a CL final against a team he hadn't scored against before!!!!

Jesus Wept

Praetorian wrote: »

What a great night to be a Utd fan. Somehow I had a glimmer of hope going into the penalties against all odds.

Drogba must be kicking himself. Feel sorry for Terry, he's not a bad bloke.

He's not a good bloke.

DaveMcG wrote: »

Champs

heh, this is the only post from a united fan tonight that made me smile, nice post.

kmart6

kerash wrote: »

I was thinking if Drogba had been on the pitch Terry wouldnt have taken the pen. I wouldn't put any blame on him, it's a shame really, he'll have that hanging over him if he plays in another CL final.

Well Lampard said something along the lines of it takes a lot of balls for a central-defender to step up in a situation like that and take a peno!

Keano

Tauren wrote: »

maybe no-one else stepped forward to take the 5th, we don't know

True Tauren but I just feel that Terry wanted the glory.

I may be way off the mark though.

kerash

kmart6 wrote: »

I would have to loved to have done what Unearthly has done there but didn't have the patience! What does Ronaldo have to do to prove to some people that he is great?! Anybody can miss a penalty in a situatuion like that,i supose your all forgetting how he just scored a brilliant header in a CL final against a team he hadn't scored against before!!!!

Can we give Petr Cech the credit and call it quits:p

Keano

Keano A Legend wrote: »

True Tauren but I just feel that Terry wanted the glory.

I may be way off the mark though.

When did stopping for a penalty becoming legal???

Agree that Drogba would have scored.

Jesus Wept

kmart6 wrote: »

against a team he hadn't scored against before!!!!

What on earth has that got to do with the price of spuds?

kerash

kmart6 wrote: »

Well Lampard said something along the lines of it takes a lot of balls for a central-defender to step up in a situation like that and take a peno!

It sure does! Very sorry for Terry. Pens are no way to decide a game, its hard to blame any player for missing a pen under that pressure. Its even harder to expect a keeper to save, Ray Houghtan was complaining that the VDS should have saved at one stage!

Beerlao

Keano A Legend wrote: »

When did stopping for a penalty becoming legal???

Agree that Drogba would have scored.

he didn't stop completely. watch it again.

Xavi6

kmart6 wrote: »

I would have to loved to have done what Unearthly has done there but didn't have the patience! What does Ronaldo have to do to prove to some people that he is great?! Anybody can miss a penalty in a situatuion like that,i supose your all forgetting how he just scored a brilliant header in a CL final against a team he hadn't scored against before!!!!

It's nothing to do with him missing really, more so the manner in which he took it. He tried to be cocky and it went tits up. I'd have said the same if any player had fucked up that stunt.

Mitch Connor

Keano A Legend wrote: »

When did stopping for a penalty becoming legal???

no one can seem to find a rule about it anymore.

ghouldaddy07

delighted to see ferguson lift the trophey once more legend true and true.


felt we had lost it when ronaldo missed the penalty but in fairness he deserves no stick over it, cech is probly the first keeper I have seen all season not to give away what direction we was going to dive all season when ronaldo stops.


chelsea can hold their heads high after that preformance with the exception of drogba.

great to win the double once again

KERPAL

Woooooooohoooooooooooooooooo
United-champions Of Europe

And No1 Can Take It From Us.

Unearthly

I think it confirms Ferguson as a true legend and greatest manager ever

kmart6

Xavi6 wrote: »

It's nothing to do with him missing really, more so the manner in which he took it. He tried to be cocky and it went tits up. I'd have said the same if any player had fucked up that stunt.

It's the way he generally does it,not his fault if most keepers are thick and fall for it,Cech just know's better!

Roberto Baggio was a great player...missed in the WC Final. Big ****in deal, Ronaldo is not a bottler, he hit the target and had it saved, he didnt balloon it over the bar so it happends. He scored on the greatest stage of em all and yet id imagine some bitter idiots will still claim hes not a big game player.....


Anyway who gives a ****....we won!!!


The Game:


We started out great, hit the ground running and really wouldnt have been flattered to be 3-0 up. We were great, great passing, great movement and great ambition. Owen hargreaves needs to play more regularly for United, he was absolutely immense. Great delivery, reminds me in a ways of beckham and his energy, workrate and general hardness is excellent. The they got what really was the flukiest goal imaginable, hard to take and frankly undeserved but they all count. After that they were galvanised and well worth their draw after the 90 becasue they dominated the second half. the one thing is though,, they didnt carve us open the way we did in the first half. Bar the 2 post hitting incidents (one was in extra time) they didnt create too much that had be brickin it tbh. But we rode our luck, and why not, u need luck to win these games.

When Lampard hit the post my Dad said "Our names on the trophy"...I nearly hit him for jinxing it!!

I thought we came back a bit better in extra time, evened it out a bit and overall I dont think anyone in their right mind can say that for the 120 minutes that Chelsea were the better team considering how many times United ripped them apart in the 1st half. Chelsea were unlucky though as they hit the post twice.


the penalties, I actually said to my Dad about 30 secs before it happended "we need to get Anderson on for Brown"!! Profetic!!


Tevez - very good peno
Carrick - good peno
Ronaldo - unlucky, he got outwitted, it happens..move on, his goal was great. At least he hit the target and didnt balloon it as la Baggio/Vieri/Trezeguet .... so u cant call him a bottler. Same as when Gerrard and Carragher missed in WC 06, saved is no shame
Hargreaves - brilliant brilliant penalty.
Nani - excellent peno
Anderson - cheecky, i love the guy, technically his first goal for the club! First time he;s hit the net anyway! Cool customer, come on for one minute and take a penalty!
Giggs - LEGEND!


VDS - I actually thought he should have saved more. And that behind the goal camera screwed me over, I thought hed saved Coles penalty!!


Overall, a very very close game. tough on the losers and sympathy to Chelsea. We lost the FA Cup Final on penalties to l'Arse so i know the feeling, it sucks but heads up high no shame losing the way they did.


Anywya, Im too tired to post properly but all Ill say is Im absolutely ecstatic!!

LuckyLloyd

If Terry had scored that penalty it would have been hailed as one of the greatest individual moments of mental fortitude and courage ever displayed by an English football player. But he missed by a matter of centimeters, so it will instead end up being viewed as a questionable incidence of ego > rationality. Funny old game.

Unearthly

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

If Terry had scored that penalty it would have been hailed as one of the greatest individual moments of mental fortitude and courage ever displayed by an English football player. But he missed by a matter of centimeters, so it will instead end up being viewed as a questionable incidence of ego > rationality. Funny old game.

Just like you posted "Ronaldo bottler" when he missed a peno against Barca...

LuckyLloyd

Unearthly wrote: »

Just like you posted "Ronaldo bottler" when he missed a peno against Barca...

The difference is that Terry's kick was to win it all after 120 mins where Terry stood like a man mountain and turned in a terrific display of hunger and determination. It would have been seen as the icing on the cake of a HUGE performance in a HUGE game and that it is a shining example of what it takes to succeed in modern football blah, blah you surely get the point?

Not a very poor penalty at the start of a two legged tie where the player who missed it went on to give an ineffectual display of self indulgence, petty showmanship and immature whining blah, blah you surely get the point?

Very different scenarios.

Unearthly

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

The difference is that Terry's kick was to win it all after 120 mins where Terry stood like a man mountain and turned in a terrific display of hunger and determination. It would have been seen as the icing on the cake of a HUGE performance in a HUGE game and that it is a shining example of what it takes to succeed in modern football blah, blah you surely get the point?

Not a very poor penalty at the start of a two legged tie where the player who missed it went on to give an ineffectual display of self indulgence, petty showmanship and immature whining blah, blah you surely get the point?

Very different scenarios.

Terry bottled it to by your logic

Ronaldos peno had nothing to do with his performances.

He was a bit crap against Arsenal but still scored a crucial peno.

LuckyLloyd

Unearthly wrote: »

Ronaldos peno had nothing to do with his performances.

Thats my point. Terry's performance in this game was magnificent. His penalty was a little short of in - and hence everything he did will be viewed negatively.

LegacyUser

Keano A Legend wrote: »

Have to feel sorry Terry, he is Chelsea true and true but I can't help but feel that his heart ruled his head. He would have deserved the glory if he scored but as the captain he should have picked who he wanted to take a penalty.Terry himself should have been the 11th if needed!

I don't feel sorry for him at all. And it's "through and through" not true and true.

Unearthly

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Thats my point. Terry's performance in this game was magnificent. His penalty was a little short of in - and hence everything he did will be viewed negatively.

and do you do you think the majority of people on here would aknowledge Ronaldos achievements this season if Terry had scored tonight. Like F*ck they would of. People like yourself and Ironingbored would of stunk up the topic trolling.

Dont be at yourself

Congratulations to Man Utd. I don't think there's much doubt that they were the best team in Europe over the course of the season.

Man Utd were on top and very much in control of things until the Chelsea goal. It was a fortuitous goal, and a very unfortunate time to concede for Man Utd. From then on, Chelsea were by in large the better side, but both sides had numerous gilt-edged chances to take the lead.

In extra-time, there was a lot of tired passes and the game slowed to a crawl. Whether the players were simply out of steam or settling for penalties is a matter for debate. The brawl was unfortunate for both teams, and I was delighted to see Drogba get his marching orders. Never a more petulant player have I seen. He really is a disgrace to the game with his overall attitude, and I won't be shedding any tears if he packs his bags to Milan or whoever he's linked with this week.

I don't think either team had the edge going into the shootout. Neither keeper has an outstanding record with penalties. Chelsea perhaps had better penalty-takers on the pitch, but it was much of a muchness. As a Liverpool fan, I was very much undecided on who I'd prefer to win - until Ronaldo missed his penalty.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the run-up need to be one continuous motion? I thought they had outlawed stopping during the run-up. Regardless, it was a poor penalty. However, with Chelsea now taking the advantage, I realised I really didn't want them to get their hands on the European Cup. It's an exclusive club, and frankly Chelsea don't have the pedigree, the tradition or the ethos to rub shoulders with Man Utd, Liverpool, Milan and so on. The thought of Mikel, Drogba and Terry lifting the trophy is a horrible image too!

Terry's slip for the penalty was a bit unfair, but thems the breaks. What was he doing taking the penalty in the first place? Fair enough, he's the captain, but he's not noted for his technique for striking a football.

I didn't watch much of the celebrations, but it was hard not to have a soft spot for Ronaldo balling his eyes out. For all his posturing, he's still just a young kid! I can't stand it when he plays up for the cameras, posing before free-kicks and so on, but it was nice to see him let his cool dude image slip for a few minutes!

Congratulations again to United, the best team won.

kmart6

Good post Nekkid!

Reganio 2

I don't like him either but bit extreme their don't ya think?

kmart6

+1 to Xavi

LuckyLloyd

Unearthly wrote: »

and do you do you think the majority of people on here would aknowledge Ronaldos achievements this season if Terry had scored tonight. Like F*ck they would of. People like yourself and Ironingbored would of stunk up the topic trolling.

wha?

Unearthly

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

wha?

Didn't realise I was being cryptic

LuckyLloyd

Unearthly wrote: »

Didn't realise I was being cryptic

I think you are being ridiculously harsh and out of order. I trolled one individual thread and admitted afterwards that I had deliberately done it - and haven't trolled even a little bit since then - or commented much on United or Ronaldo at all for that matter. I had no intention of trolling either way tonight - and simply came in to voice an opinion on the one thing that struck me about the match above all else.

Good night.

kenco

Just having a look through the posts in this thread before I post.......many good valid objective comments, congrats and commiserations. The rest well better left.......

Congrats to Utd and all their supporters here on Boards. For the neutral it was a good game. Chelsea were the better team overall on the night and must be gutted. Vidic and Terry immense contributions. When it went to penos I thought Utd would do it as I felt it would go beyond 5 each. They had the mental strength and fair dues to them. Hard luck to all Chelsea fans here but I have no doubts you will be back.

kaisersose77

Unearthly wrote: »

HAHAHAHAHAHHA ROFLMAO!!!!!

GET IT INTO YAS!!!!!!

Ha...................Is that the right time to be trying to bluffing the goalkeeper? I'm sure you would kissing Ronaldos feet if Terry scored his penalty. Anyways he missed the penalty, ppl gave out about him for missing the penalty when it happened. I'm sure you were saying aww poor Ronaldo. Ronaldo had a good game but nearly cost them a european cup with his show ponying penalty.

togster

kaisersose77 wrote: »

Ronaldo had a good game but nearly cost them a european cup with his show ponying penalty.

But the fact is he didn't. Good game i thought. Chelsea were marginally better overall i thought.

iregk

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

I realised I really didn't want them to get their hands on the European Cup. It's an exclusive club, and frankly Chelsea don't have the pedigree, the tradition or the ethos to rub shoulders with Man Utd, Liverpool, Milan and so on.

What an idiotic, narrow minded ridiculous view of football you have. So I'm assuming it was a disgrace when porto won the cup also. It would have been a disgrace if Chelsea won it. Sure here is an idea why not just reorganise the CL so that only Liverpool, Man U, Milan and possibly Barca are allowed to play. Would that make you happy? I hadn't realised that to be allowed win the CL you had to be from a select band of clubs.

Last night was hard to take but there is absolutely no disgrace in loosing on penalties. Chelsea had the better of the game and deserved a win but the width of the woodwork saved united twice. That said united had their chances through teves and giggs only for great saves so either way the match could have been won in normal or extra time.

Supprisingly it was a better game that I expected once the half time came. Chelsea just didn't play in the first half and it was an awful game as a result. Second half was quite good. First half I though Scholes was the best player on the park, pulled the strings in the middle but then after the break Ballack stepped up and was fantastic.

Joe Cole ran his socks off without a huge amount of penetration and Wayne Rooney was Wayne Rooney, largely under whelming and moaned his way through the game. Can we put the Rooney argument to bed now. For a few years all we've been hearing is how that wasn't one of his better games or not up to his standard. I'm sorry, I've been saying it for a long time. That is his standard. He has some great talent but he is not a great player!

Heisenberg.

This post has been deleted.

Xavi6

^^^ That's like SOOOOOOOOO 150 posts ago

Mr. Presentable

Well done United. Just like in 1999, they were off colour and the poorer team on the night, but they just wanted it more. That's what Alex Ferguson gives them that others can't.

Dont be at yourself

What an idiotic, narrow minded ridiculous view of football you have. So I'm assuming it was a disgrace when porto won the cup also. It would have been a disgrace if Chelsea won it. Sure here is an idea why not just reorganise the CL so that only Liverpool, Man U, Milan and possibly Barca are allowed to play. Would that make you happy? I hadn't realised that to be allowed win the CL you had to be from a select band of clubs.

I reckon it's rather broad-minded, to be honest. Broad-minded in the sense that I can remember past the Abromovich era, and remember what the success of Man Utd in 99, and Liverpool in their pomp were founded on. Hint: it wasn't Russian roubles.

Porto deserved to win it because they got to where they were with a combination of good club management, a quality squad assembled over time and great support. They're a club who've always flirted with success.

I've nothing against Chelsea's football, and I even admire many of their players, and I have a lot of time for Grant. However, Abromovich's transformation of the club basically overnight from Premiership also-rans to Champions League contenders does not deserve the same respect as the works of Fergusion or Shankly in transforming their respective clubs. For that reason, I don't want to see Chelsea lift the Champions League. It would seriously devalue the achievements of those before them.

Still, let's nip this argument in the bud now, and agree to disagree.

s8n

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

I reckon it's rather broad-minded, to be honest. Broad-minded in the sense that I can remember past the Abromovich era, and remember what the success of Man Utd in 99, and Liverpool in their pomp were founded on. Hint: it wasn't Russian roubles.

Porto deserved to win it because they got to where they were with a combination of good club management, a quality squad assembled over time and great support. They're a club who've always flirted with success.

I've nothing against Chelsea's football, and I even admire many of their players, and I have a lot of time for Grant. However, Abromovich's transformation of the club basically overnight from Premiership also-rans to Champions League contenders does not deserve the same respect as the works of Fergusion or Shankly in transforming their respective clubs. For that reason, I don't want to see Chelsea lift the Champions League. It would seriously devalue the achievements of those before them.

Still, let's nip this argument in the bud now, and agree to disagree.

A good point well made. Chelsea are no more a big club than Spurs or Newcastle. Well done Utd, better, hungrier team won on the night.

Mr. Presentable

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

I reckon it's rather broad-minded, to be honest. Broad-minded in the sense that I can remember past the Abromovich era, and remember what the success of Man Utd in 99, and Liverpool in their pomp were founded on. Hint: it wasn't Russian roubles.

.

That's a tad naive. It has always been money, regardless of where it came from. This shouldn't detract from your enjoyment of the victory, but it shouldn't allow you to denigrate another club simply because they got money more recently (assuming you're not being xenophobic about the country of origin of the cash).

Dun laoire

Well done United. Alex Ferguson is a legend

cournioni

nipplenuts wrote: »

Well done United. Just like in 1999, they were off colour and the poorer team on the night, but they just wanted it more. That's what Alex Ferguson gives them that others can't.

I'm not so sure about that... United completely dominated the first half, at one stage United posession was near 70%. United created more clear cut chances (Tevez x2, Carrick, Giggs...).

Chelsea were reduced to shooting from long range and with a large slice of luck they got themselves back into it through the deflection and VDS slipping. Only then did they start to dominate all be it without really creating that much. Drogba's chance was their only chance in that half and Lampard's in the first period of extra time was their biggest chance.

On chances created, United were far better and ended up with more of the posession too.

CHAMPIONEEEEEEEE! :pac:

redspider

As a Liverpool-fan, I thought this final was a fairly good one from a neutral's perspective. It started off cagey from both teams I thought, and it took the 1st goal to waken both teams up. Ronaldo with an unchallenged header from 8-yards, although that was ppor defending from Essien (maybe he lost the flight of it in the lights?). Man Utd had the better of the chances in the 1st half and could have scored another. Had they done so it would have been effectively 'over' at 2-0, although never say never, so Cech's double save kept Chelsea in the game at that point.

Chelsea nicked a goal just before half-time, it had some fortune as there was a double deflection before the ball was knocked home by Lampard. Chelsea had a few chances in the 1st half as well but 1-1 was flattering to them.

The 2nd half was mainly Chelsea and they created quite a few scoring chances. Two came off the woodwork with vd Sar beaten, and at this point you would have thought that perhaps Man Utd's name is on the cup. The ref was also not giving Chelsea many decisions, especially throw-ins, etc.

Chelsea also had more of the extra time chances and I thought Man Utd lacked ideas, or energy really. The pitch, which must have been soft after rain and new laying etc, took the energy out of the players legs as exemplified by the myriad of cramps that were occurring from early on.

Drogba was unfortunate to go-off for a slight raise of the hand, and the whole melee was instigated by Tevez's gamesmanship in not knocking the ball back to the keeper and asking his Man Utd colleagues to pressurise Chelsea in that corner.

And so it went to penalties.

Ronaldo's spot kick was not a good one as it was at the height and position and pace that made it easy for Cech (or any goalkeeper) to save if he was going the right way (if guessing) or even if he waited until the kick was taken.

Terry was unlucky with his penalty, no doubt about that. He slipped, not because of the pitch, but these things do happen and he was cm's away from being hailed a hero and Ronaldo the villain, such is the fine line in football between success and failure. Ferguson before that kick looked a defeated man. But that is football, the highs and lows can sway in a few seconds.

Anelka's kick was also at an easy height to save, although better than Ronaldo's, but vd Sar knew he was going to save it just after it had been kicked. Terry did a lot of crying afterwards but Anelka was more culpable perhaps.

Giles went a bit overboard on close-ups on Terry's slip - I think he wanted to get his point across the reason why he slipped, that his foot was placed too close to the ball, etc, and that it wasnt the pitch. We got your point Johnny the first time you mentioned it.

In terms of whether penalties are a lottery or not, there is always an element of lottery involved in penalties when goalies are guessing, and there was in last nights shoot-out especially as it turned out and ended up 6-5. Cech and vd Sar were close a couple of times, getting a hand to penalties (after guessing right) but the ball still managing to get in. Belletti's wasnt brilliant for example but vd Sar went the wrong way.

There's no other way to settle matches, although I wouldnt mind seeing a different system instead where players get the ball on the half-way line and try and run in and score with the goalie allowed to come off the line, etc, perhaps a 15-second time limit. It would reduce the element of lottery and goalies guessing perhaps.

So, congrats to Man Utd on winning the Champions League. It was a close run thing in the end, and in terms of the play Chelsea shaded it with their woodwork efforts (3 times including the penalty), more attempts at the goal over 120 mins, but Man Utd had your chances too and that's football.

Ferguson and Man Utd have if anything since 1999 not done as well in the CL as they should have, and Ferguson readily admits that, but to win the league and the CL in the same year is a mark of the strength of this team that has been built up over the last 5 years or so. Being a club with the 2nd highest income in the world and on a consistent basis, a CL win is not a surprising outcome. Such is football.

Redspider

iregk

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

However, Abromovich's transformation of the club basically overnight from Premiership also-rans to Champions League contenders does not deserve the same respect as the works of Fergusion or Shankly in transforming their respective clubs.

You made you point well without dipping into insults so I take my hat off to you for that. Fair play.

While we are on the topic of spending money for success though a lot of United fans seem to ignore or push to the back burner the fact that the team united won their first league title for 26 years was the most expensive team ever assembled in english football. The chelsea side that won chelsea their first leage win in 50 years was the most expensive team ever assembled in english football. See any similarities?

As for lampards goal. You could say if rio cleared properly or if van der sar didn't slip etc... What you should really be saying is if Carrick had of stayed with his man rather than pulling up short then Lamps wouldn't have gotten that space.

Redspider hit the nail on the head there. Great game to watch and the game was pretty even as both teams enjoyed periods of dominance. Feel really sorry for John Terry though - he had a great game and hes a great pro. He didn't deserve that!

Nalz

Irek how can you go on about Rooney being a moan when Joe Cole whinged and dived last night? Rooney was poor by his standards last night thats true, but dont go then praising Joe Cole last night cas he annoyed me a tad the way he carried himself.

Nalz

redspider wrote: »

Drogba was unfortunate to go-off for a slight raise of the hand, and the whole melee was instigated by Tevez's gamesmanship in not knocking the ball back to the keeper and asking his Man Utd colleagues to pressurise Chelsea in that corner.
...

Redspider

You cant Raise your hand in football. He was NOT unfortunate. I can't believe someone would post this, despite how tame and stupid his actions was. you CANT do it.

Secondly, what Tevez did was exactly what Chelsea did before hand, and seeing that you love those long winded "I should write for the telegraph" posts you left that bit out...unless I fell asleep reading the post and missed it.

citytillidie

Unearthly wrote: »

I think it confirms Ferguson as a true legend and greatest manager ever

He has only won 2 European Cups a certain Bob Paisley has won 3

RedorDead

NekkidBibleMan wrote: »

Congratulations to Man Utd. I don't think there's much doubt that they were the best team in Europe over the course of the season.

Man Utd were on top and very much in control of things until the Chelsea goal. It was a fortuitous goal, and a very unfortunate time to concede for Man Utd. From then on, Chelsea were by in large the better side, but both sides had numerous gilt-edged chances to take the lead.

In extra-time, there was a lot of tired passes and the game slowed to a crawl. Whether the players were simply out of steam or settling for penalties is a matter for debate. The brawl was unfortunate for both teams, and I was delighted to see Drogba get his marching orders. Never a more petulant player have I seen. He really is a disgrace to the game with his overall attitude, and I won't be shedding any tears if he packs his bags to Milan or whoever he's linked with this week.

I don't think either team had the edge going into the shootout. Neither keeper has an outstanding record with penalties. Chelsea perhaps had better penalty-takers on the pitch, but it was much of a muchness. As a Liverpool fan, I was very much undecided on who I'd prefer to win - until Ronaldo missed his penalty.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the run-up need to be one continuous motion? I thought they had outlawed stopping during the run-up. Regardless, it was a poor penalty. However, with Chelsea now taking the advantage, I realised I really didn't want them to get their hands on the European Cup. It's an exclusive club, and frankly Chelsea don't have the pedigree, the tradition or the ethos to rub shoulders with Man Utd, Liverpool, Milan and so on. The thought of Mikel, Drogba and Terry lifting the trophy is a horrible image too!

Terry's slip for the penalty was a bit unfair, but thems the breaks. What was he doing taking the penalty in the first place? Fair enough, he's the captain, but he's not noted for his technique for striking a football.

I didn't watch much of the celebrations, but it was hard not to have a soft spot for Ronaldo balling his eyes out. For all his posturing, he's still just a young kid! I can't stand it when he plays up for the cameras, posing before free-kicks and so on, but it was nice to see him let his cool dude image slip for a few minutes!

Congratulations again to United, the best team won.

+1 on this post. Excellent.

I loved the fact that Vidic barely flinched as well. If the roles were reversed and Vidic had done it to Drogba he would have been rolling around on the ground like he'd been shot by a sniper.

Que Sera sera, whatever will be will be, in Moscow we made it three, que sera sera.