Manchester United versus Chelsea. Final of the UEFA Champions League 2007/08. For the first time two English teams defined the title. I was on the field Carlos Tevez, who had arrived in Manchester a year earlier. And it was also the first opportunity to win it for Cristiano Ronaldoin his fifth season playing for the Red Devils led by the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson.
CR7 scored a goal and ended up celebrating after a tough and even match, played under torrential rain at times, which ended after midnight in Moscow (it was played at the Luzhniki Olympic Stadium) and had lengthen and penalties.
But before the Portuguese went through a situation that he would later describe by saying: “It was the worst moment of my life”. Although that same day, during the celebrations, he took everything more calmly: “I was disappointed (missing the penalty) but I scored during the game, which was more important.”
The 90 minutes ended 1-1. At 26, Cristiano made it 1-0 with a header and at 45, Frank Lampard he took advantage of a slip by Dutch goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar to tie. There were no goals in the second half or in the 30 extra time.
that’s how it came the definition by penalties. Tevez converted the first with a soft touch to the left of the Czech Petr Cech, who went the other way. Later, until the room, they all went inside. The fifth was CR7’s turn.
Cristiano settled down, took two steps and almost completely stopped his run. He waited for the goalkeeper to give him some signal but Cech first remained immobile and a moment later, as CR7 was still waiting for him, he barely jumped, without moving from the center of the goal.
The Portuguese star took two more steps and unleashed a strong right hand, crossed and at medium height. Cech flew to his right, the ball hit his elbow and went over the crossbar.
At that time it seemed that Chelsea was on the way to winning its first Champions League and that Manchester United was on the way to its third, after the titles of 1968 (with Bobby Charlton’s team that later lost the Intercontinental Cup) and 1999. And even more so, after Lampard converted and made it 3-2, and both teams scored their fourth penalty (Hargreaves for the Reds, Ashley Cole for the Londoners).
The Portuguese Nani made it 4 to 4. Only one was left, decisive, who could give Chelsea their first title. John Terry was one step away from glory but slipped when he reached the ball, fell and his right hand, wide, hit the post.
“What happened with that penalty will haunt me forever.. Since it happened, every minute of my life I have relived the moment ”, He later recognized Terry, one of Chelsea’s greatest idols, a club for which he played 717 official matches.
In the first series of one per team, the Brazilian Anderson, who had entered at 120 minutes, scored for penalties, and strangely he did not execute in the initial round, and Salomon Kalou tied.
Ryan Giggs converted the seventh for the Red Devils, and it was the turn of Nicolas Anelka. Van der Sar spread his arms and pointed to the Frenchman’s left corner. Anelka crossed the shot to the other side, the same one where the hands of the Dutchman went, who kept the penalty and the victory.
“I was left as a traitor”, confessed the French 12 years later, and said that this penalty “He had killed his Chelsea career.”
The other side of the coin was precisely that of CR7, who finished as the Champions League goalscorer and was chosen as the best player of the tournament. And also that of Carlitos Tevez, who compared that victory with having won the Intercontinental with Boca, and anticipated: “I feel like my career in Europe is just beginning.” He was not wrong.
That night in Moscow, Manchester United formed with Van der Sar, Wes Brown, Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Evra (replaced by Anderson at 120 minutes), Hargreaves, Carrick, Scholes (Ryan Giggs at 87), Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney ( Nani at 101) and Tevez.
Chelsea, with Cech, Essien, Ricardo Carvalho, Terry, Ashley Cole, Ballack, Makelele (Juliano Belletti at 120), Lampard, Joe Cole (Anelka at 99), Drogba and Malouda (Kalou at 92).
2023-05-21 18:57:58
#year #Cristiano #Tevez #Manchester #United #Champions #League
