MAN CITY 0 – MAN UTD 1

VAN DER SAR!!!!!

No doubt it might go down as the league clinching penalty –although if you look at the replay it was never a penalty!! I guess the referee awarded it as a result of pressure from the fans and some comments on United’s penalty “rule”. The good thing though is that is there’s any sign that Mourinho will eat his own words, this will be the season. Yes, United finally was given a penalty against, but oh Mr. Jose, it still doesn’t work. We just don’t accept punishment that we don’t deserve.

The game was a typical English game, lots of tackles, and Michael Ball should be praying thanks to God for not being sent off on his cheap stamping on Ronaldo’s body early in the game. I just don’t understand why he’s shaking his head on the penalty given against him, it was an OBVIOUS ill-timed tackle on Ronaldo. Thumbs up for Ronaldo on converting the penalty flawlessly for his 50th goal for United, sending the goalie to the wrong corner and convincingly smashing the ball to the low corner.

At the end, United deserves to win, they dominated possessions, they took a lead, hang on to it, and City was never able to create any penetration thanks to a solid performance from the returning Vidic-Ferdinand partnership. We are getting so close now, and by tomorrow’s night, United might be back to where they belong if Chelsea didn’t came out of the Emirates Stadium with anything other than a win against Arsene Wenger’s team.

OH YEAH!!!

It’s Disapponting, but …

The dream of Treble has long gone since the chilly night at San Siro that crushed United’s dream with a 3-0 loss to AC Milan. It was a disappointing night, especially the way the match folded, high expectations, confident, Manchester-like weather, but the worst of all started to glimpse when Seedorf shot a brilliant thundering drive only for van der Sar to superbly tipped it over the bar no less than only 5 minutes after the referee blow the kick-off whistle. United never find a way to find their rhythm with Gattuso is at the heart of disrupting all United’s movement, especially each time Ronaldo gets the ball, it was closed down first by Gattuso before Oddo waiting at the 2nd level.

I guess what really disappointing for me to see was that why would Ferguson played Vidic after he missed out 8 matches in a row and sit Alan Smith in the bench while he would be perfect to combat Gattuso’s aggressiveness in midfield. Fergie could’ve played Brown and O’Shea in the middle with Heinze and Fletcher at the flanks. It was even more depressing to see Saha came in in the 70th minute and did nothing which I expected as I can see his face is full of nothing but pressure. It was really disappointing especially considering how the first leg was classically won by the brilliance of Rooney.

At the end of the day though, as a football fan, I must come to realize that no team can win everything, and Manchester United, with the squad that they have, and the injuries that they suffered towards the end of this campaign, have done superbly to be still at this stage, challenging two out of three major trophies. It was disappointing, but United can build on this European semifinal appearance for next year, adding probably Hargreaves and one other big-name striker, and I know I’ll be supporting them more than ever.

For now, Manchester City, and we’ve got back the Premiership!!! One game at a time, and God knows the Double is still ahead of us!!! Go, Man U!!!