AC Milan Crowned Europe’s Finest

I couldn’t agree more with Ancelotti, it was destiny that has triumphed Milan’s journey this season. For all the troubles they had early in the season, the joy on the team are such an emotional scene to be witnessed and enjoyed. It was apparent that the the win finally put an end to the misery that this club has suffered since that fateful night in Istanbul a couple of years ago. It was fittingly that in city of Athens, where the myths and glory of god and goddesss are worshipped, the exact revenge or rather not repeating the same mistake, Milan was able to redeem themselves and basked in the magical night of glory.

7th European title, 5th for Paolo Maldini, the 2nd in 4 years, you just have to respect this team. It’s arguably the greatest side in the last 20 years considered the number of trophy they won, the style of football they always play, and the great team that have been assembled since the day of van Basten, Gullit, Rijkaard, to the likes of Kaka, Pirlo, and Inzaghi.

For Liverpool, they’re winner by showing how much respect and gracious they’re in defeat. Carragher and Benitez paid tribute to Maldini and the quality of Milan respectively, and it is this type of sportsmanship that football needs, this type of respect that football wants to promote, not continuously provoking conspiracy as what the Special One keep promoting. After all, sports is meant to unite people, in the right way.

UEFA Champions’ League Final Preview: Liverpool vs. AC Milan

In the repeat of the 2005 Final in Istanbul, AC Milan and Liverpool will fight for their fate again in this year’s UEFA Champions’ League Final in Athens. It will fascinating to see how the match turned out, would it be in similar fashion or as dull as this years’ FA Cup Final? Would there be another 6 minutes of heartbreak into a classic game? Would it be Maldini’s 5th European Cup from 8 final games? Yes, this would be his 8th Champions’ League Final!

There’s no doubt that this is one of the most intriguing recent rivalry between European teams, although no one, I meant no one –except Liverpool own fans- would’ve even thought about Liverpool winning it 2 years ago, and again going all the way to the final this year. Having said that though, Milan is no favourite as well this year with their slow start to the Serie A, near-banned Champions’ League campaign, and all the after-effects of the match fixing allegations.

The key to Milan is as everyone knows, the speed and moments of brilliance from Kaka, and the disruptive play of Gattuso. I’d think though with Liverpool’s style of play where one touch football and rythm playing wasn’t quite their brand of football, Gattuso might not have the similar huge impact as to when they met Manchester United in the semifinals. where he pretty much messed up United flowing football. Pirlo, on the other hand though, might need to be clinical with the tricks and precise passing to break the crowded defensive scheme of Liverpool. For Liverpool, the key I guess is to look no further than their mercurial captain, Gerrard, although helps from Riise from the wing and Crouch ability to capitalize on his height and youthful against ageing Milan defense will prove crucial to their attempt on the 2nd European glory in 3 years.

As a Milan supporter watching the likes of van Basten, Gullit, Rijkaard, Baresi, Massaro, Savicevic, and of course Maldini, there’s no doubt I want Milan to win this –albeit the broke my dearly Manchester United heart at San Siro. Milan deserved to win this game, after what happened in Istanbul, and for the way they play their football and allowing the opponents to play their football, for the character that they have, for the fair play and good sportsmanship that they always show in every game, I just thought Maldini should lead this team to collect the winners’ medal when it’s all said and done in Athens tomorrow night.   LIVERPOOL 1 – AC MILAN 2 (After Extra Time).

Viva Rossoneri!!

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!!!

ROOOOONEY !!!

In a night that was meant for Ronaldo and Kaka to shine, it was Rooney that rose to the occasion. Two brilliant goals, especially the match winning injury time goal, showed that amidst the inconsistency throughout the year, this kid has special talent, special determination, a battling perseverance that no other kid has. It’s no wonder that Sir Alex included him as one of the greatest players he ever had –considering Rooney has only won a League Cup with United.

Back to the game, it was a night of passion, uncertainty, and character in good spirit and fair play at the highest level from both teams. Professionals at the utmost, combined by harmony between Milanese and the Mancunian makes this affair a totally different one with that of AS Roma ties. The end result, if you were to ask me before the game started, wouldn’t be that ‘fantastic’, BUT if you were into the game from the first minute ’till the end, United fans should be singing all night long for the 3-2 win against the much-decorated and disciplined AC Milan team in this first leg of 2007 UEFA Champions’ League Semifinal. Had Gattuso, a player that United has linked with for many occasions in the past- survived his own ultra combativeness style that force the foot injury on him, I would thought that Milan might be able to break the flow of United’s midfield. Having said that though, with Scholes pushing upward and Fletcher taking over the midfield, United were able to keep pressuring Milan and created chances.

Man-of-the-Match: No doubt, Rooney was the key, his two goals turned the pressure on Milan to open up the game next week in San Siro. Fletcher deserves credit for his battling performance in the midfield during the second half, and Giggs/Scholes for their assists in each of the goal. Ronaldo, although having quite a quiet night by his own standards, deserves credit for the early header that forced Dida to concede an own goal –and it turned set the tone for the night.

Sing Manchester United fans, we’re still up for the Treble!!! Up next, Everton!!!

UEFA Champions’ League Semifinal: MAN UTD vs AC MILAN

Manchester United, in a few hours time, will kick-off their pursuit of a double Treble, against another team of my boyhood, AC Milan at Old Trafford, in what to be billed as youth versus their masters. 10 European finals appereances are what AC Milan has accomplished in their decorated history, winning 6 or 7 of them in the process, although the last lost to Liverpool in Istanbul a couple of years ago is something that’s not so pleasant to be looked at even after years have passed by. In a pale comparison, United has only managed two European Cup finals, winning it in 1968 and of course the Treble year in 1999 –which I remembered vividly how the magic of Solskjaer has turned the misery on the German team.

There are three survivors on United’s team tonight from that great 1999 team, being the ever-green Giggs, Scholes, and Wes Brown –Gary Neville (still out due to injury) is the other one. AC Milan, last won in 2003, coincidentally at Old Trafford, still carries the majority of that team including Gattuso, Pirlo, Dida, Kaladze, and of course one of my all time greats, Paolo Maldini.

It’ll be an interesting to game watch, however, there’s no doubt that I’ll be supporting Manchester United. Milan was great, but this United team I thought has something special in the making, something that’s so strong that Sir Alex’s team has been missing these last years, that is, togetherness and ability to pull out something when the going get tough.

MINDCUBES‘ CORNERKICK: Ferguson will likely play with 4-3-1-2 with Giggs playing just behind Rooney and Smith and Ronaldo attacking from wings supported by Carrick and Scholes (returned from suspension) in the middle of the park. Evra, if fit will likely take the left full-back with Heinze playing in the center covering the injured Ferdinand. It’ll be interesting to see whether Ferguson will risk O’Shea who’s not fully fit and play Fletcher on the right back, but my guess is that O’Shea will start considering Kaka and Seedorf who could attack from anywher in the midfield. It’ll be a tight game, with Milan playing possesion game and waiting for United to open up, but I just thought United, coming from a disappointing 1-1 draw with Boro and with Ronaldo claiming PFA Player of the Year and PFA Young Player of the Year (for only the second player to do so, being the last one is 30 years ago), will be strongly motivated and with 76000 crowds behind, it’ll be one step slower for the aging Milan backfield. United will come out on top, although they must be on their best nights to avoid any away goal conceded. MAN UTD 2 – AC MILAN 0

What’s Up with AC Milan?

The 1-2 lost at home to Roma over the last weekend marked the 4th successive defeat of AC Milan in the Serie A Italian league, although not that that many people these days care too much about that league any longer ever since the blown-up bribery case that has demolited Juventus to the Serie B and severe penalty point punishment to Milan, Lazio, Fiorentina, and Reggina.

It’s rather strange to see how that would happen to Milan who has virtually unchanged team except for the high-profile move of Shevchenko to Chelsea just before the start of the World Cup. They still have Gilardino, who played pretty well last year, and the return of both Pirlo and Gattuso from their glorious World Cup, as well as Real Madrid’s ever wanted man, Kaka. And here’s more discomforting stats, they’ve lost to Atalanta and Palermo, although the latter is now sitting at the summit of Serie A table, even more suprisingly.

In the Champions’ League though Milan is almost sure to go through to the next round, after being admitted to the competittion at the 11th hour –due to UEFA’s inability to find enough evidence and precedence to suspend them from the competition due to the bribery case, and apparently they were pretty lucky to be drawn in a very weak group along AEK Athens, Anderlecht, and Lille after a hard-fought win against Crvena Zvezda in the qualifying stage. Nonetheless, Kaka’s performance has been pretty sparkling in this competition, and with their strong history, the Champions’ League seems to be the only chance for AC Milan to add to their silverware after a disappointing exit from last year’s semifinal to the eventual winner Barcelona –although note that Shevchenko’s goal during the 2nd leg is valid as Puyol just threw himself into the ground. Nonetheless, football is football. Referee is human, and only with video replay can things like this be resolved, although I don’t really understand why FIFA strongly rejects this proposal. Today is the year of 2006, the football field is that huge, and with a referee and two aged linesmen, how would it be possible that football still doesn’t leverage technology?

Back to the original story, with almost a third of the season already gone, and Milan is now at 16th on the league table, it’s probably time for Ancelotti to give more playing time to Yoann Gourcuff, who is dubbed to be the next Zidane after a sparkling performance in the French league for a couple of years. Watching some of his clips, that claim is understandable as his moves, posture, and playing style does show some reminiscent of Zidane, although I don’t think there will be anyone can replace Zidane, just as no one can ever replace Platini. It would be interesting to see how well he’ll grow at Milan, especially with the fact that Serie A these days has been lack of stars compared with the Premiership, an ever decreasing stadium attendance, and with the bribery case has just set the final damage, the Federation probably need to do something to restore their once brilliant league with necessary actions, and so does AC Milan. They need to step out of this zone to get back to their old self, winning.