Champions Of The European Champions League Final - M. United

I'm standing on top of the world right now as my all time favorite team, Premier League Champions (for a second straight year) - Manchester United have triumphed yet again for the third time, as (Europe's elite club competition) European Champions League winners! Manchester United had their previous winnings back in 1968 and 1999 respectively.

At the end of their ninety minute play at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, Chelsea and Manchester United were still tied 1-1, in the first ever all-English final of soccer's Champions League history.

Manchester United striked first through Cristiano Ronaldo in the 26th minute of the first half, bringing his goal tally to 42 goals in the season. Chelsea equalized this right before the stroke of half time (45th minute) through their midfielder Frank Lampard.

This eventually brought this years European Champions League finals well into extra time play after having a goalless second half. Players from both sides were noted to be extremely lethargic as extra time progressed, and Chelsea well deserving of a win, missing a couple of good goal scoring opportunities. Unfortunately, tempers were running high as both teams were eager to find the winning goal in the match at this point, causing Drogba and Tevez to end up with a slight scuffle which saw Drogba being shown the Red Card in the final moments of the ninety minute schedule.

Now, the Champions League finals in Moscow would be decided through penalties between the two English sides. After seeing a suspense filled penalty shootout, where Cristiano Ronaldo took United's third penalty kick and missed finding the net, and for that moment, I thought that Chelsea had their greatest chance of capturing their first ever Champions League title, but luck was not on their side in the Luzhniki Stadium, as John Terry hit the post wide. Manchester United's keeper Edwin van der Sar became the hero of the match when he dived to bat away Nicolas Anelka's drive and sealed United's Champions League title for the third time in many years.

Final results - The rain-soaked penalty shootout saw Manchester United beat Chelsea 6-5 to win the European Champions League title in Moscow on May 22nd, 2008.

United will surely be celebrating this victory for a long time to come as its yet another prestigious trophy in their hands for this year alone, and not to mention the £85m in prize-money and commercial spin-offs that would follow-suit.

Today's Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea (which sadly hasn't won a trophy this season) will surely go down in books as being the richest match in the history of football.

LA Galaxy's Biggest Star

Ladies and Gentleman, we present to you LA Galaxy's newest and biggest star, David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE, but to the rest of the world he is simply known as the famous, David Beckham! Born on the 2nd of May 1975, David Beckham is without a doubt, one of the worlds biggest marketable sports figure. Becks begins his American soccer career by arriving at Los Angeles where he will play for the LA Galaxy team.

Attended by well-over 2,500 fans of LA Galaxy, the stadium reception was somewhat a spectacle to behold, amid confetti cannons exploding and music blaring at the same time, crowds singing out loud his name at the theme song from the cartoon "The Flintstones".

Presented with his lucky No.23 jersey, Beckham will have an uphill task here as the LA Galaxy team has only won 3 of their first 12 Major League Soccer games this season to stand 2nd bottom on the table.

Made his name at Manchester United, before moving onto Real Madrid to be a Galactico and finally arriving here in America on Thursday (July 13, 2007) . The 32 year old David Beckham will make a whopping 250 million dollars over the next 5 years whilst with the LA Galaxy team. With his arrival, the Americans are hoping that this will definitely be a major boost for soccer in their country.

UK's hottest couple; Victoria and David Beckham, will be moving into their new 22 million dollar Beverly Hills mansion, before he begins his official training with the team somewhere next week. And, come July 21, the Americans will officially get to see Becks in action in his first game when the LA Galaxy's take on his former rivals, Chelsea FC.

AC Milan Vs Liverpool - The Results

So my prediction was right, (together with Pele)! AC Milan was crowned European champions for the seventh time after beating Liverpool 2-1 in Athens. Boy, am I happy for that remarkable win, it simply resembles Italy's World Cup triumph.

Filipo Inzaghi scoring both the goals for AC Milan, one in each half, the perfect revenge for loosing to Liverpool back in the 2005 finals. This would definitely be his greatest moment. With this two goals at the finals, Inzaghi now has bagged a total of 38 Champions League goals and 58 in all European club competitions.

Another team-mate who is also happy over this win is Seedorf. The 31 year old Seedorf expressed his happiness on this 4th Champions League medal, added to his previous medals from Real Madrid, Ajax and Milan.

I seriously thought that Andrea Pirlo's free kick in the 45th minute was the turning point of the whole game, from where Filipo Inzaghi's deflection found Liverpool's net. This definitely made the Liverpool players come back in the second half, pushing themselves forward to get that equaliser. This was the mistake as they had too few players at the back.

Making the best of the situation, Filipo Inzaghi @ 'Super Pippo', made Liverpool pay by finding the second goal in the 82nd minute, converting a marvelous pass from Brazilian Kaka. AC Milan were well prepared this time around with their 4-5-1 formation compared to Liverpool's 4-4-2 where they depended too much on Dirk Kuyt. Steven Gerrard, known to be one of the best footballers in Europe, was no where to be found, when it mattered the most.

Maybe the most outstanding player for Liverpool throughout the game would be Jermaine Pennant, who played on the right flank. Even the substituted Harry Kewell and Peter Crouch could not defeat the hands of Dida. Liverpool finally scored a goal in the 89th minute through a close-range header from Dirk Kuyt, that gave a glimpse of hope
but this time there was to be no dramatic comeback for Liverpool.

Most of us would have written them as 'old and finished' but look, who's having the last laugh.... AC Milan 2007 Champions League, Champions! To that I say, Bravo Milan.


So to all the woman of the world, now you can have your men back, because for the next 2 months or so, there's no football... Oh my God, no football, what am I gonna write about???

Ac Milan vs Liverpool - Champions League Final

One player who is bound to shine in this final would be the Brazilian Kaka. The AC Milan star is determined to leave his name on the score sheets at the Champions League finals against Liverpool by adding to the 10 goals he has already netted thus far and steer his team to victory. Kaka is currently only two goals away from matching Ruud van Nistelrooy's Champions League record of 12 goals.

AC Milan will be hoping to get their revenge and beat Liverpool in tomorrows Champions League final, completing an amazing turnaround of fortunes for the club, who were recently found guilty of match-fixing.

Carlo Ancelotti's only selection issue is whether to feature Gilardino and use his pace or rather go with the experienced,goal-scoring 33 year old Inzaghi. If captain Paolo Maldini can recover in time from a knee problem, then Milan's starting line-up in Athens appears to be almost definite.

Two years ago Liverpool conquered Milan after a dramatic penalty shoot out. This time around the Merseyside club will hold their nerve again should the final be tied after 120 minutes. As Benitez's side have been involved in two high-stakes shoot-outs since then. They overcame Chelsea in the semis on penalties after the tie had ended 1-1 after winning last season's FA Cup against West Ham on spot kicks. To the Liverpool players, a second Champions League final in three seasons shows that they are a committed lot.

Frankly, it's more than just a AC Milan vs Liverpool game but rather a Steven Gerrard vs Gennaro Gattuso. Remember, at the last finals, it was Gerrard who led Liverpool rally from a 3-0 deficit at halftime. So definitely he would be the most 'covered' player tomorrow.

There is always a sense when Liverpool play in Europe that they are taking on not just their opponents on the pitch, but also their north-west rivals Manchester United, and it will be no different as they take on AC Milan tomorrow in Athens.

Liverpool on the other hand, looks set to take a massive Champions League gamble on the fitness of Harry Kewell by starting the Australian winger in tomorrow's final. Kewell has only returned to action following the groin and foot operations he underwent.

Sir Alex Ferguson, the United Manager, has spoken of how he would like nothing better than to toast Milanese success with a vintage glass of Italian red wine. This would definitely further boost Liverpool's anger to deny him that wish.

Probable Line Up for tomorrows finals at Athens :

LIVERPOOL
Jose Reina, Steve Finnan, Daniel Agger, Jamie Carragher, John Arne Riise, Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano, Xabi Alonso, Bolo Zenden, Peter Crouch, Dirk Kuyt

Substitutes :
Daniele Padelli, Alvaro Arbeloa, Sami Hyypia, Mark Gonzalez, Craig Bellamy, Robbie Fowler, Jermaine Pennant

AC MILAN
Dida, Massimo Oddo, Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini, Marek Jankulovski, Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf, Massimo Ambrosini, Kaka, Filippo Inzaghi

Substitutes :
Cafu, Giuseppe Favalli, Alberto Gilardino, Kakha Kaladze, Zeljko Kalac, Daniele Bonera, Cristian Brocchi

Finally, no football fan needs to be reminded of the last meeting between AC Milan and Liverpool, least of all any of the Red faithful. We only hope that this years final would be as eventful as the 2005 clash. What I know is that we are in for a memorable match tomorrow. It's been a long road to get here, and there is real belief that AC Milan will get this one though (at least that's Pele's and my prediction).

FA Cup Final - M.United vs Chelsea (The Results)

The FA Cup final returned home to Wembley Stadium yesterday with a nostalgic opening ceremony, complete with flypast, marching band and royalty to inaugurate the new 90,000-seat stadium.

The new Wembley stadium, resplendent with a mixture of blue and red, was officially declared open by Prince William before kick-off as the Red Arrows formation soared overhead. Footballing legends from five decades of FA Cup finals also received a standing ovation as they paraded on the pitch.

Didier Drogba scored an extra-time winner to give Chelsea a 1-0 victory over league champions Manchester United in the first FA Cup final here. Overall it was all a lack-lustre game if you ask me, a sort of an anti-climax for an event so huge as this. Billed as the 'Dream Final' between the best two English sides and the worlds richest league, much of it was a disappointment.

Jose Mourinho's game plan to go for a 4-3-3 formation, definitely showed the better results. The Ivorian striker, Drogba, scooped the ball past United's goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar in the 116th minute of the game, which seemed destined for another penalty shootout.

The win here would definitely lift Chelsea, after a season in which injuries, under-achievements and speculation about the future of manager Jose Mourinho. For the Chelsea supporters this would surely make up for their lost in the league title.

For Chelsea this win is their fourth time in history - 1970, 1997, 2000 and 2007. They've also created history by winning the last FA Cup final at the old Wembley and subsequently winning the first FA Cup final in the new Wembley. Manchester United on the other hand were denied of a fourth double, this time around.

On a personal note, being a die-hard fan of Manchester United, I seriously think that there should have been a penalty awarded during the extra time, when Chelsea's Michael Essien fouled Ryan Giggs from behind. Thanks to a pre-match 'pressure' by Mourinho towards the referee (Steve Bennet), not to be fooled by any diving or provocative tactics shown by the United player's, this certainly worked, where Chelsea getting the biggest reward....victory.

At the end of the day, Chelsea celebrated with more style than they played, when Manager-Mourinho, bizarrely, raced down the tunnel at the final whistle, running up 107 steps to the new Royal Box by signalling six with his fingers, a typical extravagant reference for his half a dozen trophies he has helped Chelsea take in his three years at Stamford Bridge.

FA Cup Final - M.United vs Chelsea

"It's not just about winning the cup. Will history be made or lost pride be regained"? These are some of the statements made recently on most of the sport dailies. The FA Cup final is finally here, will it be Manchester United or Chelsea who will reign supreme at the newly rebuilt 800-million pound Wembley stadium, tomorrow the 19 of May 2007.

And the expected crowd of 90,000 will watch Manchester United take on Chelsea in the biggest grudge match of the season. Spurred on by the attacking flair of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney, they're set to deny the Blues, once again.

For Manchester United, victory would mean that they would have secured the fourth league and cup doubles . Chelsea on the other hand are trying to complete the full set of English trophies, where only the FA Cup eluding them whilst in Mourinho's three season care in Stamford Bridge.

As Louis Saha and Gary Neville are out with injuries, the stage is all set for Ryan Giggs to lead Manchester United with the captains arm-band. Giggs has set his target on extending his record breaking achievements this season by trying to become the first player in modern times to pick up 5 FA Cup winner's medals. But this is only possible if they find the nets first and keep it that way right till the end. This win is so crucial for the ageless Ryan Giggs in order for him to be ahead of his former United team-mates, Mark Hughes and Roy Keane. This victory would eventually place him as the first player since the 1800's to win the Cup for a record 5th time.

Chelsea, who have more serious fitness worries, also have several points to prove, and none bigger than their belief that injuries were to blame for the loss of their title. Adding salt to the wound, Mourinho must do without Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Ballack and most importantly, centre back Ricardo Carvalho who has been outstanding all through this season. For the fans, the Blues have to make this one count after losing the Premier League title to United. It was in the year 2000 where Chelsea last won the FA Cup at the old Wembley stadium. Chelsea however can draw comfort from it's recent record meetings against United, where they have beaten them on five occasions compared to United's one win against the Blues.

Eto'o To Play In Ac Milan?

It seems that the Brazilian 'Phenomenon'- Ronaldo has chosen Samuel Eto'o (currently earning £60,000 per week) to play alongside him at AC Milan, rather than his compatriot, Ronaldinho (currently earning £158,000 per week). It's been said that the Rossoneri board has shown an interest in getting the Cameroonian to play upfront with Ronaldo and backed by Kaka.

Kaka on the other hand, together with Galliani and Berlusconi have in their own way, tried on many occasions, persuading 'Gaucho' (Ronaldinho) to join them at the Rossoneri camp. These are all the preparations that are taking place currently in Serie A, as all teams prepare for the next season.

But somehow or rather, Eto'o did mention that he never would play in Italy, due to some racists remarks thrown at him over there. To me, if he did play alongside Ronaldo and Kaka, he would make a remarkable impact in Milan.

Looking at the current situation, it won't be very easy for Milan to get Eto'o just yet as the Rossoneri will have stiff competition from Manchester United (£29m)and Chelsea (£30m), who both have put their bids for the goal scoring sensation.

Imagining a Brazilian 'tridente' in Milan, for me, is simply mind boggling. What are the odds of having this three star's playing side by side....I like! But sometimes even by having all the star's on the same side, does not mean success is guaranteed, take the example of Real Madrid.

And definitely right now, what AC Milan really needs are players that can adapt to Carlo Ancelloti's tactical scheme. Player's like Ze Roberto (Santos) and Alexandre Pato (Internacional) have also taken their place in Milan's book of shortlisted player's.

At the end of the day, whatever decision's made at the Rossoneri, will still have to depend on Eto'o. Remember, Rio Ferdinand is a close friend of Eto'o, this put's a very strong possibility that he would prefer a move to Old Trafford. What do you think?

Till then, let's just enjoy the game.

AC Milan Vs M. United - The Results

Sorry, no English final here. Now, that is not to be. The game was simply exhilarating right from the beginning. The genius of Kaka proved too much for even United's powers of recovery as Fergie's big gamble on Nemanja Vidic went horribly wrong and Milan set up a repeat of Liverpool's 2005 Istanbul miracle clash.

To me, it was like United went on a suicidal defending strategy throughout the game. To have attempted to join Liverpool in an historic all-England final never got off the ground as first half goals from Kaka and Clarence Seedorf overturned their 3-2 first leg advantage. To add salt into the wound, a late goal from Alberto Gilardino sealed Milan's 5-3 aggregate win.

In everyone's mind were the same questions, where were 'the big stars', Cristiano Ronaldo (named Footballer of the Year in England by the Football Writers Association), Rooney, Giggs ?? Failing to keep the ball or create openings, were all signs illuminating their downfall. I'm sure United's player's were reprising their famous semi-final against Juventus in Turin (1999) by falling two goals behind in the first half. But luck was not on their side this time around and they could not manage the comeback as they did back then.

Ac Milan, even by their own high standards, gaining victory over Manchester United was something special. Carlo Ancelotti I'm sure, will be very delighted for it must have been the best 45 minutes Milan has ever played since he became coach in November 2001. Imagine a team having 6, out 11 player's, all above the ages of 30, Paolo Maldini will turn 39 in June. As they say, "with age comes experience", which is somewhat vital in games like this.

On the other side, Liverpool's new owner's, must also be very happy as they see their side advance to another Champions League final at Athens. What a way to get a quick return on their 500 million pounds investment into the club.

So call it what you like, is it 'Destiny' or sheer luck? United thought it was so, as they tried to re-live those so called 'glorious 1990 treble' days, but sadly it was not meant to be.

On 23rd May, who will have their destiny written, as becoming 'Europe's Best Team'..... You Decide.

AC Milan Vs M.United

Tomorrow is 'the day' for either team, as AC Milan and Manchester United meet in the race for the Champions League title. Will Manchester repeat their win at Old Trafford or will AC Milan bounce back. This time around, AC Milan will play host to Manchester United in their return leg of the Champions League at San Siro.

Currently Ac Milan is enjoying their best run of form this season, beating Torino 1-0 last Saturday, placing them 3rd in the Serie A. Manchester United on the other hand is loaded with a huge boost of confidence over their weekend 4-2 win at Everton.

The match is likely to see the return of the 33 year old Filippo Inzaghi to the starting line-up. He practically missed the first leg due to injury. AC Milan is hoping to repeat their winning stake as they did with their quarter final victory against Bayern Munich. They hope that by Inzaghi returning, it will be a moral booster to strengthen the entire teams confidence. Gattuso who limped off during their 1st leg tie at Old Trafford, might also be in the starting line-up. A big question mark also lies on their captain, Paolo Maldini, who is still with an injury. With the Brazilian-Ronaldo cup tied at this moment and Ricardo Olivera not in his best of form, the burden will eventually rest on Kaka to produce.

Hopefully the patched-up defence that Manchester United has so far will prove to be the opening for 'the man' United should watch out for, the Brazilian Kaka, as he proved at Old Trafford.

On the United front, they are set to welcome back England's central defender Rio Ferdinand.They hope to make it an all English affair by just a draw or even better a win. Running for every ball will definitely be on their minds, even when they are down. United is so good at last minute goals i tell you. They are also good when it comes to counter attacks, with Ronaldo, Rooney and Giggs having so much of pace in them. Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney currently in the spotlight for being world class talents, may turn out to be 'thorns' for the opposition. But having being eliminated by AC Milan before, this time around they would need to set the record straight.

Indeed this would turn out to be a very interesting match to watch, i would say.

Probable Line-Up :

• AC Milan: 1-Dida; 44-Massimo Oddo, 13-Alessandro Nesta, 3-Paolo Maldini, 18-Marek Jankulovski; 8-Gennaro Gattuso, 21-Andrea Pirlo, 23-Massimo Ambrosini; 10-Clarence Seedorf; 22-Kaka, 9-Filippo Inzaghi.
  

• Manchester United: 1-Edwin van der Sar; 22-John O'Shea, 6-Wes Brown, 4-Gabriel Heinze, 5-Rio Ferdinand; 24-Darren Fletcher, 16-Michael Carrick, 18-Paul Scholes; 7-Cristiano Ronaldo, 8-Wayne Rooney, 11-Ryan Giggs.

• Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium).

Ronaldo - 'The Phenomenon'

During my school days i used to be very involved in sports, especially hockey. Playing the game well, also helped me get transferred to a better school. Unfortunately, this interest did not carry on after my schooling days. To my surprise i picked up a new sport, Soccer.

The passion for the game this time around was a bit different, watching the game being played on television instead of physically playing on the field was better, for me that is. (if you have read my Health Mart page earlier, you would know why) It all began somewhere around the year 1996, when Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima also known as 'The Phenomenon' to the world was voted for the first time as the youngest FIFA World Player. He took my attention with his mastery and skillful play and made me love the game. Born in Bento Ribeiro, Rio De Janeiro, in Brazil, this guy was to my opinion, the perfect football player (don't count his teeth though...)

Again, the following year and also in 2002, Ronaldo was voted World Player, making it a total of three times. This achievement is also shared by his former Real Madrid team member Zinedine Zidane, for getting the prestigious award three times. He was first noted when he was around 14 years old and was quickly put into their national youth squad. Three years later and at the age of 17, Ronaldo thought of making an international debut at the 1994 World Cup games in the US, but sadly he was never featured in any of their games. The world stage had to wait another four years before he mesmerised them, with his 'Samba' skill. I think his most prolific period was when he played for Barcelona (1996-1997) after which he was bought over by Inter Milan the following year. Watching Ronaldo & the whole Brazil team play in the 1998 World Cup was very exciting. I remember watching every single game that Brazil played at that World Cup. From here, you are able to judge that I am a die hard fan of Brazil, when it comes to soccer. Open my cupboard and you will find a whole range of Team Brazil Merchandise. What made them lose the finals that year, haunts my mind till date. How such a 'complete team' could fail?

In 2002 , he was bought over by the Spanish giants, Real Madrid. Sales of his Jersey broke all records world over on the day of his signing. I'm glad that I'm a proud of one myself. Since his signing in 18 of January 2007 into AC Milan, have you noticed?, he has changed his almost-trademark 'chrome dome' (fully shaven head) to a short nappy hair do and minus his beard. Courtesy of the request of the clubs President, Berlusconi. I feel like his become a new man here after swapping sides from the 'weight-watching' fans of Spain. AC Milan currently looking ahead to a first-leg Champions League semifinal on Tuesday at Premiership leaders, Manchester United. Ronaldo helped an understrength AC Milan on Saturday beat their visiting side Cagliari 3-1. With all that said, Ronaldo, personally, has improved since his arrival at AC Milan and on his way to re-reach his old peak fitness and will prove his critics that they were so very wrong.

Call him the Boy Wonder, The Miracle Man, The Phenomenon, The Keepers Nightmare, The number 9 or whatever, to me, there is only one, Ronaldo !