A great start to the season
NINETEEN sumptuous and scintillating minutes swept aside United's summer of discontent.
Fears that Wayne Rooney and Christian Ronaldo are sworn enemies, the loss of a 25-goal a season guarantee through Ruud van Nistelrooy’s departure, and the fact that United haven't landed any of Europe's big guns, were all quickly forgotten.
Since van Nistelrooy's exit to Real Madrid blew a hole in United's firepower, the focus has been on Louis Saha. Could the Frenchman come to the party with the kind of ability to repair the damage of the Dutchman's departure? The £12.6m hitman has earned the dubious nickname of `balsa' among some of United's support because of his flimsy resistance to injury during his Old Trafford career. But after only seven minutes he was leaping into van Nistelrooy territory to steer in a header from a Ryan Giggs cross to wash away all the doubts.
Ronaldo and Rooney's ruck in the quarter-final in Germany looked to have inflicted irreparable damage to United's plans. Adding to the fears over the potential split was the Portuguese winger's revelation that he fancied a `dream' move to Real Madrid.
The latter was arguably the more serious issue surrounding the 21-year-old.
You have to be some player for Sir Alex Ferguson and United fans to forgive a public claim that there is a better place to be than Old Trafford.
And any thoughts that the relationship between Rooney and Ronaldo was destroyed by June's episode can now be dismissed. The pair were an integral part of United's second goal after 14 minutes. An excellent Giggs ball picked out Rooney and he in turn fed Ronaldo. The winger found Saha and the striker delivered a flank veteran's cross that Rooney and Fulham defender Ian Pearce battled to connect with. The latter succeeded but did what the United front man was attempting to do and poked the ball into the net.
Two minutes later Rooney was on the scoresheet when a quickly-taken Paul Scholes free kick to Gary Neville, allowed the full back to sweep in a cross for Saha. Keeper Anti Niemi denied the ex-Cottager his second but Rooney slammed in the loose rebound.
Four goals in 12 minutes became the stat when Rooney and Ronaldo got together to destroy a badly-shaken visitors defence. Rooney's deep cross was brilliantly half-volleyed home by Ronaldo.
It was like England versus Greece all over again with a side racked by summer problems hitting back against a woefully weak opponent.
United hadn't been in such dominant form by half-time at home since Arsenal were crushed inside 45 minutes in February 2001.
Rooney added to United's dominance with a single second half-strike in the 64th minute after Wes Brown's penetrating overlap from Ronaldo's ball saw the defender cut back a great delivery for the England player to drive in.
This was United of old and it was the old heads as well who were behind such an adventurous opener.
The new generation might grab the headlines, but Giggs and Scholes, with 1000 United starts between them, were a vital back-up.
They may be deep into the 30-something age category but their vision and penetration is as keen now as when they were fledglings
Tournament info for Man Utd NZ is on the West Ak Red link.
Fears that Wayne Rooney and Christian Ronaldo are sworn enemies, the loss of a 25-goal a season guarantee through Ruud van Nistelrooy’s departure, and the fact that United haven't landed any of Europe's big guns, were all quickly forgotten.
Since van Nistelrooy's exit to Real Madrid blew a hole in United's firepower, the focus has been on Louis Saha. Could the Frenchman come to the party with the kind of ability to repair the damage of the Dutchman's departure? The £12.6m hitman has earned the dubious nickname of `balsa' among some of United's support because of his flimsy resistance to injury during his Old Trafford career. But after only seven minutes he was leaping into van Nistelrooy territory to steer in a header from a Ryan Giggs cross to wash away all the doubts.
Ronaldo and Rooney's ruck in the quarter-final in Germany looked to have inflicted irreparable damage to United's plans. Adding to the fears over the potential split was the Portuguese winger's revelation that he fancied a `dream' move to Real Madrid.
The latter was arguably the more serious issue surrounding the 21-year-old.
You have to be some player for Sir Alex Ferguson and United fans to forgive a public claim that there is a better place to be than Old Trafford.
And any thoughts that the relationship between Rooney and Ronaldo was destroyed by June's episode can now be dismissed. The pair were an integral part of United's second goal after 14 minutes. An excellent Giggs ball picked out Rooney and he in turn fed Ronaldo. The winger found Saha and the striker delivered a flank veteran's cross that Rooney and Fulham defender Ian Pearce battled to connect with. The latter succeeded but did what the United front man was attempting to do and poked the ball into the net.
Two minutes later Rooney was on the scoresheet when a quickly-taken Paul Scholes free kick to Gary Neville, allowed the full back to sweep in a cross for Saha. Keeper Anti Niemi denied the ex-Cottager his second but Rooney slammed in the loose rebound.
Four goals in 12 minutes became the stat when Rooney and Ronaldo got together to destroy a badly-shaken visitors defence. Rooney's deep cross was brilliantly half-volleyed home by Ronaldo.
It was like England versus Greece all over again with a side racked by summer problems hitting back against a woefully weak opponent.
United hadn't been in such dominant form by half-time at home since Arsenal were crushed inside 45 minutes in February 2001.
Rooney added to United's dominance with a single second half-strike in the 64th minute after Wes Brown's penetrating overlap from Ronaldo's ball saw the defender cut back a great delivery for the England player to drive in.
This was United of old and it was the old heads as well who were behind such an adventurous opener.
The new generation might grab the headlines, but Giggs and Scholes, with 1000 United starts between them, were a vital back-up.
They may be deep into the 30-something age category but their vision and penetration is as keen now as when they were fledglings
Tournament info for Man Utd NZ is on the West Ak Red link.
posted by Swanson Red at 6:50 pm
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