United – Champions of Europe!

Moscow crowned new Manchester United legends as the Red Devils beat Chelsea 6-5 in a penalty shoot out to win the European Champions League.

On a night heavy with fate, destiny and calling, the young stars of this current Manchester United squad, Rooney, Tevez, Hargreaves, Brown, Evra, Vidic, Nani, Anderson, and the undoubted star of the team, Christiano Ronaldo, reached the hights attained by Beckham, Solsjaer, Stam, Schemiecle, Giggs, Yorke, Cole and the 99 treble winners by lifting club footballs biggest prize.

50 years since the Munich tragedy, 40 years since United first won the European Cup, under Busby and with Best, Law and Charlton, on the day a true legend of the game, Ryan Giggs, broke the clubs appearance record, and the day Paul Scholes finally got to play in a Champions League Final, United let fate lead them to victory.

After taking the lead through Ronaldo and enjoying the best of the opening period, only for Chelsea to draw level through a bad bounce off a United defender, a slip from van der Saar, and the persistence of Lampard, United survived a stronger showing from Chelsea in the second half, Lampard and Drogba both hitting the bar, 30 more minutes of extra time, and Chelsea given the opportunity to win on penalties with the score on 4-4 and Terry missed. United scored their next penalties and when van der Saar saved from Anelka United were European Champions for the 3rd time in their history, and the 2nd time under Sir Alex. Giggs, Scholes and Brown also collected their 2nd winners medals.

United had chances to win during the game, Cech made two great saves early on from Tevez and Carrick, Tevez almost slid in another time, and then Chelsea had their share of chances, but the result appeared to be destined towards a United win – and thats what happened.

For Chelsea it ends a season to forget, the finished runners up in the Community Shield, the League Cup, the Premiership and the Champions League. It was a season of almosts that ended with nothing. Avram Grant is not sure if he’ll be around next season, and if he isn’t it would mean his spell in charge was book cased between two losses to Manchester United. Drogba too may be on his way out, and if he is his last appearance for Chelsea ended in a red card,  for a slap at Vidic, and surely he would have taken one of the penalties, seriously letting down his team.

If this United team were to justify their billing as the best ever they had to win in Europe. They have now. They’ll want to do it again now. But for now, congradulations – and enjoy.

Manchester United – champions of England and champions of Europe.

Destiny Awaits

Destiny awaits the current Manchester United team tonight as they take on Chelsea in the Champions League final in Moscow. This season marked the 50th anniversary of the Munch disaster that struck down one of Uniteds most promising teams ever, and the history of that tragedy, sown into the fabric of the club, will play a part in motivating the team tonight.

Not that they should need much motivation, going into a final against their rivals, who have the financial clout to outspend anyone, and who usurped United as the best team in England for a brief spell, before United fought back, wining the last 2 Premiership titles.

One player that will need little motivation tonight is Paul Scholes. Scholes was booked in the semi final against Juventus in 1999 and so missed the final against Bayern, along with the also suspended Roy Keane. Keane never got the chance to rectify that miss in his career as United failed to reach the final in the remainder of his career. Scholes though gets a chance at playing in his first Champions League final, 9 years after his team mates, and players he grew up with, like Giggs, Beckham, Butt and Gary and Phil Neville, had their chance. Scholes has the chance to add to his legend and bring a deserved part of his own playing history to where it should be.

The game tonight will be one of many contrasts, in style, Uniteds free flowing, attacking brand, against Chelsea’s cautious, determined approach, in leadership, United’s Sir Alex will look to attain immortality in footballing terms with a win tonight, while Chelsea’s Avram Grant will hope to hang on to his job for next season, in owners, Uniteds American owners against Chelsea’s Russian, a throw back to the cold war for these two, and in history, United have a long history in Europe and will be looking for their 3rd European Cup, while Chelsea will be appearing in their first.

Manchester United’s current squad is thought to be the best they’ve ever had, with the likes of Ronaldo, Tevez, Rooney, Evra, Vidic, Ferdinand, Hargreaves, Carrick, and Anderson combining with the the experience of legends Giggs and Scholes, as well as van der Saar. However they will have to win the Champions League to be regarded as the best, a head of the treble winners of 99.

Tonight is their date with destiny.