'RED' LETTER DAY AT THE LUZHNIKI

As the Church Bell tolled at midnight in Moscow, one side prepared to face the death knell at the Luzhniki Stadium. As the final few minutes of extra time elapsed , the pulse rose, tension heightened and the eighty thousand strong crowd braced themselves for the ultimate gamble- the Penalty Shootout.As the rain gods joined the crowd at the Luzhniki, twelve brave men, masters of the game, lined up. Penalties had, in the past, elevated some players to demi-god status, yet, others had been dumped into oblivion. The Red Devils vs The Blues, the All- English final of the Champions League had reached it’s climax. Carlos Tavez took the first one for Manchester United and sent it past Petr Cech with clinical precision, while Michael Ballack did the honours for Chelsea. Carrick and Belletti followed suit, respectively. Christiano Ronaldo then stepped up for the Red Devils and as fate would have it, the PFA Player of the Year and United’s top scorer missed! The Cup was ever so nearer to making Stamford Bridge it’s home. But, fate still fancied a say in the script and Mr. Chelsea and skipper John Terry slipped, only to send his attempt wide of the target. Chelsea supporters couldn’t bear to watch. … And agony it would be for Chelsea as Nicolas Anelka’s shot was saved by Edwin van der Saar! Manchester United had secured their third European title.
Earlier in the evening, both teams walked on to the field to rapturous applause, and before long the showpiece of European football had begun. United wasted no time in taking the game to Chelsea, with the ‘Holy Trinity’ of Rooney, Ronaldo and Tevez spearheading their constant waves of attack. Their persistence finally paid off in the 26th minute, when a neat move following a throw-in was masterfully rounded off by Cristiano Ronaldo, scoring a thumping header past a baffled Petr Cech. But Cech was in top form later on, saving superbly a diving header from Carlos Tevez, and a long-range shot from Michael Carrick immediately after. Just when it seemed United were strolling into half-time one goal to the good, Michael Essien’s speculative long-range shot, after heavy deflections off Vidic and Ferdinand, made its way to Frank Lampard, who finished coolly past Edwin van der Sar for Chelsea’s equalizer. Chelsea, having been distinctly second best throughout the first half, were undoubtedly the happier team heading into half-time level on scores.
But Chelsea came off the blocks in style in the second half, giving the United defence a tough time coping with their attack. Nevertheless, United’s solid centre-backs Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic did well to keep the Chelsea attackers at bay. Essien, Ballack and Drogba all went close to scoring for Chelsea, but none of them could apply the finishing touch that could have given Chelsea a deserved lead.
With the match destined to go into extra-time, Ryan Giggs came on as a substitute late in the second half for United, making his 759th appearance for the club, thereby eclipsing a record previously held by Sir Bobby Charlton.
With scores level at the sound of the final whistle, both teams got ready for another intense 30 minutes of extra-time.The breakneck pace was kept up in extra-time with Frank Lampard’s shot hitting the underside of the bar, and Ryan Giggs’ effort denied by a stunning off-the-line clearance by Chelsea skipper John Terry. The otherwise flawless match was marred by an on-field fracas, which led to the sending-off of Didier Drogba. Neither team succeeded in breaking the deadlock, and the match went into penalties.
Thus culminated a truly exceptional match which reaffirmed Manchester United as one of Europe’s top clubs and Sir Alex Ferguson secured a cherished double for the season. An inconsolable John Terry led his team to receive their runners-up medal, a medal that obviously none of them wished to possess. In contrast, a jubilant Rio Ferdinand, along with Ryan Giggs, who were joint captains through the season, proudly held aloft the Champions League trophy for the world to admire and applaud. Hail Manchester United!!!