If you are a fan of British soccer -- there must be some, here! -- yesterday's finale was historic. I've watched soccer matches for 50 years and never seen anything like it.
Manchester United, the entire season, was poised atop the table to win the league title again. The team is the New York Yankees of British football. They have won the title twelve out of the last twenty years. Only six weeks ago the team was 8 points ahead of its rival, Manchester City. Even the Manchester City coach conceded the season was lost.
City, the cross-town rival, is filled with talent thanks to the deep pockets of its owners from Abu Dhabi. It was an early favorite to challenge Manchester United, more than sixty matches ago, but continually found new ways to trip over its own dramas. Carlos Tevez, for example, a star from Argentina decided to cough up as penalty a few million dollars in the middle of the season instead of being humiliated by his coach. He went home to Buenos Aires to golf with friends and sulk.
So it all came down to yesterday. The two teams were tied in total points, but Manchester City owned the goal differential. If both teams won or tied, Manchester City would win its first league title in the modern era.
Man U played a middling team, Sunderland. Manchester City played one of the worst teams in the league, QPR. Both teams played at home. Manchester City hadn't lost at home the entire season and hadn't lost to QPR in ages. All the bets, all the pundits; everyone was betting on Manchester City.
Manchester United fans were ecstatic: their team held to a 1-0 victory while the scoreboard showed their cross-town rivals losing 2-1 to QPR. Both games began at approximately the same time, so the fans could keep track from the jumbotron scoreboards.
The crowd faces were filled with emotion. Man U was ecstatic. Manchester City fans were crestfallen as the clock wound down.
When Manchester United finished its game, and won, it was poised for a trophy celebration. There were only five minutes left in the game across town. While the players on Man U were walking off the pitch, there was a groan from the crowd.
In the first minute of extra time (added for injury and game stoppage), Manchester City eked out a goal from one their multi-million dollar, underachieving stars. But the game, now tied, still predicted that Man U would win based on total points.
Two minutes later, in the 93.5 minute, Manchester City scored a goal that will go down in history as one of the most exciting ever. One of my favorite players, an Argentine Sergio Aguero, scooted across the goal and blasted a shot past the QPR goal keeper and sent Manchester City fans into paroxysms.
Minutes before, a season of hope seemed dashed on the rocks. In two minutes, the world changed. At Manchester United, fans and players who believed they had snatched another league title milled around in shock.
For the national team of Argentina, Aguero has always been overshadowed by his partner in front; the best footballer in the world, Lionel Messi. I've always like Aguero and wondered how he would fare, in his first season playing in Great Britain where the play can be much more physical. For sheer drama, what he did yesterday was indescribable. For a team -- Manchester City -- that found so many ways to play below expectations, it was simply incredible. Incredible!
Manchester United, the entire season, was poised atop the table to win the league title again. The team is the New York Yankees of British football. They have won the title twelve out of the last twenty years. Only six weeks ago the team was 8 points ahead of its rival, Manchester City. Even the Manchester City coach conceded the season was lost.
City, the cross-town rival, is filled with talent thanks to the deep pockets of its owners from Abu Dhabi. It was an early favorite to challenge Manchester United, more than sixty matches ago, but continually found new ways to trip over its own dramas. Carlos Tevez, for example, a star from Argentina decided to cough up as penalty a few million dollars in the middle of the season instead of being humiliated by his coach. He went home to Buenos Aires to golf with friends and sulk.
So it all came down to yesterday. The two teams were tied in total points, but Manchester City owned the goal differential. If both teams won or tied, Manchester City would win its first league title in the modern era.
Man U played a middling team, Sunderland. Manchester City played one of the worst teams in the league, QPR. Both teams played at home. Manchester City hadn't lost at home the entire season and hadn't lost to QPR in ages. All the bets, all the pundits; everyone was betting on Manchester City.
Manchester United fans were ecstatic: their team held to a 1-0 victory while the scoreboard showed their cross-town rivals losing 2-1 to QPR. Both games began at approximately the same time, so the fans could keep track from the jumbotron scoreboards.
The crowd faces were filled with emotion. Man U was ecstatic. Manchester City fans were crestfallen as the clock wound down.
When Manchester United finished its game, and won, it was poised for a trophy celebration. There were only five minutes left in the game across town. While the players on Man U were walking off the pitch, there was a groan from the crowd.
In the first minute of extra time (added for injury and game stoppage), Manchester City eked out a goal from one their multi-million dollar, underachieving stars. But the game, now tied, still predicted that Man U would win based on total points.
Two minutes later, in the 93.5 minute, Manchester City scored a goal that will go down in history as one of the most exciting ever. One of my favorite players, an Argentine Sergio Aguero, scooted across the goal and blasted a shot past the QPR goal keeper and sent Manchester City fans into paroxysms.
Minutes before, a season of hope seemed dashed on the rocks. In two minutes, the world changed. At Manchester United, fans and players who believed they had snatched another league title milled around in shock.
For the national team of Argentina, Aguero has always been overshadowed by his partner in front; the best footballer in the world, Lionel Messi. I've always like Aguero and wondered how he would fare, in his first season playing in Great Britain where the play can be much more physical. For sheer drama, what he did yesterday was indescribable. For a team -- Manchester City -- that found so many ways to play below expectations, it was simply incredible. Incredible!
2 comments:
Love aguero and Tevez. Add messi and the Argentine national team is loaded up front.Macherano in the midfield is an enforcer. Like them to win next cup in Brazil.
Great article! Couple of corrections, Manchester City was top of the table for most of the season; United only overtook them in the last couple of months. Also, the final game of the season, City were home, United were away to Sunderland. Agree, Sergio Aguero is awesome, but so are Yaya, David Silva, Vincent Kompany and Joe Hart. City has a great team that will only get stronger with new signings this summer. Can't wait until next season!
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