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‘Best Football Club in the World’ Status decided today

Posted on | May 27, 2009 | No Comments

Christiano Ronaldo
Dateline Rome, 27 May 2009. 18:45pm

I only wish I was in Rome right now for the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester United FC and FC Barcelona, better known as United and Barça. Much is being said about the power of the United squad which has won three consecutive English Premier League championships and are on a 25-0 tear through the Champions League. Their defense is suffocating and disciplined with few ill advised passes or over anxious challenges that leave opportunities for opponents to strike. Even more is said and said again about their sexy poster boy Christiano Ronaldo (pictured left) without nary a point being made, but it doesn’t matter because Ronaldo is just that good. (Though I’m more of a Wayne Rooney fan myself)

Barça manager Josep Guardiola said of United at a news conference Wednesday, “I’ve heard it said they don’t attack, they counterattack…”. I’m not sure if Europeans know what game tape is or not, but it’s pretty obvious to me – a high school defensivemen who never really proved his worth – that counterattacking is exactly how United is dominating the most competitive stages in football.

A perfect example came in the second leg of this year’s Champion’s semifinals. United had already scored twice early in the game held on Arsenal’s home pitch, leaving many Arsenal fans contemplating hooliganism. I can’t remember what minute it was, maybe around the 60th or 70th, but Arsenal looks like they are finally sustaining an attack. They get a corner which they botch miserably. The ball is sent out to Ronaldo who backheels it to the Korean Park. Park takes off with the ball with Rooney on his left and Ronaldo timing a run into the box. Park feeds Rooney, Rooney lays the ball perfectly in front of Ronaldo who finishes cleanly. Clinical counterattacking. Really frightening in its own way.

Barça can prevent this by handling the ball cleanly when they are attacking. They don’t have the counterattacking skill to try to do the same to United and if they play back waiting for such an opportunity, this game will likely go into extra time where facing fresh legs coming off the bench like Tevez/Berbatov or Nani will make Barça look foolish. If Barça wins, they do it in regulation, but I’m not sure I see that happening.

Category: Football
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