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Posted by PaulJ on 2008-11-26 @ 8:57:40 -0700

Boots of Spanish Leather

"The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning.
It is nothing of the kind. The game is about glory, it is about doing
things in style and with a flourish, about going out and beating the
other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom."

The way I’m a feelin’ it seems apposite to quote the late Danny Blanchflower and to bemoan the passing of the ideals for which he and those like him played. For the second time in seventy six hours United have played a game in which the home side set out with no apparent intention of doing other than avoid defeat. I don’t know how much season tickets cost at Villarreal but it is little wonder that some games in this competition attract disappointing crowds. Once again, save for our incompetence in front of goal, United can be held relatively blameless. Now, however, the word is out that we can easily be prevented from scoring, we are in for some pretty tedious away legs in the knock-out phase of the Champions League, for which both last night’s sides have now qualified.

I had intended to go to Spain but the club failed to remind me of the deadline. On television it appeared that mine was not the only empty seat in the United section, though one could hear the away fans for all but the last few minutes of the match.

Selection for a game we could afford to lose (if we were only fussed about qualification and not out to win the group) was tempered by consideration of the two difficult away league games which sandwiched it in the calendar. Edwin Van der Sar, having found his form at Villa Park, was rested in favour of Tomasz Kuszczak; Jonny Evans was in for Nemanja Vidic at centre back and John O’Shea kept his place at right back; Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra were in their regular slots. Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher, probably our strongest pairing at the moment, were in central midfield with Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani on the flanks and Anderson backing up Wayne Rooney, the lone striker. It was good to see a successful Giuseppe Rossi starting for them; they selected a team of South American midgets to make him look normal sized. He still managed to outjump Evans at one point, and showed his lovely footwork but he did have a need to get the ball onto his left foot and I did not notice our defenders struggling against him one-on-one; his strength was to appear in the right place on the few occasions that his side threatened.

The main features were the nervous uncertainty of our goalkeeper which offered hope to the reticent Spaniards, the running battle between Ronaldo and those kicking him, and Rooney’s switch from a frustrated young man itching to be sent off for the second time on this ground to the free-running most dangerous player on the pitch. In between he produced two dives for which he and Ferguson felt obliged to apologise afterwards; there’s one for the collectors of phenomena. The Spaniards did not apologise for theirs.
Villarreal looked the neat, intelligent easy passing side their reputation promised. Having shipped three goals at the weekend they had decided that they would venture forward infrequently; as a result in the first half they had two decent long range shots, one from Cazorla which Kuszczak parried to Robert Pires and Rio had to clear, but they got behind our defence only rarely. Nani gave away a free kick near the corner flag and Carrick produced a brilliant header in front of a hesitant goalkeeper and a brave one to deflect the follow-up. From the corner Kuszczak tried to break the record for the lowest altitude punch in the history of senior football lumbering Evra with the hospital ball; he did well to clear the danger without quite using his hands.

Most of the action was at the other end where generally we shot straight at their very capable goalkeeper, though he had to scramble to his right for one of Ronaldo’s free kicks. The best moves came up the United left; Anderson’s cross looked dangerous and was clawed out by Diego Lopez; the same player was marginally offside when he ran on to Evra’s ball and cut it back brilliantly for Rooney to sidefoot home. Then, in the dying moments of the first half Anderson again on the left touchline produced a dream of a thirty yard ball under pressure, Rooney coolly knocked it back on the edge of the area and Ronaldo let fly a shot which produced a breathtaking save from Lopez who just managed to push it onto the face of the bar.

In the early part of the second half the home side threatened a little, looking for Rossi with crosses; Evra nicked one off Rossi’s head right in front of goal and Evans cleared another. As the Spaniards’ target of a draw came closer, however, they got even less adventurous. There was a period of about fifteen minutes when a United goal looked imminent; a lovely move left to right ended with a Fletcher shot just wide of the post, Anderson capped a move of equal artistry down the right by shooting straight at the keeper, Rooney took a clever Fletcher ball and chipped it just wide and then Carrick produced a wonder of a ball from very deep which Rooney latched on to and smashed goalwards, unfortunately straight at the keeper.

With United trying to open up the game Villarreal attacked up the right. The free kick went right across the face of the goal with Rossi and others just unable to get the vital touch. A goalkeeper rooted to his line makes such moments interesting. Carrick won a superb tackle and fed Rooney wide on the left; his chip into the goalmouth was deflected and headed out from under the crossbar.

The changes began. Pires and Rossi were first to be replaced. Carlos Tevez had been warming up a while but his entry was postponed, presumably because we were for the time being well on top. Nevertheless Nani was visibly wilting and after an effective first half had lost direction and was making tired, wrong decisions. With less than ten minutes to go and with the news that Celtic had surrendered their lead at Aalborg rendering tonight’s result entirely academic in terms of qualification, Ferguson brought on Darron Gibson for Fletcher who had again played splendidly, Ji Sung Park came on for Nani and then Tevez came on for Carrick, who had had an outstandingly creative match; without our two successful midfielders our momentum faltered.

Although the Spaniards had failed to provide entertainment of the legitimate variety they livened up our evening through the conclusion of their match-long feud with Ronaldo. He had been fouled by Venta and Eguren in the first half, nothing compared with what Georgie used to face week in, week out, but deserving the yellow cards. Senna, before he went off, had surreptitiously dug his fingernails into the Portuguese’s neck on the referee’s blind side and elicited a little kick in retaliation. He had got himself booked, a little harshly, for smiling dissent at a ridiculous free kick involving greater thespian skills than he possesses. Finally, with ten minutes left, Capdevila produced an attempt at the coup de grace. I thought Ronaldo made a meal of it as usual but even on television you could see the stud marks Capdevila had left to remember him by, on the thigh four inches above the knee.

Referee Roberto Rosetti showed a straight red card but the Spanish crowd saw only the histrionics and it woke them and their team up at last and made for a lively last ten minutes. Even so it was United who were pressing for the goal at the end.

Surely City on Saturday will not sit back for a draw. If so we need to take heed not only of the Western wind and the stormy weather but also of the fact that the last side which went for the win was the last team to beat us.

Posted by Bill on 2008-11-25 @ 16:56:16 -0700

Manchester United and Villarreal contested their fourth straight goalless draw in the Champions League as both qualified from the group stage.

Cristiano Ronaldo came closest to a goal but Diego Lopez brilliantly tipped his strike on to the crossbar.

The Villarreal keeper also denied Wayne Rooney, Anderson and Darren Fletcher while Joan Capdevila headed a deflected Rooney cross off the line.

Capdevila was later given a red card for a challenge on Ronaldo.

It was a contentious decision and ensured a lively and passionate end to what had been a largely low-key European encounter.

It was a late tackle by Spain defender Capdevila as he slid to win the ball but his studs left the ground and he made contact high on Ronaldo's left leg, with the Portugal star writhing in agony.

Howls of derision sounded around the Madrigal for the final 10 minutes of the contest but United closed out the match to ensure their qualification.

It was a broadly disappointing game, with too many misplaced passes and runs off the ball that went unnoticed.

But it was a controlled display by United, who had settled quickly, forcing Diego Lopez into an early save when Anderson shot across goal from a wide angle.

Playing a measured brand of football, the visiting team looked to get behind the Villarreal defence and did so after eight minutes, with Rooney slotting home from a Patrice Evra pull-back only for the effort to be ruled out for an offside against the France defender.

The Villarreal keeper made regulation saves from Ronaldo and Fletcher, returning to the United line-up after injury as one of five changes from the side that drew at Aston Villa on Saturday.

But it was a truly spectacular effort from Diego Lopez to tip a thunderous strike from Ronaldo on to the crossbar late in the opening half.

Villarreal, comfortable on the ball if lacking in ambition, did cause United occasional problems and Tomasz Kuszczak had to be alert to parry a strike from Santi Cazorla.

Several Villarreal players were incensed shortly after the restart when Rooney went down in the penalty area. Fabricio Fuentes was in close attendance but there did not appear to be any contact.

Diego Lopez kept out another shot from Ronaldo and two weak strikes from Anderson while Villarreal, who had lost skipper Marcos Senna to injury at the break, gradually showed some attacking intent.

Soriano Bruno impressed after replacing Senna and almost picked out the impressive Guiseppe Rossi with a cross from the left while three Villarreal players tried but failed to make contact with a teasing ball from the right.

Rooney had a shot on the turn saved but the nearest the half came to a goal after the break was after the forward's cross from the left took a deflection and headed towards goal with the keeper stranded.

Capdevila headed the ball out for a corner but shortly afterwards was sent from the field.

Villarreal: Diego Lopez, Javi Venta, Rodriguez, Fuentes, Capdevila, Santi Cazorla, Senna (Bruno 46), Eguren, Pires (Fernandez 65), Rossi (Franco 78), Ibagaza.
Subs Not Used: Viera, Edmilson, Cygan, Angel.

Sent Off: Capdevila (82).

Booked: Javi Venta, Eguren, Fuentes.

Man Utd: Kuszczak, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Evans, Evra, Ronaldo, Fletcher (Gibson 80), Carrick (Tevez 86), Nani (Park 85), Anderson, Rooney.
Subs Not Used: Foster, Giggs, Vidic, Rafael Da Silva.

Booked: Evra, Ronaldo.

Att: 26,000

Ref: Roberto Rosetti (Italy).

bbc.co.uk

Posted by Barry on 2008-11-23 @ 22:25:34 -0700

MADRID (AFP) - Both Manchester United and Villarreal look poised to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League but top place is at stake when the two meet in a Group E duel on Tuesday at El Madrigal.

Holders United are bidding to become the first team to defeat Villarreal on their own ground in the Champions League - the club have played in the competition twice and have yet to lose at home - and if Sir Alex Ferguson's team achieve that feat they will go through as group winners.

Both sides have eight points, with Celtic and Aalborg BK languishing on two points apiece, and a repeat of the 0-0 draw between the two sides at Old Trafford would see the pair into the knockout stage.

"It's very important to finish top of the group as we did last season, but it's also very difficult," French full back Patrice Evra told the club's official website www.manutd.com.

"Villarreal are a good team who play good football and it's never easy to go to Spain. But hopefully we can get the win we want.

"I don't feel more pressure (from being the holders) but I feel more responsibility. When you play for Manchester United I think it's easy to win trophies, but to keep hold of them is more difficult."

United laboured to a 0-0 draw against Aston Villa at the weekend and stay eight points behind joint leaders Chelsea and Liverpool, although they have a game in hand, and they have injury problems ahead of the Villarreal trip.

Portuguese winger Ronaldo hobbled out of the draw at Villa Park with a leg injury and Ferguson fears he won't recover in time.

"His leg is a mess. He is doubtful for Tuesday," said the Scot.

Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov, the club's top-scorer in Europe with four goals, picked up a hamstring problem on international duty and is not expected to travel while defender Wes Brown is definitely out with an ankle injury

"It's disappointing but we've got cover with Gary [Neville], Rafael, and John O'Shea can also play there (at right back)," explained Ferguson.

Villarreal have their own injury concerns notably up front with Jose Llorente and Nihat sidelined but American-born striker Giuseppe Rossi, 21, will be fit to face his former club where he started his career before a ten million euro move to Villarreal in July 2007.

Last season's Spanish league runners-up Villarreal had actually been unbeaten in the league since April until this Saturday when Valladolid trounced them 3-0 at El Madrigal.

The defeat leaves Villarreal down in third, four points behind leaders Barcelona and Chilean coach Manuel Pellegrini called for a clean slate and the focus to switch to the duel against the European champions.

"It was a dark day for us," said Pellegrini. "There may have been a lot of reasons for what happened and maybe the international matches was one. However, we should have been focused and we weren't. They ended up winning quite easily.

"The important thing now is to improve our peformance and focus on Champions League qualification."

www.soccerway.com

Posted by Barry on 2008-11-16 @ 9:33:13 -0700

Villarreal remain level on points with Manchester United at the top of group E despite losing the lead twice in a 2-2 draw away to Aalborg. The La Liga side went ahead after 41 minutes when Robert Pires played the ball wide to Giuseppe Rossi, who cut inside and found the far corner with a left-foot shot for his fourth goal in five matches. However, the Danish side levelled the scores nine minutes into the second half, when Jeppe Curth blasted the ball home after a clever back-heel from Cacá.

Guillermo Franco, a substitute, restored Villarreal’s lead ten minutes after replacing Rossi, chesting down Joseba Llorente’s chip and volleying home, but Anders Due curled a free kick over the defensive wall and into the top corner of the net to make it 2-2 with nine minutes left. Villarreal are home to United in their next match in the competition, on November 25.

www.timesonline.co.uk