A Season Won… A Moment Lost!
Our HISTORY makes us STRONG, Your HATE makes us STRONGER.
A lot of my noob friends have laughed and mocked at me for supporting Manchester United over Barcelona.This article was NOT written for them.However if you are one of them, you will find plenty of reasons to realise why have I supported this club for the past 10 years.Here is a bit of History for those who started with football support once they learnt that Etoo had scored.
Manchester United and Barcelona had previously faced each other nine times in European competitions: three times in the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and six times in the UEFA Champions League. Of those nine matches, Manchester United have recorded three wins to Barcelona’s two, with the remaining four matches finishing in draws. The only time that the two teams met in a final came in 1991, when they contested the 1991 Cup Winners’ Cup final. The first meeting between the two sides came in the third round of the 1983–84 Cup Winners’ Cup; Barcelona won the first leg at the Camp Nou 2–0, but Manchester United won the return leg 3–0 at Old Trafford to reach the semi-finals. That result marked Manchester United’s biggest win over Barcelona; Barcelona’s biggest win was a 4–0 home victory in the group stage of the 1994–95 Champions League. The most recent meeting between Manchester United and Barcelona came in the semi-finals of the 2007–08 Champions League, when United held Barcelona to a 0–0 draw at the Camp Nou before beating them 1–0 back at Old Trafford.
1990/91 UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup final
Barcelona 1-2 Manchester United (Koeman 79; Hughes 67 74)
1994/95 UEFA Champions League group stage
Manchester United 2-2 Barcelona (Hughes 19, Sharpe 79; Romário 33, Bakero 49)
Barcelona 4-0 Manchester United (Stoitchov 2 59, Romário 45, Ferrer 88)
Barcelona advance, United eliminated
1998/99 UEFA Champions League group stage
Manchester United 3-3 Barcelona (Giggs 16, Scholes 24, Beckham 63; Anderson 47, Giovanni 59pen, Luis Enrique 70pen)
Barcelona 3-3 Manchester United (Anderson 1, Rivaldo 57 73; Yorke 25 68, Cole 53)
United advance, Barcelona eliminated
2007/08 UEFA Champions League semi-final
Barcelona 0-0 Manchester United
Manchester United 1-0 Barcelona (Scholes 14)
United won 1-0 on aggregate
For the first time since 1999, the UEFA Champions League was fought between teams which were Champions in their own countries for that season.History awaited the Barclays Champions as they were to attempt to achieve the historical feat of successfully defending the CUP. Sadly, it was destined not to be such.
The game started all well for the Red Devils with 5 shots on target , some of which were lethal in design.However, a defensive flaw by Vidic and a bit of skill by Etoo ensured that Manchester were not to have a cakewalk.What we did not know at that 10th minute was that it was not the only scar Machester United would face that day.Through out the game we looked like a bunch of street footballers who were playing against the Dream XI team of some fantasy online competition.Reds failed to create any significant entries into the defence of BARCA and instead of a defensive strategy we were in for Attack ( if it qualifies as one). Was Sir Ferguson so naive as to not realise that if you give BARCA players space to play their game , things turn ugly for one own team.He had probably the best example from the strategy of Chelsea in the two previous matches which they sadly lost to an erroneous judgement by the Match Referree.Then was what we call a final blow from the 5′ 7” Messi amongst the all above 6′ defence line that Manchester boasts of.It was in the least of the words ” A classic Header “.
The History and the Glory has been lost.Noone knows when the moment will come again.But what Manchester can do is bury the ghost of Rome behind their backs and come back for an all new season this August.We do not know if Ronaldo would stay or if Tevez would be left out in the open market.What we do know is that come August, Englad shall face the wrath of the Red Devil like it has never felt before. The blue team can pull over their socks and the Maroon ones can stop trying to come in the way.
You should decide the team you want to support, not your friends. A true supporter will stick with his team through thick and thin.
I had put United as favourites because of Barca’s makeshift back four, but the Catalans won the game in midfield. Xavi and Iniesta were simply superb, and young Busquets did a good job too.
I agree with your ideology of standing by ones team through thick and thin.. and this is why this blog was exactly written.To let people know we lost a game yet Manchester United will always be my best team and Barca will always come at number two for me , no matter what Barca does.I am happy for Barca’s win but I am much more dissapoinbbted with Manchester United’s loss. AND Iniesta is probably one of the best midfield brains in today’s football.