Football…hmmm it’s a beautiful game isn’t it.
For the last century or so football has been no doubt the most popular sport in our busy little planet, it really has everything, the thrills, the skill, the passion, class, the tension, a strange air of intensity, it has beauty, it has strength, it also has it negative sides like controversies, lack of real sportsmanship, racism, a bit of mind games, ..hmm. yeah a bit of cheating, but yet it is known as a beautiful game I always wondered why, but my answer came on that eerie night of 25th may.
In the past we have seen the giants emerge and dominating every footballing corner of the world, AC Milan the wall of Italia, real Madrid the galacticos, Bayern Munich, ajax, juventus, all magnificent clubs in their own rights, but their was also one more
city who always had its place in the footballing world, the mighty liverpool. From st bernabeau to anfield, we saw some of the most feared sides in the world.
They all had their fair share of great nights no doubt, and European history says it all
, those nights may well be forgotten by many but the night of 25th may will never be forgotten and will live on those famous pages of football history forever. This night belonged to Liverpool. Liverpool between the 70’s and 90’s were certainly the most feared side in the world, they had it all, the flair, the skills, the determination, the hunger, the passion, and of course they had the voice of anfield which was a major factor in their amazing success story. The Liverpool of the 90’s had looked jaded, faded and gone and looked not even close to the shadows of that great Liverpool side of the 80s. But all of a sudden 2005, a struggling Liverpool side with bright young stars, and a classy Spanish manager, and had somehow done the impossible and had reached the European Cup final, brushing off the might of juventus and the Chelsea. They were now one step closer to the Holy Grail, but oh yeah their was one side who stood in their way of claiming the trophy… AC MILAN!!!!. AC Milan known for having the meanest defence in the world, Nesta, Stam, Maldini, cafu, it was clear that Liverpool were going to need one hell of a bulldozer to take down this wall…hmmmm could the mighty steven gerrard be enough to take it down. Well we wouldn’t know for sure, was this final goin to be easy or was it going to be one of those tough nights. Whatever everyone predicted, I am pretty sure nobody predicted the saga that unfolded that very night.
Here is my version of the greatest football story ever told.
7.00 – I was as nervous as hell, the teams prepared, glimpses of both teams training, AC Milan had a training session where they were trying out different scorelines on the scoreboard, some brainiacs predicted 2-0 to Milan as crespo An shevchenko get the goals. Hmmmm not quite the correct scoreline my friend.
7.30 – Teamtalks, rafa, gerrard, hyppia, alonso, carragher were getting ready for a special night, while maldini, schevy, crespo, kaka and nesta were in full mode for some destruction. While my mates were predicting scorelines, I was sweating like a pig whose just ran a thousand miles.
- 45 – And it begins…..
fans roaring and screaming, singing their hearts out. They all knew where they were and what they were their for,glory was their for the taking. Kick off and the drama started, a classic david and goliath battle, Milan started off with some slick movement. They were in our half, and got a free kick by the throw in line. The hearts were beating already, the pulses were racing fast. As Pirlo took the freekick the ball floated in the area and the ball met with the right foot of maldini, they all stood their and watched as the ball glided in to the back of the net, 1-0, within the first minute. My heart sank, everybody was shocked, dudek, carra and stevie g, and the fellow Liverpool fans were not ready for this at all. But the reality of all was too much too take in, we were now chasing the game.
7.45 – 8.15 – as a Liverpool fan it was all a horrific thing to watch we were being outclassed in every area, maldini, stam, nesta, looked solid, unbreakable, kaka, cafu, pirlo, were showing some amazing vision with some world class passing, the might of Milan was looking mightier than ever, kewell limped off, it was not looking good for our reds. But things were about to get worse, Garcia got the ball, gattusso slips in the penalty area, the ball catches his hand. Their were agonizing screams coming from all around the red coloured stadium for penalty, but to no success, Milan broke away, kaka’s amazing pace and pass set up schevchenko, our men caught off guard, andrei with a tight angle could not score but crossed the ball in, it was beyond dudek’s reach but not beyond crespo as he slotted in to make it 2-0. Shock, horror, devastation, these words are nowhere close to how I was feeling at that moment.
8.15 – 8.30 – the cameras panned towards the AC Milan fans, celebrations all around, and then the Liverpool fans, it was doom and gloom, it was like a horror story with thousands as the victims, watching their team play they could only pray that this was not going to get any worse than it was, but not even the man upstairs would heed those prayers. It was getting nearer to half time, the first half drawing to a close, with AC Milan knocking us about like a piñata, we could not have wished for half time to come any sooner, but before it did Ac Milan had surely found the final nail for our coffin, it was the masterful kaka who broke away in midfield, our defence in dissaray, kaka’s superb pass threaded pass carra, and met the dazzling touch from crespo who glided in from the left flank to provide an exquisite touch to the ball which would eventually find the net. 3-0, it was,
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