Uefa Champion's League Game Report: Milan-Manchester United

 Massive Attack - Karmacoma

That music, that stupid repetitive music (the Champion's League one). How I hate it, how I love it. New formula (four games per week, second draw for the quarter finals), new shirts, same sponsors, same music resonating in San Siro. Fans jump, wear Ronaldinho masks, images of Beckham training and Rooney’s goals, talks of a May 2007 revenge, two of the last three Champion’s League winners, just show the game already.

Milan: Dida – Bonera, Nesta, Thiago Silva, Antonini – Beckham, Pirlo, Ambrosini – Pato, Huntelaar, Ronaldinho.

Manchester: Van Der Sar – Rafael, Rio Ferdinand, Evans, Evra – Fletcher, Scholes, Carrick – Nani, Rooney, Park.

Let’s start by the most important (how else?). Third minute, Evra fouls Pato, Beckham crosses the ball in and, after being poorly cleared, falls to Ronaldinho. One touch shot, Carrick’s deflection, Van Der Sar’s glance, 1-0. One mistake, one goal. Milan explodes, Ronaldinho dances, Leonardo clentches his fist, Rio looks like John Turturro. Ambrosini, Pirlo and Ronaldinho play two touches possession (isn’t that Manchester’s trademark?) and allow pressure to be taken off their defenders who thank them by almost scoring a second goal at the 8^th minute (Silva links with Antonini, just wide). The pace is tempered and Fergie’s boys are forced to push on the sides where Nani continuously crosses at the third post. Evans starts his mistake streak, Ronaldinho gives Rafael a neck ache, Bonera manhandles Park, Antonini Nani, Dida releases easy balls (not his, please). We have to wait until the 18^th to see Manchester’s first real chance: Rooney detaches himself from Nesta, turns, shoots. Thankfully it was his left foot, just wide. Manchester then starts to pick up pace and possession, Fletcher presses high, Evra contains Pato and Rooney grows, but Silva intervenes and Scholes looks at the bench instead of the ball. Milan responds with small but precious possession of their own in the Reds’ half, enough to break the tempo. Beckham’s free kicks cause panic in Rio Empire. Evans gives the ball away, Huntelaar’s shot is blocked by Evra. Evans gives the ball away (yes again, I’m not going to find any other way to say it), Huntelaar misses the target by an inch (33^rd). Two mistakes, no goals. 

All these approximations fasten the flow and at that game Manchester are superior. 36^th, Fletcher crafts the first semi-decent cross from the right side (Nani’s), Scholes arms his right foot, aims, fires and scores with the left. 1-1. Players drink, Antonini pulls his muscle, Favalli appears and Ferguson harshly reprimands Evans (lip-reading 101). During the last ten minutes of the first half both teams look for the jackpot goal. Ronaldinho mystifies Evra and Fletcher in one move, takes giant leaps towards the goal, lets it rip but Edwin Big Ears pulls out a miracle save to which only he holds the secret. Corner. Nothing more. The referee sends the twenty-two actors to the warm.

That music. Green alcohol brand message, commercials shamelessly directed at young men (pretty women, cars, jerseys and lawyers). Music. Aggravating boring commentators. Music. Repeat.

The first minutes of the second half see Milan try to reiterate their first half hold up. Bonera fires in a cross, Pato beats Evans to the ball but his header is off target. The game is now pleasant with both teams trying to break away on the score sheet. Milan plays the long ball game with Pirlo’s and Beck’s quality passes looking for Pato. Situations heat up at both ends of the field. Fouls become current currency. Pirlo aims for the top corner only to find Edwin’s right hand (52^nd), Carrick and Fletcher devour the midfield with powerful runs, Ronnie tests Van Der Sar’s extension (result: it’s impressive, 59^th), Evans finally learns how to get to the ball first (bet his ears were still ringing from what Sir Alex yelled at half time), yellow shoes (with Nani in them) leave the field, and Rooney tests Dida one last time (62^nd). Action, reaction. Within the next minute Ambrosini looses the ball in his own half, Scholes launches newly entered Valencia who delivers the third potable cross of the game. Rooney jumps higher than Bonera, it’s a fact. 2-1, 65^th). Milan remains speechless, motionless and idealess, just watch Pirlo get all of his passes intercepted and Bonera go “air” on two consecutive headers. Only Pato shows signs of resilience on his right side. Leonardo introduces Seedorf for a decadent Beckham, but no can do. Rooney first tries his luck from twenty meters out but misses (beaten) Dida’s goal by a centimeter. First because second comes a great textbook play. Fletcher receives the ball on the left side not far from the box, temporizes, waits for Nesta and Thiago Silva to be immobile while Rooney introduces himself between the two, and serves the latter on a plate of silver. Third threatening cross, third goal. Rooney is king (73^rd). 

The stadium falls quiet. Now Milan are rushing, passes go incomplete, Ronaldinho misses a bicycle kick, Bonera and Favalli plunder the wings, Pirlo abuses of deep passes and finally Inzaghi appears. Manchester stays low, plays counter attack, obtain free kicks in the Milanese, and use their muscles more than anything else. Seedorf will reduce the score at the 83^rd with a beautiful back heel (his left, he is right footed) after Ronaldinho’s delightful double contact pass. Superpippo could have even scored an equalizer had his shot been on target. I think he might not have been used to scoring this far away from the actual goal. Van Der Sar takes a minute for a goal kick, Ronaldinho raises his arms looking at the ref everytime a player is close to him. But let’s face it, Manchester now know how to win the ugly way (the only way away from home?). Carrick will get a red card. Return in a week.

Grades

Milan – 6: Good start and end to the game for an aging team (I know it’s been said) but ten fatal minutes of absence, qualification will be the fruit of very hard work at Old Trafford

Dida – 4: Again Dida has risked more than saved.

Bonera – 5: Good will and discipline during the first half (the slow one), unorganized and sloppy during the second half(the one where Rooney jumped much higher than him to score).

Nesta – 7: During big games Nesta brings out the best of him, but tonight it was not enough to stop the Red armada.

Thiago Silva – 6: Excellent during the game, likes to push forward, maybe guilty on the third goal, a star in the making.

Antonini – 7: His game got cut short and that is a shame, was adding the vivacity Milan needed.

Beckham – 3: Sure his right foot always makes the right decision on stopped plays, useless and transparent in the game plan otherwise.

Pirlo – 5: Game on the low for Andrea, distributed some wonderful balls, but no real impact for the playmaker

Ambrosini – 7: Old, slow, rough but oh so indispensible in ball recuperation and defense.

Pato – 7: Excellent tonight, Pato is not yet the player to make a game of this stance balance his way, will be very soon though.

Huntelaar – 3: Benefitted from Evans errors in first half, absolutely invisible in second.

Ronaldinho – 8 and 2: The first for the assist and the goal, the 2 for just looking at the referee all the time and not really running as much as his teammates.

Favalli (37 f.h) – 5: Did the job without great sparkles or problems (he’s been doing it for twenty years now).

Seedorf (27 s.h) – 7: Didn’t impact the game as much as he would have ten years ago, still scored a beautiful and maybe precious goal. He might not even care, he’s already won five of these.

Inzaghi (32 s.h) – 3: I know this might seem harsh but for Pippo that ball should have been in the goal.

Manchester United – 7

Van Der Sar – 8: Although somewhat abandoned by his defense , the big Dutchman pulled out big saves and big aerial interceptions. The experience and greatness are palpable.
Rafael – 5: Fell into the obvious traps laid out by Ronaldinho yet persevered and in the end got the best of him thanks to a big heart.

Rio Ferdinand – 6: Not quite the rock we saw in 2008, Rio still pulled some nice interventions (and an unseen foul on Dinho).

Evans – 3: Mistake after mistake, deserving a 0, but saved only by his headers of the second half.

Evra – 10: More preoccupied by defense and Pato than crossing (is that why we saw so many poor crosses?) the left back Patrice pulled out the perfect match: strong, attentive, careful, just and accurate. Marry me Patrice!

Scholes – 5: Some almost costly mistakes in the first half, returned to his infamous underground work in the second.

Carrick – 6 : Didn’t see him much in the first half, I will not blame for deflecting Dinho’s shot, more present in the second half. Only he will know for the red card assigned.

Fletcher – 8: The real metronome of the team, it’s when he’s in confident that the team follows. And what a pass.

Nani – 0: The alternating series continues for Nani, how surprising.

Rooney – 20: Sends chills down the opponent fans every time he touches the ball, Rooney displayed all his talent tonight, watch for him. (Cristiano who?)

Park – 6: Very much like Scholes, carried out his role faithfully.

Valencia (21 s.h) – 7: Brought the quality of touch Nani was missing. Might not be decisive but sure helps.
Brown (45 s.h) – His hair is actually that color.