Despite a rather attacking game play spearheaded by Liverpool, right since the start of play, it doesn’t seem things are going their way yet. Great attacking strategies from the Liverpool forwards, and the Man Utd defense is put to test very early on. Rooney does make a great lone effort but it turns out to be an offside, only very slight, but an excellent call from the linesman.
Certainly seems like the Devils aren’t creating quite that many chances yet and maybe it’s another attempt at playing calm and planned football. Rooney being back in the squad is certainly a boost, but he isn’t getting into the best striking positions early in the game.
It’s one of those days that Van Der Sar is having a field day, and being alert isn’t enough. He makes an excellent save, and then another on rebound, and is spared gearing up for a third save when his squad manages to scramble for the ball and kick it away.
Berbatov sees a yellow card in the first half. Again, not quite the foul you’d be expecting keeping in mind his calm demeanor. A reply does show it wasn’t his fault but the game has moved on. Evra too seems to have lost his cool on the big day and sees a yellow card for his moves. Soon Mascarenhas sees yellow card.
The Liverpool defense is even trying their best at midfield and seems to be overplaying Man United with the likes of Scholes losing ball control. Too many attacks from the Liverpool attack, this despite the fact that game play maker Gerrard isn’t even in today.
The second half begins at no goals fro any quarters but certainly Liverpool are again o their feet with a lot of moves materializing. Finally a goal that means a lot at this crucial point of the game, with Torres scoring in the 64th minute. Soon after Rooney gets a free kick, a rather favorable position but the wall is impenetrable.
The defense felt weak and even a stalwart like Rio Ferdinand falls behind Torres’s momentum. Vidic too sees a yellow card, and seems all the big defense names are losing patience. Nani substitutes Scholes, and Owen comes in for Berbatov in the 72nd minute. The game certainly looks like it’s going Liverpools as the Man Utd defense doesn’t seem to be breaking any ground today.
Valencia comes strikingly close to equalizing and his pace beats Reina but hits the cross bar instead of the back of the net in the 84th minute. Truly frustrating and Man Utd can’t convert anything. The next Man Utd free kick is taken by Nani but it goes straight to Reina’s hands. Jamie Carragher sees a yellow card in the 87th minute. An unnecessary plunge by Nemaja Vidic in the 89th minute gets his a red card, the 3rd time in a row for Vidic against Liverpool.
A lot of arguments, but the game continues with 5 minutes of injury time. Still nothing favorable for Man Utd except that Mascarenhas sees another yellow scoring him a red card too. The game continues with time running out, and then out of nowhere, Ngog scored a goal at the 96th minute of play with no one expecting it, a goal for nothing. All you can hear is the Liverpool fans rejoicing and the Manchester United bubble finally bursts.
