A Sad Loss
Chelsea 1:: Man United 0 (F.A. Cup 2007)

It was disheartening to see a very spirited manchester united side lose out to an equally fired up chelsea. Although only a solitary goal will be etched in the history books, it is indeed worth mentioning that both teams were in the killer zone a good many times. The score, really, doesnt reflect on the action-packed game that the arch rivals played out.

On more than one occaision, United came close to scoring. Wayne Rooney, in an exceptional perfromance, sqaundered an easy first half chance that was eventually ruled Offside. The next move came from chelsea. Frank Lampard turning up at the near post to fire at goal, with Wes Brown hounding him down. Lampard did well to get a shot on goal, though van der sar pulled off a one-handed save even as the ball shot towards the far post.

Both sides put together some interesting moves, mostly down the flanks, as Ronaldo and shaun-wright phillips, made threatning runs, which very nearly bore fruit. Phillips in particular was in full flow and Brown had his work cut out for him, getting beaten often. However, the game still remained deadlocked at 0-0 at the end of the half.

Post half-time, the sides still looked to be sizing themselves up, when all of a sudden, Rooney popped up in the chelsea box only to miss, what seemed like another easy chance.

Didier Drogba was his usual menacing self and constanly pounded the United defense. Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand were kept busy throughout the game, and yet, no player could find the back of the net.

At the other end, chelsea's goalie, peter cech was at the receiving end of a fair amount of battering as Rooney and giggs combined well with ronaldo to create a number of openings.

Close to an hour gone and Paul Scholes pulled off the move of the match as he pumped the ball right from the united defense to the chelsea box, only for rooney to mess up his first touch. cech was brave enough to charge at the england striker and managed to smother the ball. It looked like another one of those days for united and for rooney.

Drogba, left with limited options up front, decided to go for glory himself and wasted a good opportunity when he shot wildly towards goal, and missed by many a yard.

It was upto Scholes now and he responded to the challenge well. getting involved in tackles, moves; even getting booked for a rash tackle towards the end.

For chelsea, Arjen Robben had come on as a sub at half-time, and his runs down the left wing proved dangerous. however, wes brown pulled off some brave tackles (on one occaision injuring robben) and did well to quell the attacks.

90 minutes were up and still the scorers had not been troubled. Sir Alex immediately brought in Alan Smith, and he went about things his own way. comitting himself to almost every tackle, and not unlike scholes, earned a yellow card. Robben, who by now was being hammered to the ground by the united defense, was substituted and on came Kalou. His impact was almost immediate. a close call for united came with kalou at the heart of things setting up for drogba, who again missed.

and then came the chance that most united fans will rue about for a long time. Swift passing in the chelsea half, saw rooney free in the left wing. Fletcher played the ball out and the striker drove the ball hard and low into the box. Smith and giggs waited in the middle and when the ball came, giggs could only mis-hit it as he slid in towards cech. the checz goalie managed to grasp the ball as it bounced off giggs' non-striking foot, but controversy raged as the united players claimed that the ball had crossed the line. referee steve bennett did not award the goal and that would prove to be costly for the league champions. Didier Drogba, in the last few minutes of Extra time, played a beautiful one-two pass with lampard and nudged the ball into goal, even as van der sar helplessly lunged forward.

United could do no more than pump the ball up the field a couple of times before Mr. Bennett blew the full time whistle.

For this United fan, writing this post has been the hardest thing.

Yet, i want to say,

GLORY GLORY MAN UNITED! AS THE REDS GO MARCHING...ON ON ON!