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Crying in the Rain
Some of the pundits thought that rain lashed Milan would prove a good omen for the men from Manchester, but they couldnt have been further from the truth. From the first whistle Carlo Ancelottis A C Milan tore a tired looking United apart in a packed and partisan San Siro with a performance that compelled admiration and respect and, if you support Liverpool, the utmost concern.
Understandable frustration and disappointment make it all too easy to blame United. They did start slowly and in some cases inappropriately, as Cristiano Ronaldos embarrassingly unsuccessful first minute showboating eloquently demonstrated. Massive games in their quest for the Premiership title, coupled with injuries to key players, have left them jaded and vulnerable, and it showed. They committed uncharacteristic defensive errors and three of them were fatal. A failure to close down Seedorf, the creator, and Kaka, the supreme finisher, gifted Milan their first goal and brought the aggregate scores level. Heinzes dithering and crazy pass left Vidic on his backside and led to Seedorfs emphatic strike on 29 minutes. And in the second half as United pressed hopefully forward a massive chasm opened up in the centre of the field to allow substitute striker Gilardino to sweep gratefully through and beat Van der Sar with a clinical finish to the far corner.
What made things worse was Uniteds inability to keep the ball. Inspired by the genius of Kaka and Seedorf and the aggressive Gattuso, Milan quite simply overpowered them and it took them 60 minutes to exert any significant pressure and even when they did, they never really looked like scoring.
But it would be unfair to labour the criticism of Sir Alex Fergusons side. Unfair to them to imply that one sub-standard performance, albeit in a crucial European game, in some way negates a wonderful season consistently enriched by their own brand of vibrant attacking football a season that still could, and hopefully will, end with the double celebration of a Premiership title and F.A. Cup triumph. And grossly unfair on A C Milan, who must be given due credit for a magnificent display.
What is clear is that it has become increasingly difficult (some would say impossible) for any club to dominate and win a demanding domestic league and the Champions League in the same season and there is no doubt that A C Milan have benefited from the fact that European success was their sole focus. As for United, they still have much to play for and fortunately they also have a manager who is capable of being both realistic and gracious in defeat. Something of which a little Portuguese in South West London should take note, arrogance permitting.
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