Ronaldo bullet fires United past PortoEurosport
Wed, 15 Apr 22:03:00 2009 A stunning long-range strike from Cristiano Ronaldo sent Manchester United into the Champions League semi-finals with a 1-0 win at Porto.
The Portuguese powered home a spectacular drive in the sixth minute as the holders secured a tense 3-2 aggregate victory.
United became the first British side to win at the Estadio do Dragao in 23 attempts over 41 years, and their reward is an all-Premier League semi-final against Arsenal.
After a month of shambolic defending and uncertainty, this was the solid, secure United that earlier this season set a record number of consecutive Premier League clean sheets.
Rio Ferdinand must take much credit for this on his return from a groin injury. While he did not have an outstanding game individually, his constant communication appeared to imbue his colleagues with improved positional sense and confidence.
Nemanja Vidic, in particular, looked much improved from his poor displays against Liverpool, Sunderland and the first leg against Porto.Porto fielded the same starting 11 that performed so admirably at Old Trafford a week earlier, but were without their charismatic coach Jesualdo Ferreira, who served a touchline ban.
The punishment was the result of a misguided appeal against a sanction from earlier in the competition, and Ferreira opted not even to turn up to the stadium, leaving his assistant Jose Gomez to his own devices.
United failed to control the first leg, allowing Porto to snatch a late 2-2 draw, but grabbed the return fixture by the scruff of the neck.
Or rather, Ronaldo did.The winger has been widely criticised for performing below his best this season, but for all the carping he remains a fairly useful player - if not the world's best, then certainly still in the top 10.He has 20 goals to his name this campaign and has lost none of his sense of occasion.
After five minutes of barracking from the Porto fans - a product of his former association with rivals Sporting Lisbon - Ronaldo unleashed a firecracker from nearly 40 yards that whooshed past Helton into the top-left corner.
Take that, naysayers.In an instant, all the angst about Mariano Gonzalez's late equaliser in the first leg disappeared.United had regained the aggregate
(YAWN)
Arsenalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.
ReplyDeleteTutawabamiza Utd ndani ya O.Trafford.hahahahahahahaha.Najua gemu litakuwa kali lakini Mshindi atakuwa ni yule yule mbabe wenu wa kila mwaka- Arsenal.
Pia mwaka huu hamchukui Kombe la Premier league mkubali-mkatae Liverpool watavunja mwiko wa miaka 18/19 whatever.
JAMAA MBINAFSI SANA,WAKISHINDA LIVERPOOL HABARI ANA ZIPOST HARAKA HARAKA SEMA TIMU ZINGINE ANAZIBANIA.ANYWAY BLOG YAKO SIE TUNASHANGILIA TU KUINGIA NUSU FAINALI. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
ReplyDeleteYNWA - You will Never Win Anything, haha.
ReplyDeleteNeed any records broken? ...call MANCHESTER UNITED!! Goons kaeni mkao wa kula, kichapo kitakatifu kinakuja.
si bure hapa kuna comment zimebaniwa.
ReplyDeleteMan yuuuuu tunaendeleza libeneke la kuvunja rekodi.
TUTAONANA FINAILI NA CHELSEA
Kama alivyosema Mbigiri.
ReplyDeletekushangilia kwiiingiii!!!!
ReplyDeletekagoli kenyewe ka kuunga unga!!!
subirini muone arsenal anavowakamua hapo hapo old traford...
si mnatujua sisi lakini(washika bunduki,old traford ni uwanja wetu wa kupigia mazoezi...tutawakamua kama hatuna akili nzuri...
forwad adebayor,forwad van persie..
katikakati fabrigas(the engineer)!!!mi sielewi mamboa haya jamani...tutawakamua wajinga nyie..na hivi mechi haichezeshwi na refa wa uingereza,marefa wa uingereza si huwaga wanawabeba nyinyi...mtakoma mwaka huu!!tunawapiga home and away hiyo!!
arsenal juu,juu zaidi
final ya uefa mwaka huu tena tutaingia na barca...historia itajirudia..na tutachukua kombe!!!
halafu nyinyi mashabiki wa Arsenal acheni kuwa kama Liverpool..mpira hauchezwi kwa mdomo subiri tu matokeo kwani jana wachezaji wenu wa Arsenal walipoullizwa kuhusu Manchester wanasema lolote linaweza kutokea sasa kwa hatua hii msitegemee mteremko
ReplyDeleteNa Jumamosi Chelsi wanawafungasha virago.
Mdau Manchester
Kwa hiyo kama wamesema kitu chochote kinaweza kutokea unadhani wanagwaya hiyo ni heshima tu kwa timu kubwa.Lakini ukweli unajulikana kama tulivyofanya November tutarudia kufanya april 29.Mbona Raha,mwaka huu.
ReplyDeleteTabu ya mashabiki wa Arsenal wanachonga sana. Inashangaza pia kuona wanataka kucheza na Baceloma katika fainali, why Bacelona? wanaiogopa Manchester au Chelsea? kama anaziogopa, kwa nini tarajie kuishinda Manchester nusu fainali?
ReplyDeleteukweli ni kwamba kila timu iko mguu ndani, mguu nje. kila timu ina strength and weaknesses na pia inategemea mazingira yatakavyokuwa wakati huo. unaweza kusema Arsenal itacheza fainali lakini wakajikuta wana majeruhi watano kufikia wakati wa mechi ya nusu fainali!
Tupunguze majigambo la sivyo yatatukuta yaliyomkuta host wetu, Bw. Michuzi!
Mimi sasa sina wasi, kama nilivyosema mwanzo kwamba yoooote mtaongea lakini wengi wenu ni mambumbumbu wa ushindi wa mechi moja wakati mkusanyaji vikombe mnamjua baba yenu!! Siwezi kuongea swala la viwete kama Arsenal wataisumbua akili yangu bure ni heri niitumie uzeeni kutafakari mambo muhimu. Sisi kwa kuvunja records ndio wenyewe hata hao viwete watakuwa wanajua nani alihitimisha unbeaten 49 games?? Jibu mtalipata nusu fainali ikitimia maana mnajifanya mmesahau. Eti mtashinda Old trafford, Kushinda pale sio kuchukua ubingwa wewe hata Porto walipata draw pale! Anayepanda hujulikana alichopanda mashindano yakiisha! Bado record ya kuchukua na kutetea ndio tunayoikimbiza! Van der Saar ana ya kwake ya kutofungwa haiandikwi lakini angekuwa Rehema hapo oooh sorry Reina ingekuwa maandishi yanatoka nje ya screen! Ntaipenda United mpaka kufa.
ReplyDelete